Hi Tribe-
I hope everyone had a great weekend and holiday!
As we move forward in the school year, I want to take the time as your Disability Advocacy Coordinator to review what reasonable, or specific, accommodations are and why it is important to know and understand.
If you are a parent, like myself, that has a child with a disability, you may have seen or heard the term "reasonable accommodations." You may have wondered, "What is it?" and "Why is it important?"
I can give you three reasons off the top:
It is a legal right under the Americans Disability Act.
It provides support for your child in their natural and/or learning environment. It can assist them effectively with tasking or everyday life activities.
It positively fosters independence.
We at Akoma Cares take seriously on providing an amazing and fun educational experience. On our forms, we have a space for listing accommodations for your child. Our wonderful facilitators are very open to making the necessary changes to help your child thrive in their learning environment. Please connect with your child's facilitator via our Akoma Cares app, email, or in-person. If you feel your child need accommodations, but do not have a medical diagnosis, or disability, that is ok too. We are here to help!
Note-
-Should your child develop a need for a specific accommodation after registration, there is never an expiration date. Remember- it is your child's legal right ❤️.
-Please do NOT share personal medical information. We only ask that you provide the accommodation(s) as it refers to your child's need. This information will ONLY be shared with your child's facilitator or myself as your peer support.
Here is a link for a snapshot (quick reference) on accommodations for further information. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/accommodations-what-they-are-and-how-they-work
If you have questions or concerns regarding reasonable accommodations, do not hesitate to reach out to me, Anastasia Ford, at aj.ford@akomacares.org (or dpss@akomacares.org is fine also!).
I hope this is helpful!
✌🏾 and ❤️,
'AJ'