For many students, federal and
provincial student aid in the form of bursaries and loans are a large part of
helping to pay for education. However, when I went to get more information
about the student aid process, I found that there were many barriers. They
wanted documents signed by lots of people, a variety of assessments, and
details about my life that most people would never ask.
What was worse was that the
government service agent that I was speaking with commented, "People on
AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped) do not qualify for student
aid because they are already receiving funding from the government. Why would
we give you more?" This statement is unprofessional, insensitive, and
uncalled for. Disability funding from
the government is not enough to live on and go to school. Why shouldn't someone
with a disability have the same opportunities for further education as anyone
else?
I realize that the person that I
spoke with is not necessarily the voice of the government but he is
representing the government while interacting with people like me every day. He
is unknowingly discouraging people from pursuing their dreams of having better
lives. People go to school to learn the skills necessary to have a job, and
eventually support themselves enough to not need government aid. This is just
one example of someone I have met that was disrespectful. I continued on
despite this.
During my first months in the
Graphic Design program, I had several facilitators from PASC helping me at
school. However, it was difficult because they didn’t have the same knowledge
about computer science that we needed for class. Thankfully, one of my
classmates, Lisa, was really friendly, and we would talk about assignments and
class information. I was grateful to have her there with me. One day my coordinator was with me at school;
she and Lisa started talking and decided that Lisa would be a good fit to be my
facilitator. Even though she was not a
facilitator previously, PASC employed her to work with me since she was already
doing the same assignments as me.
Because it was sometimes hard to
stay motivated and productive, I would break the course into smaller goals so
it felt more manageable. Breaking the unit into smaller sections also helped me
to better understand the concepts. Lisa insisted I take plenty of small breaks
to calm my frustrations. Sometimes I found myself stuck on one step but had no
one around to ask for help. There were other students and teachers in the
computer lab, but they were never in the same program; I had to email the
unit's instructor whenever I had a question.
During the program, I used new
study techniques: quizzing myself, writing out key concepts, doing open-book
tests, and highlighting important parts of the textbook. These techniques
helped prepare me for multiple-choice tests. Multiple-choice tests are an
easier way for me to show that I understand a concept than written tests.
However, the Academy of Learning had a passing grade of 70%, and I sometimes
had to repeat the test before reaching it. Every student had three attempts to
pass before having to pay thirty dollars for each additional try. Luckily I
never had to pay that $30!
It was a huge accomplishment to
graduate from the Graphic and Web Design Diploma program in July 2009. It made me feel like a normal person because
it was the first “real” diploma that I had ever received, since my high school
diploma was from a modified program. I
felt very proud of myself because I never gave up even when it was really
tough.
If I go back to school again
though, I’ll pick a program where there is more interaction among classmates
and the teacher, even if it is only a weekly classroom session. Part of me
wished I had gone to SAIT instead so there would have been more hands-on
instruction and less independent learning. I missed the social aspect of high
school; I didn't meet anyone else who was doing Graphic Design because it was
so independent.
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