Advocating for Accommodations + Why Every Student Deserves to Be Heard
We Are Connected To Our Mission, and Your Story.
As I am navigating my own education as a graduate student, I have gone up against walls that I didn’t expect. I have approved accommodations, and multiple doctor’s notes deeming a need for accommodations, yet I feel dismissed and burdensome whenever I try to advocate for my needs. In fact, I was told by several faculty members that my accommodations and disabilities were “burdensome” and “added to their workload".” The very systems that were designed to support me often felt like barriers.
This experience brought me back to something I saw in my internship while working with students. Children would confide in me about how their educators and social workers treated them, how they didn’t feel seen or listened to, and how the IEPs and 504 Plans that were supposed to help them felt like pieces of paper that nobody took seriously. I often got to know my caseload before reading their notes, as I know that notes are limited to the individual taking them, and their own opinions of the individual, often times without the right context to make the very judgements they put into a permanent record.
What I have come to learn myself is that accommodations are not optional, they are a right.
So many families don’t know where to begin. Schools don’t always explain the process. Parents feel silenced or overwhelmed. Institutions don’t support them. Students internalize shame when they aren’t supported, and this can impact their confidence for years.
Here’s what I want you to know:
• IEPs and 504 Plans exist to ensure students have the tools they need to succeed.
• Every student deserves access to equitable education—it’s the law, not a favor.
• Advocacy changes lives. When someone stands beside you, helping you ask for what you need, it creates space for healing and growth. At minimum, it empowers you to fight for what you need and deserve.
At The Soul Empowerment Collective, I bring the same empathy and determination to families as I do in my therapy sessions. I listen. I guide. I empower parents and students to understand their rights and hold systems accountable. Individuals deserve more than survival, they deserve to thrive.
If you’re unsure where to start with an IEP or 504 Plan, let’s talk. I’m here to help you take the next step.