Starting a Conversation

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Asking for help can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. Rosezetta Henderson, director of disability services for UC San Diego Health Sciences, encourages students to reach out to her and have a conversation if they need any type of disability-related support or accommodations in the learning environment.

“Sometimes people have an idea about the types of accommodations that we can provide, but every situation is different,” said Henderson. “I always tell students, ‘let’s have a conversation to figure out how we can really support you and make sure that reasonable accommodations are put in place so that you have the same learning experience as your peers.’”

A “helper” by nature, Henderson has worked in disabled services and accommodations for more than 15 years. She has experience in the K-12 environment, residential homes with foster kids and the university level. She came to UC San Diego after nearly a decade of working with college students with disabilities at UC Irvine, including the health sciences disciplines (medicine, pharmacy and nursing).

“This has always been my passion,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to help people. I know that’s a broad statement. There are so many ways to help people in any type of industry, but there is something about this population of students and people that I am just drawn to. It’s something that is near and dear to my heart.”

Students can request accommodation for a variety of needs and the scope for available accommodation is broad. Someone might need an adjustment to an exam time, sometimes there is a need for distraction-reduced environment, sometimes it’s needing adaptive technology or alternative formats of classroom materials. Additionally, a student may need auxiliary aids or other supports in the clinical learning environments. Henderson noted that there is no, “one size fits all” accommodation for those who need support.

“Beyond facilitating accommodations, a big part of what I do is talking and helping students understand the processes in place,” said Henderson. “Sometimes it’s letting them know when to submit requests for accommodation or how to ask for assistance. If you don’t even know what you are requesting, that’s okay, we can have a conversation, and I will help you figure it out.”

The first step for students who think they might need accommodations is to schedule an appointment with Henderson. There is a required intake form that asks students to briefly describe the barriers or challenges that they are facing. Henderson noted that all requests for accommodation are confidential, programs are not notified of details and requests are not noted in students’ transcripts. There is also a consent form that allows Henderson to speak to a student’s care provider or any other person(s) the student identifies that she may need to connect with.

“We always inform the student before we reach out to care providers,” said Henderson. “That connection is a way to get a little bit more information because sometimes it can be difficult for a student to share exactly how they are impacted because these needs are part of their everyday life.”

After gathering information, Henderson meets with the student for an interactive dialogue to come up with a plan. Acknowledging that it can be very difficult to ask for help, Henderson reminds students that her entire focus is on helping them succeed.

“I hope that they can see in my face, and so many other friendly faces here at UC San Diego, that we are here to support them,” said Henderson. “You got here for a reason, and we want you to finish your education here no matter what challenges you are facing.”