CRYSTAL MELERO: You have rights as well as responsibilities, and you have them because there are laws in place that support and protect you in order to provide you access. As an adult, you're responsible for yourself, and it's important for you to know the various laws and the protections you have. After all, the more you know about those laws, the more empowered you will become. It is critical that you understand the difference between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, because these laws are distinct. IDEA is the law that impacts students from ages 3 through 21, and it requires the school to set up all the services and accommodations for you. Public schools throughout the country must provide a number of different accommodations, such as Braille, assistive technology, large print, digital talking books, or audio description for multimedia, and the school is responsible for providing whatever accommodations you need for your own success. The ADA, or the Americans with Disabilities Act, is a law that affects you in college or on the job. The ADA is a civil rights law, and it is different from IDEA. The ADA ensures that all individuals who have a disability have equal access to education as well as employment. Now, equal access does not mean that the course expectation in a college course will be changed or lowered. And likewise, it does not mean that the job requirements will be changed or reduced. In addition, under the ADA, you are required to request accommodations and supports that you need. And if you do not request those accommodations, neither the college nor the employer is required to provide them for you. You are responsible for your own success, and you must be able to do either the schoolwork or to perform the job that you have been hired to do. Under the ADA, you know that it is your responsibility to ask for the accommodations that you need. However, those accommodations that are provided must be what the law refers to as reasonable. Reasonable means that the accommodations that are requested must fit your particular disability and must provide you with equal access. Let's look at one example. Suppose your employer wants to use a co-worker to read the employee handbook to you instead of providing it in Braille. You would be dependent on that co-worker for access. That is not acceptable because it does not provide you with equal access and, therefore, is not reasonable. However, suppose your employer wants to provide you with an accessible electronic version that the screen reader will read to you instead of a Braille copy. You may prefer Braille, but your employer is providing equal access with an electronic version and assistive technology software, so that is reasonable. In order for you to have equal access, you must become a self-advocate, and this means that you must approach the disability services office at your school and register as a student with a disability and tell them the accommodations that you need, or you should approach your supervisor at work and share about the accommodations that you need. At school and at work, you should ask for the accommodations and support services you need. Remember, you can't wait for school personnel or your supervisor to come to you and take care of you, as was your experience in elementary and high school. In the end, your success depends on you assuming the responsibility for ensuring your legal rights to equal access.