The Real Story Behind the Rise in Disability Accommodations
Recent coverage in and an earlier article in the have questioned the increase in disability accommodations for students and recent graduates. A Syracuse University law professor and leading national expert says that framing is missing critical context.
The Expert
, professor of law and director, disability law and policy program in Syracuse University’s College of Law
What She Can Address
- Why rising accommodation numbers reflect a pipeline success story, not a system being gamed
- How the American with Disabilities Act’s broad definition of disability shapes what qualifies鈥攁nd what gets denied
- The accommodations that never make headlines: requests that are routinely rejected
- How successful implementation of anti-discrimination laws at the K-12 level has expanded the population of students with disabilities entering higher education
In Her Own Words
“An increase in accommodations is a natural consequence of the increased presence of students with disabilities in higher education. The Americans with Disabilities Act defines disability broadly, and without knowing more about each individually approved accommodation, it is difficult if not improper to conclude that any increase is suspicious.”
Recent Work
Macfarlane’s article “” was recently published in the Georgetown Law Journal.
Faculty Expert
