ADA Story July 8: Sydney Breslow
My ADA Story: Being “The Best Employee I Can Be”
By Sydney Breslow
More falling, no college education, no job, and living with my parents. . .this is my life without the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
My name is Sydney Breslow, and I have a Mitochondrial Disorder that affects my balance, speech, vision, and walking. Despite these challenges, I live independently in an apartment, earned a master’s degree in Special Education, and work full time at Alliance of Disability Advocates.
The Americans with Disabilities Act allowed me to successfully attend college and graduate school to earn degrees in special education. I received many accommodations in college that made this period of my life doable, such as extra time on tests, text to speech for all my reading assignments, and transportation amongst buildings on campus. Despite these amazing accommodations, nothing could eliminate the fear of living on my own for the first time.
But I survived college and graduate school and now. . .
The Americans with Disabilities Act allows me to navigate my community with only the assistance of leg braces and occasionally a walker. The curb cutouts and accessible parking the ADA requires permits me to navigate sidewalks fearlessly and, when necessary, conserve energy by utilizing accessible parking.
While I truly believe my employer would accommodate me whether it was law or not, the reasonable accommodation portion of the Americans with Disabilities Act allows me to receive accommodations that permit me to work in the most efficient way possible with my disability. From my large screen monitor that I got on my first day of employment for my visual impairment to the headset I recently received to help me with speaking on the phone, I am always thinking of new ways to help myself be “the best employee I can be.”
Thank you to all the amazing people who fought for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. You have forever changed the way people with disabilities live, work, and go to school!
Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the ADA