{"id":142044,"date":"2022-06-30T12:04:59","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T10:04:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=142044"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:21","slug":"linda-students-with-disabilities-do-not-want-to-be-treated-as-special-we-want-to-be-heard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/06\/30\/linda-students-with-disabilities-do-not-want-to-be-treated-as-special-we-want-to-be-heard\/","title":{"rendered":"Linda: Students with disabilities do not want to be treated as special, ‘we want to be heard’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having to say again and again that you are sick is not something Linda wants to do. She ‘just’ wants to be a student, even though she is a student who does need extra help. She often gets that help, but does not always feel heard.<\/p>\n

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'I work on my studies almost every day, because after five gap years I don't have time to faff around.' Linda says.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRonald van den Heerik<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201c\u2018Hi, I\u2019m Linda and I have a retinal disease.\u2019 I have to say that over and over again,\u201d says Linda Koster (23). \u201cBut I am so much more than an eye disease. It\u2019s nice when teachers and tutors know I have \u2018something\u2019, but it would be even nicer if they knew beforehand.\u201d The reactions are often the same. \u2018Oh, how awful\u2019, \u2018I\u2019m speechless\u2019, \u2018how awful for you, you\u2019re still so young\u2019<\/em>. What else do you say to a 23-year-old with an eye disease which could cause her to go blind one day? \u201cI have been getting these kinds of comments for years. I really dread the new academic year, because then I have to tell people about it all over again. Can\u2019t a student advisor do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018I\u2019m just a student, but one who sometimes needs help\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

\u201c\u2018Hi, I\u2019m Linda and I have a retinal disease.\u2019 I have to say that over and over again,\u201d says Linda Koster (23). \u201cBut I am so much more than an eye disease. It\u2019s nice when teachers and tutors know I have \u2018something\u2019, but it would be even nicer if they knew beforehand.\u201d The reactions are often the same. \u2018Oh, how awful\u2019, \u2018I\u2019m speechless\u2019, \u2018how awful for you, you\u2019re still so young\u2019<\/em>. What else do you say to a 23-year-old with an eye disease which could cause her to go blind one day? \u201cI have been getting these kinds of comments for years. I really dread the new academic year, because then I have to tell people about it all over again. Can\u2019t a student advisor do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t