<p>For example, I have a visual disability (I'm uncorrectable legally blind). Would this allow colleges to view my grades with more leniency? How should I factor this into my essays? Any other advice?
If you have a disability or a child with a disability, how did you/they approach that in the college admissions process?</p>
<p>I have the same problem and just went through the admissions process so i can accurately say that having disabilities does not directly affect your admission. On the common app there is no specific place to list your disabilities so unless you talk about your visual impairment in your essays they won’t even know that its an issue -unless your teachers talk about in your rec letter. </p>
<p>As for approach;
I approached the application process in the same way any other student would. I narrowed down a list of schools, and started writing my essays in the summer before senior year. My personal statement focused on living with my visual impairment, but was geared towards how my impairment shaped my life and attitude towards leaning. Whatever you do, don’t make your essay some depressing story about how much you have to struggle with your visual impairment -no one wants to read that.
Of course there was a little extra stuff I did in regards to my visual impairment: talked to my Orientation and Mobility adviser about travel, navigating a college campus, etc, worked with the department of rehabilitation to get magnification devices, etc, but the general process of applying was the same. </p>
<p>Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions or just want to connect. Its always great to hear from college bound visually impaired students. </p>
<p>One option you have is to ask your guidance counselor to disclose, and you just focus on all of your accomplishments in your application. I would not ask a teacher to disclose, although they might choose to mention it anyway. But that is exactly the sort of thing your GC can help with if you would prefer to keep your application focused on other things.</p>
<p>@saif235, that’s what I was thinking. I’ll probably disclose it in my personal statement, because it definitely has shaped my life, but I definitely don’t want some woe is me essay. Funnily enough, my brother wrote his admissions essay for the college he attended about my disability. </p>
<p>@intparent, That’s a good idea. We’re on very good terms, and she’d be happy to do that for me. Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi - both my boys are deaf and chose to disclose. They chose to write their essays about their decision to move from hearing aids to cochlear implants. I thought both essays were interesting and very uplifting and talked about how their lives were enhanced because of the technology. I love the comments @saif235 made particularly as regards not writing a “poor me” or depressing essay. And in fact, you might choose to say nothing about it in your essay. Both my boys chose to but it was their choice and worked for them.</p>
<p>When we visited campuses with both boys, we tried to arrange a visit ahead of time with the disabilities coordinator, just to be sure that they could be accommodated (and to find out how they’d be accommodated). As an example, one school was happy to accommodate but then a friend’s daughter found that in lieu of a spoken language, she would have to take ASL. She’s always been language exempt and has Usher’s (so is also losing her sight in addition to being born deaf) and the college just didn’t get that her learning a visual language wasn’t a great idea. She’s going elsewhere this fall. So it’s important to be sure they can and are willing to accommodate your needs. If we couldn’t meet on the initial visit, we definitely did if they were accepted. It was key for them.</p>
<p>Disabilities do not impact your admissions decision and it is your choice as to if you’d like to disclose. My S chose to disclose it in his essay (again, not a “poor me” think but how he overcame one hurtle and went on to help others do the same) but that was his personal decision. And I do agree with @BTMell, we found it very useful to meet with the disability office of his top choice schools – doing that did help us to rule out one school where we felt the services just weren’t up to par.</p>
<p>Agreed. While I wasn’t able to visit any disability offices before applying -most of my schools were really far away from home- I did make a point to visit the disability office of the schools i was admitted to. Some schools are able to offer a lot of services -note takers, large print books, preferential seating, braille accommodations (I don’t do braille, but I’m not sure if you do), etc- and are really available to students while other schools are more limited and withdrawn. </p>