Ten Ways to Create Shareholder Value (part 3).

Ten Ways to Create Shareholder Value (part 3).

by Alfred Rappaport.

Principle 8.

Reward middle managers and frontline employees for delivering superior performance on the key value drivers that they influence directly.
Although sales growth, operating margins, and capital expenditures are useful financial indicators for tracking operating-unit SVA, they are too broad to provide much day-to-day guidance for middle managers and frontline employees, who need to know what specific actions they should take to increase SVA. For more specific measures, companies can develop leading indicators of value, which are quantifiable, easily communicated current accomplishments that frontline employees can influence directly and that significantly affect the long-term value of the business in a positive way. Examples might include time to market for new product launches, employee turnover rate, customer retention rate, and the timely opening of new stores or manufacturing facilities.

My own experience suggests that most businesses can focus on three to five leading indicators and capture an important part of their long-term value-creation potential. The process of identifying leading indicators can be challenging, but improving leading-indicator performance is the foundation for achieving superior SVA, which in turn serves to increase long-term shareholder returns.

Principle 9.

Require senior executives to bear the risks of ownership just as shareholders do.
For the most part, option grants have not successfully aligned the long-term interests of senior executives and shareholders because the former routinely cash out vested options. The ability to sell shares early may in fact motivate them to focus on near-term earnings results rather than on long-term value in order to boost the current stock price.

To better align these interests, many companies have adopted stock ownership guidelines for senior management. Minimum ownership is usually expressed as a multiple of base salary, which is then converted to a specified number of shares. For example, eBay’s guidelines require the CEO to own stock in the company equivalent to five times annual base salary. For other executives, the corresponding number is three times salary. Top managers are further required to retain a percentage of shares resulting from the exercise of stock options until they amass the stipulated number of shares.
But in most cases, stock ownership plans fail to expose executives to the same levels of risk that shareholders bear. One reason is that some companies forgive stock purchase loans when shares underperform, claiming that the arrangement no longer provides an incentive for top management. Such companies, just as those that reprice options, risk institutionalizing a pay delivery system that subverts the spirit and objectives of the incentive compensation program. Another reason is that outright grants of restricted stock, which are essentially options with an exercise price of $0, typically count as shares toward satisfaction of minimum ownership levels. Stock grants motivate key executives to stay with the company until the restrictions lapse, typically within three or four years, and they can cash in their shares. These grants create a strong incentive for CEOs and other top managers to play it safe, protect existing value, and avoid getting fired. Not surprisingly, restricted stock plans are commonly referred to as “pay for pulse,” rather than pay for performance.

In an effort to deflect the criticism that restricted stock plans are a giveaway, many companies offer performance shares that require not only that the executive remain on the payroll but also that the company achieve predetermined performance goals tied to EPS growth, revenue targets, or return-on-capital-employed thresholds. While performance shares do demand performance, it’s generally not the right kind of performance for delivering long-term value because the metrics are usually not closely linked to value.

Companies need to balance the benefits of requiring senior executives to hold continuing ownership stakes and the resulting restrictions on their liquidity and diversification.

Companies seeking to better align the interests of executives and shareholders need to find a proper balance between the benefits of requiring senior executives to have meaningful and continuing ownership stakes and the resulting restrictions on their liquidity and diversification. Without equity-based incentives, executives may become excessively risk averse to avoid failure and possible dismissal. If they own too much equity, however, they may also eschew risk to preserve the value of their largely undiversified portfolios. Extending the period before executives can unload shares from the exercise of options and not counting restricted stock grants as shares toward minimum ownership levels would certainly help equalize executives’ and shareholders’ risks.

Principle 10.

Provide investors with value-relevant information.
The final principle governs investor communications, such as a company’s financial reports. Better disclosure not only offers an antidote to short-term earnings obsession but also serves to lessen investor uncertainty and so potentially reduce the cost of capital and increase the share price.

One way to do this, as described in my article “The Economics of Short-Term Performance Obsession” in the May–June 2005 issue of Financial Analysts Journal, is to prepare a corporate performance statement. (See the exhibit “The Corporate Performance Statement” for a template.) This statement:

separates out cash flows and accruals, providing a historical baseline for estimating a company’s cash flow prospects and enabling analysts to evaluate how reasonable accrual estimates are;
classifies accruals with long cash-conversion cycles into medium and high levels of uncertainty;
provides a range and the most likely estimate for each accrual rather than traditional single-point estimates that ignore the wide variability of possible outcomes;
excludes arbitrary, value-irrelevant accruals, such as depreciation and amortization; and
details assumptions and risks for each line item while presenting key performance indicators that drive the company’s value.

Could such specific disclosure prove too costly? The reality is that executives in well-managed companies already use the type of information contained in a corporate performance statement. Indeed, the absence of such information should cause shareholders to question whether management has a comprehensive grasp of the business and whether the board is properly exercising its oversight responsibility. In the present unforgiving climate for accounting shenanigans, value-driven companies have an unprecedented opportunity to create value simply by improving the form and content of corporate reports.

The Rewards—and the Risks.
The crucial question, of course, is whether following these ten principles serves the long-term interests of shareholders. For most companies, the answer is a resounding yes. Just eliminating the practice of delaying or forgoing value-creating investments to meet quarterly earnings targets can make a significant difference. Further, exiting the earnings-management game of accelerating revenues into the current period and deferring expenses to future periods reduces the risk that, over time, a company will be unable to meet market expectations and trigger a meltdown in its stock. But the real payoff comes in the difference that a true shareholder-value orientation makes to a company’s long-term growth strategy.

For most organizations, value-creating growth is the strategic challenge, and to succeed, companies must be good at developing new, potentially disruptive businesses. Here’s why. The bulk of the typical company’s share price reflects expectations for the growth of current businesses. If companies meet those expectations, shareholders will earn only a normal return. But to deliver superior long-term returns—that is, to grow the share price faster than competitors’ share prices—management must either repeatedly exceed market expectations for its current businesses or develop new value-creating businesses. It’s almost impossible to repeatedly beat expectations for current businesses, because if you do, investors simply raise the bar. So the only reasonable way to deliver superior long-term returns is to focus on new business opportunities. (Of course, if a company’s stock price already reflects expectations with regard to new businesses—which it may do if management has a track record of delivering such value-creating growth—then the task of generating superior returns becomes daunting; it’s all managers can do to meet the expectations that exist.)

Value-creating growth is the strategic challenge, and to succeed, companies must be good at developing new, potentially disruptive businesses.

Companies focused on short-term performance measures are doomed to fail in delivering on a value-creating growth strategy because they are forced to concentrate on existing businesses rather than on developing new ones for the longer term. When managers spend too much time on core businesses, they end up with no new opportunities in the pipeline. And when they get into trouble—as they inevitably do—they have little choice but to try to pull a rabbit out of the hat. The dynamic of this failure has been very accurately described by Clay Christensen and Michael Raynor in their book The Innovator’s Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth (Harvard Business School Press, 2003). With a little adaptation, it plays out like this:

Despite a slowdown in growth and margin erosion in the company’s maturing core business, management continues to focus on developing it at the expense of launching new growth businesses.
Eventually, investments in the core can no longer produce the growth that investors expect, and the stock price takes a hit.
To revitalize the stock price, management announces a targeted growth rate that is well beyond what the core can deliver, thus introducing a larger growth gap.
Confronted with this gap, the company limits funding to projects that promise very large, very fast growth. Accordingly, the company refuses to fund new growth businesses that could ultimately fuel the company’s expansion but couldn’t get big enough fast enough.
Managers then respond with overly optimistic projections to gain funding for initiatives in large existing markets that are potentially capable of generating sufficient revenue quickly enough to satisfy investor expectations.
To meet the planned timetable for rollout, the company puts a sizable cost structure in place before realizing any revenues.
As revenue increases fall short and losses persist, the market again hammers the stock price and a new CEO is brought in to shore it up.
Seeing that the new growth business pipeline is virtually empty, the incoming CEO tries to quickly stem losses by approving only expenditures that bolster the mature core.
The company has now come full circle and has lost substantial shareholder value.
Companies that take shareholder value seriously avoid this self-reinforcing pattern of behavior. Because they do not dwell on the market’s near-term expectations, they don’t wait for the core to deteriorate before they invest in new growth opportunities. They are, therefore, more likely to become first movers in a market and erect formidable barriers to entry through scale or learning economies, positive network effects, or reputational advantages. Their management teams are forward-looking and sensitive to strategic opportunities. Over time, they get better than their competitors at seizing opportunities to achieve competitive advantage.
Although applying the ten principles will improve long-term prospects for many companies, a few will still experience problems if investors remain fixated on near-term earnings, because in certain situations a weak stock price can actually affect operating performance. The risk is particularly acute for companies such as high-tech start-ups, which depend heavily on a healthy stock price to finance growth and send positive signals to employees, customers, and suppliers. When share prices are depressed, selling new shares either prohibitively dilutes current shareholders’ stakes or, in some cases, makes the company unattractive to prospective investors. As a consequence, management may have to defer or scrap its value-creating growth plans. Then, as investors become aware of the situation, the stock price continues to slide, possibly leading to a takeover at a fire-sale price or to bankruptcy.

Severely capital-constrained companies can also be vulnerable, especially if labor markets are tight, customers are few, or suppliers are particularly powerful. A low share price means that these organizations cannot offer credible prospects of large stock-option or restricted-stock gains, which makes it difficult to attract and retain the talent whose knowledge, ideas, and skills have increasingly become a dominant source of value. From the perspective of customers, a low valuation raises doubts about the company’s competitive and financial strength as well as its ability to continue producing high-quality, leading-edge products and reliable postsale support. Suppliers and distributors may also react by offering less favorable contractual terms, or, if they sense an unacceptable probability of financial distress, they may simply refuse to do business with the company. In all cases, the company’s woes are compounded when lenders consider the performance risks arising from a weak stock price and demand higher interest rates and more restrictive loan terms.

Clearly, if a company is vulnerable in these respects, then responsible managers cannot afford to ignore market pressures for short-term performance, and adoption of the ten principles needs to be somewhat tempered. But the reality is that these extreme conditions do not apply to most established, publicly traded companies. Few rely on equity issues to finance growth. Most generate enough cash to pay their top employees well without resorting to equity incentives. Most also have a large universe of customers and suppliers to deal with, and there are plenty of banks after their business.

It’s time, therefore, for boards and CEOs to step up and seize the moment. The sooner you make your firm a level 10 company, the more you and your shareholders stand to gain. And what better moment than now for institutional investors to act on behalf of the shareholders and beneficiaries they represent and insist that long-term shareholder value become the governing principle for all the companies in their portfolios?

July 25, 2020

How to Do Technical Analysis.

How to Do Technical Analysis.

Technical analysis evolved from the stock market theories of Charles Henry Dow, founder of the Wall Street Journal and co-founder of Dow Jones and Company. The goal of technical analysis is to predict the future price of stocks, commodities, futures and other tradeable securities based on past prices and performance of those securities. Technical analysts apply the law of supply and demand to understand how the stock market and other securities exchanges work, identifying trends and profiting from them. The following steps will help you understand technical analysis and how it is applied to choosing stocks and other commodities.

Steps.
1. Understand Dow's theories behind technical analysis. Three of Dow's theories about investments form the underpinnings of technical analysis and serve to guide the technical analyst's approach to financial markets. Those theories are described below with an explanation of how technical analysts interpret them.
Market fluctuations reflect all known information. Technical analysts believe that changes in the price of a security and how well it trades in the market reflect all the available information about that security as garnered from all pertinent sources. Price listings are therefore thought of as fair value. Sudden changes in how a stock trades often precedes major news about the company that issued the stock. Technical analysts don't concern themselves with the price-to-earnings ratio, shareholder equity, return on equity or other factors that fundamental analysts consider.
Price movements can often be charted and predicted. Technical analysts acknowledge that there are periods when prices move randomly, but there are also times when they move in an identifiable trend. Once a trend is identified, it is possible to make money from it, either by buying low and selling high during an upward trend (bull market) or by selling short during a downward trend (bear market). By adjusting the length of time the market is being analyzed, it is possible to spot both short- and long-term trends.
History repeats itself. People don't change their motivations overnight; traders can be expected to react the same way to current conditions as they did in the past when those same conditions occurred. Because people react predictably, technical analysts can use their knowledge of how other traders reacted in the past to profit each time conditions repeat themselves. In this respect, technical analysis differs from "efficient market theory," which ignores the effect that human actions and reactions have on the market.
2. Look for quick results. Unlike fundamental analysis, which looks at balance sheets and other financial data over relatively long periods of time, technical analysis focuses on periods no longer than a month and sometimes as short as a few minutes. It is suited to people who seek to make money from securities by repeatedly buying and selling them rather than those who invest for the long term.
3. Read charts to spot price trends. Technical analysts look at charts and graphs of security prices to spot the general direction in which prices are headed, overlooking individual fluctuations. Trends are classified by type and duration.
Up trends, characterized by highs and lows that become progressively higher.
Down trends are seen when successive highs and lows are progressively lower.
Horizontal trends in which successive highs and lows fail to change much from previous highs and lows.
Trend lines are drawn to connect successive highs to each other and successive lows to each other. This makes spotting trends easy. Such trend lines are often called channel lines.
Trends are classified as major trends when they last longer than a year, as intermediate trends when they last at least a month but less than a year, and as near-term trends when they last less than a month. Intermediate trends are made up of near-term trends, and major trends are made up of near-term and intermediate trends, which may not go in the same direction as the larger trend they are part of. (An example of this would be a month-long downward price correction in a year-long bull market. The bull market is a major trend, while the price correction is an intermediate trend within it.)
Technical analysts use four kinds of charts. They use line charts to plot closing stock prices over a period of time, bar and candlestick charts to show the high and low prices for the trading period (and gaps between trading periods if there are any), and point and figure charts to show significant price movements over a period of time.
Technical analysts have coined certain phrases for patterns that appear on the charts they analyze. A pattern resembling a head and shoulders indicates that a trend is about to reverse itself. A pattern resembling a cup and handle indicates that an upward trend will continue after pausing for a short downward correction. A rounding bottom, or saucer bottom pattern indicates a long-term bottoming out of a downward trend before an upswing. A double top or double bottom pattern indicates two failed attempts to exceed a high or low price, which will be followed by a reversal of the trend. (Similarly, a triple top or bottom shows three failed attempts that precede a trend reversal.) Other patterns include triangles, wedges, pennants and flags.
4. Understand the concepts of support and resistance. Support refers to the lowest price a security reaches before more buyers come in and drive the price up. Resistance refers to the highest price a security reaches before owners sell their shares and cause the price to fall again. These levels are not fixed, but fluctuate. On a chart depicting channel lines, the bottom line is the support line (floor price for the security), while the top line is the resistance line (ceiling price). Support and resistance levels are used to confirm the existence of a trend and to identify when the trend reverses itself.
Because people tend to think in round numbers (10, 20, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, and so on), support and resistance prices are often given in round numbers.
It is possible for stock prices to rise above resistance levels or fall below support levels. In such cases, the resistance level may become a support level for a new, higher resistance level; or the support level may become a resistance level for a new, lower support level. For this to happen, the price has to make a strong, sustained change. Such reversals may be common in the short term.
Generally, when securities are trading near a support level, technical analysts tend to avoid buying because of concern for price volatility. They may, however, buy within a few points of that level. Those who sell short use the support price as their trading point.
5. Pay attention to the volume of trades. How much buying and selling goes on indicates the validity of a trend or whether it's reversing itself. If the trading volume increases substantially even as the price rises substantially, the trend is probably valid. If the trading volume increases only slightly (or even falls) as the price goes up, the trend is probably due to reverse itself.
6. Use moving averages to filter out minor price fluctuations. A moving average is a series of calculated averages measured over successive, equal periods of time. Moving averages remove unrepresentative highs and lows, making it easier to see overall trends. Plotting prices against moving averages, or short-term averages against long-term averages, makes it easier to spot trend reversals. There are several averaging methods used.
The simple moving average (SMA) is found by adding together all the closing prices during the time period and dividing that sum by the number of prices included.
The linear weighted average takes each price and multiplies it by its position on the chart before adding the prices together and dividing by the number of prices. Thus, over a five-day period, the first price would be multiplied by 1, the second by 2, the third by 3, the fourth by 4 and the fifth by 5.
An exponential moving average (EMA) is similar to the linear moving average, except that it weighs only the most recent prices used in computing the average, making it more responsive to the latest information than a simple moving average.
7. Use indicators and oscillators to support what the price movements are telling you. Indicators are calculations that support the trend information gleaned from price movements and add another factor into your decision to buy or sell securities. (The moving averages described above are an example of an indicator.) Some indicators can have any value, while others are restricted to a particular range of values, such as 0 to 100. The latter indicators are termed oscillators.
Indicators may be either leading or lagging. Leading indicators predict price movements and are most useful during horizontal trends to signal uptrends or downtrends. Lagging indicators confirm price movements and are most useful during uptrends and downtrends.
Trend indicators include the average directional index (ADX) and the Aroon indicator. The ADX uses positive and negative directional indicators to determine how strong an uptrend or downtrend is on a scale of 0 to 100. Values below 20 indicate a weak trend and over 40 a strong one. The Aroon indicator plots the lengths of time since the highest and lowest trading prices were reached, using that data to determine the nature and strength of the trend or the onset of a new trend.
The best known volume indicator is the moving average convergence-divergence (MACD) indicator. It is the difference between two exponential moving averages, one short-term and the other long-term, as plotted against a center line that represents where the two averages equal each other. A positive MACD value shows that the short-term average is above the long-term average and the market should move upward. A negative MACD value shows that the short-term average is below the long-term average and that the market is moving downward. When the MACD is plotted on a chart, and its line crosses the centerline, it shows when the moving averages that make it up cross over. Another volume-related indicator, the on-balance volume (OBV) indicator, is the total trading volume for a given period, a positive number when the price is up and a negative number when the price is down. Unlike the MACD, the actual value of the number has less meaning than whether the number is positive or negative.
How frequently securities are being traded is tracked by both the relative strength index (RSI) and the stochastic oscillator. The RSI ranges from 0 to 100; a value over 70 suggests that the security being evaluated is being bought too frequently, while a value under 30 suggests it is being sold too frequently. RSI is normally used for 14-day periods but may be used for shorter periods, making it more volatile. The stochastic oscillator also runs from 0 to 100. It signals too frequent buying at values over 80 and too frequent selling at values under 20.

Community Q&A

Question : What is meant by selling short during a downward trend?
Answer : It means borrowing shares of stock from a broker in order to sell them at one price, then waiting for their price to drop (in the "downward trend") so you can buy them back at the lower price, thus making a profit (at which point you give the shares back to the broker). This is purely a gamble (but a popular one among some professional investors).
Question : What is meant by "buy at pullback and sell at strength"?
Answer : That's another way of saying "buy low, sell high." A "pullback" is a reversal in a rising trend, offering a brief opportunity to buy at a relatively low price. "Strength" is a high price relative to recent levels.
Question : What is meant by saying, "Buy low, sell high"?
Answer : It means you should sell shares only when they are valued at a price higher than the price at which you purchased them. In practice, it means you should buy shares only after they have recently fallen in price, and you should sell shares only after they have recently risen in price -- again assuming the selling price is higher than the original purchase price. That's not always easy to do, but that's the theoretical objective in owning stock.
Question : How can I watch how technical analysis works?
Answer : You would have to find and contact a value investor, and ask if they would let you observe them at work. A stockbroker might be able to help you find such an investor.

Tips.

While most brokerage houses are geared toward long-term investing and employ mostly fundamental analysts, many now employ a few technical analysts as well.

Warnings.
Although some technical analysts use a single indicator or oscillator to tell them whether to buy or sell, indicators are best used in conjunction with one another and with price movements and chart patterns.
Know the limitations of technical analysis: it doesn't always work. For example, the most perfect head and shoulder top pattern possible may be formed (thought to be an extremely bearish technical indicator), and you sell the stock, only to see a huge extended rally from there, leaving you behind. Do not rely exclusively on technical analysis. Use it as a guide, and combine it with fundamental analysis.

June 25, 2020

College acceptance for students with dyslex

FAQ College acceptance for students with dyslex

THE BEST AND WORST COLLEGES FOR DYSLEXIA – Dyslexic Advantage

There is no single ‘best’ college for dyslexia, but rather colleges that may make better (or worse) fits for an individual student. Do you have personal experience with a college as a dyslexic student? If so, please take this brief survey and we’ll share the results here. You can also send your reviews of colleges by email. All sources will be confidential on this site. Graduates were in the past 5 years unless otherwise specified.

We are compiling resources from people we have spoken to, web, and text-based resources that included interviews of dyslexic students who attended college. Books we recommend include Dyslexia at College, The Human Side of Dyslexia, and Colleges That Change Lives. Also the list of colleges that don’t require an SAT or ACT can be found at Fair Test.

College-Bound Students: Once you are enrolled in college, don’t forget to apply here for the Dyslexic Advantage Karina Eide Memorial Scholarship! Only dyslexic students are eligible and there is no minimum GPA! Here is the start of a very partial list. We will be adding more specific information as it comes in. These are statements about individuals from students. They do not reflect any statements by Dyslexic Advantage, the organization. Are you a current college student or graduated in the past 5 years?  If you’ve filled out this college survey, we’ll gif you with a 1 year subscription to our Premium magazine!

ALABAMA
Auburn University – Center for Special Services “I owe a lot to the Center for Special Services…my professors were supportive.” Books on tape, reader, Dragon dictation, note taker, extended time.

ARIZONA
University of Arizona – SALT CENTER – Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques Center

ARKANSAS
University of the Ozarks – Jones Learning Center “My coordinator and tutor were my lifeline..” Taped textbooks, help in math, reading, writing, copies of lecture notes, private test taking. Dictated papers to tutor. Helped with flashcards

AUSTRALIA
MacQuire University Accessibility    (Math and Human Resources) BEST: free learning support, good test-taking accommodations, “for exams and tests 1hr plus long you can get good provisions.” WORST: teachers resist providing accommodations, “it most depends who you get as your learning support staff, that makes its easier or hard to get approval. also, anything under 30mins good luck getting help. and some subject stuff dont understand what Dyslexic is even is. meaning less like to help you.”

Swinburne University of Technology AccessAbility Services  (Bachelor of Computer Science majoring in Cybersecurity) Victoria. BEST : Free Learning Support Services, Faculty Accessible and Supportive, small classes, peer mentors, helpful disability resource, good test taking accommodations. WORST: Audio resources are late or difficult to acquire. TIPS: No matter what the work is, do it as soon as you get it. Never leave it till the last second and always ask for help when you get stuck. Peers will help you heaps if you need it! You can help them too!

Tafe Ultimo Disability and Accessibility  (Community Services) BEST: free learning support, good system for asking for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. The TAFE have a tremendous amount of support and reasonable adjustment possibilities because my dyslexia is now legally classified by the NSW State Government as a neurological disability. I didn’t know this support was available until I enquired with the Tafe career counsellor who is a psychologist. She helped me tremendously and referred me through their process and my fees are waivered. They have offered so much support right down to getting me an ergonomic chair if I need it. And their kind, reassuring attitude and acknowledgement of my dyslexia challenges has been amazing. TIPS: Make an appointment with the career counsellor to discuss what courses and support are suitable for your dyslexia.

CALIFORNIA
Butte College – Disabled Student Programs   BEST: Free learning support services. Many trade school options that do not require English 101 or algebra. WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist providing accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, no visible dyslexia programs on campus. TIPS: Don’t go. Keep looking. It’s not worth the aggravation to fight for accommodations and understanding

Chico State University – Accessibility Resource Center  (Mathematics) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, faculty are accessible and supportive. WORST: Teachers resist providing accommodations. I had more than two teachers try to deny me accommodations. TIPS: Know your rights!

Cal State Long Beach  (Film) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful disability office, peer mentors, faculty are accessible and supportive. TIPS: Start with Steven Benson dyslexic department. Maintain a current IEP PRIOR TO APPLICATION

Holy Names University Disability Support  (Educational Therapy) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus, negative culture for learning differences. “I mark ‘negative culture’ as some staff members are working toward gaining knowledge of ADA. That said, this learning community is very diverse and inclusive. TIPS: Be proactive in asking for the support you need. Make friends with the librarians; they can be your strongest advocates.

Mills College Support Services  Oakland. . (Biology) BEST: good test-taking accommodations, faculty are accessible and supportive, small classes, dyslexia-friendly environment.

Monterey Institute of International Studies “I took all my papers to the Writing Center to be edited. My writing improved.” Tape recorder, oral testing, skimming reading, visual presentations.

Palomar College Disability Resource Center   (Visual Arts AA)  BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, helpful resource office, good test-taking accommodations. WORST: no visible dyslexia programs on campus, teachers resist providing accommodations, “There is no dyslexic focused teaching methods incorporated in the general education classes. If you are particularly struggling they don’t know what to do to help you. You can have all the time you want, but if you’re not getting it you’re just out of luck.” TIPS: “You’re going to need a private tutor that specializes in dyslexia for the subject/s that are your most difficult.”

Pitzer College – Academic Support Services “Mine was the last year without a math requirement.” Didn’t use the Learning Center on a regular basis. If poor grades, spoke to professor or went to the learning center. After failing statistics 2x, successfully petitioned to have a statistics waiver to graduate.

San Francisco State University – Disability Resource Center

Stanford University- Schwab Learning Center  – There have been recent upheavals in the Schwab Learning Center due to department changes. We will update you if we have any new information from current students.

University of California – Berkeley – Disabled Students’ Program Berkeley Extension: Occasionally I’d get a bad teacher who said they didn’t believe in accommodations like extra time, but the DSP backed me up and I was ever prevented from getting what I needed.

University of Santa Cruz  Disability Resource Center Once I tell teachers, they’re understanding.  Note taking, tape recorder, assistance with writing, and computer for personal use. Dyslexia support group (newsletter and events)

University of Southern California (USC) Korschak Center

University of the Pacific – Services for Students with Disabilities Stockton, CA   (Music Major) BEST: Good test-taking accommodations WORST: Negative culture for learning differences. “I would pick a different college, the culture is not conducive for visual or alternate learners”

CANADA
University of Manitoba Accessibility Winnipeg, Manitoba.  (Law). BEST: Good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly environment, helpful resource office, faculty are accessible and supportive, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good system to ask for accommodations, free learning support. WORST: no visible dyslexia programs on campus. TIPS: Very supportive university.

University of Toronto – Accessibility Services  (Arts & Sciences) WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist providing accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus, negative culture for learning differences. ADVICE: “Accessibility is a horror show for dyslexics. Worse than awful exam accommodations and rules; zero differentiation for learners with different learning styles; less than ZERO support for students who are gifted but do not read and write in normative ways; horrible communication with students’ one hour per week drop in hours for services; even the equity studies and women’s studies profs who should know better are s— on access issues; 6 week wait MINIMUM for assistive tech in start of program – most crucial time to have supports; OVERLOAD with assessment and no action on accomodation as if assessment itself is the job of accessilbity services; punitive behavior of disability counsellors when students miss a deadline; refusal of exam accommodations even if prof is late with posting exam schedule; scribes known to students (totally inappropriate); scribes switching off half way through test or exam; scribe demanding student indicate punctuation or would not scribe (totally different part of the brain); university uses volunteer notetakers even though the ministry of education provides funding to pay them; if no notetakers volunteer to take notes the student goes without; notetakers can hand write notes which can’t be read by text to speech software; there is no library of audio or pdf’d textbooks or readers so each student needs to have materials scanned each time fresh and WAIT up to six weeks putting them at a distinct disadvantage. Open book exams are not accessible to students who do not read and write in normative ways; cheat sheets for exams are not accessible for students who do not read and write in normative ways and yet are marked. It is basically a s— show unless you fit a tiny, narrow definition of what is disabled. The lack of imagination is ASTOUNDING at the #1 university in Canada. Worse than useless. ADVICE: DO NOT DO IT.

COLORADO
Pikes Community College Accessibility Services  (Pre-engineering) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus, no learning support or only expensive learning support program.

Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design “Didn’t need accommodations for all my classes because this is art school. The disability person was friendly and helpful. The typography class had assignments with hand-drawn fonts, but I have fine motor issues and a little tremor. It wasn’t a huge deal, but it was helpful that she contacted the teacher separately.”

CONNECTICUT
Central Connecticut State University Disability Services –  (History)
BEST: small classes. WORST: Not much understanding about the problem. No visible dyslexia program on campus.

University of Connecticut – Center for Students with Disabilities

Yale University Resource Office on Disabilities

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (DC)
American University  (Masters Anthropology) BEST: small classes, good accessibility , free learning support. “AU has a focus on diversity and this includes learning disabilities. Most professors were accommodating and pleased to do so. As an older student, I had the financial resources and knowledge to come prepared with online reader programs (learning ally, audible, natural reader, vBookz, etc.) On a rare occasion, readings were not available in PDF form or audible book form, and in those incidences, keeping up was difficult. Overall, it was a supportive environment.” WORST: there is no disability resource office, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, difficult process for asking for accommodations. “To my knowledge, AU did not have a specific dyslexia resource office, but did have learning disability office. I find that as a dyslexic student, many schools often lump all needs into “disabled” without resources for individual needs. Additionally, access to online PDF readers and audible books were available after many “hoops”, but still available. It would be easier if those were available readily to all students, regardless of diagnosis and paperwork.”

FLORIDA
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University- Disability Support  (Aerospace Engineering) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly environment, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Students with accommodations get priority for registering for classes. Good counselling services available if you are stressed, with a therapy dog on duty in the counselling center. Students with accommodations get free tutoring if needed.” TIPS: The professors are very helpful, so take advantage of their office hours to get extra help from them if you need it.

Florida Southern College – Student Disability Services (Elementary Education) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. “FSC has an elementary school on campus (Roberts Academy) for dyslexic students grades 2-6 (adding 7 and 8 in the next two school years). It’s an Orton-Gillingham school!. All pre-service teachers spend a considerable amount of time in the classrooms at Roberts getting full exposure to dyslexia, what it is, what it isn’t, what works, what doesn’t work etc. Every subject is taught in a multi-sensory way. All teachers at Roberts have their Masters degrees and are level II OG trained. Pre-Service teachers at FSC also have the opportunity to take Orton-Gillingham classes that the college offers. They bring in an instructor from OG to teach the course. The first half of the course takes place during the first semester, the second half during the second semester. My DD has had many lightbulb moments at both Robert’s Academy and during the OG courses that she has taken. She wonders why these methods are not taught across the board in all schools. It just makes so much sense to her. (She never received any OG reading intervention during her K-12 education)” TIPS: 1. Visit the campus you are considering 2. Sit in on some classes in the course work of the degree you are considering pursuing 3. Talk to current students in those classes/degree with known learning disabilities about the course work, professors, and learning services support and get a feel for how well the learning institute supports LD students.

Full Sail University – Services for Students with Disabilities  (Masters, Instructional Design) WORST: No visible dyslexia program on campus. In many ways the FSU program was very engaging. However, this program is one class in four weeks for 12 months. The pace is very fast for digesting content. For an adult training program, the program ignored how to train adults with learning disabilities. Considering the writing component of the courses feedback from professors was typically relevant, but a large percent of grades relied on peer reflection/feedback. Often peers posted sloppy discussion posts that were difficult to give feedback on. Additionally, reflection posts included responding to peers projects. Often peers rushed through the reflection and didn’t provide constructive feedback; yet this was an important component for the course grade. I’m a 45 year old mother of a 4 and 12 year old and was a high school history teacher for 14 years. The writing process tends to be slow for me and trying to respond to posts was challenging at times. After 6 months into the program I was drained as a writer and my head was mush. Exhaustion and stress lead to anxiety and that downward spiral Dyslexics can struggle with. TIPS: Take breaks every couple of months especially if you have other obligations like family or employment. Tell every professor you have you’re dyslexic and speak to your strengths and weaknesses as a student. I’m not sure if that will make a difference for some professors, but Dyslexics need to start educating those in academic positions. Even though I was considered a Highly Qualified Teacher, I taught for 14 years before I realized I’m dyslexic. The majority of educators need to be educated on teaching dyslexics.

Stetson University Disability Resources  (English) BEST: good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a trimly fashion, good test taking accommodations, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus TIPS: Get help early and don’t be afraid to ask for more if you need it. Let your professors know too as most will be happy to help you out.

University of Miami – Office of Disability Services Alumni (attended in the late 60’s): An international university with vast diversity, where high academic standards are expected but individuality is paramount

University of Tampa Disability Services  Alumni – graduated more than 5 years ago). (Government and World Affairs and Communications). BEST: good system to ask for accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful resource office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. “When I attend University of Tampa, my accommodation were granted as long as my file was updated to date illustrating that I am dyslexic. When taking test, I had quite room, and I had unlimited amount of extended time to take my test. I was chosen to be my class speaker of the December 2007. You had to apply by writing your speech and tell the University why you should be class speaker. I was the first dyslexic and epileptic class speaker at University of Tampa.” WORST: “The most difficult was the cost of re-certificating myself as a dyslexic. Those test are $1500 dollars. That is a lot of money. You have to do those test every 3-5 years. I am not going to stop being dyslexic. That would be great, if I became amazing writing, but that not going to happen. I had to borrow that money. What if someone who is dyslexic does not have the money? Then what? They lose their accommodation? That needs to change in general in the college system.” TIPS: “Go to a University with small classes. When I went to University of Tampa thhe average class was 15 people. I believe it is 20-25 now, which is still small. When you have small classes you become close to your professors. I am still friends some of my professors. Go visit the disabilities office, I love that UT disability office is called the Academic Center of Excellent. It gave me positive feeling when going to talk about my services. Especially after being under the umbrella of special ed all your life. It very negative for a dyslexic person.”

IDAHO
Idaho State University – Disability Services  (Journalism & Sports Management) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. “The disability services office blew our socks off with how helpful they were. More than just complying with the law, they go above and beyond including 1:1 help with TTS software, offers of free use of technology just to try it out, help with role playing with professors, frequent contact in the summer before freshman year to build relationships, and a “got your back” attitude. This office is why we chose this university. To sweeten the pot, it is very inexpensive for both tuition and housing and is located in a beautiful spot close to the Tetons.”

ILLINOIS
Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville   (Psychology). BEST: free learning support services. Helpful office. WORST: teachers resist providing accommodations, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, negative culture for learning differences, difficult process for asking for accommodations TIPS: “on’t. the teachers do not understand the what “learning difference” means and all classes are taught in an analytic, sequential way. you will be treated as a burden on the same level as a student with any serious impairment.”

INDIANA
Hanover College  (Business & Economics  > 5 years ago) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Strong support in liberal arts environment. Excellent free learning center. Fully accommodated my nephew. Professors very available and supportive. WORST: There is no disability resource office. TIPS: Apply with request for accommodations. Meet with admissions & Learning Center teams.

Indiana State University – Center for Student Success  Free tutoring, mentoring, advising. Works with Disability Student Services. “Indiana had a strong LD program…Help was always there in college.” Personal tutor after sports practice. Extra time on tests, tape recorder for lectures, preparation tests to study before a test, and a reader who was a grad student who also paraphrased to check for understanding

University of Notre Dame Disability Services  (Neuroscience and Art History) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive TIPS: It is great!

IOWA
Iowa State University – Student Disability Resources  (Elementary Education) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, faculty are accessible and supportive WORST: The only problem I had was with one adviser in the school of education not understanding what dyslexia is. TIPS: “Look for a school that is going to work with you. When you go on college visits go to the disability office and see what the atmosphere is and what accommodation they have.”

Loras College Lynch Learning Center  (Sports Management & PR > 5 years ago) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, faculty are accessible and supportive. TIPS: Utilize the system they gave to you, Norte Dame even asked Loras for help with their program.

University of Iowa –UI Reach and Student Disabilities Service

IRELAND
University of Limerick Disability Services
(Technology Education)
BEST: good test taking accommodations, faculty are accessible and supportive.
WORST: difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist providing accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus. Don’t try Learning like everyone else, own your dyslexia because only you can truly understand your mind

KANSAS
University of Kansas Student Access Services (Psychology – alumni > 5 years ago) BEST: None. WORST: No visible dyslexia program on campus. TIPS: Seek assistance right from the start.

LOUISIANA
Nicolls State University – Student Access Center  (History) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, good offices, faculty accessible and supportive

MASSACHUSETTS
Boston University – Disability Services “I surrounded myself with classmates who were willing to help explain the questions…sadly there are many ‘old style’ professors who don’t believe in learning difference.”

Calvin College – Center for Student Success  (Social Work) BEST: Free learning support services, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive TIPS: “Go see SAS and they will match you with an advisor specifically for your Dyslexia.”

Curry College – Disability Services : (Environmental Sciences, but they discontinued the major) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, helpful office, small classes. WORST: No learning support or only expensive learning support, no visible dyslexia programs on campus. We paid for my disability services….an extra $10,000 per year…is this legal? But while they were nice, it was just a glorified place to get organized. This was supposed to be a school at the top of disability services…but they were not. I got all my help and tutoring from the free resources available to all kids. TIPS: Just look for good services….all colleges have them these days so you don’t have to pay extra.

Harvard University – University Disability Services Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Student Disability Services “I’ve known at least a dozen MIT grads who have been out for some years now. They all have said that MIT was a good school for dyslexics.”

Williams College – Disability Support Services Worcester Polytechnic Institute Disability Support  (Civil Engineering) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, helpful office, peer mentors, faculty are accessible and supportive. Echo360 records the class for those with accommodations to be able to review on their computers. Allows lectures to be recorded when Echo360 not available in that classroom. TIPS: Register with the Office of Disability Services before enrolling. Have weekly meeting with staff to check in. Don’t be afraid to ask Professors for help. They really care and want you to succeed!

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Disability Services  (Civil Engineering) Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful resource office, faculty are accessible and supportive, small classes, peer mentors. Echo 360 films class for replay by dyslexic students. Also audio recording, teacher’s notes, professors are eager to help. TIPS: Embrace your differences and seek accommodations. Don’t be shy. They want to help. Also SAT is not required.

MICHIGAN
University of Michigan -Services for Students with Disabilities “The Center for Student with Disabilities gave me lots of ideas including asking for extended time on tests and testing in a quiet room without distractions.” Taping lectures, reduced course load.

MINNESOTA
University of Minnesota Disability Resources Center  (Plant Science & Food Systems) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly environment, helpful office, faculty are accessible and supportive WORST: Audio resources are late or difficult to acquire ADVICE: “The U of M is a wonderful school for dyslexic students. This university is very supportive of students with dyslexia and many of the professors understand what it is and that students are not “faking it”.

MISSOURI
Westminster College Learning Differences (Security / Political Science / Finance) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, faculty are accessible and supportive, small classes. The Learning Support is excellent and well-worth the added fee. The Learning Support team advise, tutor, teach classes on learning skills and strategies, help with writing, acquire audiobooks and materials etc, work with professors if needed, provide quiet test-taking. My son has made the Dean’s List with a 3.7. I don’t think this would be possible without the support and skills provided to him by this team of professionals TIPS: I wish they had more technology available for students–like Read Write Gold or something like that.

NEVADA
University of Southern Nevada   (Culinary Arts Hospitality) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Excellent note providing services. Email within 24 hours always! TIPS: Go to the disability office wayyyyy before starting school there.

NEW YORK
Concordia College New York – Connection Program Bronxville, NY. BEST: Good test-taking accommodations. WORST: No learning support or expensive program, difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, no visible dyslexia programs on campus, negative culture for learning differences.

Cornell University Student Disability Services  BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, faculty accessible and supportive. TIPS: Disability Office staff are top notch

Hudson Valley Community College Center for Access  (Individual Studies) BEST: Free learning support services, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, faculty are accessible and supportive. This program is not the best for providing students accessibility options, but they are not the worst either. I’d say they are just average. I’ve attended other schools and most of the others have provided more assertive technology options to their students, but again they could be worse. There are enough supports on campus between those provided through the Accessibility office as well as the general supports offered through the departments and the library, etc. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus. Usually there is at least one or more teachers that don’t seem thrilled about having to accommodate students. Also, sometimes I have to miss parts of my classes to use my accommodations for testing. TIPS: Good time management skills are a must; Advocating for your needs is a must; Disclosing and using your accommodations consistently will be tremendously helpful;

Marymount Manhattan College – Disability Services  (Fashion Design) WORST:Only expensive learning support program, difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resit providing accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus, negative culture for learning differences. TIPS: “Observe or talk to Learning Specialist. Ask them if they use any form of UDL or assistive technology.”

New York University Moses Center  (Nutrition) BEST: free learning support services. WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus. Test taking rooms can have 12 other people in them which is very distracting. Computers available to use for exams in the testing center do not work well. Some computers will crash while your in the middle of an exam.

Sarah Lawrence University – Office of Disability Services  (Creative Writing, Film, Ancient History) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Many of the classes are visually oriented. For example, many history classes utilize film and art as a basis for historical evidence. Creativity is the key to SLC. Creativity is promoted as part of critical thinking and analysis. Classes are mainly seminar based and small and you meet with the professor on a bi-weekly basis to discuss and develop an individual project (conference work) for the class in addition to the work common to everyone. This allows one to follow their passions within the class content and develop close a working relationship with your professors. Every semester you take three 5 credit classes, each with an individual conference project. Prior to registering for classes, every student interviews the professors teaching the class that they are interested in. In the interview, one can determine how that professor teaches, how are students assessed (ie not many classes have tests, but some do), how much reading is involved, how much writing, etc. TIPS: Talk to the professors openly, keeping communications flowing.

State University at Buffalo – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion  (Dance and Business) BEST: Free learning support services, good system to ask for accommodations, good test-taking accommodations, faculty are accessible and supportive. WORST: Audio resources are late or difficult to acquire. PDF files for textbooks, need to send in information in at the end of the prior semester to receive accommodations for the next semester in order to get books in a timely manner. Even after doing so don’t receive books during the first week of classes. Only receive PDF files after sending a reminder and often a week or two into the semester, four weeks at the latest. Once receive files, accommodations are very good and work well. Have had a problem with text center and professor not sending tests in on time. Make sure to have verbal or written confirmation that you can take exams early if original exam time is when the test center is closed. TIPS: Don’t be afraid to send reminders and/or have meetings to get the accommodations you need. If youre confused ask, because won’t always be very direct in how to do things. Know the hours of the test center when making exam requests and be as specific as possible.

Syracuse University Office of Disability Services

BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations.
“The Learning Center has improved, but sometimes I don’t get the tapes until the week before the test.” Most professors are supportive. Some have made special exams for me. Extended time, reader for exams books on tape, taped lectures, tutoring, note taker, computer for exams, typed written assignments. Counselor. Consultant helps with writing.

NORTH CAROLINA
Guilford College – Accessibility Resource Center  (Psychology, alumni 15+ years ago) BEST: good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Everything about the program was good. TIPS: Get help as soon as you get there Be sure you have been tested and identified before you go.

OHIO
Stark State College Disability Support  (Massage Therapy, switched to Dental Assisting) North Canton OH. BEST: Free learning support, small classes, A lot of the courses are more hands-on and less reading-only. WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist providing accommodations, audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, there is no disability resource office, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus. Another dyslexic girl in my class was the object of our teacher’s adamant dislike, mostly for being dyslexic and therefore not doing so well at the right/left part of our course. The teacher treated her like she was stupid, and I found the teachers in the dental assisting course tended towards condescending behaviors like that towards students with learning differences. However, other courses and classes were very open and friendly to learning differences, so it seems more teacher-specific than an overall problem. TIPS: Don’t go into Dental Assisting or another very strict program. They have a lack of empathy and help for dyslexic students. Massage Therapy and many other programs, however, are awesome for dyslexic students. Try to get a feel for whichever program you’re looking into.

Sinclair College Accessibility Services  (Architectural Technology). BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly environment,  helpful disability resource office, small classes, faculty are accessible and support. Sinclair has an effective disability services program and the faculty are quite willing to provide the needed accommodations. This is a great school to go to if you want to succeed in college! TIPS: Sinclair welcomes people with disabilities of all types and has an effective program for providing needed accommodations. The keys to success are to go to class, do the homework, and study for the exams. The faculty and staff are willing to help when the student does their part.

Muskingum University – Disability Education Office   (Special Education & History – Alumni graduated 7 yrs ago) BEST: Good system to ask for accommodations, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Content tutors, not peer tutors. WORST: There was a large cost for the most comprehensive service but there were different levels. TIPS: Make sure you are studying.

OREGON
Mount Hood Community College Disability Services
(Elementary Education)
BEST: free learning support services, good test taking accommodations.
WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, hard to obtain regular test-taking accommodations, no visible dyslexia programs on campus, negative culture for learning differences.
TIPS: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Great advisors and teachers WANT to see you succeed. Be confident in who you are!

Southern Oregon University – Disability Resources (Technical Theatre) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive “The UCam program is great. Doesn’t cost too much, and I get a weekly appointment with a learning coach. Much of what I need is done automatically (I get an email reminder, but accommodations are super easy to access). It’s also a public school, so very affordable.”

University of Oregon Accessible Education Center (Architecture major) WORST: Difficult process for asking for accommodations, teachers resist accommodations, Audio resources are late or difficult to acquire, negative culture for learning differences. Reduced course load – one class at a time worked for me. Approached professors independently, not involving Student Services. Extended time on tests. Test taking in their office. Essays instead of multiple choice. Project-related exams. Computer courses substituted for math and language requirements. Test files at my fraternity were very helpful.

PENNYSYLVANIA
Millersville University Office of Learning Services  (Music Major) BEST: Are learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive, preferential housing  based on student request. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus TIPS: “Speak openly to your counselors and the Student Service Center support staff and they are happy to help.”

Pennsylvania College of Technology  (IT)
BEST: Faculty are accessible and supportive, small classes, good test taking accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good system to ask for accommodations, free learning support. The disability service office is amazing and the schools policy for helping students with disabilities is very accommodating. They will provide all your text books in a PDF format after purchase, so you can have the computer read it to you. The library has computers with Kurzweil (an advanced PDF/ webpage reading Software) for use to anyone. They will allow you to take extra time on your tests and have a computer with Kurzweil on it available if you want the tests read to you. Disability services will do everything they can to help you get through this tough time in life. WORST: Most of the teachers’ teaching style makes it difficult for a dyslexic student to learn. But there are also many teachers who teach in a way that is it easyer for everyone to learn. The disability service office is small and often has a hard time keeping up with the amout of students they need to serve. TIPS: Get the disability accommodations process started before you start school, it will take longer once the school year starts. Schedule your tests/ meetings in advance.

University of Pittsburgh Disability Resources 100% extended time on exams, word processor for tests, audio record lectures.

RHODE ISLAND
Brown University Learning Support Specialist “It’s possible to graduate Brown with no distribution requirements. There’s also a credit / no credit grading option…” “I look for courses that do project work instead of tests.” “I’m glad I spoke to the Dean of Students who helps LD students.” Headphones in computer center.

Roger Williams University – Student Accessibility Services 9/10 STARS (Mechanical Engineering) BEST: Free learning support services, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, helpful office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus TIPS: “Be willing to work hard. Be prepared to be your own advocate. Be respectful when seeking accommodations from professors. Become proficient in technology.”

SOUTH CAROLINA
Clemson Student Accessibility  Graphic Communications Alum (> 5 years) BEST: Free learning support, Good testing taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful disability resource center, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. Sign up for classes first so you get better times and teachers you feel are best. They used to let you take sign language if your major required a foreign language.

Coastal Carolina Accessibility and Disability  Communication BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty accessible and supportive. TIPS: Get to know your professors and the staff at the accessibility/disability office. Making connections will help you learn now and they will always look out for you.

SWEDEN
Umea University Disability  (Human Computer Interaction) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, faculty are accessible and supportive. It was a huge list for leaning disabilities and other disabilities that they gave me to see and the responsible person helped me to choose WORST: The facilities e.g. computers for text to speech and speech to text etc were only in Swedish. Probably they can make an English version for the international students. TIPS: Go for it and do not hesitate to discuss your disability and ask for help

TEXAS

El Paso Community College   (Ed in Admin K12) BEST: free learning support, good test taking accommodations, helpful resource office, “Professors do not do anything to address needs of students in class. Students are expected to take remedial classes in area of disability, instead of college giving more support in required classes. This only lengthens the time and expense of college degree. This is disheartening, and leads to students dropping out of college.” WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus.

Saint Edwards University Student Disability Service.  (Computer Sciences) BEST: good accessibility, small classes, helpful office, dyslexia-friendly environment, good test taking accommodations, good system to ask for accommodations, free learning support. WORST: no visible dyslexia program.  TIPS: “Have your accommodations clearly defined, meet with disability staff regularly, talk to your teachers in advance, and explain how you learn. What works, and what does not work. Ask for help if you need it.

Southern Methodist University – Altschuler Learning Enhancement Center “Thankfully someone awarded me a mentor…” Talked about book or paper – my mentor helped organize my thoughts. No foreign language requirement.

Texas A & M Office of Academic Enhancement    (Biomedical Sciences) BEST: good system to ask for accommodations, test-taking accommodations, helpful office TIPS:”Go and visit your 504 disability center the first week of school. They will help you set up everything you need.”Extra time on tests. Tests in the testing center away from others, covered overlays if requested.

Texas A & M Dental School – Accommodations through Office of Academic Enhancement  (graduated in the past 5 years) – Endodontics BEST: small classes WORST: No learning support. Only expensive learning support program. Teachers resist providing accommodations. Audio resources are late or difficult to acquire. They were very hesitant to give accommodations. Teachers did not know what to do. Several instances with teachers violating rights to confidentiality. TIPS: Do not let them put you down. Stand up and demand respect and accommodations.

Texas State Technical College Disability Services  (Business  – more than 5 years ago) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty accessible and supportive. WORST: Understaffed! Shortage of housing due to Baylor University nearby. TIPS: Dont wait – get the enrollment package and career flyer.

UNITED KINGDOM
Coombeshead College / Academy BEST: Small classes. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus. They should put up a notice of symptoms and give a free assessment.

Leeds College of Art   (MA Creative Practice) WORST: No learning support or only expensive support system. “The college where unable / unwilling to give me the support I needed. I got caught in a nightmare situation with the government willing to pay. But the college unwilling to allow a dyselixa specialist on the campus. I was not comfortable meeting in a cafe. My personal tutor was good in as much she helped me with spelling and over looked my poor grammar. But that was very much down to her.” TIPS: “Don’t find another college, I heard from students who’s personal tutors did not turn up for tutorials”

Stourbridge College Student Support  -West Midlands. . BEST: Free learning support services, small classes. The motor vehicle tutor is brilliant and work from work books and he makes learning fun and visual. WORST: No visible dyslexia programs on campus. There is no disability resources office. My son had to re sit his GCSEs maths last year. At first the kids had to go in and register and had no teacher then were sent home with a work book to teach themselves. My son didn’t get an echp but a plan was written out by the council on how best to support him. The tuition after that was patchy, When he took his maths exam he was sent out without being allowed extra time and when I questioned it the college lied and told me he had gone to the wrong room. I took this matter further to the principal . this year he has been taught no maths which I have questioned and the college said they don’t do this on a level 2 qualification only at the end of the term have they decided that in the summer they want these low ability students to cram and sit some kind of maths exam in the summer. TIPS: Make sure you/parent is aware of what provision is put in place and make sure you get it.

UTAH Utah Valley University Accessibility Services   (Behavioral Science – Psychology) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility – audio available in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, helpful disability office. There is a good learning strategist on campus who is very helpful and understanding WORST: The testing center is a pain with scheduling. TIPS: Go straight to the accessibility office when you first visit the school and pick up the required paper work. Get your accommodations letters early.

VERMONT
Bennington College Accommodations and Support

Goddard College Access and Disability  (Creative Writing) BEST: free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, faculty are accessible and supportive.

Landmark College  (Psychology – Alumni 15+ years ago) BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office, peer mentors, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive BEST: No foreign language requirement. Help with organization (master notebook system) WORST: I wasn’t intellectually stimulated.

University of Vermont – Burlington (Environmental Science Conservation Biology) 10/10 STARS BEST: Free learning support, good system to ask for accommodations, good accessability – audio in a timely fashion, good test taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly environment, helpful disability resource office, small classes, faculty are accessible and supportive. TIPS: WONDERFUL SCHOOL. My dysability advisors were amazing. Whenever there was an issue with a professor my advisors were very very very supportive. I was always instantly repsonded from my emails and they fought for my rights consistently. I succedded because of UVM.

VIRGINIA
James Madison University My athletic advisors steered me through the chaos. Helped organizing classes, early registration, reduced course load, extended time.

WASHINGTON B
Bellevue College – Disability Resource Center I only took a few courses in Running Start. The head of the DRC is blind. The office is very supportive and it’s easy to submit your documentation and get the accommodations you need. I was told 25% of the student body has accommodations of some sort.

Evergreen State College “It’s possible to design an independent study program for all 4 years. I think that means you don’t have to take a foreign language in college, although you should have taken 2 years in high school. There aren’t any general education requirements.”

Marshall University Disability Services BEST: good system to ask for accommodations, good accessibility, audio available in a timely fashion, good test-taking accommodations, dyslexia-friendly, helpful office. “HELP program provides a counselor to assist in choosing classes, tutoring and testing accommodations. There is an additional fee for the program but well worth the money!


WISCONSIN
University of Wisconsin – McBurney Disability Center

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May 25, 2019