[blindlaw] Seeking Information about Disability Accommodations Offered to Post-Secondary Students

Tue Jan 6 05:54:22 UTC 2015

Hi Michal, this is Helga. How are you? I just wanted to ask you, are you talking about data basis about Law schools or Colleges and Universities? I'm just wondering. I'm currently enrolled right now in a college where I need to fight constantly for my accommodations rights of my classess. In other words, I need to push my Dsability advisor to put my College Materials in Braille  since she actually does not want to do them. My office with dissabilities is actually ans small department. I still have issues with my advisor. I will give you more detail if you want later. or you are free to call me. Also, I think Anita talk about that Many Law schools discriminate or or sabottage visually impaired or blind students, I just wanted to ask you, are Harvard, Nova, and Miami Universities Law schools work very well with visually impaired or blind law students? I'm just wondering since I'm thinking in applying to these Law schools in the future. Hope to hear form you soon. Thanks so much and God bless! 

Helga Schreiber

Fundraiser Coordinator for Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Delta Iota chapter.
Member of National Federation of the Blind and Florida Association of Blind Students.
Member of the International Networkers Team (INT).
Independent Entrepreneur of the Company 4Life Research.
Phone:  (561) 706-5950 
Email: helga.schreiber26 at gmail.com 
Skype: helga.schreiber26 
4Life Website: http://helgaschreiber.my4life.com/1/default.aspx 
INT Website: http://int4life.com/ 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 
Sent from my iPhone 

> On Jan 5, 2015, at 2:22 PM, Michal Nowicki via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Dear Fellow Federationist,
> 
> 
> 
> Are you currently enrolled at (or have you recently graduated from) an
> institution of higher education?  If so, have you received reasonable
> accommodations through the school's office for students with disabilities?
> Can you provide information about the quality of these services?  If you
> answered "Yes" to the above questions, please read on.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure you know that besides researching the academic programs, cost of
> attendance/financial aid opportunities, and the location of colleges and
> universities, we blind people must also look at the services for students
> with disabilities that are available to us.  To that end, most schools help
> us in this endeavor by providing policies, procedures, FAQs, and other
> meaningful information about requesting and receiving ADA accommodations,
> through their website.  Unfortunately, though, we must not forget that the
> same institutions may sometimes deliberately conceal negative information
> from prospective applicants.  After all, they want to attract qualified
> applicants, not discourage them from applying.
> 
> 
> 
> That being said, a visually impaired prospective law student from North
> Carolina is putting together a database of colleges' and universities'
> accommodation record to assist students with disabilities in making informed
> decisions about where they want to get their degree(s), and I am helping her
> by gathering information.  The database will obviously not contain any
> confidential information; it will only explain what services students may
> count on at a given school, as well as warnings about potential
> discrimination a student may face in the event he/she chooses to enroll at a
> college or university that is known to exhibit such behavior.  Its content
> will come from student feedback, as well as from complaints on file with the
> U.S.  Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
> 
> 
> 
> On that note, please share with me the experiences you have had while
> working with the disability office at your school, both positive and
> negative.  Please use the following questions as a guide:
> 
> 1.        How many people work for the office for students with
> disabilities?  Do people specialize in specific tasks (e.g.  document
> conversion, setting up accommodations, exam proctoring, etc.), or does
> everyone assume a universal role?
> 
> 2.       Does the office handle document conversion requests in a timely
> manner?  In what alternate formats are textbooks and other course materials
> provided?  If your textbooks were scanned, were they disassembled in the
> process?  Does the school offer institutional Bookshare.org and LearningAlly
> memberships?  Is it part of the AccessText network?
> 
> 3.       Is there an assistive technology specialist who is available for
> training, installation, and troubleshooting purposes?
> 
> 4.       Does the office arrange for human note takers as an accommodation?
> 
> 5.       Is exam proctoring offered?
> 
> 6.       Is the school's website, including Blackboard, webmail, class
> registration, and any other online tools fully accessible?  If not, which
> areas are inaccessible?
> 
> 
> 
> We are also looking for information specific to accommodations for graduate
> and professional students.  In particular, please let us know if you believe
> that the school has attempted to "mold" you into a specific role against
> your will.  Likewise, please let us know if you feel that faculty members
> tried to "weed" you out of an advanced degree program, either because they
> didn't think you would survive, because they didn't think you would find a
> job or otherwise contribute to the profession, or simply because of your
> disability.  Please be sure to discuss the specific tactics that were
> employed to accomplish this.
> 
> 
> 
> Please send your evaluations to me off-list at mnowicki4 at iCloud.com
> <mailto:mnowicki4 at iCloud.com> , and I will pass them on.  You may send them
> in the message body or as attachments in Word or Rich Text Format (.RTF).  I
> look forward to hearing from you and, most important, to learning more about
> ADA accommodations offered to post-secondary students across the country.
> 
> 
> 
> Best Wishes,
> 
> 
> 
> Michal
> 
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