Education
Surviving and Thriving in College
College is a blast, but it can come with a pile of challenges the size of a mountain. Just look at the hundreds of articles there are advising students on how to conquer stress, manage time and deal with that one professor who may as well have been stripped from an ‘80s movie. College can be the best — and the most draining — time in a person’s life.
Read More
Education Essentials
Some students with complex physical or cognitive needs have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and some have 504 plans (named for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973), while others may not elect to use these plans. Both plans are intended to assist students in gaining access to a free appropriate public education, but there are differences between the two methods. Here are some tips on how to choose a plan and implement it to improve your child’s educational experience.
Read More
Advocate U
For many young adults, the college experience is a rite of passage and an exciting time for growth. This time comes with additional challenges and opportunities for the 9 percent of college students with disabilities in the United States. For some, it’s not just about the lessons that come from living away from their parents and families, making decisions about their future or navigating the world on their own. It’s also a chance to learn to advocate for themselves and others.
Read More
College Connection
Living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) since the age of 2, Thomas Roy has seen the disease progress throughout his life. While he had always wanted to attend Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., he assumed he would never be able to do so because of his living situation. However, when Roy found out about the online degrees Rutgers offers — and that the university would accept transfer credits from the community college he attended — everything changed.
Read More
Achieving Through Adversity
I have read many articles about people succeeding despite their disabilities, but I believe people can succeed because of their disabilities. The adversity I faced navigating academic and professional challenges as a person with a disability paved the way for the satisfying life I enjoy now. Here I sit, a law clerk for a federal judge preparing to begin private practice at a patent litigation firm, living with a cat in my own apartment and supported by friends and family. The bumps in the road made me a tougher, smarter person and helped me sharpen the skills I use every day as an attorney.
Read More
School Spirit
Between working as a resident assistant, being the philanthropy coordinator for her sorority Alpha Gamma Delta, acting as the 2016 Greek Sing Director, planning a study abroad trip to Australia and volunteering for other organizations, it’s hard to believe that Sarah Bellish, a sophomore at Baldwin Wallace University (BWU) who has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), still has the time to advocate for improved accessibility on her college campus.
Read More
Access MDA Spring 2015
A True Advocate: Kristin Stephenson, MDA’s new vice president of Policy and Advocacy, discusses her new role and her personal connection to MDA Kristin Stephenson, an accomplished lawyer and disability advocate, was announced as MDA’s new vice president of policy and advocacy earlier this year. Stephenson has worked in the clinical, consulting, administration and legal sectors of the health care industry. Beyond her vast experience with health care issues, she also has a personal connection to MDA’s cause.
Read More
Taking Aim at Congenital Muscular Dystrophies
Update (March 24, 2015): A phase 1 trial of omigapil in children and adolescents 5-16 years old who have merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy and meet other study criteria is open in Bethesda, Md. See Assessment of Safety and Tolerability of Omigapil (CALLISTO), or enter NCT01805024 in the search box at ClinicalTrials.gov.
Read More
MMD Research: Multiple Strategies Make Sense
Charles Thornton, a professor of neurology at the University of Rochester (N.Y.), has received MDA support for research in myotonic muscular dystrophy (MMD, also known as DM) and other neuromuscular diseases. He's currently developing antisense oligonucleotides and small molecules for MMD. Thornton also co-directs the MDA clinic and directs the MDA/ALS Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Read More
Cardiac Care in MMD: Lack of Symptoms May Mask Deadly Problems
In 2006, Ron Hayes was a 54-year-old executive at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati when he began noticing some weakness in his hands. "I was trying to clean my glasses," he remembers, "and my thumb couldn’t push the spray." A visit to a hand surgeon resulted in a referral to a neurologist and ultimately to a diagnosis of adult-onset MMD1. A DNA test of Hayes’ blood cells revealed 131 CTG repeats, consistent with the mild end of the MMD1 spectrum. In fact, Hayes had been active in sports in high school and had a football scholarship in college.
Read More- Recent Quest Issues
- Quest Issue 3, 2021
- Quest Issue 2, 2021
- Quest Issue 1, 2021
- Quest Issue 3, 2020
- Quest Issue 2, 2020
- Quest Issue 1, 2020
- Quest Issue 4, 2019
- Quest Issue 3, 2019
- Quest Issue 2, 2019
- 2019 Conference Edition
- Quest Issue 1, 2019
- Quest Fall 2018
- Quest Summer 2018
- Quest Spring 2018
- Quest Winter 2018
- Quest Fall 2017
- Quest Summer 2017
- Quest Spring 2017
- Quest Winter 2017
- Quest Fall 2016
- Quest Summer 2016
- Quest Spring 2016
- Quest Winter 2016
- Quest Categories
MDA Resource Center: We’re Here For You
Our trained specialists are here to provide one-on-one support for every part of your journey. Send a message below or call us at 1-833-ASK-MDA1 (1-833-275-6321). If you live outside the U.S., we may be able to connect you to muscular dystrophy groups in your area, but MDA programs are only available in the U.S.
Request Information