I thought I knew it all...
July 5, 2018
by Jessica Chaikof
Across the country, thousands of high school students are either touring college campuses or applying to college. Choosing the right school is not an easy decision because every college has its pros and cons. Deciding the right college means finding your “icing on the cake.” The “icing on the cake” is the most important factor you are looking for in a college such as Disability Services, housing, program, etc. As a person living with Usher syndrome, Disability Services was my “icing on the cake” because I wanted to find a school that would accommodate my needs.
Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, I attended a small private school for elementary and middle and developed strong relationships with my teachers. In high school, I loved doing ceramics and wanted to continue doing it in college. As a young high school senior, I dreamed of majoring in biochemistry with the intention of teaching high school biology and chemistry. As a junior, I toured six schools until I found my top two choices—small liberal arts colleges located in Massachusetts with fantastic biochemistry programs. However, one school located in Worcester, Massachusetts had an open ceramics studio for students to use.
Eventually, I got accepted into both top-choices: Wheaton College (MA) and the school in Worcester. I truly wished that I listened to my resource teacher, who consistently told me to check in with Disability Services and to not assume that I would receive all my accommodations. The moment I received my acceptance from the school in Worcester, I sent in my placement deposit with the expectation that I would be attending.
In January 2014, my parents and I contacted the Disability Services coordinator to discuss my accommodations for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year. Much to my disappointment and shock, Disability Services was not willing to work with us. The Disability Services had agreed to provide my FM system but would not provide a note taker, appropriate housing, or substitute the foreign language requirement. Despite meeting with the Disability Services coordinator, no progress was made with obtaining accommodations necessary for my learning. My parents insisted that I meet with Wheaton’s Disability Services coordinator. A month later, I met with the Disability Services coordinator for Wheaton, and it was night and day with everything! As I explained the need for each accommodation, ranging from a note taker to housing, the coordinator responded, “No, problem, I can take care of it!”
While I was fortunate to have received the essential accommodations to succeed, I did not realize the number of accommodations I would need to ensure my safety on campus. Since I could not hear without my cochlear implants or see in the dark, Wheaton put a strobe light that was connected to the fire alarm system into my dorm room. In the summer of 2015, I was staying on campus to take a summer class when the fire alarm went off, while I was in the shower without my cochlear implants. I had no idea until the following evening that there was a fire drill that morning. My parents and I fought to have the school install a fire alarm in the bathroom near the shower to ensure I could see it for future fire drills.
In the end, it is our choice to heed advice and decide what is best for us. This is what I would have told my young high school self four years ago:
- Establish your “icing on the cake” before selecting your college.
- When you get your college acceptances, be sure to meet with Disability Services at those schools to determine the accommodations you can obtain to ensure success.
- Make sure you have a strobe light and bed shaker in your dorm room and a strobe light in the nearest bathroom.
- It is okay to have a potential major in mind but be open to new ideas. More importantly, sign up for an unknown class that you have never heard of because you could discover a new passion.
This coming late August, I will be entering my fifth year of college and will be getting ready to complete my capstone in sociology. The capstone entails completing independent research on a topic of interest then presenting my results in the spring semester. My capstone will focus on accessibility in higher education with a focus on faculty perspectives and understanding of accessibility within their discipline. Prior to entering college, I did not expect much to change because I had “the plan” in mind. However, I have been pleasantly surprised.
