Example, do you think someone that's hard of hearing can't meet the standard for a 'highly academically successful student"? Or someone that's color blind? Or someone that's blind? Or someone in a wheelchair?

Touche, I'm just going to go ahead and upvote you.

Where does the idea/reasoning that highly academically successful students cannot have a disability come from?

I would go a step further and say there is probably a high chance that neurodivergent students are more academically successful, iff they did get to that level of education. And it's not impossible that they are overrepresented in that group of people.

And people may be intellectually gifted, and yet experience strong behavioral and social difficulties. Not that my own observation counts but I've met multiple people on the spectrum who were highly intelligent and "gifted" yet faced more adversity in life, i.e. for social reasons. It's controversial because it directly goes against the idea that we exist in a meritocracy.

People are going to cheat no matter what. To me, it's more important that the people who do need and deserve accomodations are able to get them though!

This is not what they're describing. Have you ever gone through the process of receiving an accommodation at a university? It is significantly more challenging than just having a diagnosis. They will look for every single possible excuse to refuse you access. They will require you to repeatedly book new doctor's appointments to get extremely specific wording for any accommodation you may need. Your doctor will have to fill out multiple forms for the university. Then, for each class, you will have to meet with every professor you have to request your accommodations. Many of these professors will try to talk you out of using them, or find ways to get around them.

Dx out here required all those steps plus attestations from family and teachers, historical accounts, written narratives, a check in with the GP, bloodwork and blood pressure, and ongoing follow ups at least quarterly.

Plus all that happens before you get an accommodation, which is a wholly separate process.

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I would love to have experts look at the data of this self reported community survey vs the CDC's data.

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To the edit, I can agree.

We are talking ultimately what ADA classifies as a dissability. Which is different from what might be needed for driving (as an example).

ADA has requirements. Doctors have their definitions. They're being met.

If a doctor abuses it, then we should be going for the doctors. As was said in another comment, while they are human and susceptible, they also are the ones with the license.

> Abusing a permissive system must be discouraged.

Fine. Where are the doctors? Why is the debate on the students?

That's how most of the people in the world are, including the dearest friends and family. Most people's only motivation in life is to find a loophole to abuse. They will even convince themselves they are something they're not to achieve it.

God have mercy on us.

I hope you realize that the students don’t think of themselves as “disabled” in the disparaging way you mean it. I have ADHD and I’m color blind. Both conditions make me “disabled” in some sense, and yet I went to college and have managed to have a job my whole adult life. Being “disabled” doesn’t mean “useless” or “incapable of doing anything” as you seem to imply.

Can you clarify? I heard about the test time thing from students. That corroborates the parent comment.

>Who are you to say what should be included or not, that something can be gauged as mild or not, and that there should be a treshold?

They're bananalychee, that's who they are!

What are you, some kind of anarchist?

All hail bananalychee! Master of the Universe and the last word on all things!

Please bless me bananalychee by impregnating my wife and daughters!