Non-verbal Learning Disability (NVLD or NLD): A NVLD is a learning disability that causes difficulty with motor, visual-spatial and social skills. People with NVLD are often well-spoken and write well. They have a strong vocabulary. Typically, people with NVLD need to verbalize something to understand it; they struggle with abstract concepts, math and motor coordination. Subtle social clues can also be hard to interpret. NVLD and ADHD share similar symptoms or characteristics, but are two separate and distinct disorders. Learn more at ADDitudeMag.
Faculty, Staff and Alumni with Disabilities Share the Strategies They Use to Navigate Their Workplace
Share Your Story
Learn how Berkshire Community College (BCC) employees and alumni with disabilities navigate the workplace. Listen to them talk about their education, job and the strategies they use to be successful.
We encourage BCC employees and alumni to record and share their own two-minute video about navigating the workplace.
Video Participants
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Frederic MacDonald-Dennis
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Laurie Vilord
Progressive Hearing Loss: When someone is hard of hearing (HoH), it means it is difficult for them to hear normal conversations. Their hearing loss can range from mild to severe and can affect one or both ears. People who are HoH can generally speak and often benefit from hearing aids, Cochlear implants, FM systems and other assistive devices. Some people have progressive hearing loss, which means their hearing gets worse over time. They could be born with some hearing loss (congenital) or lose it afterward (acquired). Their loss could be prelingual (before they learn to speak) or post lingual (after speech). To learn more, visit The CDC or the World Health Organization.
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Dana Buxton
Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD): CAPD affects the way a person's brain processes spoken language. he person's hearing is normal, but their brain struggles to make sense of what people are saying. To learn more, visit the Cleveland Clinic.
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June Tooley
Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes significant, dramatic shifts in mood, energy levels, and activities. It used to be called manic depressive disorder because people with this illness can experience very high or manic energy levels and/or irritability to very down, sad, or depressed episodes. It is not uncommon for people with bipolar to have additional mental health conditions. For example, it is not uncommon for someone with bipolar to also be diagnosed with anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. To learn more about bipolar disorder, visit the National Institute of Mental Health.
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Kristin Accetta
Significant Hearing Loss: When someone is hard of hearing (HoH), it means it is difficult for them to hear normal conversations. Their hearing loss can range from mild to severe and can affect one or both ears. People who are HoH can generally speak and often benefit from hearing aids, Cochlear implants, FM systems, and other assistive devices. To learn more about hearing loss, visit the World Health Organization.
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Pamela Farron
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD): ADHD is a developmental disorder that impacts a person's ability to focus (inattention), to act without thinking (impulsivity), and to have too much energy or talk too much (hyperactivity). Some people with ADHD experience all of these symptoms (ADHD-Combined Type), while others mainly experience inattention and distractibility (ADHD-Inattentive Type), or restlessness (ADHD-Hyperactive/Impulsive Type). Regardless of the type of ADHD, the symptoms can interfere significantly with activities of daily living and relationships. To be diagnosed with ADHD, symptoms must have first been present before the age of 12 years and must be present in two or more settings. To learn more about ADHD in adults, visit the National Institute of Mental Health's webpage.
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Alicia Starsja
Blind: Aniridia is a serious and rare genetic eye disorder that affects the colored part of the eye (iris). Aniridia literally means lack of iris. Aniridia affects your vision. It makes it difficult to adjust to changes in lighting, can cause blurred vision, and light sensitivity. It can also lead to blindness or partial vision loss in one or both eyes. To learn more about Aniridia, visit the Cleveland Clinic.
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Jessica Levy
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD): ADHD is a developmental disorder that impacts a person's ability to focus (inattention), to act without thinking (impulsivity), and to have too much energy or talk too much (hyperactivity). Some people with ADHD experience all of these symptoms (ADHD-Combined Type), while others mainly experience inattention and distractibility (ADHD-Inattentive Type), or restlessness (ADHD-Hyperactive/Impulsive Type). Regardless of the type of ADHD, the symptoms can interfere significantly with activities of daily living and relationships. To be diagnosed with ADHD, symptoms must have first been present before the age of 12 years and must be present in two or more settings. To learn more about ADHD in adults, visit the National Institute of Mental Health.
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Matt Cusson
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Anxiety is a normal feeling that we all feel at one point or another, but a generalized anxiety disorder is different. It involves persistent, excessive fear or anxiety and interferes with activities of daily living such as work, school, and relationships. People with anxiety disorders often have physical symptoms that accompany their anxiety and some may experience panic attacks or avoidance of certain situations. There are many types of anxiety disorders. To learn more, visit the American Psychiatric Association.
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Lauri Byrnes
Acquired Brain Injury: There are two types of acquired brain injuries: Traumatic and Non-traumatic. Traumatic brain injuries are the result of a fall, blow to the head, sports injuries or car accidents, while non-traumatic brain injuries are caused from lack of oxygen, stroke, aneurism, or infectious diseases. Brain injuries can result in difficulty with cognition, senses, communication, behavior, and emotions and can be temporary or life-long. Some of the side effects do not show up for days to months after the injury. To learn more about acquired brain injuries, visit the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development webpage or visit the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts. The regional office of BIA-MA is in Pittsfield
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Lauran Laurent
Deafness and Cochlear: Cochlear Implants help provide a sense of sound for people who are deaf or severely hard of hearing. They are not hearing aids and do not amplify sound, as such. They stimulate the auditory nerve so that the brain recognizes the signal as sound. Cochlear implants do not restore normal sound, but after training, allows many people to recognize warning signals, understand other sounds in the environment, and understand speech in person or over the telephone. To learn more about Cochlear implants, visit the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
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Dylan Newell
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder that impacts a person’s ability to pay focus (inattention), to act without thinking (impulsivity), and to have too much energy or talk too much (hyperactivity). Some people with ADHD experience all of these symptoms (ADHD-Combined Type), or mainly inattention and distractibility (ADHD-Inattentive Type), or mostly restlessness (ADHD-Hyperactive/Impulsive Type). Regardless of the type of ADHD, the symptoms can interfere significantly with activities of daily living and relationships. To be diagnosed with ADHD, symptoms must have first been present before the age of 12 years and must be present in two or more settings. To learn more about ADHD in adults, visit the National Institute of Mental Health.
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Paul Johansen
Depression: Depression that rises to the level of disability is characterized by persistent depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, and substantial decrease in ability to function at work or school or in any other major life activity. It is not the same as sadness or grief. To learn about the difference between depression and sadness and grief, visit the American Psychiatric Association.