Testimonials

“Thank you so much! It is going to be a great help. I received the computer and appreciate it a lot. I really appreciated you expediting it and sending it straight to my school. I was scared I was going to fall behind without it.”

Dear Ms.Paz & LD Resources Foundation Inc. Award Committee,

“College for any student is challenging, but for a student with a disability like me it can not only be a challenge but can be very frustrating. As a student who has been diagnosed as dyslexic, the reading materials can become overwhelming. During my four years in high school was able to maintain a cumulativeGPA of 3. 0 and as a college student, I have only been able to maintain a GPA of 2.0 during my first semester.  I know that this is not from lack of hard work and hours of studying but from my inability to process all of the reading materials assigned.  I know that if I were able to understand the reading materials I would be able to raise my GPA average.  I feel that this award will help me achieve my academic goals.  I do want to excel in college so that I may further my education in a graduate school which will allow me to continue in a doctoral program in clinical psychology.”

“Most people on the campus of the Fashion Institute of Technology know me as Bridget, the girl from somewhere in Michigan. That’s true. I grew up in a small town in the mid-west. People at FIT may not know another important fact about me. I have a learning disability. When I was in second grade I was diagnosed with dyslexia, which has impaired my ability to read. Almost all of the graduates from my high school went on to college in Michigan, but I knew that was not for me. Although I was actually discouraged from applying to FIT by my college counselor and high school teachers, I knew that it was the place for me and that I would be able to tremendously expand my educational opportunities by studying there.

As a result of my dyslexia, I have learned to make arrangements to get as many of my textbooks on tape as I can. I also attribute a great deal of my success in college to the computer program called Kurzweil Reader. I scan in almost all my homework assignments into the Kurzweil and have it help me read my assignments. I meet with a tutor a few times a week through the FIT-ABLE department. Tutors help me read my homework assignments and tests. I have learned to ask for help when I need it. These processes take much more time than it would if I could just read on my own but I am committed to learning as much as I can. In addition to dyslexia, I also have ADD, which makes my three-hour classes as well as the extra time required to study especially challenging.

Most people are surprised when they hear about this part of my life. I am proud that when people look at me they see my abilities not my disabilities. Part of the reason for this is because I have been able to properly utilize the technology that has been made available to me. I am a senior in the International Trade and Marketing (ITM) program and currently have a 3.58 GPA. After taking my International Trade and Marketing classes, I have learned that there are important legal aspects involved in the international fashion industry. Because the industry has grown into a $1 trillion business, with laws that constantly are changing, there is a need for people who know about law and the business of fashion. That is why I have decided that the next step for me is to go to law school. I believe that the Keys to Access that LD Resources Foundation has awarded to me will be a great tool that will help me to continue to reach my career goals.”

“I am an African American disabled student at Hunter College and a mother of a college student who has ADD.

It was from carrying my son from doctor to doctor when he was young and having been diagnosed with ADHD that I first suspected that I may suffer from ADD. Learning more about the disability, I have wanted to be tested but could not afford the test. So I would greatly benefit if I was to be awarded the Key Testing Award. I am also interested in the Key to Access and Communication Awards. I have great difficulty with keeping attention and concentrating in class and at home with reading assignments and writing assignments. I have made great improvements in my grades and comprehension when I have taped my professors’ lectures along with my note taking.

And lastly, on a one to one conversation, one would declare that I do not have a communication problem. However, within a group (even a small one) I find it difficult to formulate basic speech and words. I have to watch the faces of people having difficulty trying to figure out what I am saying. This makes me nervous and sometimes my mind goes blank or I stutter.

I hope you will consider my application for these awards. If I am awarded any of these, they will truly be appreciated.”

“Listening has always been my primary method of absorbing information. In high school, my class notes weren’t anywhere near comprehensive. I could never write down what to remember and anyone who ever borrowed my notes would most definitely agree. The classes I always did the best in were those in which the teacher spoke regularly to the class, describing what we should know in detail. Unfortunately, not all of my classes were like that. I had classes where the majority of the material was given to the class in written form; novels, short stories, poems. I’d go home or sit in a study hall and read the assignments, usually multiple times. The next class, if I were asked to recount a detail in the story, I seldom could. I was often accused of not reading the assignment and my grade would suffer. The unfortunate thing was that I had read the assignment; my mind just hadn’t acknowledged the information. Generally, my grades in high school were fairly good. I transferred high schools multiple times, so mediocre grades were usually attributed to that. I didn’t realize that I was earning my grades differently than my peers. I assumed my hectic home life was the only difference between myself and my fellow students. In college, I began to think otherwise. I no longer had the hectic home life and was able to spend the necessary amount of time on my homework. Surprisingly, the gaps between my grades widened. I would get “A’s” and “F’s” in the same semester. Going to the student writing center wouldn’t help. No one seemed to understand the problem I was having. Finally, psychiatric testing was suggested, and I decided to go through with it. I am very glad that the tests were performed. Since being diagnosed with a learning disability, I can now be aware of the way my mind works, and try my best to adapt the material in a way that will best suit my own unique learning style. The technology and support offered by the LD Resources Foundation would greatly help me live up to my full potential and allow me to achieve the best grades possible. I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Eugene Lang College, in Manhattan, and once completed, I plan to further my academics with a master’s degree in a similar field.”

“I had begun my first two years of my undergraduate degree with the need of seven tutors.  At the end of my sophomore year I was offered a chance to be more independent and use adaptive technology which allowed me the ability to read, write more often and eliminate the need of those tutors.  11 years later, I’m beginning my graduate degree in design plus technology at Parsons – The New School.  I am again at a crossroads where the technology I had been using has become outdated and was not suited for reading PDF files or has text-to-audio technology.   The Key to Access truly would unlock the world of the written word for me.  The accessibility to read from several computers and to use the text-to-audio not only would be pleasurable but would allow me to study everywhere I’m able to listen.  This is an advantage I have never been offered.

“First and foremost, I want to thank the foundation and my family for all the support I
have received over the years. I am an 18 year old from Brooklyn, New York. As I start my new journey into the college life, I am lucky enough to receive this wonderful tool.

I went to Xavier High School, and even though there were guidance and teacher help, it did not truly accommodate to my exact needs. When I was accepted to Marymount, I received full support and guidance from the counselors and administration, weeks before freshmen orientation. This was very reassuring, and I knew then and there that Marymount Manhattan was the right choice for me. Not only to further develop my education but to develop my growth into adulthood.

The Key to Access tool will prove itself useful for research papers, and storing information, and in turn greatly improve upon my note taking skills and studying in general. I have not been very technology savvy either, so with the help from all the programs featured on the Access tool, I know that will all change for the better. Once again, thank you for the Key to Access tool and I will use it to my fullest potential through my academic career.”