My name is Avari Brocker and I have severe dyslexia, dysgraphia, and sustained responder ADHD. After I finally got my diagnosis in March of 2023, I began learning about dyslexia, accommodations and resources, but it was extremely difficult for me to weed through everything on the internet to actually find what works. In the summer of 2024 when I was talking about my experiences, contributions, and plans, a friend's mom suggested I make this website. I am so incredibly grateful to her and hope she knows this website wouldn't exist without her. When I was diagnosed, I wish I had something like this to help me navigate my new reality. I truly hope it can help others struggling with their neurodiversity to make it in this crazy neurotypical world. If anyone has any questions, suggestions, comments or ideas they want to share with me, please reach out. I would love to hear your stories and anything else you have to say! My contact information is listed on the contact us page. I wish you all the best, and I hope something on this website can help you as much as its helped me! If you want to read more about my story/ journey with dyslexia you can read all about it on the about us page.

A few months ago I ran into the term “curb cut effect.” As I learned more about it, I became fascinated. For a long time wheelchair users were forced to navigate a kind of “obstacle course,” they would have to find driveways or loading docks just to get onto the sidewalk and access buildings. Then, after the Americans with Disabilities Act, was passed and curb cuts were eventually implemented across the country "a magnificent and unexpected thing happened. When the wall of exclusion came down, everybody benefited—not only people in wheelchairs. Parents pushing strollers headed straight for curb cuts. So did workers pushing heavy carts, business travelers wheeling luggage, even runners and skateboarders." After I got the suggestion to make this website I instantly knew I wanted to call it Learning Curb. It isn’t right that we continue to navigate the educational world looking for our versions of driveways and loading docks; I am so excited to start bringing the curb cut effect to education!

Source: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_curb_cut_effect

Image Credit: https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/infographics/visualizing-health-equity.html

One of the most difficult things about having a disability is living in a world where our access needs are often unmet. Access needs are the environmental factors required for a person to independently have full access to a space. Every situation/ set of circumstances fulfills the access needs of a certain group, while restricting access from all people with lesser ability then said group in specific circumstances where said ability would determine access. Access needs vary based on the set of challenges a group faces. Oftentimes the access needs of people with invisible disabilities are harder to understand because it isn’t as simple as whether or not you can enter a building. In order to conceptualize, the concept of access needs able-bodied people that are not used to being faced with inaccessibility must consider a situation in which they would not have access to a space due to their physical ability. For example, if one had to pole vault into a building to gain access to said building, this set of circumstances would fulfill the needs of an advanced pole vaulter, but would restrict access from the average person and anyone of lesser physical ability. If the previous circumstances for access into this building were changed to simply stepping over a 1 foot ledge to gain access into said building, this would now fulfill the access needs of the average person, but would still be inaccessible to wheelchair users or small children without parental assistance. If the previous circumstances were changed to a flat entrance surface, with no door or an automatic door, then the space would be accessible to wheelchair users, small children without the need for parental assistance, and everyone of greater physical ability. In this last example, it’s clear that by making the standard of access in accordance with the access needs of the group with the greatest need, then the space becomes accessible for all people without need for augmentation or accommodation. This concept applies, not only to making building entrances accessible, but also making the classroom accessible. Giving students access to resources like the ones on this website are important steps to meet their needs, so they have the same opportunities to succeed.