Is NOT the Easy Way Out Receiving Accommodations to Manage Special Needs

Autism advocates talk a lot about how we need to “accommodate” people on the spectrum.

But when we say, “Autistic people need accom modations,” what does that actually mean?

It means giving someone access to an item/activity/service/modification that eliminates or reduces the challenges caused by their disability.

As an adult on the autism spectrum, I receive support and accommodations in a number of ways. For example, in public places, I am allowed to bring my trained service dog with me to help me navigate the challenges that go along with being in busy environments with sensory issues. At amusement parks, I receive a pass allowing me to wait my turn for rides and attractions outside the line. This means I can wait somewhere quiet, away from the crowds, and take my turn when a specified amount of time has passed.

Another example of modifications includes the work duties my employer removed or altered to accommodate my challenges. I also have dyslexia, which can make the paperwork parts of my job working with autistic children extremely difficult. While I excel in some areas, I need accommodations or assistance in others.

Some people have this idea that providing support and accommodations means a person is getting “the easy way out.” As an autistic person, I want to explain why that is not the case.

Let’s start by talking about what “support” DOESN’T mean.

Giving someone support does not mean that tasks or activities are made easy. Having support does not mean all struggles associated with the tasks have been eliminated.

Here’s an example to help illustrate what I mean: Hikers like to take long walks outside for fun, for exercise, as a personal challenge or because they’re crazy, or some combination of those reasons. Hiking can be incredibly difficult because it requires someone to be in decent physical shape and have a certain amount of motivation. Hikers do certain things to support themselves so they can reach their goals. This can include wearing hiking boots, carrying a backpack, or wearing bug spray. Just because they’re wearing hiking boots does not mean the hike becomes easy. Having a backpack will not make the hike shorter, and bug spray won’t mean they’ll never encounter pests. However, these tools provide support in making the hike possible for the hiker.

Now imagine a hiker motivated to hike a long distance on a difficult trail, but this time, the hiker is completely naked and isn’t carrying anything. This hiker is unsupported and will face all the same challenges of the hike, but now they have the additional challenge on top of it all, which is completing the hike in the nude. They will face struggles with cuts on their feet, the inability to carry water or supplies, and they will have no protection from the elements.

Receiving support as a disabled person is much like giving clothing and supplies to a hiker. The support does not eliminate the challenging components of the task, but it does make the challenging pieces manageable.

As a person with a disability, having access to therapies, sensory tools, medical care, and modifications is equivalent to a hiker putting on boots, protective clothing, and carrying supplies. It does not make the activity or task easy, and it does not eliminate the struggle involved. Instead, it just eases the additional and unnecessary difficulties caused by having a disability in a world that is not designed for nude hikers.

Some people believe that accommodations for disabilities are the result of people who don’t want to work hard or adapt to their environment. However, I’d argue that accommodations are NOT the easy way out. Have you ever heard the figure of speech, “using it as a crutch”? This phrase implies that a person is “leaning” or relying on someone for something that’s not truly needed; they’re just doing it to make things easier.

Here’s what doesn’t make sense about that figure of speech and its application, no one uses crutches for fun. Nobody is walking around on crutches without needing to make walking easier. In fact, using crutches makes walking harder, which is why people don’t use them unless they must. If crutches made getting around easier, we’d use them in races, but we don’t because the purpose of crutches was never to make walking “easier,” the purpose is to make walking possible!

My message to anyone needing accommodations is this: do not allow anyone to try and convince you that your hiking boots, backpack, or bug spray are a type of “crutch.” Remember that no one asks for accommodations to make things easier—they ask for accommodations to make things attainable. If you encounter someone having difficulty grasping this concept, ask them to go for a nude hike in the woods, but don’t forget to hand them a pair of crutches!

Kaelynn Partlow, RBT, is 25 years old and was diagnosed with autism at the age of 10. She lives in Greenville, SC, and has been employed at Project Hope Foundation as a Registered Behavior Technician for the last seven years, where she works with middle and high-school-aged clients. Kaelynn has published several autism advocacy articles and was a recent participant in the Netflix series Love On The Spectrum. Her Instagram and TikTok accounts are nearing 200,000 followers, with multiple videos reaching millions of views. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and working with her dog to do competitive obedience shows with the American Kennel Club.

Instagram: https://bit.ly/3XTX22v

TikTok: https://bit.ly/44i6zTz