Post by Deb on Aug 10, 2018 11:10:06 GMT -5
How this disabled Nottingham student learned to write shorthand with a pen in his mouth
Alex McKenzie, 23, suffers from arthrogryposis, which affects the muscles in his arms, wrists and hands and means he is unable to grip a pen.
But, after accepting a place on his journalism course at university, he was worried he would not be able to write shorthand.
Alex said: "Shorthand is a made up writing language to help journalists write quicker in interviews.
"It looks like crazy symbols, my dad says it's like hieroglyphics."
"I was always given extra time in exams when I was at school because I write with the pen in my mouth, but when it came to shorthand exams they said they couldn't give me any extra time because the test is based on speed.
"I thought I would rather try than never know."
In the shorthand exam, passages of text are read out at different speeds and students have to write it down in shorthand, before translating it back to longhand.
Exams can be taken at 60, 80 and 100 words per minute.
" I did my first 60 word per minute exam in January and I passed first time."
He said: “If I had to choose an ideal sport to work around it would be either football or American football. Going to work in America covering the NFL would be amazing.”
www.nottinghampost.com/news/how-disabled-nottingham-student-learned-1700841
Nottinghamshire Live-Jun 21, 2018
Alex McKenzie, 23, suffers from arthrogryposis, which affects the muscles in his arms, wrists and hands and means he is unable to grip a pen.
But, after accepting a place on his journalism course at university, he was worried he would not be able to write shorthand.
Alex said: "Shorthand is a made up writing language to help journalists write quicker in interviews.
"It looks like crazy symbols, my dad says it's like hieroglyphics."
"I was always given extra time in exams when I was at school because I write with the pen in my mouth, but when it came to shorthand exams they said they couldn't give me any extra time because the test is based on speed.
"I thought I would rather try than never know."
In the shorthand exam, passages of text are read out at different speeds and students have to write it down in shorthand, before translating it back to longhand.
Exams can be taken at 60, 80 and 100 words per minute.
" I did my first 60 word per minute exam in January and I passed first time."
He said: “If I had to choose an ideal sport to work around it would be either football or American football. Going to work in America covering the NFL would be amazing.”
www.nottinghampost.com/news/how-disabled-nottingham-student-learned-1700841
Nottinghamshire Live-Jun 21, 2018