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Kat Macfarlane
@KatAMacfarlane
Professor of procedure & civil rights putting the reasonable back into accommodations. Gal from Kalamazoo/Toronto/Rome.
Syracuse, NY
law.syracuse.edu/deans-faculty/…
Joined December 2009
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  • Pinned
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Feb 8, 2021
    My latest paper, Disability Without Documentation, is available on SSRN. It examines reasonable accommodations in the workplace, and how the interactive process requires medical documentation to prove disability. I argue against this practice. A thread. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cf…
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Jul 6, 2022
    It’s not just abortion, it’s being treated as pre-pregnant for all aspects of your medical care.
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Jul 10, 2022
    A Louisiana doctor prescribed Cytotec to make the insertion of an IUD less painful. Walgreens called the physician to ask if the prescription was for an abortion, she told them it was for an IUD & the pharmacist still refused to fill it.
    File abortion clinic
    As abortion ban is reinstated, doctors describe 'chilling effect' on women's care
    From nola.com
  • user avatar
    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Nov 16, 2023
    Today I shared an incident that happened to me in law school. The experience is not uncommon, even today. As a 1L, I told a professor I was disabled, and as a result, I was threatened with an honor code violation and academic discipline.
    842K
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Nov 16, 2023
    Replying to @KatAMacfarlane
    It was an important lesson in advocacy. I don’t think we should make students fix the problems that hurt them. it’s not their job. Their job is school.
    101K
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Jul 10, 2022
    Replying to @chlhardy and @MatthewSitman
    No, and it’s important not to perpetuate that fiction. The dr called and verified its proper use. Many meds involved in abortion have other uses. The people not filling these meds are feeling emboldened to punish women in any way possible.
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Nov 16, 2023
    Replying to @KatAMacfarlane
    She was enraged. And then, she took over. She went to the right admin, ensured that there would be no stool or running around the library for me, and even got me an apology! I didn’t have to do a single thing to fix the wrong. She was amazing.
    77K
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Nov 16, 2023
    Replying to @KatAMacfarlane
    Carrying a stool around the library is not an accommodation for a mobility-impaired person. It’s such a terrible idea that now, it makes me laugh.
    75K
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Nov 16, 2023
    Replying to @KatAMacfarlane
    This is terrible logic bc 1) not everyone who’s disabled is accommodated 2) just hold back a handful of extra exams and 3) if you’re going to treat tests taken with accommodations differently then we need to talk about that—not ok.
    68K
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Mar 4, 2022
    I’ll be making this point later today but it’s worth repeating. The ADA does not require medical proof of disability to get accommodations. All of those forms and processes could disappear tomorrow. They exist to gatekeep, and exclude those who can’t manage the bureaucracy.
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Nov 16, 2023
    Replying to @KatAMacfarlane
    I’ve heard as recently as last year that a student’s disability disclosure could trigger discipline at several US law schools.
    75K
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Aug 4, 2021
    Imagine you’re a law student who realizes during week 2 of a 14-week semester that she needs to use a laptop in a class that bans laptops. Let’s say her hands hurt when she writes with a pen or pencil and taking notes on a laptop is significantly less painful.
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Nov 16, 2023
    Replying to @KatAMacfarlane
    When I was a 1L, the whole mess made me feel like my disability was a dirty secret. I had enough internalized ableism to tell myself such nonsense, I didn’t need someone else doing that work for me.
    64K
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    Kat Macfarlane
    @KatAMacfarlane
    Nov 16, 2023
    Replying to @KatAMacfarlane
    I’ve been sitting on this experience for a long time, because it still stings.
    60K