Forward! Advice to Graduates Who Have Disabilities from Adults with Disabilities

By Guest Blogger Katherine Schneider, PhD, Author and Retired Clinical Psychologist

Congratulations! As you graduate this spring, please know that adults with disabilities are cheering for you.

In addition to your classes, you’ve learned a lot in school. You’ve dealt with the hard parts of having a disability, like things taking longer, costing more and not always being readily accessible for you. You’ve gained skills in advocating strongly, but politely and persistently for your access needs to be met. You’ve experienced the joy of “I did it!” as well as some disasters, which may have become funny stories at least in hindsight.

As you move forward to the next stage of life, I’d like to offer some advice gained from my 65 years of life as a person with disabilities.  I’m a retired clinical psychologist, as well as an author who was blind from birth and developed fibromyalgia in middle age. Life and my seeing eye dogs have taught me what I’m passing on through this blog post.  http://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2014/04/25/forward-advice-to-graduates-who-have-disabilities-from-adults-with-disabilities/