[Blindmath] Questions about accommodations

Fri Jun 4 10:03:44 UTC 2010

It also very much depends on the institution and its special needs 
policies. As for what's reasonable or not is a judgment that reserved 
by the disability coordinator at each university. There is no 
nation-wide policy--at least not in the UK--on the amount of help a 
disabled student is entitled to from his university. A friend used to 
get help with his supermarket shopping even though online shopping 
was an accessible alternative. And who really cares? If the critics 
are worried about the general impression given to the sighted world 
about our abilities then they're barking up the wrong tree.
Paul
At 01:34 04/06/2010, you wrote:
>I have to say I am really getting quite fed up with this. While I 
>don't want to seem like a moderator, I feel this has gone and missed 
>the point and is probably just causing argument where its not needed.
>
>Firstly my point was trying to get at, supporting the student within 
>their study by assisting them access course materials and course 
>activities is fully reasonable and here in the UK universities and 
>colleges should provide this support. Only get out would be if it is 
>unreasonable (eg. safety issues like I wasn't allowed to handle 
>certain things in the lab, however having someone there to handle 
>those materials for me and help know what is happening was a 
>reasonable adjustment).
>
>Then I went on to say that while the student may have personal 
>requirements (we will leave out exactly what this might necessarily 
>be as it can differ from person to person and we shouldn't prejudge 
>(NOTE TO Susan: sometimes in the UK we refer to doing the laundry as 
>"doing the washing", you stick clothes in the washing machine for 
>washing, so that form of "washing" may be something a blind person 
>may want help with at any age, how are you meant to see if that 
>stain where you spilt a drink on your clothes has come out in the 
>wash. As for cooking, well may be they didn't get the best training 
>in how to do that safely, because of that they lack confidence and 
>so up to this point may never have moved out of their parents home, 
>may be surprising but I think possible)) but this is something 
>beyond what would be reasonable to ask from the university/college. 
>Here in the UK that support would be arranged by social services 
>(the local government team responsible for these matters). You would 
>have these needs regardless of whether you study, so certainly 
>aren't academic support needs. Some seem to think that it was 
>suggested such needs should be met by the educational institution, I 
>certainly didn't say that and I think the only one who made a case 
>for it came in quite late on.
>
>Finally we will move to the area which is possibly a bit murky. 
>Support with getting about. I think the best thing to say is that if 
>the student can make a reasonable case why this support is needed 
>for them to be able to study (IE. knowing how to get to lectures 
>seems reasonable) then it probably should be provided. Beyond that 
>it becomes optional but a certain amount of support with initial 
>orientation may be useful (eg. when I went to university, I was in a 
>completely new city, unable to see any sign posts, etc, the 
>university agreed to allow the orientation to cover a few local 
>services like the local shops and the rail station as well as the 
>campus, it probably helped having the extra as it meant I felt more 
>comfortable socially and could get on with personal matters, rather 
>than worrying about how to find somewhere get food, being able to 
>get home to see family, etc without loosing time to being lost, so 
>meaning I could just concentrate on the studying). So in this bit 
>there may be somethings which really should be provided and may be 
>there are some things which aren't required to be provided but 
>should the university intend to make the students life there a good 
>experience then they may wish to go that little further.
>
>As I said at the beginning, I think a discussion down this line 
>really missed the point of the question, I am only writing this to 
>make what I said clear as I feel people got the wrong end of the 
>stick on what I said. I only raised issues of the matters which 
>aren't directly supporting the study as Bernard had mentioned them 
>and I felt it was worth briefly stating my experience in this matter 
>and to indicate how far reasonable requests for support from the 
>university may go and at what point it really has nothing to do with 
>the university.
>
>I would hope now we go back to discussing matters which really 
>belong on this list, but...
>
>Michael Whapples
>On 06/03/2010 07:29 PM, Susan Mooney wrote:
>>Oh, come on, Jose!  You really can't believe that someone who is 
>>simply blind--who has no other physical disability preventing him 
>>or her from using his/her arms and legs and no mental disability 
>>preventing him/her from being able to perform daily living 
>>skills--should not be expected to be able to function on his/her 
>>own other than being able to study, pass exams, write papers, and 
>>read and that this individual would need assistance with things 
>>like bathing and eating?  Come on!!  We're talking graduate school, 
>>beyond the age of ... what? 23 years old? Evaluating individuals is 
>>one thing. Not being able to eat and bathe after more than 23 years 
>>on the planet is a whole 'nutha ball game!
>>
>>SM
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>
>
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