Unsung Champions of Equity
Disability Resource Professionals (DRPs) — from K-12 special education staff to higher ed accessibility specialists — are the key to making education accessible for every student. They turn legal requirements into real, everyday support, yet they often work behind the scenes with limited resources.
How Do Disability Resource Professionals Support Students?
- Guiding Big Transitions: They help students shift from high school (where support is automatically provided) to college (where students must advocate for themselves).
- Designing Inclusive Learning: They supply tools like extended test time and screen readers and provide details on new or unique accommodations that educators and administrators may not know about. Their goal is to support equitable learning for all students.
- Building Community: They ensure students with physical, neurodivergent, or invisible disabilities feel valued and fully included.
- Supporting Educators: They can provide information to assist teachers and professors, giving them the tools needed to reach every student.
What Changes Between High School and College Support?
In K-12, schools are responsible for identifying students who need help and providing it automatically through an IEP or 504 plan. In college, that responsibility shifts to the student: accommodations are no longer automatic, and students must register with a disability resource office and request what they need. DRPs are often the first people who help students learn to advocate for themselves in this new environment.
Many of the students DRPs support are neurodivergent, including a growing number of students with ADHD. Trained ADHD coaches are a natural partner to disability resource professionals — helping students build the executive-function and self-advocacy skills that turn accommodations into lasting success.
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Let’s give a “shout out” to all the dedicated DRPs who make learning accessible to all students… and the next time you connect with one of these amazing people, be patient and kind. They juggle large case loads and responsibilities every day.