People who complain about others’ academic accommodations are often ignorant about why they are given.

I’ve heard the same old complaints before.

“Why is it fair that you get time and a half on a test?“ Some people legitimately need more time on a test. This won’t suddenly give them more knowledge, or more notes to access if the test is open-note. Some argue that the purpose of a test is to simulate a working environment, but so little of the work a day world resembles a scantron exam or FRQs. It’s a knowledge test, not a quick recall test, and there’s no extra points for finishing early.

“It is unfair that you get to use a computer and you don’t.” We generally can’t use our own computer. It has to be a computer in a testing center, generally either monitored by chaperone or cut off from internet access, if not both. Autocorrect, autocomplete, and spell check are often (though not always) disabled as well. Some of these computers at my 2010s junior high were old beaters running Windows 98 or 2000, with a bare bones Notepad-like text editor hooked up to a printer when we were done. The only thing these computers automate is penmanship, which most tests don’t grade for anyway!

“Taking notes on a computer won’t teach you. You won’t form the same pathways in your brain!” I wonder if the study that says that is referencing the fact that people are more likely to transcribe lines verbatim when typing. Why not try to get typists to use shorthand?

“Typing is too loud for a classroom environment.” Is it? I love mechanical keyboards, but in class, I use a laptop keyboard like everyone else.

“Recording lectures is just encouraging people to not listen/develop listening skills.” This is an occasional favorite of holdouts who lament the use of microphones in large lecture halls. No, the reason why we might need to hear the lecture again isn’t because we are willfully lame, nor because of the pokeymans rotting my attention span, nor because of jimmy hendricks killing my ears (casual audism is also popular among these types). I won’t sugar coat it: adhd and autism affect listening skills. This might be the only way to make sure i haven’t misinterpreted a thing.

I also had accommodations that involved getting copies of the class powerpoint… something so many college classes these days give by default.