A personal care attendant is a person who joins you in day-to-day activities to mediate some of the difficulties posed by these activities. The personal care attendant's specific functions are based on your functional limitations. For example, if you are both in a wheelchair and without fine motor skills, you may have a personal care attendant help you get dressed or open doors.
In an academic setting, your personal care attendant may take notes or type on your behalf. For another example, if you have an intellectual disability, it may be difficult to make proper or healthy decisions. The personal care attendant, in this situation, might practice a step-by-step process for decision-making with you or may assist in conversations where you have to make decisions. You are still primarily responsible for making the decision, but the personal care attendant ensures you understand what is being asked, and helps you identify benefits and risks. In an academic setting, the personal care attendant may go to an advising meeting with you or implement a study plan so you are prepared for situations where the personal care attendant may not be present. To compare and contrast these two examples, the personal care attendant who helps with fine motor skills does not need to help with decision-making. You simply make a request of what you want to do and the personal care attendant carries out the action. It is also possible that you will have functional limitations from both examples — the personal care attendant would serve all of the related functions.
The personal care attendant is not hired by the college nor issued by Disability and Access Services. In fact, the personal care attendant can be anyone that you agree to have follow you through your academic process. There may be one personal care attendant or there may be several. You and the personal care attendant will sign an agreement form to highlight the expectations of the personal care attendant's role in relationship to the college policies and to identify who is allowed to be a personal care attendant for you at the college. The personal care attendant is listed on the accommodation form.