When freshmen visit E. Lynne Golden, the director of the University of Hartford’s program for students with disabilities, she first asks them to identify their disability and describe how it limits their learning. To obtain accommodations from the college for their disability, they need to be able to ask for them, but many students just don’t know how to do it, she says.

“Many students say they have a disability, but they don’t know what it is,” says Golden. “Others say they’ve never read their records.”

“In K–12, they’ve learned to talk about their strengths, but these students can’t talk about their weaknesses,” Golden adds. “My mandate is to provide the accommodations they request, but I get kids in my office who can’t talk about what they need. I may provide provisional services the first semester, but they have to come back to talk with me and bring additional documentation.”