positive affirmations for motivation, and seeking situations that produced
personal growth. The final coping technique was study skills and management
strategies. Use of technology, relaxation techniques before tests, taping
classes, maintaining a personal day timer, and the amount of time devoted to
study. From this study we can clearly see that students experienced labeling,
stigmatization and gatekeeping and the ways that they learned to cope with there
disability was through relying on benefactors, implementing self-improvement
techniques, and utilizing particular strategies and management skills to assist
students with academics. The results from this study have tremendous
implications for schools and school administration. The purpose of this study
was fulfilled and it is of great importance for the future of students with
learning disabilities. In conclusion, the findings of research have shown
similarities and differences in accommodating persons with learning
disabilities. Barga (1996) finding supports students with learning disabilities
has increased at an alarming rate and learning disabled students continue to
face challenges in the school environment. Greenbaum et al. (1996) found after
post-secondary education persons with learning disabilities adjusted well to the
complexities of adulthood even though those individuals rarely disclosed their
learning disability to their employer fearing being discriminated against. How
can we as a society empower persons with disadvantages to become more aware of
their rights as defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990? We should make every effort to inform students about
services offered in schools as well as their rights to those services. Employers
need to become more knowledgeable of their responsibilities to employees faced
with learning disabilities. Both schools and employers need to become more aware
of discrimination, labeling, stigmatizations, and gatekeeping that persons are
faced with during their life as disabled. Due to these negative outcomes,
persons must avoid disclosing their disability to make it through a school or
work situation. However, disclosing is starting to become easier as the stigma
lessons, but unfortunately, discrimination is not yet cleansed from our country.
Some may wish not to disclose their learning disability, but by using positive
terms to explain what one needs can be another option. Example: I need Mary to
proof my work before you see it. That way we can both pay more attention to the
content and not worry about the way it is typed. Have you seen the XYZ software?
It gets the computer to talk so that you can hear what is on the screen. Since
my job requires so much detailed reading, it would be wonderful if I could hear
it. Then there would be fewer errors. Regardless of the strategy, one may take.
An accommodation request must be well thought out, and the easier it is for your
employer, the more likely your success. As stated in the passage earlier,
participants of the Greenbaum et al. study indicated difficulties in multiple
areas one being organization. A strategy for helping organizational skills may
include using a daily calendar, keeping your work area clean of clutter, color
code items, keep items on shelves and bulletin boards. Use an alarm feature on
your work computer so to remind you of important meetings.
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