Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id hA6Lv1V09758; Thu, 6 Nov 2003 16:57:01 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2003 16:57:01 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <a253d4a24a66.a24a66a253d4@pima.edu> Errors-To: alcrsb@langate.gsu.edu Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Heidi Silver Pacuilla <Heidi.Silver-Pacuilla@pima.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:2785] disability challenges X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: iPlanet Messenger Express 5.2 HotFix 1.12 (built Feb 13 2003) Status: O Content-Length: 5161 Lines: 47 I have taken the opportunity to share on this listserv before the Recommendations authored by a women's group I facilitated in 2001-2002, a grant-funded project called Women, Disabilty, and Literacy. (We were funded by Laubach's Women in Literacy.) Since disabilities are coming up as a theme again on the listserv, I'll send them out again. The recommendations below are distilled from months of focus groups' reflective dialogues on barriers and experiences in adult education. Our range of ages (20 - 60), ethnicities, dis/abilities, time in the program (1 month to 10+ years), and goals are reflected in the wide scope of the recommendations. They are presented here as they were prepared and shared in multi-vocal conference presentations, grouped into nine main topic areas. ****************** 1. We are a garden, waiting for your care and nurturing. When we come to adult education, we are ready to learn and grow. Please help us feel comfortable and WANTED in your program. We need to speak to a counselor and a disability specialist when we get here, people who can encourage us and help us find the help that is available to us. There are more people with disabilities in our communities who are not in the adult education program, keep recruiting them and working to meet their needs. Reach out to the young students who might still be in denial of their educational needs and goals. After all, the more students with disabilities you have, the better you can prove the need to ask for increased funding. 2. We don't want sympathy, we want understanding. 3. Provide opportunities for us to learn about our rights and responsibilities. We need to learn what there is to learn about our rights in this society, but we also want to meet our responsibilities. One way we have learned about these is through having a Disability Specialist in the program who can talk with us one on one. The support group has also been a place where we learn about our rights, from each other and from guests. Help us continue to advocate for GED accommodations, we need those accommodations like extra time, to be able to take the test and really show what we know. 4. We need assistive technology to be more independent. We want to be as independent as possible. We need equipment in our homes as well as in the program. Keep trying to get more assistive technology for the program and then provide training so we know how to use it. Help us find referrals to other programs that could provide equipment at home. The things we've tried and liked so far are word processors with spell checkers, computer readers, New Century educational software, JAWS screen reader, email and TTYs. 5. Don't rush us. Don't give up on students who are having a hard time. One woman with LD said, "Don't rush me, let me take my time and do it at MY speed. I don't want to be rushed. If it's going to take me a long time to reach my goal, well, let it. It's my time. Also, please understand that I get very frustrated. When I need to ask a question or get some extra help, I can't wait." 6. Teachers or trained tutors should lead small groups. We need the opportunity to learn at our own pace, but we need to be taught by teachers or steady, committed tutors with training in meeting our unique needs. A small group setting addresses our need to work at a slower pace and get help when we need it. It is hard for us when we have to work with new tutors all the time, we appreciate their time that they give, but it's hard to open up and get used to new tutors. We recommend the Wilson Reading Method for adults with learning disabilities, we really like it and it helps us learn to read and spell. 7. Teachers need to listen and be sensitive to our needs, but provide appropriate challenges, too. When we come to adult education, some of us knew we had a disability, others of us had never had the opportunity to talk about our learning problems before. We need teachers and counselors to be prepared to help us learn more, beginning wherever we are. Some of us might need referrals to other community services - since we are already here, it would be helpful if teachers and others could help us find those services. We also expect our teachers in adult education to know about meeting the needs of literacy learners with disabilities. We aren't teachers, we need you to know how to teach us. 8. Don't be afraid to ask about students' disabilities. Provide an opportunity for all students to privately self-identify their disability to the teacher. It's like if a doctor doesn't ask you personal questions, you're never going to get helped. Teachers need to get over any embarrassment or fear they have about disabilities because if they don't, students can't get the help they need. 9. Maintain/Start a support group, it means a lot to us. **************** The dissertation on that project is DONE! (whew!) I'll be writing about all of this more and more in adult ed journals, if you are interested. Heidi Silver-Pacuilla LD Resource Instructor Pima College Adult Education 401 N. Bonita Ave. Tucson, AZ 85709-5600 (520) 206-6500
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