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Part 3: She Believed She Could but She Didn't Because It Wasn't Accessible

    Our initial meeting with Vocation Rehabilitation (Voc. Rehab.) was so exciting and by this time, I was nearing the end of my senior year! Along with offering driving and assistive technology, Voc Rehab had a major focus on educational support as well. The purpose of Voc Rehab’s services is to aid those who were either pursuing post-secondary education or entering the work force. I had already been accepted into Fort Valley State University, so I met this qualification and had to provide them with my acceptance letter.     

    As I began school at Fort Valley State, I provided Voc Rehab with my schedule and dorm information. We were told that because I lived on campus and wasn’t close to home, I didn’t need a car. That was far from the truth considering Fort Valley is 2 hours away from home. Each time I had a doctor’s appointment, my parents had to drive to me to get me there. That was a 2-hour ride, to and from, so it was very time taxing on our bodies and our vehicles. This was very disappointing news for us. I knew Fort Valley was where I wanted to stay my undergraduate career and that would require that I stay on campus for that length of time. At this point, it felt like getting my license and modified van was never going to happen. 

    In 2015, 2 years since I started my journey to driving independence, my mom was scheduled to have surgery in January. I made the decision not to enroll that spring semester of college to be home with her. Instead, that summer, I attended online summer school at Fort Valley. I ultimately decided to transfer to Kennesaw State University to be closer to home. One of the reasons that Voc Rehab couldn’t assist me with vehicle modifications and assistive technology, was because I was so far from home. So, my move back home was a win, or so I thought so!  

    I provided Voc Rehab with my acceptance letter to Kennesaw State, thinking we could accelerate the process for driving and vehicle modification. I was then informed that I had to be a senior in college for to provide assistance. This was news to me because that’s not the information that was presented to my family and I when we initially met. At this point, it feels as if driving and getting a modified van was never going to happen. I was very frustrated with the process. The process had become a waiting game, until I am a senior in college. 

    Here I was, at yet another roadblock to obtaining my license. I was once again, left feeling defeated.

The final part of this blog series will be posted Monday April 18th, 5pm. 

                                                        See you soon! 


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