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To the Professors…
Just because we don’t look like we’re sick or disabled, doesn’t mean we aren’t.
Disabilities don’t always have physical symptoms; someone can be partially blind but not use a cane. Most of the time we have had a disability or have been sick for a while, and are really good at hiding our symptoms, like fatigue, or pushing ourselves to not need extensions. Most people with depression don’t look depressed, so please don’t say that we’re not disabled because we don’t look it.
Please don’t talk down to us.
Having a disability does not mean we don’t understand what you are saying. We might have slow processing speed in comparison to other students, but we do know what you are saying.
Just because our disability or condition is rare, does not mean we don’t have anything wrong with us.
A condition might be more rare than others, but just because you’ve never heard of it, doesn’t mean we don’t have it, or that we’re faking it.
Encourage your students to use their accommodations.
We often don’t use our accommodations because we don’t feel like we need them, or are afraid of inconveniencing you, but encourage your students to take advantage of their accommodations to be successful academically.
To the other students…
We are not that different.
If you took the time to get to know us, you’d find that we’re pretty similar to you. We like the same things, we want to accomplish the same things, and we have the same goals and dreams.
Just because we can’t always accept invitations to hang out doesn’t mean that we don’t want to.
Because of our fatigue and other side effects, we often have to save energy for classes and assignments. So if we don’t accept an invitation to go out, that doesn’t mean that we don’t want to.
We are not thoughtless.
We’re normally just as smart, if not smarter than the normal student in college. All those hospital visits or trips to the doctors where we spend hours waiting, we’re normally studying, reading, or working on homework. Just because we have a disability doesn’t always mean that we all fit the criteria of the stereotypical disabled or ill student.
“Disability is not a brave struggle or courage in the face of adversity.
Disability is an art.
It’s an ingenious way to live.”
-Neil Marcus