From the intro to a story in The Windsor Star in Canada:Imagine the teacher ordering the myopic kid in class to take off his glasses to ensure "a level playing field" with all those other sighted students who don't have the advantage of visual aids.
A ridiculous proposition. But that is how dyslexic University of Windsor student Holly Ferguson (pictured) often felt in high school and primary school in Toronto whenever she would ask for extra time and a quiet room, away from other distractions, to write her exams.
"I'd always have to battle with issues like teachers saying that giving me extra time was not fair," said Ferguson, an 18-year-old first-year women's studies and social work student. Due to dyslexia, she would see letters backward and words out of order and had difficulty with memory and retention. Removing distractions and giving her extra time helps her cope with these obstacles."But it's really no different than someone who wears glasses. They wouldn't take away their glasses because it's not fair to the others."
Ferguson, who was diagnosed with dyslexia as a Grade 3 student in Toronto, said she has always been able to keep up with other students and class averages if accommodated with extra time to account for her disability in processing and retaining the study material.
Now, through the University of Windsor's Office of Student Disability Services, she is getting the assistance and, more importantly, the understanding she needs to succeed. The equipment consists of computer software to overcome language and text processing difficulties.
Anthony Gomez, the university's assistive technology and disability adviser, said that more than half of the students calling on the service have "invisible disabilities," such as language or reading disorders that prevent them from fully absorbing course material.
Gomez said the office works with about 200 learning-disabled students to help them develop personal academic plans that may employ such things as speech recognition software or programs that electronically scan text and read it back to the students.
Students who have difficulty with written communication use software that allows them to speak into a microphone and get a real-time transcription for note taking. The disabilities service also hosts tests and exams for students who require special accommodation and helps them develop specialized strategies for note taking, reading, studying and developing memorization skills.
"It's a great leveller," Gomez said. "It allows them to show their knowledge of the course material.... People with learning disabilities are usually of above-average intelligence. They just have difficulty processing."
He sees the program as a means of making continuing education accessible to students with such disabilities.
