[blindlaw] suggestion for new law student

Diane Lennon dianeklennon at gmail.com
Mon Aug 20 13:19:34 UTC 2018


Kathy

Congratulations on your acceptance to law school. I would definitely try to
have your school expedite your services. Have you reached out to your
states Commission for the Blind? Maybe they can help.

You didn't mention whether or not you were a full time or part time
student. Would you consider going part time which would reduce the amount
of work and it may make the course load easier. You could go through the
summer to further reduce the course load.

I wish you much success in your legal career.

Diane

On Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 8:00 AM <blindlaw-request at nfbnet.org> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. Re: [blind law] Retinitis Pigmentosa New Law Student Needs
>       Guidance (bob morrissey)
>    2. Re: Retinitis pigmentosa new law student needs guidance
>       (Elizabeth Rene)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2018 09:50:30 -0400
> From: "bob morrissey" <rjmorrissey26 at gmail.com>
> To: "'Blind Law Mailing List'" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] [blind law] Retinitis Pigmentosa New Law
>         Student Needs Guidance
> Message-ID: <001701d437c3$97f95fc0$c7ec1f40$@com>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="utf-8"
>
> Hello Kathy,
>
> When I returned to school in 2011, I discovered something at the
> University of New Haven called "Campus Access Services:.
>
> As a visually impaired student of 61, I was offered numerous
> accommodations including to assist with my program of becoming a Certified
> Paralegal.  I believe that most colleges now offer this type of service as
> a result of the strength of the ADA.  It is likely that some universities
> are more deeply committed to this service than others, but they are all
> required by law to offer some level of assistance to all types of disabled
> students.  I found this to be truly a tremendous service and really
> enhanced my ability to achieve and thoroughly enjoy the 18 credit program.
>
> I only wish that this had existed when I did my undergraduate degree work
> back in the 60's and 70's with great difficulty.
>
> good luck with your school, they should really want to help you in your
> endeavor.
>
> Bob Morrissey
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindLaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of James
> Fetter via BlindLaw
> Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2018 9:16 AM
> To: Blind Law Mailing List
> Cc: James Fetter
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Retinitis Pigmentosa New Law Student Needs Guidance
>
> Hi Kathy,
> First of all, welcome to the list and this community. I hope you can find
> resources here that are helpful.
> I?m more than a little surprised that you can?t receive any services until
> your second semester. If your visual impairment is sufficiently severe to
> qualify as a disability, then you are entitled to services under the ADA,
> whether your school decides it?s convenient to provide them or not. As for
> immediate solutions, I guess it depends on how you learn and how easy it is
> for you to read visually at this point. Apple devices have accessibility
> options built into them. Voiceover, Apple?s screen reader, can be turned on
> in settings within any apple computer or phone. If you?re mainly using
> Windows, then you can obtain or activate free products as well, such as
> Microsoft Narrator or NVDA, a free screen reader. I?m totally blind, so I?m
> not the person to ask about magnifiers or other aids for reading visually.
> If you feel that you need more blindness skills, then taking time off, as
> suggested, might not be the worst idea. But I?d really try holding your
> school?s feet to the fire on providing accommodations first. There are a
> few people on this list who practice in the area of disability
> discrimination/ADA. I will soon start work at a firm and will focus in this
> area, although I?m just a newly minted law school graduate and haven?t been
> admitted to practice yet. Regardless, please feel free to reach out off
> list, and I?ll help however I can.
> All best,
> James
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Aug 18, 2018, at 1:24 AM, Kathy Gustafson via BlindLaw <
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > I am a  new subscriber to this listserve and also am a new law student.
> I am
> > so glad I found this resource and happy to be here!
> >
> > I have been diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa for the last 30 years. I
> was
> > just accepted to law school and I already am seeing, after this first
> week,
> > that my vision loss is affecting me more than I thought it might. It is
> also
> > progressing even faster now than ever before.
> >
> >
> >
> > I just met with the Department of Rehabilitative Services last month,
> but it
> > won't be until next semester that I will start receiving services. I do
> not
> > have any formal training at all on any technology or mobility aids. My
> > central vision is still healthy, but everything else is either gone or is
> > dying, so essentially my vision is closing in quite fast.
> >
> > While I wait for services to teach me cane, braille, and provide me with
> > assistive technology, does anyone have any advice on how I can
> navigate?  I
> > have been using my tablet to either take video, photos, or to blow-up
> > presentations which I can't see (such as the board or overhead
> monitors.) It
> > still is frustrating because I know as things become more intense I may
> get
> > further behind through the compounding of these issues.
> >
> > I am quite slow because my law school is old and the lighting is not that
> > great. I am slower getting where I need to go, which is really making my
> > disability a hindrance for others in my class, I feel. Of course I am 51
> and
> > the oldest in my class, but I don't think that is the issue at hand here!
> >
> > Any help or advice that you found helped you through law school or your
> > practice will be much appreciated.
> >
> >
> >
> > Kathy in Rockton, Illinois (1L at Northern Illinois University School of
> Law
> > - DeKalb, IL)
> >
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>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2018 10:59:51 -0700
> From: Elizabeth Rene <rene0373 at gmail.com>
> To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Retinitis pigmentosa new law student needs
>         guidance
> Message-ID: <C4E18BF6-43CF-415E-BCB0-CE385B0307F3 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset=utf-8
>
> Hi Kathy,
> Unlike most of the other respondents to your post, I am in the later part
> of my legal career. I went to law school in the 1970s, in my mid 20s, well
> before the ADA and in a state that didn?t provide progressive services for
> would be professionals. My home state kicked in good services toward the
> middle of my second year. I was born with cone dystrophy, a distant variant
> of RP, So I think I have some idea of what you may be dealing with
> visually. My vision hasn?t closed in on me from the outer fields though.
>
> With everything you have going on in a fairly active phase, I think the
> suggestion that you take a leave of absence isn?t a bad one. I don?t think
> you should have to withdraw altogether. You could make a good case for
> taking care of your needs and then coming back, retaining your place in the
> school. A possibility too is that while doing your rehabilitation training
> you might learn of an even better law school that provide better services
> and support. This possibility is heightened because you are now one of our
> community and have access to everything we know. Because you haven?t had
> the chance to earn bad grades, and because you are already admitted
> somewhere, you might stand a much better chance of being accepted elsewhere
> if that?s what you want to do. You?ll also get the emotional support and
> philosophical foundation that the NFB provides. I wouldn?t let my age stop
> me if I were you. What?s the difference between 51 and 52? I say this from
> being 68.
>
> There is so much more that I would love to say to you and to hear about
> you. Please feel free to PM me at rene0373 at gmail.com or to phone or text
> me at 360-970-3594. These are personal contacts, so you don?t have to worry
> about interrupting a firm. And this invitation goes out to anyone else who
> wants to contact me.
>
> The adaptive suggestions made by the others are very good as well. You can
> also get lighted magnifying lenses and white canes for about $25-$50
> through Amazon, and I?ve found the best of these so I can tell you about
> them if you call or write.
>
> Finally, congratulations on getting into law school and congratulations
> for joining the NFB and this list. You?ve made some great moves and you?ll
> continue to make more of them. Welcome.
>
> Elizabeth Ren?
>
> Elizabeth M Ren?
> Attorney at Law
> WSBA #10710
> KCBA #21824
> rene0373 at gmail.com
>
>
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> End of BlindLaw Digest, Vol 171, Issue 13
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