My ADA Story: Two Different Experiences
By Kim Tyler
Kim Tyler stands in front of a pink flower bush.
I went to undergraduate school in the 80’s before the ADA was enacted. I am visually impaired and need additional time to read materials. Reading small print is slow and strenuous on my eyes. I often depended on friends to record class reading material so that I could listen to it before classes. The school had policies to provide extra time for people with visual impairments, but not all professors fully understood or complied with the policy. There was no real legislation that prevented them from overlooking the reasonable accommodations I needed to succeed. I personally paid friends to be readers. It was awkward to ask your friends to read to you or record written materials. I remember one instance when a professor started class with a pop quiz but would not allow me extra time to read the material and answer the questions. I felt humiliated in front of my classmates. I knew I could do the work but needed a little extra time to be able to see and read the material.
All that changed once the ADA was enacted. In 2013, I decided to get my master’s degree in Social Work. My experience was vastly different. The decade prior had seen many reforms for persons living with disabilities because of the ADA. These reforms imbedded the idea that persons with disabilities can and should have equal access to goods, services and education with reasonable accommodations to support them. This time, the university’s Disabled Student Services Department had an active presence, and my professors were aware of the policies regarding the reasonable accommodations I needed such as assistive technology and reader services.
There may some people who remain resistant to allowing these changes. Those attitudes may never be eliminated. However, there is now legislation that cannot be ignored. This allowed for a more positive educational experience for me and disabled students in the future. For persons with disabilities like myself, the ADA means your participation and contributions are valued when your needs are addressed.
Quotes from Kim:
“Before the ADA, my education was difficult because few accommodations were made for my visual impairment. That changed after the ADA was enacted. I’m very grateful that I now have the ability to achieve my fullest potential with reasonable accommodations.”
“The ADA now provides the policies for persons with disabilities that cannot be ignored. It allows a more positive educational experience for me and others like me.”
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