Accommodations: Yes or No?

Hey y'all!

Two posts in one week?  Crazy!!!  I'm actually writing this one early and then keeping it in my drafts for a few days because, ya know, life happens.  I have a lot to say in this post, so bear with me, because it's gonna be pretty long.

Today's topic is one that causes a fair bit of controversy in the DOC, and one that's been a real struggle for me personally: accommodations.  Everyone has different opinions about this issue, so I thought I'd share mine since it's been particularly relevant in my life these past few weeks.  Here goes!

As many of you know, I'm kinda the worst about asking for help with anything; I'm independent and super stubborn, which usually means I handle things on my own even when I really shouldn't.  One thing that's difficult about living with a chronic condition is the whole "special treatment" thing.  God, I hate special treatment.  99% of the time, I'll do anything to avoid getting something "extra" or "different" from everyone else.  I'll take a test with low blood sugar rather than asking the teacher for extra time. (Pro tip, kids: don't do that.  It's not a good idea.)

But the thing about living with a condition like T1D is that sometimes, special treatment is completely necessary.  I've struggled with that for a really long time.  Recently, a friend of mine explained it in a way that changed my perspective: "Accommodations for PWD aren't giving them an unfair advantage over anyone else.  We have a natural disadvantage in most of the things we do, and accommodations just level the playing field."

For most of my life, I worked really, really hard to not need any special treatment.  Part of that was because of my own natural stubbornness, and part of it was because my parents always taught me that I should handle things on my own.  But then freshman year... happened... and I started to rethink things.  Some of my teachers (I won't name any names) wouldn't let me check my blood sugar during class or eat fruit snacks when I went low.  And then I took my first AP test, which was an experience in and of itself.  I wasn't allowed to bring any food or medication, and I had to fight tooth and nail to be allowed to bring my Dexcom receiver into the room.  I was at 300 the entire test because I was scared to overcorrect.  After that, I realized that something had to change.

At the start of sophomore year, I got a 504 plan.  It lets me check my blood sugar whenever I need to, eat and drink during class, and go to the nurse without a pass.  Most importantly, it gives me CollegeBoard testing accommodations, which include stop-the-clock breaks for when my blood sugar goes low.  I have to test in a separate room, which can be sorta frustrating, but it's so much easier to focus on my test when I don't have to worry so much about what my blood sugar is doing.  This year, I took 2 AP exams as well as PSATs, and while the system was far from perfect, it made a huge difference to be able to focus only on my test rather than my blood sugar.

So, my opinion on accommodations?  Sometimes, however difficult it can be to ask for them, they're completely necessary.  I've had people accuse me of "cheating" or asking for "special treatment", and there was a time when I would've almost agreed with them, but ultimately my 504 just enables me to compete at the same level as everyone else, even when my body is doing its best to keep that from happening.  PWD face a lot of challenges--as does anyone living with a chronic illness--and it's important to take advantage of resources that can reduce those challenges.  Stay strong, my fellow PWD.  We got this!
(That's all for today, folks.  I'm getting my wisdom teeth out next week, so my next post will probably be about that.  Aaaaaaaaaaaah)