Five sentence summary:
If your professor refuses or changes your accommodation, start with the assumption that they don't realize their mistake or are unaware of what you need. Clarify what you need, remind them of the specific accommodation and that it has been approved, and refer them to your disability advisor or that office if they have questions. Send a follow-up email and document as much as you can in writing for your own record and if things turn sour. If your professor outright refuses, politely inform them what you are entitled to under the ADA and/or refer them to your disability office.
A few disclaimers here:
A professor can (wrongfully) deny your accommodation for a number of reasons. They can also decide they know better than the Disability Office or you and modify the accommodation to suit their needs, which is also illegal 98% of the time. Good professors want students to succeed and learn and they'll want to make sure you have what you need to succeed. At worst, you're well within your right to explain to them that they're violating your rights under the ADA but let's start assuming your professor isn't a jerk. Start by assuming ignorance
If your professor changes your accommodation, assume they simply don't realize their mistake or are unaware of what you need. It's always better to view this conversation as a conversation (rather than a confrontation) about your learning.
Try clarifying what you need/explaining what doesn't work. For example, if your accommodation is for double time on all tests and your professor decides that only means the final exam and not the weekly quizzes, reiterate again that you have this accommodation for all tests. It might not hurt to phrase it like, "One of the accommodations my doctors and my disability coordinator agreed I need is double time on any and all tests, including quizzes. That is my approved accommodation and there isn't a reason why I would need this accommodation for tests but not the quizzes. I am happy to give you my disability coordinator's contact information if you want more information." This way, you're reminding your professor 1) what the accommodation is, 2) that accommodations aren't given out like candy and remove barriers, and 2) that it is approved. You're also passing along the problem to the disability office to handle it, because it's not your job to educate your professor on the law or on your disability. (Your coordinator should not give your professor more information about you specifically. Your disability is confidential. They can say something like, "students may need double time because of reason A, reason B, reason C" but they can't disclose anything personal with your professor and will likely just tell them they need to comply). How firm you are in your wording is up to you and depends on your interactions with your professor and why you think they're refusing or changing an accommodation. Here are a few more ways you could phrase your needs with the phrasing becoming increasingly firm:
A lot of the time, your professors are just clueless about disabled learners and/or they may have your accommodation mixed up with someone else's. Assume they don't know the harm they're causing and politely but clearly remind them of what your accommodation is and that it is crucial for your learning. I always recommend following up any verbal conversations with written ones because having a record can be crucial if things go downhill later. Send a short email that thanks the professor for speaking with you, summarizes what you spoke about, and summarizes anything you agreed on, including any follow up steps you have or your professor has next. Dos for the conversation
Don'ts for the conversation
Flat out refusing to adhere to an accommodation
If a professor flat out denies your accommodation, I would start with the steps above. Assume your professor has refused because they're confused. The same Dos and Don'ts apply. Be polite, plan what you're going to say in advance, get everything in writing afterwards but adjust the wording so that it fits your situation. For example, "One of the accommodations my doctors and my disability coordinator agreed I need is double time on any and all tests. It has been approved by the Disability Office and it's one that really removes a lot of the barriers to learning so I can succeed."
If they still say no, then you gently remind them that they're violating the law. "Actually, denying this is against federal law. Unless this accommodation fundamentally changes the course content, the ADA entitles all students to the same experiences, educational materials, and etc." At this point, your instructor will either try and explain how your accommodation is going to fundamentally change the course content, or they'll complain about it being too much work, or they'll back down. If they do anything other than the latter (or convincingly explain how course content is affected), leave it to the disability office and let your instructor know they'll be in touch. In some cases, the disability office will be able to help the professor so whatever accommodation is less work for them or explain how they can structure their course so it's more accessible in general. Regardless, your job is done. Don't forget to send a follow-up email documenting everything and yes this means including in your summary of the conversation that your professor refused to grant your accommodation. Graduate students
Graduate students, for some reason there's this weird assumption that being a graduate student means you lose access to disability services and accommodations "You knew the pressures when you applied to graduate school. You knew the expectations of the program when you entered graduate school. You can't expect X as a graduate student, you'll never succeed as a doctor, engineer, scientist, artist, professor, whatever." NOT TRUE. You are just as entitled to accommodations as undergraduate students. The ADA still applies. There is no legal basis why being a graduate student or law student or whatever means you lose your rights. None.
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