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Showing posts with the label Accessibility

What Help Is and Isn't Explained

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[Image Description: The image has a light purple background with my First Former Buddy Club President logo in the bottom left corner.  "Help ≠ fixing or curing explained" is in left-aligned dark purple text. ] Help is not the same as fixing or curing people. Help is not for the weak. Help is not bad. True help is support. Help is providing accessibility. Examples of these accommodations and adaptations: Providing ramps, elevators, and clear pathways for wheelchair and medical stroller users Hearing aids for the deaf and hard of hearing Hear monitors for people with heart conditions Feeding tubes for people with medical health conditions Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices for people who are nonverbal, have limited verbal speech, verbal emerging skills, articulation challenges, and/or difficulty with word finding skills Related Services, such as Speech and Language therapy, Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT), Vision Therapy, Behavioral Health...

Facing Imposter Syndrome as a Public Speaker with an Invisible Disability

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[Image Description:   There are red stage curtains hanging on both sides with a dark opening in the center. There is a row of five stage lights with yellow light shining downward. There is a dark gray silhouette of a female center-aligned on the stage and facing left toward a black microphone positioned on a stand.] CONTENT WARNING: Please know that these instances are not all but only some of my personal experiences as a public speaker with an invisible disability. They do not define my overall experience as a public speaker with an invisible disability. I have also had positive experiences. The objective of this blog post is to advocate about issues that people with invisible disabilities face.      I have been a public speaker for five years. As a person who stutters, I have a unique relationship with public speaking. When people hear me stutter, it is common for either the following things to happen: Some people do not mention or react to my stutter due to automa...

Meeting the Needs of Students Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Devices

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                                  [Image Description: The graphic is light yellow with my First Former Buddy Club President logo in the bottom left corner. There is a drawing of  an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) electronic device on an iPad with a green protective case. The screen shows a grid-based communication system with many symbols and pictures for the core words: "I", "is", "do", "want", "like", "have", "where", "more", "you", "it", "what", "get", "make", "to", "on", "good", "of", "all done", "that", "stop", "not", "bad", "in", "out", "go", "come", "think", "eat", "help", "see", "some", and "up." ] CONTENT WARNING:  I would like to mention...

Colleges and Universities Refusing to Allow Parent/Guardian Involvement is a FERPA Rights Violation

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[Image Description:  There are 4 intersected curved concrete sidewalks winding through a college campus with multiple scattered leaves on the pavement. There are 4 green grass areas on both sides of each sidewalk. There are 2 black traditional style streetlamps with ornate tops with one that has a blurred red flag attached to its right side, a black sign with its white text blurred, multiple orange and green autumn trees clustered together, and one big building with a brick structure along with a clear blue sky in the background. ] CONTENT WARNING #1: I would like to mention that I am not a college advisor nor professor, high school guidance counselor, or lawyer. All content posted on my disability advocate/teacher influencer page is for educational purposes only with no intent to provide any professional services. Social media should never be used as a substitute for legal advice. If you have any questions or concerns about college life as a high school or college stud...

Disability Pride Matters All Year Round

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[Image Description: The image has a light pink background with my First Former Buddy Club President logo in the bottom left corner. "This year's Disability Pride Month may be over  –– however, disability pride matters all year round." is in left-aligned bright pink text. "Disability pride is not just an opportunity to celebrate during one month per year. It is a mindset, movement, and commitment to showing up for the disability community every day." is also in left-aligned bright pink text below the previously described text. There are 7 diverse hands raised in solidarity. The first hand on the left has a medium dark skin color and is formed into a closed fist with a charcoal black, dark green, light blue, white, light yellow, dark red, charcoal black striped bracelet around its wrist. The second hand has a medium light skin color and is holding up a disability pride flag. The third hand is a prosthetic hand. The fourth hand has a light skin color and is formed ...