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Steps to Independence
by Dale S. Brown
Editor's Note: Dale S. Brown is an author of
five books about disabilities. She won several national awards for
her leadership in the self-help movement for people with learning
disabilities. She recently retired from twenty-five years of public
service developing federal policy in the field of disability. The
Learning Disabilities Association of America asked her to update
Steps to Independence for People with Learning Disabilities, the
first book she wrote. It is a self-remediation handbook that guides
young adults with learning disabilities to become independent. In
the following profile, she discusses how she wrote the first edition
of the book:
I grew up with severe learning disabilities and was
educated in public schools in ordinary classrooms. Nobody could
figure out what caused me to struggle to read, write, and get along
with other children.*
"I came in to have art. I broke my blue crayon
a second time. I looked at everyone else's crayons. Beautiful, with
the paper still on. Only one or two boxes had a broken crayon. And
then at my own. Each was broken at least once. None had the paper
covering on it. All were mutilated with my hot, sweaty hand. I can
still remember bringing them home as one, big mess."
As a young child, it seemed to me that I had a disability.
Why couldn't I catch and throw a ball? Why did I learn to skip in
fourth grade instead of first and second? Why was I learning to
read from my Mom instead of playing like everyone else? Many adults
told me that I was "not bright", "not trying hard
enough" or "emotionally disturbed." These explanations
made me feel powerless and depressed. They also made no sense. So
I imagined a mysterious handicap with no name.* My belief was that
it was probably a made up fantasy. But, nevertheless, I acted as
if it was the truth.
To me that meant working hard. My parents were very
supportive. My life seemed to consist of school and homework. In
high school, I didn't let my parents excuse me from school to go
on overseas trips with the family. I stayed with neighbors and studied
instead, a clear necessity for me. My "made-up belief"
that I had a disability enabled me to accept the need for doing
that. My sisters could go off, visit Europe, go to the beach and
then return and just make up the work. The same effort that got
other students "A's" bought me "C's."
Completing my college studies was a major challenge.*
But the most important event was finding out about my learning disabilities.
This discovery - which validated my inner life and self-management
strategies- gave me self-esteem and inspired me to start the self-help
movement for people with learning disabilities. The mother of one
of my friends influenced the process. Here is what happened:
We were discussing where and when we would meet.
"Dale, you've checked with me about this eight times,"
she said, irritated. "I think you should know by now we are
meeting tomorrow morning here at 8 AM." I apologized and told
her that I had auditory perceptual problems and often got times
and places mixed up.
The next day, when we were driving home together,
she told me that she thought she had the same problem. She explained
that she was a psychiatric nurse and that she was under the impression
that staff members sometimes mixed up the meeting times on purpose.
Because of our conversation, she would follow my example and check
times and places - though less than eight times!
It excited me to see how knowledge about her learning
disabilities improved her life. Sharing my situation made a difference
to her. It seemed likely that many people were like us. I visualized
myself speaking publicly about these problems and inspiring people
to work together to help ourselves.
After college graduation, I found my first job, moved
into a home with room-mates, and started my life as an independent
young adult. The process was made more difficult by my learning
disabilities which were not disclosed.
A woman named Gale Bell and I started Association
of Learning Disabled Adults (ALDA), in 1980. Speaking publicly exposed
me to discrimination when applying for new jobs- but it also started
me on a quarter of century of work for the federal government on
disability policy.
In those days, it was believed that learning disabilities
existed mostly in childhood. Parents were told that their children
would "outgrow" their learning disabilities. This filled
them with false hope- and our self-help group made many feel disappointed
as we explained that it was not true.
ALDA members worked together to help each other, to
make recommendations to parents and teachers on transition, and
to advocate for policy changes. We became a model chapter for the
nation. Other chapters formed and joined together to become National
Network of Learning Disabled Adults, which elected me as its first
President. We attended ten regional hearings of the Rehabilitation
Services Administration to explain that adults with learning disabilities
needed services. At that time, I worked for the President's Committee
on Employment of People with Disabilities. I would sometimes draft
letters to my own agency and then draft the response back!
Barbara Scheiber, Director of Parent's Campaign for
Handicapped Children and Youth (a federal clearinghouse that preceded
NIHCY) became my friend. One day, I told her my dream of writing
a self-remediation handbook for people who had learning disabilities.
I thought it might help other people with learning disabilities
to educate themselves, find jobs, and live independently. To my
surprise, she told me that if I wrote the book, her clearinghouse
would publish it and distribute it for free.
I began spending my Sundays working on the book,
starting early in the morning until late at night. I worked in a
small porch that was attached to my bedroom. There was very little
information available. Interviews with many people with learning
disabilities and professionals in the field were my major research
technique. I loved crafting words. It was gratifying to look at
my experience overcoming my learning disabilities and put it to
use for others.
When the book was complete, Barbara Scheiber sat with
me and edited it helping me make it perfect. It was very short and
thanks to Barbara was well-laid out for people who had difficulty
reading. It had sections on living on your own, finding a job, and
remediating your own learning disabilities.
The book was incredibly successful. Most of what
was written there was somewhat radical at that time. But having
a federal clearinghouse distribute it brought the ideas to the attention
of researchers- who proposed the ideas as hypothesis - and ended
up proving many of them true. People with learning disabilities
said that they felt like I was sitting next to them giving them
friendly advice. Goodwill Industries of America reprinted the book
in 1985.
Meanwhile, my job at the President's Committee on
Employment of People with Disabilities gave me many opportunities
to contribute to the field of disability, such as inside work on
the Americans with Disabilities Act, bringing the leadership of
organized labor into the disability field, and coordinating an effort
to make libraries accessible. I traveled all over the country and
internationally speaking about employment of people with all types
of disabilities. My articles helped parents to guide their children
and professionals to empower their clients. Learning Disabilities
Association of America had me on its Board and elected me to chair
the Youth and Adult Section, a precursor to the current Adult Issues
committee.
Unfortunately, Steps to Independence for People
with Learning Disabilities went out of print. People called
me and asked for it, even ten or fifteen years after it was gone.
That is why I am so honored to offer the revised edition of Steps
to Independence for People with Learning Disabilities through
the Learning Disabilities Association of America. I updated it as
a volunteer, following a proud LDA tradition.
The rewrite was a bittersweet experience. The field
has grown so much! The book isn't radical any more. It sounds like
common sense. There are resources available that weren't there before.
However, the struggle to become independent remains difficult for
people with learning disabilities. It is my hope that the book can
help a new generation of young people become all they can be and
move forward with their lives.
Dale S. Brown
Author
dale-brown@mindspring.com
*See additional articles by Dale Brown:
"A
Letter to my Grandmother"
"Handicap with
No Name"
"Learning
Despite Learning Disabilities"
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