Inspiring Pathways: Tennessee Stories – August 2026

Posted on by Sarah Silberberg, TNP Intern
Wide Tennessee Disability Pathfinder “Inspiring Pathways: Tennessee Stories” graphic for August 2026 centered on education, resources, and self-advocacy. A smiling young woman with long dark curly hair and a colorful patterned headband sits at a wooden table in a sunlit campus setting, writing in an open spiral notebook. On the left, the Tennessee Disability Pathfinder compass logo appears above the large title “Inspiring Pathways: Tennessee Stories.” A navy brushstroke beneath the title reads “Education. Resources. Self-Advocacy.” On the table is a stack of books labeled “Disability Rights,” “Higher Education Access,” “Communication Strategies,” “Self-Advocacy,” and “Building Independence.” A blue mug beside the books reads, “My voice. My future. My choice.” On the right, a notebook-paper collage labeled “August 2026” includes a photograph of books topped with a graduation cap and another photograph showing a group of college-age students, including a young woman using a wheelchair, talking together outdoors. A circular navy graphic at the bottom reads “Knowledge opens doors.” The overall design uses navy, purple, gold, green, and warm campus imagery to emphasize education, disability resources, communication, independence, self-advocacy, and preparing for future opportunities.

Educational Empowerment: Disability Resource Literacy and Self-Advocacy

Written by Sarah Silberberg, Summer Intern, Pathfinder

Educational Empowerment: Disability Resource Literacy and Self-Advocacy

Starting at the University of Memphis, I registered myself with Disability Resources for Students the summer before my freshman year. I toured the campus and my tour guide informed me that I could receive accommodations through Disability Resources for Students. Disability Resources for Students is a University of Memphis department that gives accommodations to disabled students, and hooks them up with downloadable adaptive technology, such as screen readers, such as JAWS and Read&Write. Through their authority, professors are mandated to give the accommodations that the student is eligible to receive. After being informed of Disability Resources for Students, I registered with them.

In the first meeting, they asked me what accommodations I would like to receive. At first, I did not know what to say yes to. After seeking advice from my family, I better understood what accommodations to request. This is how my educational journey empowered me. Not only did I know what resources were there when I transitioned to college, but I obtained the college resources that will give me the accessibility I need to be the best college student I can be.

Those accommodations really helped me understand the lectures. For example, I was able to obtain a free license through them to use a software called Genio. This software not only records but provides transcripts of the lecture. This helped me a lot with homework because as I was doing homework, I could go back and refresh myself on the concepts covered. It also had a closed caption feature which also gave me a transcript in real time as I listened to the lecture in class. This feature was helpful because not only did I hear the lecture, but I could also see what was said, which greatly helped me.

Unfortunately, many parents and disabled students do not know that disability resource departments exist. When you tour a college, ask about the department they designate for disabled people to receive accommodations and what adaptive technologies the disability department provides.

It is also important to know how to register with the disabilities office at the colleges you are touring. It is also important to inquire about whether the libraries at the college are not only physically accessible, but academically accessible. For instance, do they provide private study rooms, a dedicated space to use computers equipped with screen readers and voice to text software, such as Dragon Naturally Speaking? Do they provide assistance with researching a topic? Inquire not only about the accommodations that you can receive from the disabilities office at the various colleges you tour, but also learn about resources you can use around campus when you are registered with the disabilities office. Another thing I would like to add is: Can you receive academic coaching through the disabilities office and how does that work? Knowing that the University of Memphis has a Disability Resources for Students department was a part of what empowered me and can empower you too.