got one for that reason. read these boards too much...

because i know of a few people who have faked it and ended up with free macbook pros.

their daddy sold his company and isn't technically earning anything - pretty worse?

I don't have dyslexia but I got a free computer as I can't write (my hand-to-eye co-ordination's utterly fucked).

I first got a computer when I was 10. Up 'til this point teachers assumed I was stupid 'cos of my handwriting. Without it I'd never have got GCSEs, never have got A-Levels, never have got a degree and never have got a Masters.

Some people abuse the system for sure but I'd have struggled to afford the computer myself (let alone be allowed to use on in a schoolroom) and it's pretty much 'cos of this policy that I have an education.

It actually scares the shit out of me to think that 40-odd years ago there might have been very intelligent people who wound up spending their lives working on factory floors 'cos they were written off as thick 'cos of disabilites. And I for one am fucking grateful technology is at the point where there's systems in place that stopped that happening to me, and I live in a country that will provide assistance to people with medical problems.

So frankly I think you're picking on the wrong target.

So I'm not going to comment.

I knew people at uni who conned a free laptop out of the system. I knew people at uni who genuinely needed help, were given a laptop and then absolutely no other assistance. How a free piece of electronic equipment was supposed to replace a more sustained and helpful attempt to educate I don't know.

But I have no idea if what I saw is reflective of a wider problem or not

to 'cheer her up' (she's bipolar).
Slightly misguided methinks.

Saying that id rilly like a laptop

if they have a learning disability they deserve some help.

and het rents are fucking loaded. she has her own horses ffs why cant her parents fucking pay for it. pissed me right off.

Woot.

free money, yes, but it's not worth having to go to ALL of your lectures for. I'd take a couple of lie-ins over £30.

Next week I have to go to a training day on Equality & Diversity. I really don't want to do this as I expect it to be patronising and tell me things I already know.

Luckly, due to my afore-mentioned inability to write, I've decided I can get away with taking my laptop with me to 'make notes' and then spend the entire day doing non-work related stuff whilst pretending to listen.

Disabilities can be useful things...

opwrig pewtohg ewoktgn woirnge.

i'd rather not have a free laptop than have dyslexia.

they give free laptops to university students with dyslexia... i mean, everyone at uni buys laptops anyway, so in that sense you're not really giving them something they wouldnt have anyway, you're just compensating them for being dyslexic. which is pretty dumb, really.

I work as a teaching assistant with children with special needs. I am 34 years old and have worked since i left school. we had our own bussiness which went bust and we are paying every penny back to our creditors. I left school with no qualifcations due my dyslexic, the school said i was thick and did not have dyslexic. Now my laptop which i bought myself 8 years ago is about to give up and i really cannot afford a new one. I have a statement from the dyslexic insitute and i am not a free loaded just a person who really could do with a new laptop. If you know where you can get one of theses free laptops from, i would be really really greatful

But I only did the test in my third year as all of my second year exam transcripts were binned for being illegible.

I had to fill out all these forms and pay for mores tests to get a laptop though.

I couldn't be arsed because I thought they gave you shitty laptops anyway....people that had them had shit laptops.

I got an hour extra for exams and I had to use capital letters for all my transcripts or they wouldn't accept the papers!

But a macbook pro? I could have got a a free macbook pro??????

My Son Spells Backwards is about this. Yes, pretty gay.

Pointless contribution, goodnight.

but at the same time you don't want to punish people who genuinely need the EMA to get to school or people who would really benefit immensely from getting a laptop.