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Sarah, 20, Salvation Army Camp, Kenya
Related to this project: Beyond Graduation

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Sarah, 20, Salvation Army Camp, Kenya

It is nine ‘o’clock at night in Kenya when I call Sarah, and as soon as she picks up, phone with shouts and noises of women’s voices in the background. Amidst all of this, Sarah’s stands out. We talk about various things, and she begins to tell me about herself.

Born in a small village in the township adjacent to Nairobi, Sarah was diagnosed with physical disabilities that required her to use crutches, but was unable to, because of her family’s financial issues. At fourteen, her classmates donated one to her, while a hospital where she had surgery arranged for another during recuperation. Sarah still uses the same ones, ‘and I need to be careful with them, or I won’t be able to walk much.’

After having to leave school soon after her surgery, and because of her physical constraints, Sarah had no choice but to take to the streets of her hometown. ‘I would beg, because I had to.’ She says.

In January of 2009, Sarah was given the money for bus fare to Nairobi by a friend, which led her to the Salvation Army Camp, where she was enrolled in a dressmaking course. Unfortunately, she has not been able to afford the fees for this program, and is worried she might not be able to return when classes begin in May. For April, she will return to her village, where she says she has, ‘friends and nice people who will help her for the month.’ She hopes to be able to find the money for her fees, but is worried, because ‘there are no jobs for people like me in Kenya, or they are very difficult to find.’ She knows she would be happy to work hard, if given the chance, and says she, ‘wants to be a successful tailor and dressmaker,’ and ‘wants to show everyone what I can do.’

Above it all, she says, there is one thing that worries her the most. ‘Whatever it is, I don’t want to go back to begging on the streets.’ She pauses. ‘Even a little bit of help, in any direction, will be enough to inspire me to succeed.’


April 16, 2009 | 11:39 AM Comments  1 comments

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Amy Johnson, Nova Scotia; Student
Related to this project: Beyond Graduation

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Amy Johnson, Nova Scotia; Student

‘Being born with something doesn’t make you inferior or anything. The problem is, invisible disabilities are treated very differently from visible ones.’ Starts Amy Johnson, about three minutes into the conversation. Amy was born with dyslexia, most commonly categorised as, with obvious effects through, learning disabilities.

‘Recognising letters was so hard,’ she recalls, I didn’t get them right for years afterwards, until I was older and went to a different kind of school to be taught to read.’ Amy says she thought it was very strange when she finally stopped the mistakes she’d come to expect as part of her speech. ‘Higher education wasn’t the easiest, because we had to read a ton of things from my first semester in university.’ Says Amy emphatically, ’Luckily, I realised I could order audio textbooks, which suddenly made it easier to listen and learn.’ Now in her third year, Amy has not had a problem with learning since she enlisted for her university’s learning resources services.

Amy enjoys painting, playing the guitar, pottery, photography and sketching. She hopes to be able to utilise her Bachelor’s degree to work in the field of arts management, preferably as an art teacher, or ‘something to do with the administration side of the subject.’

Amy’s advice for her peers: ‘Don’t give up on anything, and don’t be afraid to stand up and ask. It’s about your personal choices , and think of other people as helpers who will help you to achieve your goals.; She finishes off by saying, ‘Take nothing for granted either.’





April 16, 2009 | 11:38 AM Comments  0 comments

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Bonnie Bieganski, 26, Winnipeg,Manitoba, Canada; Student
Related to this project: Beyond Graduation

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Bonnie Bieganski, 26, Winnipeg,Manitoba, Canada; Student

‘It’s totally possible to do whatever you want to, I firmly believe that.’ Says Bonnie, about halfway through our interview. An undergraduate student at the University of Winnipeg, she talks about how winter definitely ‘puts a dampener on my social life, because it’s so hard to get around, especially because there is often no place to park and unload— the sidewalks are piled high with snow.’

Bonnie was diagnosed with the extremely rare Larsen syndrome, affecting only about 300 people in the world, causing partial paralysis and therefore, the need of a wheelchair and a ventilator. ‘I have an attendant to drive me around Winnipeg, though in the winter, it’s a challenge to have the energy to do things physically.’

Bonnie teaches English and basic communication as a part-time job, as well as skills such as troubleshooting and maintenance of ventilators. She has been living independently for about 6 years. She is also involved in numerous extracurricular activities in school, and is popular in her social circle, though she admits it was hard initially to make friends. ‘People were scared, I guess, to come and ask questions, and I was too shy. It’s only after I learnt to come out of my shell that I became involved, and found things to do that I really enjoyed. Life has changed.’ She would rather not ‘blame her disability’ when it comes to her social interactions, choosing instead to focus on every person as an individual, and understanding matters of compatibility as friends.

‘Living up to my own expectations is hard sometimes,’ she says, ‘even though I know I’m optimistic and motivated.’ Bonnie counts her mother, who she is very close to, as one of the driving and most influential forces in her life.

Supportive and positive people around you are an essential, she says, especially those who let you ‘dream your dreams, and help make them a reality.’ Bonnie maintains the importance of determination and passion in all her work, and advises her peers not to lose focus if they have a set goal. ‘I know what I want from this life,’ she says, smiling, ‘and I’m going to get there.’

Read some of Bonnie’s writing: http://www.stormloader.com/nita/le.html


April 16, 2009 | 11:35 AM Comments  0 comments

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Tina Barnes,Director, Learning Resources, Randolph College; Lynchburg, Virginia,USA
Related to this project: Beyond Graduation

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Tina Barnes,Director, Learning Resources, Randolph College; Lynchburg, Virginia,USA

Tina Barnes has been involved with planning, designing and implementing learning resources for students with for more than thirty years. ‘I started young, and always had an interest in the field, so I actually have a degree in management in the disability-needs field.’ As someone who has counselled students in the crucial transition phases of high school to university, and later, from university into the working world, Tina is the unique position of being knowledgeable about both stages of transition.

One of the biggest issues, says Tina, is whether or not to disclose a disability, and in the case of entering a university or a higher education institution, it is always best to do so. ‘Universities cannot refuse students on the basis of disabilities if they meet minimum criteria, and in fact, it’s the best to tell people about it, so that they can make provisions for you to learn better.’ There aren’t too many reasons to keep a disability undisclosed in university, says Tina.

The matter is different when applying for jobs, says Tina. ‘It is necessary to do some research and check a company’s employment policy. If the issue has not been addressed in their mission statement, then it might be better to wait until you have an idea of your employers and the place. If however, people with disabilities are included in the equal opportunity statement, you can be assured disclosing your needs will be taken well.’

‘Whether you decide to disclose or not,’ Tina says, ‘It is necessary to always have the latest information and evaluation on a disability. The idea is not make awareness and acceptance easier for everyone, and especially for yourself. So, knowing about yourself is the most important thing.’


April 16, 2009 | 11:32 AM Comments  0 comments

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Weslyn Smith,Coordinator— Outreach Programs;Charleston, South Carolina, USACharleston, South Carolina, USA
Related to this project: Beyond Graduation

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Weslyn Smith,Coordinator— Outreach Programs, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Weslyn Smith might perhaps have seen it all. She has worked in retail after graduating from university with a degree in theatre, and finally found a job teaching an Emotionally and Behaviourally Contained Class. This is her account of her work own words…

“I was getting very little meaning out of retail, and I knew I wanted to go back
into education. I started applying for jobs as a teaching assistant, and the only one I could find was in an Emotionally and Behaviorally Self-Contained high school class. Those students completely changed my life. They were tough, they were callous, and I couldn’t blame them, considering the school system had already given up on them and placed them in a class until they were old enough to drop out of school. Most of them read on a third grade level, and they had very little math skills (they used their behaviour as a cover-up for not learning like everyone else, and the school focused more on their behaviour rather than finding the “why” behind it).

Since there was no set curriculum in this class, I just started teaching them about things they were interested in, and tried to incorporate as much of the basic skills into these lessons as I could, and tried to make them do something that would hold their attention. Since then, I have worked with students with Auditory Processing Disorders, ADD, ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. The thing that keeps pushing me to do better, to learn more myself, is the need of these students – awareness of accommodations and making sure they are being provided, so the students have the best environment possible to learn, the need for “right-brain” thinkers to get inside the classroom to teach these students how to learn, the need of teachers to nurture their fragile self-esteem. I’m still trying to change the world, I guess, and I’m still crazy enough to thing every child can learn and get a good education.”

Weslyn’s advice, based on her experience, is tailored for individuals:
“A learning difference is nothing to be ashamed of. It makes you no better or no worse than the person sitting next to you. Some students just learn differently, and if you do not understand what your teacher is saying, speak up! I would advise older students (high school and college) to find out what their rightful accommodations are, by law, so they can make sure they are getting the best learning environment they can. A student who is active in his/her education can be the best self-advocate there is. And most importantly, a learning difference does not mean you are dumb, or stupid. It just means the teachers need to learn how to teach you!”


April 16, 2009 | 11:26 AM Comments  0 comments

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