Disability Support Services should be used by disabled students in need

By Benjamin Laun and Ian Bott     4/10/13 7:00pm

 

Without meaning to sound like an '80s motivational video or a '90s children's cartoon, it is almost certain that everyone reading this article knows (and maybe is related to or close friends with) somebody who has a disability. There are plenty of physical or mental conditions that, for one reason or another, make life a bit more difficult. Of course, it is easy to tell whether someone is blind or has to use a wheelchair, but some disabilities cannot be seen with the naked eye. Some are learning disabilities such as dyslexia and attention deficit disorder which are fairly continuous in their effects on a student. But still others can come and go, making it difficult to know when a student is being limited. We are, of course, skirting around the ever-so-controversial subject of mental illness. 

There are those among us who fight invisible battles every day, and it is often hard to work up the motivation or the power to ask for help. People often assume that bodies such as Rice Disability Support Services exist only to aid students with obvious physical or learning disabilities. This, however, is not the case. As noted on the myriad syllabi students have received (and many will continue to receive), any student who has a documented disability is entitled to receive accommodations that can help to alleviate some of the stress and difficulty associated with trying to deal with a mental illness on a college campus. Students who struggle with completing work or who miss class due to depression, for example, can obtain more flexible deadlines for major assignments as well as a few absences before their grades are penalized. These accommodations can prove indispensable in enabling some students to succeed in academics at Rice. 

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Students need not be intimidated by or afraid of asking for help, although shame or lack of awareness appears to inhibit students with mental health issues from seeking academic accommodations. We became of aware of this when, at the Feb. 4 Wellbeing Forum discussing mental health at Rice, Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson said he has never had a student come talk to him specifically to receive accommodations for mental illness. Given the prevalence of mental illness and the difficulties it can bring, this is alarming. DSS is a valuable resource in the endeavor to reduce the burden of mental illness and help Rice students thrive here. 

Even so, incoming and existing students hear little about DSS and what it can offer. At the moment, DSS interacts with faculty in the hope that staff will refer students, but it is too often not possible for professors to discern when a student is experiencing a psychological disability. If teachers are unaware that a disability exists and students are uninformed that DSS can offer assistance and advocacy, how will students get the necessary support that they warrant? Mental or physical impairments that at times substantially limit the ability to learn will deny students equal opportunity to access learning and navigate through classes. The Working Group strongly recommends that steps be taken to make sure students know about DSS and that it can offer help for both physical and psychological disabilities. 

The process is simple: students need little more than a signed doctor's letter expressing some of the academic difficulties the disability entails, and DSS will be more than happy to discuss and implement possible accommodations. A growing number of students are seeking help from the service, and though this is encouraging, we must endeavor to spread awareness and clarify who merits accommodations. It is the responsibility of the students to self-report whether any accommodations are required, but in order to do this, they must be aware that they can receive support. 

As we head toward summer, many of us will get a chance to take a break from classes. Not everyone will get a break from disability. Hopefully, we can keep the issue present in our minds because there is great opportunity for impactful policy changes while working closely with the administration. We fervently hope that when a Rice community member experiences a disability, he or she will recognize that he or she may qualify for accommodations and will go meet with DSS on the first floor of the Allen Center. 

Benjamin Laun is a Wiess College freshman and Ian Bott is a Wiess College junior. 

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