[blindlaw] LSAT Accommodations?
ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
Mon May 18 03:44:01 UTC 2009
Unfortunately this mistake is made often by parents and school districts.
School districts in many instances operate on the premise of what is most
expedient for the district is best for the student although this is not the
law. Unfortunately, many parents of blind children are the child's own worst
enemy as they are over-protective and guilt-ridden over their child's
blindness. When growing up I was forced by my parents to advocate for myself
but I was well aware of the struggles that many of my friends that were
blind whent through due to over-protective families and noncompliant school
distrticts.
Chuck
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kate Thegreat" <shamaniclivin1281 at hotmail.com>
To: <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 12:10 PM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] LSAT Accommodations?
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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