The Accommodation Process module clarified an important distinction — accommodations are about access, not success. Students provide success; accommodations only provide the opportunity to demonstrate what they know.
This reframes accommodation decisions. A request for a single dorm room as a "quiet study" space is a successful support, since no student is promised a quiet study. A request for Braille textbooks is access support, since without it, the student cannot read what others read freely.
Documentation serves two purposes: establishing protected status and identifying the accommodations needed for equal access. Single-source decision-making through Disability Services produces consistency and protects privacy.
In my context at an Early College Center, this reinforces that eligibility decisions belong with CVCC's Disability Services, not my office. My role is to refer, support, and ensure follow-through.
Equal treatment is not equal access. Sometimes access requires different treatment to level the field.
