MY CURRENT SITUATION:
A few months ago, I was accepted into my dream school, Stanford University. At first, I felt like I was on top of the world. Just when I thought that the battle was over and that I could delve into my dreams at last, I realized that I might not be able to attend. The same story that befell me in prior years was going to consume my life again: Stanford University is unwilling to provide me access to a scribe for assignments deeming my necessity as a “personal preference.” Despite being an institution with billions of dollars, with enough resources to easily provide me with the needed accommodations, Stanford still negates its responsibility to do so, thus representing a blockade in my future endeavors. Simply put, I would be unable to attend Stanford and achieve my goals without the assistance of a scribe, as work will be impossible to complete for a boy who can not write.

This petition represents the voice of the silenced and the continuous fight for accessibility. Around the country, thousands of disabled students fight for the right to attend college. My story coincides with this battle, and it is before you now.

MORE ABOUT ME:
When I was born, doctors dubbed me a ‘miracle child’. During my birth, complications arose, and I suffered massive brain damage. The umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck while my mother pushed me out, and I choked to death. For ten minutes, my heart stopped, and the doctors rushed to revive me. After a subsequent miracle, my fetal body was fading between life and death. I responded to no touch, sound, and was in a completely vegetative state. I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy along with epilepsy, which are both neurological disorders that affect my ability to access my environment. Doctors told my mother that my brain damage would never heal, and I would be stuck in a vegetative state for the rest of my life. I would depend on them for all of my basic needs and never live a normal life.

Luckily, I was born determined to change my fate. Throughout my entire childhood, I endured thousands of hours of therapy. I had no real childhood as my disability isolated me from others. It was hard for other kids to understand why I could not talk or move like them. However, I never let the fire inside me smolder.

This inner fire guided me throughout my academic career as I frequently struggled to receive the proper accommodations I needed. Perpetuous battles about obtaining a scribe started in elementary school and have been consistent ever since. Teachers consistently congratulate me on my intelligence; however, I would fall behind because of my inability to write. My motor difficulties were never an excuse to underperform or give up on any task and in high school, I became a figure of purpose, hope, and advocacy for my cohort.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Please sign this petition and illustrate that this behavior is unacceptable. Financial incentives should never overcast humanistic values.

Share this petition with more friends personally or via social media.

If you are a current Stanford student or staff member, please share this with your Stanford community.

Thank you.