草榴社区 Transfer Student Overcomes Disabilities, Pursuing Dreams with Support from MS Hearing-Vision Project
Fri, 09/10/2021 - 04:58pm | By: David Tisdale
She believed she could, so she did.
That鈥檚 the motto of Wilicia Kelly McClendon, a transfer student who begins her first semester at The University of 草榴社区 Mississippi (草榴社区) this fall, bringing with her to the Hattiesburg campus a determination that has served her well as she has overcome obstacles to pursue her dream of earning a college degree.
That goal might have been derailed if not for her own sheer will to succeed, the support of fiercely supportive parents, and the assistance of the federally supported Mississippi Hearing-Vision Project (MHVP), headquartered at 草榴社区. MHVP funding comes through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Wilicia's parents learned that when she was a year old, she was profoundly deaf. Cochlear implants have brought some improvement to her hearing, and her ability to read lips is also an asset. Later, at age 10, it was discovered that she had vision challenges associated with night blindness and peripheral vision issues due to a condition known as 鈥淩P鈥� or Retinitis pigmentosa.
The family moved to Laurel, Mississippi from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, staying with a friend while trying to decide whether to stay in Mississippi or move back to start over in New Orleans after the storm destroyed their home. They chose to stay in Laurel, which turned out to be a blessing as Wilicia greatly benefited from services provided at 草榴社区鈥檚 DuBard School for Children with Language Disorders. She went on to graduate from Laurel High School and then earned 2 degrees AAA and AAS at Jones College (Jones County Junior College). At 草榴社区, she plans to pursue a BS Degree in child development and after graduation, open her own daycare to work with deaf-blind children.
Before making it to 草榴社区, Wilicia encountered challenges throughout K-12 in the form of misunderstandings and even indifference and discrimination from some fellow students and educators who either weren鈥檛 aware of her disabilities and or were unwilling to accommodate her academically or in extracurricular activities. Despite these challenges, Wilicia forged ahead, with the unwavering advocacy of her mother and father.
Her parents, Wilbur and Alicia McClendon, believe that because of Wilicia鈥檚 unique ways, she didn鈥檛 want others to know of her disabilities and be treated any different than her peers.
鈥淲e feel at times she was denied opportunities due to her disabilities,鈥� Alicia McClendon said. 鈥淣onetheless, Wilicia never let that decide her fate in life.
鈥淚 have been Wilicia鈥檚 primary advocate throughout her school years and knew what was best for her,鈥� Alicia McClendon continued. 鈥淪o, I tell parents that no one knows your kids better than you. Get to know their teachers, program directors and all the outside services who suggest and make decisions about your child鈥檚 education, communicate with them often, get a team to stick with, emphasize solutions for your child, and focus on the importance of their future.鈥�
One of those outside services that the family engaged with during Wilicia鈥檚 senior year in high school were those offered through MHVP, after the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services reached out to the family and introduced them to its director, Toni Hollingsworth. The project is supported through a federal grant, which has been renewed through 2023, that provides a variety of support mechanisms for educators and families of children and young adults who experience concurrent hearing and vision loss which may also include other disabilities.
MHVP support includes specialized training and technical assistance to families, administrators, educators, and service providers of children (birth to 21) who have both a hearing and visual impairment. Children and youth with varying degrees of hearing and vision losses are eligible for inclusion under this grant (very few children who qualify for services through the project are totally deaf and blind, even though the combination of both primary senses affected is referred to as deaf-blindness under IDEA). Qualified individuals may also have additional disabilities, such as cognitive, motor disabilities or/and medical conditions.
鈥淭he end goal of MHVP is to strengthen each family鈥檚 and educational teams鈥� efforts to ensure greater access to the educational curriculum for each individual learner,鈥� Hollingsworth said.
Services provided through MHVP include, but are not limited to, the following:
*Online deaf-blind learning modules
*Transition support and services
*Direct support for educational staff
*Team collaborations
*Professional and paraprofessional development opportunities
*Family workshops, support and networking
*Long-term support and expertise to participating families for navigating their child鈥檚
educational journey
The McClendon family praised MHVP as a valuable resource that played a key part in Wilicia鈥檚 journey to where she is today. 鈥淚 believe having the Mississippi Hearing-Vision Project available in Wilicia鈥檚 senior year of high school was critical to her momentum in attaining not only her high school diploma, but graduating from Jones with two degrees and now making the transition to 草榴社区,鈥� Wilbur McClendon said.
草榴社区 has always been Wilicia鈥檚 dream college since she attended DuBard School for Language Disorders. 鈥淣ow I鈥檓 living my dream as I start my first semester as a Golden Eagle,鈥� she said.
Hollingsworth believes Wilicia鈥檚 success story is still unfolding. 鈥淲ilicia has already achieved great things, and now that she is at 草榴社区, I know she will continue to soar like an eagle,鈥� she said.