The last few weeks have felt daunting and overwhelming as I’ve been battling intense floods of illness and considering whether or not to resume graduate school part-time again this fall. You see, even contemplating a graduate program was a huge undertaking for me a couple years ago when I was accepted into a Certificate of Public Health program. As I slowly mustered up the courage to transfer into the Master’s in Public Health program, I felt scared yet hopeful all at once. And in between it all, I’ve had to take a trimester off to tend to my health.
But all that aside, now we are in the midst of a pandemic and circumstances have changed. Last trimester was particularly hard for me even though my classes were virtual. Now, I can see many of you saying, “Huh? Isn’t going virtual supposed to make it easier for us chronically ill and disabled folk?” It certainly hasn’t for me. While I appreciate being virtual again this fall and fully understand that this is a privilege compared to in-person programs around the country, learning online during the pandemic has nevertheless been a rough transition for me. I think people assume attending class virtually is easier and while it certainly has its conveniences, it has its own set of limitations that don’t offer the most optimal setting for learning and absorbing content.
The thing is I enjoyed going to class. It got me out of bed and out of my apartment on all those days even when I felt crummy. And I enjoyed going into a classroom filled with people from all walks of life, including students who were doctors, social workers, nurses along with international students coming to supplement their already prolific careers. I also enjoyed making new friends, especially one particular woman who I sat next to randomly one day and we got to talking and realized we both have IBD! And most of all, I felt that the personal connection with the students and the professors allowed me to learn well and I could participate more readily in class versus online. Lectures were more engaging, more interactive and had a more human touch versus this new virtual paradigm.
Fast forward to last trimester: I had a bad run-in with a professor over Zoom and many of his comments sounded ableist, sexist and condescending and that too in the midst of the pandemic. I have been scarred since. Between my seesawing health this summer, the emotional components of the pandemic and poor treatment and lack of consideration by that professor, this trimester I worked up the courage to request additional disability accommodations from my school. And yes, especially because I’m attending virtually.
REQUESTING ACCOMMODATIONS
I know many of you might be wondering about the process for requesting accommodations. My graduate school is very disability-friendly and from day one, they made it a point to share how to obtain accommodations. I remember sitting down with the social worker in the Disabilities Services department when I first started the program. After submitting a couple medical letters of necessity, the social worker in my program issued me accommodations to ensure that the program could support me in my quest to receive a higher education. And in the last couple weeks when I asked for additional accommodations, I was re-interviewed and my accommodations were accordingly modified. It’s important to go in with an open mind and be willing to have open conversations about what you need. It’s also necessary to have conversations with your healthcare team and to do some soul-searching as to what you might need and how it can help you feel more comfortable yet still reasonable for your school to accommodate.
TYPES OF ACCOMMODATIONS REQUESTED
So what kinds of accommodations did I request? Because I find it hard to sit for long periods of time and need to use the bathroom and eat small snacks frequently, I requested and received the following accommodations:
1. The ability to turn off the Zoom camera for 5-10 minutes at a time to use the bathroom, get up and stretch, grab a snack, etc, so as not to disrupt the class.
2. Time and a half on exams in case I need to tend to those things during exams
3. Note-taking by a qualified classmate in case I need to tend to my health.
4. No penalties to my grades if I have necessary medical appointments or acute onset of illness.
As you can see from the accommodations received, these are very individual to my particular ailments and needs. This is why it is so important to go in to Disability Services having thought through what you might need. It also helps to discuss what types of accommodations are generally given to get a better sense of what to ask for for your own particular case.
That said, because of these accommodations now in place, I feel more at ease and hopeful that this trimester will run a bit more smoothly than the last. The truth of the matter is we don’t know how long this pandemic will last and how long we might be virtual, in-person or hybrid. We need to adjust our sails to ensure we are getting the accommodations we need to get through these times and make the most of our education.
So, own your Crohn’s, own your chronic illness, and access your school’s disability services to help you fulfill your dreams and achieve all that you can in spite of daily health challenges.
As always, I love hearing from you all. Please feel free to drop a line, leave a comment and/or share if you found this post useful and empowering!
