Developing Competence & The Kindle Controversy

     Something struck me today as I was thinking about a discussion we had during our 6010 Class this week.  We were talking about the functional area of Disability Services and the topic came up about students with special needs leaving high school and transitioning to college.  I'm wondering how this process went for Drake?  Was it a rocky road or a smooth transition?  I'm assuming there were some bumps in the road.  In the k-12 system students with special needs have an Individualized education plan clearly laying out goals and objectives.  This plan also includes a support network of teachers, administration, social workers, parents, etc. who are committed to helping the student achieve their educational goals.  Intervention specialists in the K-12 classroom work closely with regular education teachers to make modifications for students with special needs who may spend part of their time during the school day within the context of the regular classroom.  What happens to that student with special needs when they decide to pursue a degree?  How do they get the services and modifications they need to be successful in the college?  Are they able to handle the responsibility of being their own advocate?  In addition to meeting with Drake to discuss this, I also want to meet with someone from the Office of Disability Services to discuss the programs and services they offer students like Drake who are visually impaired.  It made me wonder if faculty are flexible in working with students with special needs.  Again, I realize how students with visual impairments may struggle with developing competence.  Students with visual impairments also need access to the same things that students without visual impairments need access to at colleges and universities deserve full and equal educational opportunities.  There has been quite a debate, for example, about the use of the Kindle by colleges and universities across the U.S.  Some universities are refraining from using Amazon's Kindle DX in the classroom until the device is fully accessible to students who are visually impaired or blind.  The Kindle has a text-to-speech feature, but menus on the device are not accessible to the blind, making it impossible for a blind user to purchase books, select a book to read, and activate the text-to-speech feature.  As technology advances, colleges and universities are challenged with making sure that all students with disabilities have the same opportunities as other students.  I wonder what Drake thinks about issues like this?  Is he actively involved in advocating for his personal rights?  How do challenges like this affect his identity?