[blindlaw] LSAT Accommodations?

[Kate Thegreat]

Just my two cents on this topic...

 

I ended up finally losing all my vision in junior high school after a gradual loss over the years. As soon as large print books were no longer an option for me that particular year, I was essentialy forced into a situation where I was not allowed to take the initiative to help myself--I wasn't given any options or say in how to handle anything that came up. My parents, teachers, and guidance counselors took over and didn't include me in their meetings. They knew what was best for me, supposedly.

 

I was labeled as a "bad" kid at the time because I really rebelled against the control they took over my life. I had always been a very autonomous, creative kid and I didn't like how they were handling things. After a year of fighting a one-woman battle against all those adults who "knew better" they finally mentally and emotionally cornered me and I had no way out except to back down and allow them to do what they wanted. It was difficult because I really honestly lost my sense of empowerment and autonomy from that point through the end of high school.

 

That particular year in junior high was a really, really intense year, and they would not allow me to be a part of my own life transition and resolve. I was about 13 at the time and a perfect age to be a part of the solution to the dilemma.

I never have been certain why they taught me to solely rely on an aide who took notes for me, communicated with my teachers for me, and read my homework to me. I wanted to learn the skills of using tape recorders, laptop, and all the like in order to be independent, but I was literally held back from doing that by the people who should have been promoting that type of initiative in me.

 

Once I got to college, I didn't have too much difficulty taking initiative, but at that point the sense of insecurity, doubt and overall powerlessness that the whole junior high and high school experience had etched into me, really reeked havoc in all areas of my life. I felt less able, less creative,  less empowered and less of a lot of things. I managed to get through purely on my type A, perfectionistic drive, but college was honestly a blur and it isn't a terribly great and memorable time in my life. It's taken me until just recently to really learn how to take control of my own life again instead of only theoretically knowing how to do it, but still somehow mentally stalling as if someone else is going to come hold my hand and tell me how to live my life.

So I completely agree that kids need to be helped early on to learn the skills and have those things reinforced before they are dumped into the big pond called university. That is what makes the difference between a college graduate with a disability and a college drop out, or even a college survivor with a disability.

 

Kate

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