Rapid accommodations for university students with concussion are feasible: nationwide return-to-learn perspectives of...

Current recommendations for concussed college students promote rapid implementation of accommodations (<3 days), however, it is unknown whether college accessibility staff find this recommendation feasible. Thus, this research aimed to gather the perceptions of accessibility staff regarding implementation of accommodations for students who have sustained concussions.

A cross-sectional design was used to distribute a nationwide survey to accessibility staff working on college campuses (n = 87). Distribution methods included a nationwide listserv along with hand searching institutional websites. Survey recruitment took place electronically across the United States between 1/2025-7/2025.

Total sample mean and median feasibility scores were 7.88 and 8, respectively (0-10 scale). Seventy percent of participants reported the ability to accommodate a concussion in <3 days, with 89% accomplishing this task when provided 4 days. Limited student reporting (28%) and streamlined communication with medical providers (15%) were most frequently noted as variables impeding the feasibility of this task. No significant associations were found between feasibility scores and location (p = 0.840) or institution size (p = 0.094). No significant associations were found between perceived barriers and location (p = 0.091) or size of institution (p = 0.635).

Most sampled accessibility staff across the Unted States find rapid (<3d) accommodations to be a feasible task, supporting our understanding and confidence in recent RTLU guidance. These data reveal an existing capacity to perform RTLU recommendations, encouraging feasibility.