February 2020 - Johnson Scholarship Foundation

Striking Out Stigma – Seeing Learning Disabilities as Simple Learning Differences

February 26, 2020/in David Flink, News

Middle school is often a time of exploring and expressing one’s individuality and autonomy. However, peers, teachers, and families begin playing a pivotal role in identity development. For students who learn differently, social pressures are often compounded by a sense of isolation resulting from stigma. The stigma surrounding learning disabilities and attention disorders can keep many students from seeking the tools they need to be successful.

Ryan, a current high schooler at AIM Academy, recounted his middle school struggles with ADHD. He found it impossible to keep up.

“It was in fourth-grade that I realized that something wasn’t right,” Ryan shared. “I would get assignments, and I would just leave them for weeks because I didn’t understand and I didn’t want to go ask my teachers for help.”

Even though his grades were slipping dramatically, Ryan was still too embarrassed to ask for help. Ryan’s uneasiness about reaching out came from misconceptions that students who learn differently are often confronted with.

Research measuring public perceptions of learning differences revealed that half of the general population, including a third of educators, believe that learning disabilities are actually laziness (Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications, 2010). Several more studies took those perceptions a step further and demonstrated that the stigma associated with learning disabilities and attention disorders adversely affects educational expectations, academic outcomes, and emotional wellbeing (Crosnoe, Riegle-Crumb, & Muller, 2007; Shifrer, 2013; Al-Yagon, 2015; Feurer & Andrews, 2009; Lackaye, Margalit, Ziv, & Ziman, 2006; Maag & Behrens, 1989; Margalit, 1991; Margalit & Raviv, 1984; Wiener & Daniels, 2016).

When Ryan entered AIM Academy, he discovered Eye to Eye – a mentoring program working to eliminate the stigma of learning disabilities and attention disorders by reframing and celebrating them instead as learning differences. The program pairs students who learn differently in middle school with their high school and college-aged counterparts. Ryan was hesitant to join.

“I was like, ‘I can’t do that,’ because for some reason I couldn’t see myself impacting kids’ lives.” Despite his doubts, Ryan gave mentoring a shot.

“A lot of the kids that I would mentor suffered bullying because of their [learning disabilities] and ADHD. They were bullied a lot for the fact that they didn’t learn like everybody else, that they couldn’t interact the same way, and that they couldn’t impact the classroom and the atmosphere that’s in that classroom.”

He decided to share his own story with the mentees and become a shoulder for them to lean on.

Three students wearing Eye To Eye shirts

“I wasn’t able to see it at first, but every time they’d see me the next week they’d say two words: ‘thank you.’ I would think, ‘Thank you? I didn’t do anything,'” he said, recalling his surprise at their gratitude.

However, his school chapter advisor assured him the difference he made was immeasurable. For children and adults who learn differently, the path towards self-acceptance starts with breaking stigma at the individual level. Once someone knows they are in the company of another person who learns differently, they can begin to break down their self-stigma and share their own experiences with others. And when someone shares their story, they become empowered. Empowered individuals inspire positive feedback, and that feedback fosters a supportive community.

Ryan admitted, “When that kid just kept saying thank you, I found myself going home and crying because there is a greater community even outside of the one that we have at Eye to Eye.”

This month, Eye to Eye is celebrating “Strike Out Stigmonth.” The month-long friendly competition between Eye to Eye chapters nationwide is designed to spread awareness, strengthen bonds between mentors and mentees, and connect participants to the local and national Eye to Eye community of supporters and allies. Follow Eye to Eye on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to view the stigma-busting competition. To learn more about Eye to Eye, please visit www.eyetoeyenational.org.

David Flink is a social movement leader on the front lines of the learning rights movement. He imagines a world where one day all learners will be seen, heard and valued. Being diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD at a young age, he later committed his life to students with learning differences. He serves as Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of Eye to Eye.

FAMU’s CeDAR Office Empowers Students with Disabilities to Take Charge of Their Education

February 19, 2020/in A-Chai'a Jackson, News

The following item first appeared in The Famuan.

The Center for Disability Access and Resources (CeDAR) is positioned to aid students with learning, psychological and physical disabilities.

CeDAR is a resource center to provide support-programs and reasonable accommodations to students who seek help to broaden their skills and to gain personal, academic and professional development.

There are currently more than 600 students who are registered with the CeDAR office. The center administers service to the main campus as well as satellite campuses.

The program director, Deborah Sullivan, is an advocate for students.

“Our mission is to provide enriching support programs, services and reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. We also try to foster a sense of empowerment by educating them about their legal rights and responsibilities. We want them to make informed choices, be critical thinkers and self-advocate, and then we want to make sure our students have the same access to programs, opportunities and activities available to any other student at Florida A&M University,” she said.

I’m a student who was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and a learning disability for math. I never was incapable of learning material that other students had learned, I just tend to learn, process and perform at my own gradual pace, as opposed to the average student who performs at a faster rate.

Tia Huie, a registered CeDAR student and work-study facilitator at the center, shared her perspective.

“I feel like the center has an impact on me because, at first, I was not a CeDAR student. You have those students who have learning disabilities and when you think about how hard and time-consuming college work can be, to have a place that helps them through the process is empowering,” she said.

This is inclusive too: extra time on tests, transport mobility, different testing locations, tape recordings, tutoring and other support services.

The CeDAR office has done a persistent, commendable job in assisting me; from providing a safe space, extra time on tests, free printing, computer usage, and accommodating me with letters to inform my professors about my academic needs.

The program outreach coordinator, Joshua Lowder, gave more insight on what his duties are as it pertains to assisting registered CeDAR students.

“I work here as the program outreach coordinator, and what I do is work with incoming freshmen and also work with sophomores that are here from the College Study Skills Institute (CSSI), and how I help them is I plan different activities and also help plan things around what CeDAR does, in terms of student game nights or student engagement and I try to also work on community pieces to help us bridge the gap and let people know we are here at the university to help students who may have learning, physical, psychological, cognitive or mental disabilities,” he said.

A-Chai’a Jackson of Bushnell, Florida, is a third-year broadcast journalism major at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). He is a registered CeDAR student with a learning disability who serves as Mr. Transfer Student Association (TSA), a staff writer for the FAMUAN and a staff writer and copy editor for FAMU Journey Magazine.

New Name, Same Career Focus for Program Preparing Visually Impaired Students for Workforce

February 10, 2020/in Becky Landy, News

As the grant writer at VIA, formerly Olmsted Center for Sight, I know that our greatest reward comes from helping people achieve independent, prosperous lives. Partners like the Johnson Scholarship Foundation have helped us make this a reality for nearly 700 graduates of our vocational training program formerly known as the Statler Center.

In our 20th year of providing career training for blind, visually or otherwise disabled students from across the U.S., VIA helps our students achieve financial independence by offering comprehensive job training in hospitality, food preparation, customer service, telecommunications, and general business fundamentals through both face-to-face and online classes. Through this training, graduates can embark on long-lasting, rewarding careers that empower them to live independently and experience meaningful career success.

Consider the recent success of a Johnson Scholarship recipient, Rebecca Grayson of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Both blind and dyslexic, Rebecca became an online student in her late 20s. As part of her oral communication training, Rebecca had to pick a job posting and practice interviewing for the position. Rebecca did so well in her mock interview that she decided to take the plunge and actually interview for the job. She was offered the position and began work as a doctor’s office assistant.

Statler Center staff member Ray Zylinski teaches Job Access With Speech (JAWS) to a blind student from New York.

Rebecca loves her job and is thankful for the online class that gave her the skills and confidence to become ready to work. As she recently told us, “I am doing great and am really enjoying my job. Thank you again to the Statler Center and Johnson Scholarship for this opportunity!”

Job placement is the primary means by which we measure program success. Nationally, approximately three-quarters of the blind and visually impaired are unemployed, earning two-thirds less on average compared to their non-disabled co-workers. In contrast, approximately three-quarters of VIA’s nearly 700 graduates are currently employed with an average starting wage of $12.68 per hour, significantly higher than the federal minimum wage.

To prepare our students to be successful in their job search and placement journey, we emphasize that investing the right amount of time, self-reflection, and energy into a job search is essential to find a rewarding job. We tell students that each person is a unique puzzle piece. The sides of your puzzle piece are your individual qualifications, skills, strengths, coupled with your ideal location, hours, schedule, and work setting. For you to be successful at work, the company culture must fit you. Past experiences can help you figure what you like and why, and just as importantly what you DON’T like and why. Not everyone is perfect for every job. If you hate being outside and sweating, well then, working in landscaping is definitely not the right job for you. But we all belong somewhere. Once you are honest with yourself about your skills, strengths, and qualifications, you need to find that puzzle looking for one special unique missing puzzle piece – YOU!

Interviews are your first face-to-face experience with a company, and it is true – You only have one chance to make a first impression! Almost all communication (93%) is nonverbal so your gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact, and posture are often more important than what you say. The key to answering those difficult interview questions is to positively promote yourself. You need to reframe your answers into “I can if” statements. This reframing builds confidence, which all job seekers need, but especially job seekers with disabilities.

Once offered the job, we teach job seekers how to discuss accommodations and self-advocate. We teach our students to say “My disability is NOT a weakness.” A screen reader is not different than reading glasses used by other applicants. It’s simply a tool that you need for success at work. Working closely with applicants and companies, we help them to understand reasonable accommodations and negotiate logistics like who will cover the cost, how long it will take to install, who installs it, and what is looks like, among other things. Once employers become familiar with the accommodations that our graduates need for success, they are comfortable and ready to get their new employees on board.

By funding education, peer support, on-the-job work experience, access to assistive technology, vocational rehabilitation services, and mentoring, Johnson Scholarship Foundation is giving VIA graduates the skills to succeed!

Becky Landy is a grant writer who comes to VIA with a broad background at not-for-profits, higher education, and corporate marketing. She has taught business communication at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. She has an undergraduate degree from Colgate University and an MBA from Clarkson University. She is a passionate writer who enjoys helping the blind and visually impaired start on their journey to financial independence and a fulfilling life.