| A frequent question from high school students and | | | | money. There seems to be more compassion for |
| parents is whether it is wise to disclose a disability | | | | students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds |
| during the college application process. There are a | | | | than there is for students with learning differences. |
| variety of opinions on this, so there is probably no | | | | Colleges frequently apply for grants to serve those |
| one "right" answer. Here I will present my personal | | | | with meager financial resources or students who |
| feelings on the subject. | | | | have been laid off. But at least where I worked, |
| Unless you are applying to a school that exclusively | | | | there were no special grants for students with |
| serves students with learning disabilities, i.e. Landmark | | | | disabilities beyond one that paid for assisted |
| College, I am of the opinion that it is no one is | | | | technology that collects dust because no one in the |
| business but your own. It is one thing to send an | | | | office has the time to teach students how to use it. |
| application to a disability support program within a | | | | I believe many school administrators see the word |
| college, where it remains confidential. Besides, you | | | | "disability" and immediately envision increased costs to |
| know that it is going to a supportive office where | | | | meet these students' needs. There are also enough |
| they "get it". When you send an application via snail | | | | professionals who still, believe it or not, are not |
| mail or e-mail, however, do you know who is at the | | | | well-versed on what it means to be learning-disabled; |
| receiving end? What if it is a person who holds a bias | | | | they have misconceptions that these students are |
| against students with disabilities? Personally, I would | | | | less intelligent. For these reasons, it would be my |
| not want my Childs' application going through that | | | | choice not to disclose on an application. There are |
| persons' hands. | | | | those who feel completely differently-if they disclose |
| While on the surface it appears that post secondary | | | | up front and are not accepted for that reason, then |
| institutions are more disability-aware than ever, make | | | | they have managed to save themselves from |
| no mistake about it. Any services or assisted | | | | attending a possibly LD-unfriendly school. What is |
| technology a college adds to support students with | | | | your opinion? |
| learning differences is going to cost the college | | | | |