The user, a 21-year-old Canadian university student majoring in psychology, has a documented disability that requires accommodations, such as online assignment submission and recorded lectures, to maintain her high academic standing.
When the user submitted the necessary paperwork to her elective course professor, Dr. X (70sM), he immediately dismissed the accommodations, stating he did not believe in “special treatment.” After initial exchanges where the professor was dismissive and suggested she was using her disability as a crutch, the conflict escalated when Dr. X penalized her for submitting a major assignment online while hospitalized, despite her approved accommodations. The user is now questioning whether reporting the professor to the university’s disability office was an overreaction, especially as some classmates suggest she should have simply accepted the situation since she is still passing the elective course.
AITA for reporting my professor for refusing to accommodate my disability?
As renowned educational advocate and disability rights expert Dr. Jamie Arpotts states, “Academic accommodations are not privileges granted by a kind instructor; they are legally mandated adjustments designed to ensure equitable access to education for all students, regardless of health status.”
The professor’s behavior demonstrates a significant lack of understanding regarding disability legislation and equity in higher education. His refusal to honor documented accommodations, coupled with language suggesting the student is “using her disability as a crutch” or is “entitled,” indicates both pedagogical negligence and potential discriminatory practice. The motivation appears to stem from a rigid, outdated worldview that equates success solely with overcoming obstacles without support, rather than recognizing that support levels the playing field. The user was correct to insist upon her rights; accommodations are specifically designed for situations where baseline attendance or submission methods are impossible due to documented health issues.
The user’s action in reporting the professor was entirely appropriate and necessary, as the professor directly violated university policy and potentially federal/provincial disability rights laws by penalizing her for using an approved accommodation. For future similar situations, the constructive recommendation is to bypass direct confrontation with a resistant instructor once they have clearly refused accommodation. Instead, the student should immediately involve the Disability Services Office or relevant Dean to enforce compliance, thereby shifting the burden of enforcement from the student to the administrative body responsible for upholding those policies.
THIS STORY SHOOK THE INTERNET – AND REDDITORS DIDN’T HOLD BACK.
The user finds herself in a difficult position, having to defend legally required academic accommodations against a professor who actively rejected them and has now accused her of being entitled after she escalated the issue to the administration.
The central conflict is whether the user was justified in formally reporting the discrimination to protect her legally mandated rights, or if she should have tolerated the mistreatment because the course was only an elective and she was technically still passing. Should the right to necessary accommodations supersede the desire to avoid conflict with a dismissive instructor?
