Both a previous strategic consultant and disability policy expert in Washington DC as well as a senior manager of LDOnline, Dale Susan Brown is nationally recognized as a tireless advocate and spokesperson for individuals with learning disabilities. As a consultant in DC, she worked to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act and make the Job Corps available to young individuals with disabilities. She has also published multiple books about learning disabilities, as well as countless articles and journals during her time as senior manager of LDOnline, a site recognized as a top resource on learning disabilities, disorders, and differences.

Brown recounts her academic and social struggles of college in an article titled “College Success: Learning Despite Learning Disabilities.” She reveals her difficulties with lectures and taking notes because of auditory perception problems and dyslexia. Term papers terrified her, and she would often stay up all night trying to complete them. Brown ended her first semester of freshman year with one B, two incompletes, and a dropped class.

After a transfer to a different school and a better understanding of how she learns best, Brown learned what kind of environment she could excel in. Later in her college career, she learned that her academic challenges were caused by a variety of learning disabilities, including dyslexia and motor-visual problems. Rather than be disheartened by the discovery of her impairments, Brown writes that she “became proud of my academic success rather than ashamed of my long hours of study.” Despite her many failed attempts throughout her academic career, Brown has learned what classroom settings and resources helped her succeed. Because of her growing knowledge and interest of learning disabilities, Brown ultimately switched her major to Communications. She knew she wanted to reach out and help others who were struggling similarly, whether it be in school or at work. Her own career became centered around the self-help movement among individuals with learning disabilities. Some of her published works include Job-Hunting for the So-Called Handicapped or People Who Have Disabilities.

Read Brown’s “College Success: Learning Despite Learning Disabilities”.