The Life of a Student with Disabilities

Introduction

The individual I interviewed for this Student Project Paper was a 22-year-old African- American male. He has an invisible disability of partial Dyslexia and working memory issues. The onset was birth but was not confirmed until he was 19 years old in college. Dyslexia is a specific type of learning disability that interferes with the ability to interpret written language. His dyslexia affect the brain's ability to accurately recognize words, reading speed, and the ability to comprehend what is read. (Falvo, 2005, 125).

Working memory is defined as the brain’s ability to store information temporality while our brain is busy with a different task. It is a theoretical model (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974) that explains how we can store information for the short-term without having to put it into long-term memory and decide which information to encode to long term memory. This is something he has difficulty with in addition to his dyslexia. Both of his learning disabilities have cognitive limitations.

Topic Analysis

How does the person’s disability affect them?

By and large, discovering his diagnoses helped him understand/comprehend what was going on over the previous years in relation to adapting, recalling, and comprehending materials. Right now, he still experiences numerous moments where he is attempting to recall something that he may have been recently discussing or data that was recently given to him. Due to his lack of focus he sometimes has difficulty accomplishing large tasks.

In his personal life, the biggest challenge he faces is having to explain his disability to other people. This difficulty can sometimes cause tension in his relationships when he has to explain why he forgets something of importance, in his learning environment he struggles with reading and retaining knowledge. In regards to his working memory issues he has difficulty accepting because he understands that it is related to the brain being able to do process the information. These are some of the daily struggles he encounters with due to his disability.

What benefits does the person feel, if any, from his or her disability?

Truthfully, he feels he had more excuses that ultimately helped him through college by the use of accommodations. More specifically, in college this individual received extra time on tests, readings assignments, and papers. For example, when he was in college and a professor or counselor knew about his disability, they were more understanding and lenient towards his circumstances. When they did not know they seemed to be less helpful. He does feel that he is good at putting together big pictures, seeing larger context, or imagining how processes will play out over time. Most of the time he remembers experiences, examples or stories, rather than abstractions.

How do employer/societal attitudes impact the person you are interviewing?

He feels as if he has to work harder just to prove himself due to the fact that he feels most people will think less of him. It pushes him to want to get even or above them just so he is able to prove them wrong. In some cases, people that are aware of his disability are more understanding. When people are not aware of disability they simply think he’s just not trying hard enough. He has not faced any discrimination in any type of employment or other setting because he has never had to disclose the information about his disability. He does mention that he only tells people that he trusts. If he was seeking employment, he feels would not need any accommodations for work. He is currently employed working at an insurance firm and does not receive any accommodations.

What information would be essential for new employment specialists to consider when beginning a career in helping persons with disabilities?

For a new employment specialist, it would be wise to consider what information is needed in helping a person with disabilities begin a new career. This is important for employers to understand his disability in order to make the accurate accommodations for him. For example, the individual might need extra time for an assignment, or company may need to adjust the way information is communicated to him.

Barriers that a person with this disability could face in a job setting include, keeping track of conversations, following instructions, and expressing a point of view. Accommodations he could be given in the workforce include verbal instructions, maybe break up the workload into smaller parts to possibly and as much visual aids are possible. The adjustments could make it easier for him to finish the assignments accurately.

There are many types of assistive technology that he might benefit from, like spelling dictionaries, and memory aids. There are packages for the PC which can be obtained free of charge on the internet to help with screen colour (2016). Text to speech software is also available on the internet. More specifically an assistive device that he can use is called the NaturalReader 10.

The NaturalReader is a Text to Speech software with natural sounding voices. This easy to use software can convert any written text such as MS Word, Webpage, PDF files, and Emails into spoken words. NaturalReader can also convert any written text into audio files such as MP3 or WAV for your CD player or iPod (2016).

Conclusion

I learned that dyslexia is not curable; it all has to do with how ‘the brain is wired.’ However, with the right kind of support, people with dyslexia can combat their difficulties and achieve their goals. People with dyslexia have to concentrate much harder than other students. I did find it interesting that he was not aware of the disability until he entered college. Even though my interviewee did not have a visible disability, there are still many ongoing factors and difficulties he has to cope with throughout his life. He does not let his disability define who he is nor does not let it stop him from chasing his dreams.