[blindkid] If Math was never taught, can 22 yr old stay one extra year?

[Dan Burke]

So here's what I know about college, based on nearly 20 years working at a university.

First, math is a requirement of any two- or four-year degree.  No way out of it except in the case of a disability that directly affects math, such as dyscalculia.  And then, the options are not waivers, as is often mistakenly assumed, but a substitution.  What might work as an equivalent math-like substitution? Well, Economics, statistics, or one art student who did an in-depth paper/presentation of an artist who used geometric figures. It was nearly a master's thesis.  I worked with one student who found it much easier to complete a stats class than to complete the minimum math requirement.  This is accomplished through an appeals process at many institutions, involving an academic standards committee made up of mostly faculty in some cases. It often includes an unfortunate expectation that the student will not only provide clear documentation of the math disability, but also a demonstration of failure in college math courses.

Blindness is not a disability that affects math, except in the poverty of one's educational opportunities to learn it.  There is no reasonable accommodation for this, it is viewed, rather, as a lack of qualifications.

To even be eligible for the "reasonable accommodation" of a substitution, a student has to demonstrate that they are "otherwise qualified." This means that he or she meets all the other admission standards, including class rankings, GPA and college entrance exams, and they have to continue to demonstrate this with their grades in college.  

Community colleges obviously have easier entrance requirements, but they too have academic standards  regarding math for general education purposes.

As mentioned in the previous e-mail on this thread, community and junior colleges are happy to offer any number of remedial classes leading up the minimum required math course.  None of them counts as math credit, only as general credits. It is costly in time and money because  it can extend a student's time in college. By the way, VR agencies are increasingly telling clients that they don't want to pay for remedial classes such as all the math classes mentioned.  

Yes, get a lawyer.

Dan
-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of candice.attrill via blindkid
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 9:57 AM
To: Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children) <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Cc: candice.attrill <candice.attrill at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] If Math was never taught, can 22 yr old stay one extra year?

for the nemith for part of this I would definitely look into Hadley. One thing I will say is the community college that I attended made us all take a placer test before putting us in any math class. They also included mac 092, math 094, and math 098 before starting at the math 100 level. These were to cover in gaps from high school math. I do not know if your college offers such an option. I ended up starting at math 098. before going on to do math 104. I also agree that there should be some other pieces looked into how did that affect science for example?
regards
Candice

> On Sep 10, 2017, at 5:10 PM, Tina Egle via blindkid <blindkid at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello Dr. Robinson,
> 
> My 21 year old totally blind son is in high school but as soon as he 
> turns
> 22 on Dec 13, he will be out of high school system. He is currently 
> going to out of district vision program but they never taught him 
> Nameth code, no math skills. In order for him to even get an associate 
> degree from College, he needs basic Math and all college admission 
> require placement test for English reading, writing and Math so how is 
> he going to College with no basic knowledge of Math?
> 
> Can we ask for extension? Is it possible?
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Tina Egle Mother of Justin
> 
> cell 847/577-7500
> 
> 
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