38% of Stanford undergrads claim a disability; many get extra time on tests

"I have had conversations with people in the Stanford administration. They've talked about at what point can we say no? What if it hits 50 or 60%? At what point do you just say 'We can't do this'? - Paul Graham Fisher, Stanford professor and disability task force co-chair"

"The guidance said schools should give greater weight to students' own accounts of how their disability affected them, rather than relying solely on a medical diagnosis. Schools began relaxing their requirements. A 2013 analysis of disability offices at 200 postsecondary institutions found that most 'required little' from a student besides a doctor's note in order to grant accommodations for ADHD."

College disability registrations have surged nationally, with Stanford leading at 38% of undergraduates registered as disabled and 24% receiving accommodations like extended test time. This increase stems from 2008 when the government broadened the disability definition and the Association on Higher Education and Disability issued guidance emphasizing students' self-reported experiences over medical diagnoses alone. Schools subsequently relaxed requirements, with most disability offices requiring only a doctor's note for ADHD accommodations. Accommodations include extended testing time, specialized technology, and distraction-free test environments. Stanford administrators question sustainability, asking when they must decline further accommodations if rates reach 50-60%, while Harvard reports over 20% of undergraduates registered as disabled.

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