Dyslexia at 3rd level? Advice needed

UnholyGregor · 15-06-2011 06:01PM #1

Hi guys,
My friend has been doing nursing for 4 years, and is in her final year now. She has dyslexia, and dcu has been aware of this since her first year, passing every test and doing all her placements without a promblem.
Now, in her finalyear, she has ben told that she cannot graduate if her spelling doesnt improve in the next week, even though she has a goverment exemption from spelling,due to her dyslexia.

This sems highly unfair in my opinion, and I was wondering if dcu school of nursing is allowed to do this, after 4 years without an issue, suddenly she must find a way around her spelling problems, or cannot graduate. This, to me, seems almost like discrimination for her disability.

I was wondering if any of you guys have any advice regarding this problem, especially concerning the legal aspect of the issue.

PanicStations · 15-06-2011 06:22PM

Get in touch with DCU's Disability Support Service Staff straight away.
It is their job to help sort out issues like this.

I got these contact details from the DCU website:

Disability & Learning Support Service
Room LG18The Computer Building
Dublin City University

Tel: +353 (0) 1 700 5927
Fax: +353 (0) 1 700 8661
Email: disability.service@dcu.ie

and
Anne O’Connor
Head of Service
Tel: 01 7005160
Fax: 01 7008661

Anne.Oconnor@dcu.ie
Room Number
LG15B

Best wishes to your daughter in her final exams

slasher_65 · 15-06-2011 07:40PM

I agree with the above, there is no way that the School of Nursing should be allowed do this.

H2G2 · 16-06-2011 07:27AM

@UnholyGregor I find this impossible to believe regarding "your friend".

DCU (via the Disability & Learning Support Service) have a mechanism to deal with dyslexia and students - and it has been working very well for years. I do not believe what you are saying is an accurate representation of the facts. Maybe one lecturer misspoke or ran off at the mouth. But they couldn't do this, plus it would be illegal anyway.

If some lecturer did say something silly along those line, then a quick word with Disability services - presuming she is registered and has been assessed with dyslexia - and the thing would go away.

monument · 16-06-2011 09:22AM

H2G2 wrote: »

@UnholyGregor I find this impossible to believe regarding "your friend".

DCU (via the Disability & Learning Support Service) have a mechanism to deal with dyslexia and students - and it has been working very well for years. I do not believe what you are saying is an accurate representation of the facts. Maybe one lecturer misspoke or ran off at the mouth. But they couldn't do this, plus it would be illegal anyway.

If some lecturer did say something silly along those line, then a quick word with Disability services - presuming she is registered and has been assessed with dyslexia - and the thing would go away.

If you can understand that lecturers sometimes are wrong and sometimes do and say silly thinks, and that illegal things happen all the time, I'm not sure why the story is so impossible to believe.

Urizen · 16-06-2011 09:31AM

monument wrote: »

If you can understand that lecturers sometimes are wrong and sometimes do and say silly thinks, and that illegal things happen all the time, I'm not sure why the story is so impossible to believe.

Because it's extremely unusual for them to suddenly decide, after 4 years of apparent understanding and cooperation, that it ain't gonna fly no more. I've never heard of that happening, and I've seen plenty of lecturers acting the maggot (though nearly always with good reasons/intentions).

monument · 16-06-2011 09:35AM

Urizen wrote: »

Because it's extremely unusual for them to suddenly decide, after 4 years of apparent understanding and cooperation, that it ain't gonna fly no more. I've never heard of that happening, and I've seen plenty of lecturers acting the maggot (though nearly always with good reasons/intentions).

Apparently extremely unusual things happen every day of the week and most people don't hear about that many things like this happening.

And it's usual between students and DCU staff. Maybe the SU too depending on the student, but not always.

PanicStations · 16-06-2011 11:09AM

@H2G2 Why would the OP make up a story like this?

CatFromHue · 16-06-2011 12:15PM

this doesnt make alot of sense to me

if you pass all your tests you graduate, if you fail them you dont.

i'm not sure how dcu can turn around and say you need to improve your spelling. unless there is a final year project to be submitted and the person is borderline between pass/fail at the moment.

if the person has a govt exemption maybe dcu needs to be reminded of this.

as it stands this doesnt make sense so could just be an administration error.

UnholyGregor · 16-06-2011 01:36PM

well, i can assure you guys its the truth...

ldxo15wus6fpgm · 16-06-2011 05:13PM

Perhaps she's worried she's going to fail and is looking for something to blame it on? Just saying...

PanicStations · 17-06-2011 12:40AM

Perhaps she's worried she's going to fail and is looking for something to blame it on? Just saying...

Read the OP, she did not just decide this week that she has dyslexia and needs accommodation, DCU has been aware of her dyslexia since her first year.

stmol32 · 17-06-2011 11:03AM

UnholyGregor wrote: »

Hi guys,
Now, in her finalyear, she has ben told that she cannot graduate if her spelling doesnt improve in the next week, even though she has a goverment exemption from spelling,due to her dyslexia.

The whole issue seems to hinge on on who told her this. It has already been been stated that this is not in keeping with any of DCU's rules or regs.

If this was an individual lecturer who said this to her then the student needs to go over their head to the school administration. I would also highly recommend the student talks to their student union officers as they would be a lot better placed to bring this up with the powers that be.

Can the OP clarify who told her this please?

UnholyGregor · 17-06-2011 12:43PM

Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated, problems sorted

was due, in most part, to a lack of communication, so no worries
cheers.

ldxo15wus6fpgm · 17-06-2011 01:35PM

PanicStations wrote: »

Read the OP, she did not just decide this week that she has dyslexia and needs accommodation, DCU has been aware of her dyslexia since her first year.

When did I say that? I'm pointing out that the way they have suddenly decided that she's not getting a spelling exemption, especially seeing as they have been aware of it for years, is very suspicious to me.

MightyMighty737 · 17-06-2011 06:44PM

Her spelling ability shouldn't matter a jot really, every person I know in DCU who has officialy made the college aware of their dyslexia has a scribe for their exams.

TouchingVirus · 17-06-2011 10:03PM

I dunno if this is a troll, and I'm probably off topic, but I don't know if I'd be too comfortable knowing a nurse could read/prescribe me the wrong medication because of dsylexia

Could it be that the college has a point? That being said, don't they provide scribes to registered dyslexics for exams like other colleges?

Dyslexia at 3rd level? Advice needed

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