Schools sometimes frame accommodations as privileges that must be earned—offered only when a child behaves, performs, or complies with classroom norms. But accommodations exist to remove barriers, not as conditional treats. The legal framework makes this very clear: equity is a right under the Human Rights Code, not something handed out based on perceived effort or merit.
Key takeaways
- Accommodations are proactive, not punitive
Accommodations are designed to anticipate and remove barriers before they become entrenched. They are not a response to good behaviour, but a recognition of diverse needs from the outset. - Equity is not performance-based
A child does not need to prove themselves worthy of access. Supports are not earned—they are required by law to ensure equal opportunity, especially when the disability creates structural challenges. - Denying accommodations on behavioural grounds is discrimination
Withholding access because a student is dysregulated, immature, or “not trying hard enough” misuses accommodations as leverage. The law protects against this kind of gatekeeping.
Learn more
Part 1: Duty to Accommodate – Power of the Human Rights Code
by Kim Block, Speaking Up BC
