Learning Ally Blog: Access and Achievement

Three were college seniors who are blind or visually impaired. Another three were high school seniors with dyslexia and learning disabilities. Another was a retired Marine veteran, blinded by a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq. Yet another was a businesswoman and mother of three, diagnosed with dyslexia at age 35. Now picture this: A ballet dancer. A nationally competitive swimmer. A self-professed “metal-head” and future lawyer, with the smoothest radio voice in Hawaii. A stirring public speaker. An Eagle Scout. A speed reader – studying and seeking diversion in the wee hours of the morning, no less. A future medical doctor whose hobbies include playing the violin, oil painting, and breeding fruit flies. What brought this remarkably diverse group together? How did they come to find such extraordinary resonance with each other in a conference room in the nation’s capital? Stay tuned... and take your place at the roundtable with RFB&D as we explore convergences between the learning-disability and blind/visually impaired communities; the roles of assistive technology providers and public policy makers; concerns of parents and special educators; and the gracious power of donors and caring volunteers. We’ll follow these and many other threads of experience in this blog beginning next week.