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Home > Education & Tutoring > Special Education > AmyBillman
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AmyBillman
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This expert is currently unavailable for sessions. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
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Expert in:
Special Education
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Rating:
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Languages:
English
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I believe that a person with a disability is no different than anyone else and that it should not be viewed as a limitation or hinderence. I can assist both parents and/or individuals with disabilities with their advocacy questions.
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Degrees
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The majority of my experience comes from living life as an individual with a disability growing up in the mainstream school system. therefore, it is
fair to say that I (as a disabled person), have a vast amount of experience in dealing with the special education system as well.
Furthermore, I have gained a wide aray of knowledge and experience as an adult in the work place. And have had my fair share of success but also experienced
some pitfalls along the way.
These experiences make me idealy qualified to give expert advice in these areas.
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My Expert Service
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a person with a disability, I have made it my business to have extensive knowledge about the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) and what my rights
are under the law. I have knowledge and experience about how to request accomodations in the work place and about what are reasonable accomodations under
the law though an employer may tell you different. I also have worked with parents of children with disabilities and have helped them to know how to
advocate for their needs. As a blind person, I am also familiar with daily living skills and adaptive techniques. I can also assist with any questions
regarding Braille or Jaws for Windows screen reading software, however my primary focus is advocacy.
a person with a disability, I have made it my business to have extensive knowledge about the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) and what my rights
are under the law. I have knowledge and experience about how to request accomodations in the work place and about what are reasonable accomodations under
the law though an employer may tell you different. I also have worked with parents of children with disabilities and have helped them to know how to
advocate for their needs. As a blind person, I am also familiar with daily living skills and adaptive techniques. I can also assist with any questions
regarding Braille or Jaws for Windows screen reading software, however my primary focus is advocacy.
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Experience & Qualifications
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I have been blind all of my life, and was educated in the public school system. I was included in all classes and activities with my sighted peers. I learned to advocate for myself and fight for my rights from an early age from everything to getting the local school system to provide me my books and materials in an accessible format, to allowing me to be part of the gifted program. While I was in college, I fought against the school of Music faculty, to be excepted and recognized as a true musician despite the fact that I happened to learn by ear, and also read music in Braille. I was responsible for obtaining my own books in Braille or on tape, arranging with my professors how tests would be administered to me, and I was completely responsible for hiring and paying for my own readers. While I was in college, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work at a parent training and imformation center in North Carolina, where I taught parents of children with special needs how to advocate for the rights of their children in dealing with the school. I also helped them to develop plans based on the goals of their child to aid in the transition from high school into either work or college.I worked there four four years. My experience in the work place has not been without its challenges. In my most recent job I educated the Personnel representatives on how to employ a blind person--where to obtain adaptive equipment from and also on how to have their computer systems evaluated for accessibility for that equipment. I found and hired the appropriate individual that was needed to do the assessment, and later the needed customization. When I was eventually denied much needed accomodations because of computer system upgrades causing me not to be able to do my job, I obtained a lawyer and did all of the work on my case myself. I wroe all of the memos for requests for accomodations so that written documentation was done for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commition, and also had several meetings to negotiate with and educate corporate executives why these system customizations were needed to avoid litegation. I also served on the company's Business Diversity Committee, where I educated other asociates on how to request accomodations under the ADA, as well as the Family Medical Relief Act (FMLA). I was also responsible for assisting them with taking their grievances to the Human Resources department.
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Available Modes Of Communication
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email/chat
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Contact
AmyBillman
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