Comment on DANIEL CARR's post:
Your reflection captures the shared responsibility framework at the heart of disability law in higher education. Institutions must comply with applicable laws and guidelines to ensure that students with disabilities have the same learning opportunities as their non-disabled peers. At the same time, students must follow established procedures to make their disabilities known so that accommodations can be implemented in a reasonable time.
Your point about the student's responsibility to self-identify is one that many people overlook. Disability protections do not activate automatically — students must engage the institution's processes by providing documentation and requesting accommodations through the proper channels. This is not a barrier to access; it is the mechanism by which access is provided.
Your insight about a reasonable time also resonates. Accommodations are not retroactive. When students wait too long to disclose, institutions cannot adequately prepare to support them. Early communication produces the strongest outcomes for everyone.
In my context at an Early College Center, your framework applies directly to families navigating dual enrollment for the first time.
Thank you for naming this clearly.
