Crystal,
Thanks for sharing. This is a great example of perseverance!
Sarah Smoger
Clinton,
I'm glad to hear that you find the material valuable in your day to day instruction.
Sarah Smoger
Catherine,
thanks for sharing! It's amazing what students with disabilities can do when they have the right tools.
Sarah Smoger
I have only been teaching a short time and feel that this course will help me in the future to help other students.
I currently have a student with whom I meet every week - we have a standing appointment. In addition to having a learning disability due to a TBI, she also suffers anxiety and frequent bouts of self-doubt. Despite these issues, she maintains her attendance both in class and in our learning support sessions. Frankly, she is much more invested in her work than many of my mainstream students. She has made the integration of education in her life a top priority, and she appreciates the opportunity to be a student and has admitted there was a time when she never thought she would come as far as she has! I am proud of her resilience, and I honor her struggles as a unique aspect of her personal experience.
I taught a student who is highly motivated so it would be wrong to say that I did not think he would achieve his goals. However, he does a have a severe vision disability. He has very low vision and must read with the assistance of a magnifying glass which looks like a paperweight. When he uses a computer, all of the fonts must be in a very large size. In spite of the difficulty this causes, he is a top student at a local university and plans to attend graduate school. I am very proud of his accomplishments.
I once had a student who had multiple physical disabilities. Everyone throughout the campus was concerned on both the student completing the course and then how they would find employment. Ultimately, the student met all the academic requirements to graduate and with the assistance of the Career Service Division was set up on an interview were they secured employment. Today this individual is utilizing what they were taught and providing a foundation for themselves and their family!
Too many to share! In my thirty five years in education and as an individual who grew-up in the home of an educator, I have heard and been part of a grand number of success stories. Every one I consider a success shared a common theme; the student was charged with the responsibility to do their best in every situation and expected to achieve progress based upon that element of effort. These students, and I mean studentS, took the initiative to work hard, seek necessary help, and strive to earn everything they sought to achieve. Nothing was handed to these individuals: they earned it!
Not too long ago, I read an article about a young man with downs syndrome that achieved his dream. His dream was to go to college and he received an acceptance letter to attend the college of his dreams. He didn't allow his disability to stop or hinder his ability. He worked hard and proved that just because a person has a disability, they are human and can do anything anyone else can do.
I assisted a student in college who was paralyzed during a football game as a freshman. He was a much better driver than most with his custom design vehical
I just saw an amazing girl on America's Got Talent this past week. Since birth she has been without an arm from elbow down (her right arm). The show presented some clips of her childhood; nothing stopped her from acheiving goals. She was a cheerleader and gymnast in high school. Her long time goal was to be a rock and roll star. In a brief interview, her dad mentioned that she really wanted to take guitar lessons at a young age; he said he didn't know how he was going to make it work. Eventually, he had a prosthetic made for her elbow; it was just a cap on the elbow with a little beak like knob on the end. So there she was trying out. You could see it on everyone's face (and probably mine too)...how on earth is this girl going to play guitar! But she was wonderful. She figured out how to overcome her challenge and acheive. Amazing inspiration.
People with disability is a great success story because they've overcome many obstacles in their path and persevered; the disability didn't stand in their way, and that is a sucess story. It shows motivation, strength, and most importantly perseverance. Therefore, the sucess story inspire others.
Mary,
Thanks for sharing! There are lots of movies about people with disabilities who overcome great odds to find success. It reminds us all about how motivation, drive and perseverance can pay off.
Sarah Smoger
I don't have any person success stories. But I am reminded about a movie I saw on tv about a teacher who had tourette syndrom and was successful in achieving his goals. He also helped other students who had disabilities.
Again being a person with a physical disabilty myself, I find it quite annoying when people do this. Just because someone has a disability doesn't mean you should be shocked they are successful. However, individuals with disablities often times have to overcome more road bumps placed in front of them. More often times than not, people with disabilities are often hard to forget therefore, they stick with folks.
People with disabilities are no different the everyboby else .
