Ways to Request Accommodations

Learning about accommodations puts emphasis on discovering useful ways of coping with and getting around the functional limitations of an individual's learning skills. Adults need to know:

• The types of accommodations that are appropriate for their specific disabilities
• How accommodations should be provided
• The conditions under which accommodations should be used and will be helpful
• How to request accommodations
• How to seek and use accommodations independently.

The challenge of requesting accommodations also may require instruction in specific social skills.

Emphasis on Meeting Individual Responsibilities

Self-advocacy involves accepting the responsibility for one's own success. Adults need to learn the actions necessary in specific situations to function independently and responsibly.

Appropriate Use of Self-Advocacy Curricula

Adults with learning disabilities often face situations or conditions in their lives that they feel helpless to improve. For example, they may not have been given equal access to a desired employment opportunity because reasonable accommodations were not provided. When conditions in an adult's life demand change, a self-advocacy curriculum should be considered. In most instances, this approach simply enhances other options selected.¹⁴

The following is a questionnaire that could be used with learners in order to determine if they have adequate self-advocacy skills.