Last year, a suicide note by a National Taiwan University (NTU) student was circulated on Dcard, an Internet forum. In the note, titled “NTU killed me,” the student said they had hoped that their instructor would accommodate their mental health by providing some alternative options besides taking a midterm exam.
However, the instructor refused to be flexible and questioned whether the student was faking the illness: “Is it really the case that you can’t take the midterm exam because of your mental illness? You’re faking it, aren’t you? I think it is because you didn’t study the material and you haven’t worked hard enough. You didn’t do what you’re supposed to do, and now you say you can’t take the exam.”
In 2021, NTU established the “learning adjustment system” that would offer accommodations to students with mental health problems.
However, incidents in which students do not receive the support they need have continued. People also opposed the accommodations system online, saying that postponing an exam is unfair, while others mocked the system by calling NTU a kindergarten. It is obvious that the system has not been well implemented, and a consensus needs to be reached.
I am a Taiwanese who has just started teaching at a US university. As an incoming assistant professor at the University of Washington, I have already seen how differently Taiwan and the US handle problems of physical and mental health. When I was preparing for my classes, I noticed a passage in my colleague’s syllabus:
“Access and Accommodations: Your experience in this class is important to me. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have not yet established services through Disability Resources for Students (DRS) but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but are not limited to: mental health, attention-related, learning-related, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), contact DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. DRS facilitates the interactive process that establishes reasonable accommodations.”
I complimented my colleague’s consideration, but he said the university requires every professor to include the passage in their syllabi. He then asked whether it is the same in Taiwan.
In Taiwan, the Special Education Act (特殊教育法) says that people with disabilities should be provided with special education that caters to individual requirements.
However, the eligibility is limited to those who are considered to have a long-term disability, or those who have been under active treatment for more than a year, but remain disabled. How those who are not eligible for special education would be treated varies depending on the school.
For example, NTU has implemented the “learning adjustment system,” and National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) says that students can access assistance through a “student-adviser system” and the Center for Teaching and Learning Development.
In the US, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 redefined the term “disability”: congenital or acquired, short term or long term, all should be defined as such. Those who are under the influence of, or have recovered from disability should be considered disabled, so should those who do not show any symptoms, but could be severely affected if illness were to arise.
It is believed that they would have a hard time studying, concentrating and even taking care of themselves. For instance, a person with depression could take medication to relieve the symptoms, but he or she would need more time to recuperate. Likewise, a person with high myopia would have to spend much more time reading exam papers.
When determining a person’s disability, their experiences should be emphasized, rather than depending entirely on medical assessment. For example, even if a student who is hard of hearing is not considered disabled based on medical standards, if they experience difficulty during group discussions due to their inability to hear sounds clearly, then their hearing loss should be acknowledged as a disability.
I was not sure if I would be able to effectively accommodate students in need of assistance, as I am not specialized in disability education or psychology. Fortunately, the University of Washington’s Disability Resources for Students provides clear guidelines for instructors, explaining what to do.
If those guidelines could be implemented in schools in Taiwan, students would be better supported:
First, a “professional third party” must be established. Instructors alone should not be depended on to help students deal with mental health issues. Universities need professional healthcare workers to assess students’ problems and inform the instructors of the situation. Students would not have to convince instructors that their affliction is real.
Second, the security and confidentiality of medical records should be maintained. All patients have a right to decide whether they want to reveal their health conditions. An instructor should never question a student’s illness, or whether a student is faking it. When a student asks for assistance from an instructor, the instructor should immediately refer to institutional resources.
Third, resources for disability and mental health issues should be distributed extensively, and students should be able to access those resources online or over the telephone, such as making an appointment for counseling. Instructors could include those resources in their syllabi, and they could talk about facts and statistics in class so students know that mental health problems are common and it is acceptable to seek medical assistance.
Thanks to the NTU Student Association, as well as teachers and the university administration, the “learning adjustment system” at NTU is being utilized. Hopefully the system can be applied to every college and university in Taiwan through legislation.
The term “disability” should be redefined, and more psychiatrists should be working on campuses. Learning should not be hindered by any kind of disability.
Karen Chen is a postdoctoral associate at Yale University and an incoming assistant professor at the University of Washington.
Translated by Yi-hung Liu
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