Guest Interview with Patrick Godar, Disability and Accessibility Services Advisor at Edgewood University By Bennett Davishoff, Enterprise Solutions

Patrick Godar

Bennett: What does a typical day look like for you, and what parts of your job might surprise people?

Patrick: On a typical day, I will have a lot of communication. My responsibilities include conducting in-person meetings to establish support plans for students, as well as responding to their email requests for support. I may have meetings with other departments on-campus or with faculty. I also might check the news from local and national disability support websites to check on best practices. People might be surprised that Edgewood also provides support for people with temporary health conditions as well as for students who have a disability diagnosis.

Bennett: How do students usually begin the process of receiving accommodations, and what do you wish more students knew about it?

Patrick: Once students have contacted me and have expressed interest in receiving a support plan, they complete a short online intake form as the next step. I wish that more students who are just receiving the diagnosis know they can get a support plan.

Bennett: What’s one misconception people often have about disability services in college?

Patrick: The biggest misconception is that people think we can’t provide accommodations when, in fact, we can provide several.

Bennett: Can you share an example of an accommodation that made a meaningful difference for a student?

Patrick: Having extra time to complete a timed test is a very common helpful support. It can reduce the stress for students who have anxiety and allow the additional processing time for students with learning disabilities.

Bennett: How do you collaborate with professors or campus departments when a student needs support?

Patrick: I offer training resources to faculty and staff. Faculty receive a copy of the student’s plan along with a cover letter that contains links to useful resources. Faculty and staff also email me with specific questions and we collaborate on individual cases.

Bennett: What accessibility challenges do you see most often on college campuses today?

Patrick: Most campuses have good physical accessibility. The challenge on most campuses is helping faculty provide the accommodations necessary for students with disabilities.

Bennett: How has technology or assistive software changed the way you support students?

Patrick: Since the pandemic, there has been a rapid increase in useful technology for accommodations. The amount of digital texts have increased, text to speech apps are abundant, and electronic note-taking and lecture recording apps have grown. All of these have provided better access to the course content for students with a support plan.

Bennett: What skills—professional or personal—are most essential for someone in your role?

Patrick: Individuals working in this role must be good communicators, collaborative problem solvers with faculty, students, and staff, accurate recordkeepers for documentation, and effective researchers for continuing best practices. They must believe that students must have a right to equitable access and have a growth mindset regarding their own practices.

Bennett: What originally drew you to this field of accessibility and student support?

Patrick: In high school, I had the opportunity to work with individuals who had special education, and that led me to becoming a public school special education teacher. After working several years in the high school setting, I was happy to move to the post-secondary environment. Knowing what was available to students in the high school helped with planning support for students at the university level.

Bennett: If you could change one thing about how higher education approaches accessibility, what would it be?

Patrick: Instead of approaching accommodations from the perspective of something that needs to be added for individual students, it would be helpful for faculty to provide universally designed* instructions for all students. Many faculty are doing this now, it just takes time to help all faculty gain the skills needed.

*offering digital texts/audio/video alongside print, letting students build models/videos/essays, and using gamification or choice boards to boost interest.