College Student Raises Concerns About Disability Accommodations at Elite Schools

A Stanford undergraduate wrote that some students use disability accommodations to gain housing and academic privileges, and reporting shows a notable rise in accommodation registrations at Stanford and Harvard in recent years.

A Stanford undergraduate wrote in The Times that some students use the university's disability accommodation process to obtain housing and academic privileges. The student said she registered an existing medical condition to obtain a single room and described peers claiming conditions ranging from ADHD to night terrors. Reporting from The Atlantic and the Harvard Crimson has documented rising registration and accommodation rates at elite colleges in recent years. Medical context for one condition discussed in the article — endometriosis — was described by the Cleveland Clinic as tissue similar to the uterine lining growing elsewhere and causing pelvic pain and heavy periods. Key reported details: - The Times piece is an account from a Stanford undergraduate describing student use of accommodations for perks including preferred housing, extra testing time, and attendance flexibility. - The Atlantic reported that nearly 4 in 10 Stanford undergraduates are registered as having a disability, and that 24% of Stanford undergraduates received academic or housing accommodations in a recent fall quarter. - The Harvard Crimson reported that about a fifth of Harvard undergraduates received disability accommodations in the past year, and that the share of undergraduates classified as disabled rose from 3% to 21% in 2024. - The student-author said she registered endometriosis to obtain a single room; the Cleveland Clinic definition of endometriosis was cited in the reporting. Summary: The reporting combines a first-person account with published data to highlight changes in how disability accommodations are being used and recorded at some elite universities. The items reported include both individual accounts and institutional statistics, and they have prompted discussion about accommodation policies and campus practices. Undetermined at this time.