Student shares concern for discrimination against people with disabilities

Jack Payne’s teachers often give him extra time to complete his tests because he has attention deficit disorder, also known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

“Every time I tell peers about the advantages I receive for having ADD, such as extra time (on assignments) or (being allowed to use) a computer during an exam … they tell me it’s unfair,” said Payne, a first-year international development studies student.

UCLA provides accommodations for students with ADD and other disabilities. Students can receive extra time during tests, one-on-one assistance with a proctor to have questions read aloud or enlarged text, according to the Office for Students with Disabilities.

ADD is a mental disorder characterized by difficulty paying attention and excessive activity. About 8 million adults have ADD, and less than 20 percent of adults with ADD are diagnosed or treated, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

“Growing up with ADD didn’t alienate me from anything, but it made it harder to do certain things that come easily to others,” Payne said.

Payne said forgetting to finish tasks or losing focus may not seem too difficult to deal with, but can become real problems because they happen so frequently to people with ADD.

“While these may seem like problems everyone faces, it happens to me multiple times a day,” Payne said.

Sushmita Vargo, Payne’s high school geography teacher, said she can attest to ADD’s validity. She said the disability sometimes made Payne lose focus in class, feel anxious or become fidgety.

“Jack never complained about coming to school early (to take exams),” Vargo said. “(He) worked hard and chewed up every pen I gave him in the process.”

Payne said he’s always had to deal with forgetting to turn in online homework assignments in time or reaching out to people he needs to get into contact with because of his disability.

Payne takes Vyvanse, a central nervous system stimulant used to treat ADD, daily to cope with the disorder’s symptoms. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, those who aren’t treated for ADD in youth have a significantly higher risk of developing substance use disorders as adults.

Though Payne said he has dealt with people questioning the validity of his disability for his entire life, he said he’s worried President Donald Trump being in office will increase discrimination against people with disabilities.

During the presidential campaign in November 2015, Trump mockingly impersonated a journalist with a congenital joint condition.

Payne said he is concerned Trump’s actions and rhetoric will influence others to become less tolerant toward people with disabilities and minorities in general.

“Trump’s mocking of a disabled reporter and his actions throughout his campaign allude to the fact that he does not have much patience for (those) who are different,” Payne said.

Nickey Woods, deputy director of UCLA’s Center for Accessible Education, said she thinks the incident was troubling.

“One of the most salient moments during the campaign season was when Trump mocked the reporter with a disability,” Woods said in a statement. “For many people, particularly those with a disability … to see that was unnerving.”

Payne added he thinks people with ADD will likely not face widespread bigotry, but fewer will come out about their disability if the public views disabilities more harshly.

Woods said she thinks it is important for people with and without disabilities to talk openly about them.

“We want to make sure that those voices are not lost in the conversation on diversity and inclusion, which most typically center on race and gender,” Woods said.

For now, Payne said he will continue to live his life as he always has, refusing to be defined by his disability.