Legally blind Brian Laabs does the numbers and comes up with a 4.0 GPA.
Brian Laabs
In 1993, Brian Laabs of Farmington was attending the University of Wisconsin-Stout as a 23-year-old business administration major when he was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease, a rare form of macular degeneration that results in progressive vision loss. The disease is both hereditary and life-altering.
“Learning that I had the disease was very traumatic,” Laabs said. “At first, I tried to keep my driver’s license, but after a while that didn’t seem like a good idea.”
Lacking an effective treatment, the disease gradually impairs central vision. People with Stargardt’s commonly experience blurriness, distortion, and sensitivity to light and glare.
Stargardt’s gained national recognition when Pres. George W. Bush teased L.A. Times newsman Peter Wallsten for wearing sunglasses during a 2006 Rose Garden press conference, not knowing that the reporter suffered from the disease.
Laabs understood early on—barring a breakthrough—that his visual connection to the world had been irreversibly diminished. He took the setback in stride and never let his disability stand in the way of success. With the full support of his wife, Tracy, he enrolled in the Accounting program at Dakota County Technical College.
“For a while, I tried life as a stay-at-home dad, working part-time for an insurance company,” he said, “but I knew that insurance wasn’t something I wanted as a career. I chose accounting because I’ve always been good at math. I’ve always been a numbers person.”
Tom Wood, an award-winning accounting instructor at DCTC, considers Laabs a phenomenal student. “I’ve been teaching at the college for 26 years,” Wood said, “and Brian is the most amazing student that I’ve ever encountered. He has an incredible memory and is naturally strong with numbers.”
Laabs uses a Sense View handheld video magnifier to read his accounting textbooks and classroom notes. For work on a computer, he uses screen magnification software called ZoomText. He doesn’t use a cane and makes his way around campus with an easygoing confidence. People who meet Laabs for the first time often don’t realize that his eyesight is impaired.
“I take tests and exams in the testing center where staff members make copies of the originals, only with enlarged text,” said Laabs, who has accumulated a perfect 4.0 GPA. “Other than that, my classroom experience is relatively typical.”
Anne Swanberg, the college’s disability services advisor, appreciates students with the good-natured resolve Laabs demonstrates on a daily basis. “Brian is a great student to work with,” Swanberg said. “He doesn’t get rattled if things don’t go exactly as planned. He rolls along with whatever is thrown at him and adjusts accordingly. Students like Brian reinforce the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Swanberg pointed out that Dakota County Technical College, in compliance with Section 504 and the ADA, is committed to providing an accessible education to students with disabilities.
“We make sure that students with documented disabilities have access to campus courses and activities through the use of reasonable accommodations,” she reported. “Individuals wishing to discuss accommodations are encouraged to contact our office.”
Swanberg can be reached at 651-423-8469 or anne.swanberg@dctc.edu.
Laabs indicated that the Minnesota State Services for the Blind helps pave the way for him to attend DCTC and pursue his degree. A branch within the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, State Services for the Blind receives federal, state, and private funding to assist people with vision loss who wish to find employment, engage in career training, or participate in activities that fulfill their interests and enhance their personal development.
Tracy Laabs drives her husband to DCTC for classes, and he uses DARTS transit to get home in time to meet his 9-year-old son, Justin, after school. When weather permits, father and son then go for a six-block hike to two private day cares where they round up the family’s other two children, Emily, 3, and 8-month-old Eric.
“Picking up my kids is one of the best parts of my day,” Laabs said.
Originally from the village of DeForest, Wisconsin, Laabs will graduate after summer semester 2008 with an A.A.S. degree in accounting. He plans on a career with an accounting firm or as a staff accountant with a business enterprise.
“I am excited about my future,” Laabs said. “The Accounting program at DCTC is making all the difference for my family and me.”
According to CNNMoney.com, 2006 college graduates with accounting degrees are climbing fast on the annual wage ladder. Accountants broke the top 10 with a ranking of sixth and an average starting salary of $45,723 a year.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2007 lists accounting services as the top employer for new college grads. Accountants are in especially high demand in government and nonprofit organizations.
The respected employment and education Web site, iseek.org, lists $28.85 as the median hourly wage in the fourth quarter of 2007 for accountants in Minnesota. Accountants in the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area make slightly more.
