I know speaking up is often easier said than done, but you rarely get professionals fighting on your behalf. It is also embarrassing at times to draw attention to your “differences”, which I learnt during my first year at Newcastle University. I felt so vulnerable in the exam hall watching other students whizzing through the exam booklet, whilst also being the only person requiring extra time. Because of this, I fought for my right to take exams in a separate room, allowing me to work without the distraction of 200 people leaving before me. Most people wouldn’t be bothered by this, but for someone with dyslexia, the tiniest sound can throw you off track, which is far from ideal when you need to focus extra hard on understanding the questions in front of you.
Incredibly, I eventually got accepted onto a PhD at Sheffield University - another milestone I was told would never happen. Although this experience didn’t come without a fight, only this time it wasn’t due to the lack of services available to me. The university had a fantastic disability department; the problem lay with my supervisor. It was as if he didn’t believe in my diagnosis, so proceeded to send me completely unattainable tasks. Such as dictating three hours worth of audio, proofreading documents, and writing essays in ridiculously short timeframes. I proceeded to try my best but eventually grew tired of the fighting because it seemed as if nothing could be done to change his understanding of my diagnosis. Sadly after 13 months, my PhD came to an end due to funding issues, which was probably a blessing in disguise.
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