Today’s episode examines the challenges an autistic student faces whilst seeking accommodations at Western Governors University (WGU), despite providing federally mandated documentation like her IEP and Summary of Performance. The author of the source article, her parent and a special education teacher Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, highlights how WGU’s marketing of “flexibility” contrasts sharply with its rigid demands for specific, recent medical diagnoses that are often impossible for autistic individuals to obtain. Dr. Hoerricks argues that this bureaucratic gatekeeping serves as a cost-control measure, intentionally creating inaccessible systems that lead to the quiet exclusion of neurodivergent students. Ultimately, she suggests this case is emblematic of a broader issue where educational institutions prioritise efficiency over equity, leaving many disabled students unsupported in a hostile environment, especially in the current political climate where legal protections are eroding.
Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/still-not-enough-what-it-takes-for
Let me know what you think.
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