[nfbmi-talk] regarding bigger issues surrounding college policy

[laschuck at juno.com]

Hello list,
First I want to commend Elizabeth.  I have known her for a number of years, and want to say how exciting it has been to see her step up to this task that is so discouraging at times.  Great job, Elizabeth!
My main issue has been with the need to have a policy that shows trust of both the commission staff and consumers.  Our policy toward anything in any area of disability should have a sense of trust in the consumer to want the best for themselves.  Why would a blind student or any other student deliberately drag out their education just to bother the commission?
That trust needs to extend to people who have developmental and cognitive disabilities in addition to blindness.  This includes my daughter, Anna, but she is not my reason for pushing this.  My reason has to do with the many blind kids I know from camp, and the youth I know in the autism community who need an individualized approach to their futures.  As autism hits the adult rehab services setting in ever larger numbers, something is going to have to change, so that agencies can and will do what they are supposed to do to serve consumers.
I have focussed on the time issue because it is such an obvious factor, but there are all kinds of things that will have to be considered.  Is a high functioning autistic blind teen required to stay at the training center to do the summer college-readiness program, or to do the 2 week college assessment?  I believe residence at the training center is required for one of those programs, or maybe both.  Why does that have to be?   Does a student with cognitive disabilities have to pass the college assessment in order to be part of a post-secondary experience made specially for students with cognitive disabilities?  Does a student who wants to be a freelance writer have to go into a full college program just so he can take every course at the community college that relates to American History?  If a student can succeed with a part time  course load, but not full time, why should the commission take issue with part-time studies?
What about food?  No one would make a training center student with allergies eat foods that make him sick.  Yet a training center student could be forced to live in a building with offensive noises, even just the flourescent lighting, because everybody has to live in the training center building.  
I am arguing for a degree of individualization in everything that is not related to skills of blindness or academics.  Some people could handle classes in a building with lights that make noise, but not if there is vacuuming in the hall or mowing during class hours.  Those are just part of autism.  People need other supports to succeed, and part of that support might be living off of the training center campus, or working by correspondence, or other creative solutions.
I am not going on any longer here, but just want to say that I am not going to college meetings in part because I think this battle for truly individual approaches to rehab is going to come up and bite us again before too long, regarding every policy that is made...so I am saving my energy for a bit!!    Lydia