School
is now officially in full swing! It’s been a great transition for me so far,
and I’m excited to be a sophomore this year. For the most part, everything has
been going great!
One
event that was troubling this year was when I alerted one of my teachers to the
fact that I have diabetes and a 504 plan. When I told him about this in an
individual conference he had with all of his students, his response was “well,
that’s good to know, but it doesn’t pertain to this class.” I responded with,
“it’s important for you to know I have diabetes.” What I took away from this
experience was that not everyone will react ideally to type one diabetes and in
fact, it’s very rare that I walk away from telling someone completely happy
with what happened. However, it is important to get across the point that I
have diabetes and I need reasonable accommodations. Although not all situations
flow seamlessly and end in perfect understanding, it’s important to state what
you need. In this case, the reaction wasn’t what I’d hoped for, but I still
told the teacher I have a 504, type one diabetes, and a need for reasonable
accommodations that are listed in my 504 plan.
Also,
this year, I’ve got the perfect locker spot in the school (highly enviable,
considering my school has 2 buildings and a combined total of 13 floors), which
has given me a great chance to prepare myself with diabetes supplies for the
new school year! In my locker, I have a bag with extra strips, lancets, pump
change-out supplies, insulin, glucose tablets, pump/meter batteries, and snacks
in case I forget something or need a replacement. Although I am very good about
remembering to get my supplies before school, it’s easier and less stressful to
know I have a backup plan and am always prepared in class.
For
more information and resources (which I frequently use!) about diabetes in
school, check out the ADA’s Safe At School Page at
Thanks,
and here’s to a great school year!
