accom.
I do not see a problem with giving students some extra time if it is what they need.
Kyra,
I'm glad that you are comfortable with recognizing that the need for additional time does not indicate less capability. Now you simply need to explore how the option is granted and facilitated at your institution (that is, who makes the determination of how much extra time, and how is the accommodation delivered?).
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I'm not sure if I agree, once they complete their education their goal would likely be to get a postion within the field they have been educated, few employers are going to be understnding of the need for additional time to complete tasks assigned. Maybe a better thing would be to tutor them to a point to manage their time to the best of their ability.
Laura,
First, keep in mind that the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to employment as well as to the education sector, and that *reasonable* accommodations must be made for employees with disabilities on the job. Moreover, it is rare for job assignments to have discrete, imposed time limits for completion the way that testing often does. If there is a NEED (not just a tradition) for something to be completed within a set time frame (for example, applying a tourniquet) then extended time would not be a reasonable accommodation and wouldn't be given in either the educational or work situation. Your comment on tutoring suggests that you think students with disabilities who are given extended time wouldn't need the extended time if they just tried harder or were better at what they are trying to do. You seem to have missed the point of accommodation
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Laura brings up a great point. The real world is not so accommodating. (of course I'm an older instructor in my mid-50s and from a different generation)
Dave,
While the "real world" is under the same legal obligations to provide appropriate accommodation (Title I of the ADA applies to employment in the public AND private sectors), it is true that people with disabilities must be much more conversant with their needs and their rights to see those accommodations put in place. It will surely be an uphill struggle for many.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
