Comment on Samuel Gonzalez's post:
Your reflection captures something the module emphasized strongly — that knowing the scope of our role is essential to serving students with disabilities well. Treating them the same as we would any other student, while setting aside preconceived notions, honors their full humanity rather than reducing them to their diagnosis.
Your point about not letting personal experiences with disabilities affect the quality of support is wise. Even well-intentioned assumptions based on someone we knew with a similar condition can lead us astray. Each student's experience is unique, and our job is to respond to the person in front of us — not the picture we carry from elsewhere.
Your recognition of the scope of an IT support specialist mirrors my own situation as a College Director. I am not qualified to make accommodation determinations or promise specific support. My role is to know who handles those decisions and route students efficiently to that person. Proper referral is itself a meaningful service.
The discipline of staying within scope protects both the student and the institution while ensuring the right expertise is applied to the right question.
