[blindkid] Online Accessibility in College

Sun Feb 22 16:33:17 UTC 2015

I put up signs in the dormitories around campus asking for readers.
My state services for the blind paid for the readers I used but I
hired them.  I would recommend that your daughter complete an
interview with perspective readers and have them read from texts that
are similar to those she will be studying.  I also went to the math
department to get a math major as my reader when I took math classes.
I wanted to be sure the reader was using the correct terminology in
math.  If the disability services provides a reader then your daughter
has no control over who reads for her.

Many colleges do not have many blind students so they are not always
aware of how to provide the services needed.

On 2/22/15, Carol Castellano via blindkid <blindkid at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Has your daughter had experience yet in using human readers?  That is
> something she can practice.  I think the hardest part for kids is
> becoming able to give directions to someone older (often high school
> students have adult readers), but it is a very important part of
> learning to use a reader effectively.  We'll be holding a workshop
> session on this subject, btw, at the national convention this summer.
>
> Carol
>
> Carol Castellano
> Parents of Blind Children-NJ
> Director of Programs
> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
> 973-377-0976
> carol_castellano at verizon.net
> www.blindchildren.org
> www.nfb.org/parents-and-teachers
>
> At 09:47 AM 2/22/2015, you wrote:
>>What I learned while going through college - working on my PhD, is
>>that each person uses a reader to meet the individual's needs and
>>surcumstances. I use a reader differently reading a menu at a cafe
>>than I do with my textbooks. Each blind person also has their own
>>idea as to HOW they want something read. There really is NO
>>specialised training involved other than between the blind
>>individual and that reader. Also, a blind individual may have a
>>variety of different readers in college depending on the course.
>>Some people are great textbook readers but not super readers in
>>algebra or chem. because they don't know the signs/symbols. I
>>suggest reading the article by Peggy Pender, Care and Feeding of
>>Readers. As a TVI, I teach by example. I have a driver who is also
>>my reader. Sometimes, I will have him come in and read for me or my
>>student. I had to train him as I did all my others. I also have my
>>students train him to meet their needs. Of course, they can't keep
>>him. Smile. But it does give them the experience of using live
>>readers. Feel free to contact me individually, if you would like to talk.
>>
>>Merry-Noel Chamberlain, MA, TVI, O&M
>>
>>
>><https://overview.mail.yahoo.com?.src=iOS>Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad
>>
>>At Feb 22, 2015, 8:20:14 AM, Shellie Kalinsky via
>>blindkid<'blindkid at nfbnet.org'> wrote:
>>My daughter does talk with the disabilities office and has a
>>memorandum of accommodations that includes a reader and a scribe
>>however the reality is that they don't have the trained readers
>>ready for her and she wants to attend college now, not wait a year
>>while they train the 2 readers they have for tests and assessments.
>>She uses a combination of screen readers and technology but
>>sometimes the material is not coded properly so the software can't
>>read it correctly (for example the math problems will say "symbol"
>>instead of "equals" and other mistakes like that). We have consulted
>>with a private technology company because we thought the problem was
>>her computer software, but we found out that the problem is the
>>actual coding of documents by publishing companies and that in some
>>situations human readers will still be necessary. Which leads us
>>back to the original question of where to find people to hire. We
>>know that eventually her disabilities office will have the trained
>>readers available but we are filling a gap in services right now.
>>There is only one other student with a visual disability on her
>>campus so the disabilities office is learning how to provide
>>appropriate accommodations from my daughter. It's good to know my
>>daughter is helping them make positive changes for future students
>>but we also need to make sure her needs are being met now.
>>
>>Sent from my iPad
>>
>> > On Feb 22, 2015, at 8:33 AM, EMMOL--- via blindkid wrote:
>> >
>> > Shellie,
>> > I suggest that your daughter speak with the Disabilities Office at her
>> > school.
>> > They will be in touch with professors if materials are not accessible.
>> > She
>> > should of course speak with the professors to make them aware, but the
>> > Disabilities Office will assist with the accessibility piece.
>> >
>> > I am wondering what screen reader she uses. My son is a senior in
>> > college.
>> > His school uses Blackboard, as well, but he uses Jaws.
>> >
>> > My daughter works in the Disabilities Office at another University and
>> > finds that Kurzweil has difficulty reading materials that
>> professors have photo
>> > copied, scanned and then upload. Also if they've designed a worksheet
>> > using Word it isn't necessarily screen reader accessible. They
>> may not realize
>> > this or understand.
>> >
>> > All materials must be accessible, so I suggest she go back to the
>> > Disabilities Office.
>> > Eileen Molloy
>> >
>> >
>> > Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2015 20:30:22 +0000 (UTC)
>> > From: Shellie Kalinsky
>> > To: "Blind Kid Mailing List (for parents of blind children)"
>> >
>> > Subject: [blindkid] where to hire readers for college level students?
>> > Message-ID:
>> > <1264816763.1241008.1424550622508.JavaMail.yahoo at mail.yahoo.com>
>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>> >
>> > Hi -?
>> >
>> > My daughter is a college freshman and sometimes the material she has to
>> > read for class is online and her read aloud software doesn't
>> always read the
>> > material properly.? So we would like to hire someone to read the
>> > material
>> > to her.? Have any of you hired a reader before?? Where did you find
>> > your
>> > readers?? Any suggestions on where my daughter and I should look
>> for someone?
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance for your advice on this.
>> > Shellie Kalinsky
>> >
>> >
>> >
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-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053