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>I must ensure that every every disability is accommodated. >> The poor man! Did you not read the next sentence? The point was that most of the "disabilities"

>I must ensure that every every disability is accommodated. >> The poor man! Did you not read the next sentence? The point was that most of the "disabilities" are bunk: > Most disabilities that I am asked to accommodate seem to be unspecified and are remedied by providing the students with a separate, quiet location and an extra 30 minutes to take an exam.

a_bonobo 11y ago
He doesn't prove that they are bunk - there are just many disabilities out there where a separate room is helpful. (edit: in fact, an extra room + bit of extra time is the only available accommodation for disabled that unis tend to give out, so of course that's the "remedy") For example, someone with a spine injury with a only partially functioning bladder may need to urinate a few times during a long exam. If he/she's not around students, he/she can do that using a bottle and doesn't need to waste any more time wheeling back and forth to the bathroom. (I have a friend in a wheelchair who used to do this during exams). Visually impaired may not be able to write or read on their own so they have someone read them the questions and dictate the answers, which disturbs other students if they'd be in the same room. AFAIK if you need a different room then the disability has to be documented to the university with a medical letter, but I can't find that requirement at the author's uni page so maybe that uni doesn't.
- chestervonwinch 11y ago
  > AFAIK if you need a different room then the disability has to be documented to the university with a medical letter, but I can't find that requirement at the author's uni page so maybe that uni doesn't. Just to add to this: I'm a TA and have been a lecturer a few times for courses at my uni. There is a whole registration process that the student and professor must go through. I'd estimate (in my limited experience) it's usually only 1 in 30-50 students who request extra accommodation. I suppose there are some that use it to take advantage. However, there are social implications of having special accommodations that naturally work to off set those who might take advantage these allowances.
mordocai 11y ago
Some people are bad test takers. That doesn't mean they shouldn't get through college when college is equivalent to what high school used to be (a basic ticket into the workforce). I think it is perfectly valid to need more time and some quiet to be able to complete an exam (this comes from someone who is very good at taking tests, if my past school performance and current job interview performance is any indication)
- mcphage 11y ago
  > Some people are bad test takers. And some people are bad studiers, and some people are bad workers, and some people have trouble remembering details, and some people have trouble organizing their thoughts clearly. And so on for all sorts of other inabilities. Should they all be able to get through college? If not, what's the distinction? If so, what does it mean to pass through college?
  - fleitz 11y ago
    It's almost as if the entire purpose of testing is to create a proxy for discrimination based on ability.
    - mcphage 11y ago
      What do you mean proxy?
      - fleitz 11y ago
        Testing is a substitute for measuring actual skill is what I meant.
        mcphage 11y ago
        I was being sarcastic—testing is not a substitute for measuring actual skill, testing is the attempt to measure actual skill. Which, maybe not so great. But any better measurement would still qualify as "testing".

a_bonobo 11y ago

He doesn't prove that they are bunk - there are just many disabilities out there where a separate room is helpful. (edit: in fact, an extra room + bit of extra time is the only available accommodation for disabled that unis tend to give out, so of course that's the "remedy") For example, someone with a spine injury with a only partially functioning bladder may need to urinate a few times during a long exam. If he/she's not around students, he/she can do that using a bottle and doesn't need to waste any more time wheeling back and forth to the bathroom. (I have a friend in a wheelchair who used to do this during exams). Visually impaired may not be able to write or read on their own so they have someone read them the questions and dictate the answers, which disturbs other students if they'd be in the same room. AFAIK if you need a different room then the disability has to be documented to the university with a medical letter, but I can't find that requirement at the author's uni page so maybe that uni doesn't.

chestervonwinch 11y ago
> AFAIK if you need a different room then the disability has to be documented to the university with a medical letter, but I can't find that requirement at the author's uni page so maybe that uni doesn't. Just to add to this: I'm a TA and have been a lecturer a few times for courses at my uni. There is a whole registration process that the student and professor must go through. I'd estimate (in my limited experience) it's usually only 1 in 30-50 students who request extra accommodation. I suppose there are some that use it to take advantage. However, there are social implications of having special accommodations that naturally work to off set those who might take advantage these allowances.

mordocai 11y ago

Some people are bad test takers. That doesn't mean they shouldn't get through college when college is equivalent to what high school used to be (a basic ticket into the workforce). I think it is perfectly valid to need more time and some quiet to be able to complete an exam (this comes from someone who is very good at taking tests, if my past school performance and current job interview performance is any indication)

mcphage 11y ago
> Some people are bad test takers. And some people are bad studiers, and some people are bad workers, and some people have trouble remembering details, and some people have trouble organizing their thoughts clearly. And so on for all sorts of other inabilities. Should they all be able to get through college? If not, what's the distinction? If so, what does it mean to pass through college?
- fleitz 11y ago
  It's almost as if the entire purpose of testing is to create a proxy for discrimination based on ability.
  - mcphage 11y ago
    What do you mean proxy?
    - fleitz 11y ago
      Testing is a substitute for measuring actual skill is what I meant.
      - mcphage 11y ago
        I was being sarcastic—testing is not a substitute for measuring actual skill, testing is the attempt to measure actual skill. Which, maybe not so great. But any better measurement would still qualify as "testing".