It took Dr. Marilyn Bartlett until adulthood to realize she had a learning disability.
"I thought all my life everyone saw the written word the way I do," she said. "I had no clue the way you see words and I see words are worlds apart."
Dr. Bartlett has dyslexia and lacks automaticity, which is the ability to process information with little to no effort. While she was getting ready to take the bar exam, she asked the New York Board of Law Examiners for extra time to take the test.
However, she was denied any accommodations. Dr. Bartlett appealed, and the case made it to the Supreme Court, where it was ruled that she would be able to have accommodations for the exam.
Though it took years for her case to be completed, Dr. Bartlett was advocating for her rights the entire time, and she believes anybody with a learning disability should begin to advocate for themselves at a young age.
"I think while students are still in elementary school, that they need to become involved in their own lives and protecting and standing up for their own rights," Dr. Bartlett said.
You can also read the summary of her Supreme court case.