Accessibility Advocacy in Higher Education
Students still have their own autonomy and that should come first. But do your best to be a friendly face and a helping guide when the situation calls for it.
Collegiate esports staff are some of the greatest possible advocates for our students! We forge strong bonds with them through all the time we spend with them, we are a mentor figure for them, and for many students we are the nearest “adult” to them on campus. We are also the people who can most effectively help them navigate administrative red tape and processes they might not understand very well such as coordinating with campus accessibility services. I’m writing this brief blurb to talk about some things that would be good for everyone to know that I already have experience with from my time as an educator as well as being a specialist in working with students with disabilities. Beyond just reading this, I encourage you all to look things up, look at resources in your school or state, and educate yourself on both national and regional policies as well! I will have some links in the comments of this post as well.
Basic Concepts:
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was signed into law in 1990 and, while it has been refined since then, guides the ways in which the education system treats students with disabilities.
If a student in K-12 is found eligible under the defined disability standards, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is created for them that outlines accommodations that shall be put in place to aid a student in their learning and to help them through their time in school. IEPs are typically for students whose disability impairments are more severe but can also include folks with a combination of ADHD and Autism too. As a note, IEPs do not stay with a student once they leave K-12 education and graduate high school.
A Section 504 Plan is colloquially seen as a less stringent IEP and generally students with 504’s in my experience have ADHD, ADD, or even a few medical conditions that are not overwhelmingly impacting their education and life, but still are to be considered. A 504 plan DOES follow a student through college too. If a student has an IEP and is going off to college, they must create a transition plan and have their accommodations moved into a 504 to carry on with them.
The reason I talk about this is that these, and many others, are terms and ideas that people who do not start out as educators don’t frequently get exposed to. Where this primarily affects us in collegiate esports is when working with the Office of Student Accessibility Services or whatever the nomenclature for it may be on your campus. How many collegiate esports staff know about the 504’s and accommodations their students may have for various disabilities? Unless the student directly lists you as someone the Accessibility Office should notify, you don’t get to know generally. However, if you make it known to your students that you are there for them and speak confidently and in an informed manner on these things, you’ll begin to hear more. In the end, you should never force a student to tell you something, but being an open and welcoming person helps.
When push comes to shove, you are also likely the biggest ally one of your students can have on campus because you work most closely with them. If you work on building a professional relationship with your Office of Student Accessibility, you can advocate for your students when they are trying to navigate these processes if they may not know who to talk with, or at least direct them in the right place. In the end you are not their caretaker, nor do you generally know their medical history, but pointing them in the right direction and helping the process along can help. Lastly, only advocate for students directly WHERE REQUESTED. Students still have their own autonomy and that should come first. But do your best to be a friendly face and a helping guide when the situation calls for it.
