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Learn About Your Disability

Your disability is a part of who you are. You are a daughter or son, you are good in math, you have blue eyes, and you have a disability. Your disability is a part of who you are. Just as you have learned about your family history, your academic skills and your other aptitudes, you need to learn about your disability.

People who have the same type of disability are still individuals. You might have a learning disability, but you are different from someone else who has a learning disability. Learn about your disability and how it affects you. How the same disability affects someone else is different. All people who are deaf do not use American Sign Language; all people who are blind do not read Braille. All people who use wheel chairs can’t drive. Just as each person is unique, how the disability affects them is unique.

Learn about YOUR disability and how it affects YOU!

Ways to do this are:

• If you are in high school, check your IEP or talk with your special education teacher about how you qualified for special education services;
• Talk to your Vocation Rehabilitation counselor, mental health professional or other service providers;
• Talk to your parents and family;
• Talk to your doctor;
• Research your disability on the internet or at the library;
• Talk to other people with similar disabilities; or
• Contact organizations that help people with your disability.

Here are some questions about how it affects you:

1. How does this affect my learning?
2. How does this affect my ability to get and keep a job?
3. Do I need special health care? Do I have other health needs not about my disability?
4. Will I need help taking care of my own needs?
5. How does this affect my communication with others?
6. Will I be eligible for any programs or benefits, such as Social Security?
7. Will I need accommodations or modifications to participate in social activities?
8. Can I physically enter buildings within the community?

As you've learned about you and your disability, put together a fact sheet. Include how you describe your disability, how it affects you, and what resources, accommodations or modifications you need.

As you know about yourself, including your disability, it will be easier to make decisions about yourself and your future. The more you know the more you are in charge of your life.