Professor and Peer Perceptions of Requests for Academic Accommodations in College: An Examination of ADHD and Specific Learning Disorder.

This article examines university professors’ and college student peers’ perceptions of academic accommodation requests made by students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specific learning disorder (SLD), depression, visual impairment, or as collegiate basketball athletes. Using experimental vignettes, the study found that both professors and peers generally held positive views toward students requesting accommodations for ADHD and SLD, contrary to the common fear among affected students of stigma or negative judgment. Unexpectedly, the student athlete requesting accommodations elicited the most negative perceptions from both groups. The findings suggest that perceived stigma may be overestimated by students with ADHD and SLD, while highlighting a distinct bias against student athletes, and underscore the need to address structural barriers to accommodation access beyond concerns about stigma.