[Blindmath] Question for Blind Mathematicians

Thu Mar 4 15:24:26 UTC 2010

  I would say that your method is fine.  I produced many wikistick
graphs throughout my math courses.  I would have to say I disagree
with some of the other statements made though.  A disability resources
type office should and can help you with books and other matterials
and often it is too much for one student to handle on top of a full
course load.  I would, however, say that it is most definitely your
responsibility as a student to make homework available in a readable
format.  If homework is done in braille it ought to be retyped for
your professor.  There aren't transcribers out there to hold your hand
and do such tasks for you when you leave college and it will take
longer, but it's what's right, responsible and independant.

-Ryan

On 3/4/10, Connie Baker <cnsbaker at access.k12.wv.us> wrote:
> I am sorry to hear that this kind of thinking is still going on in this day
> and age. What a dis-service to the VI community.
> Here is a response that I saved from a couple years ago. I know getting the
> material in your type of media can be slow but getting to back to professors
> is also another issue as well as you are already concerned about. It is not
> your responsibility to produce materials for the professor in a print
> format, it is the institutions responsibility to provide a translator.
>
> Quote:
>
> blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org; on behalf of; Susan Jolly
> [easjolly at ix.netcom.com]
>
> I'm very impressed with the ingenuity being used by list members.
>
> I know that this is an international list but still feel the need to repeat
> for US students that it is illegal for your institution of higher learning
> to force you to make these accommodations on your own.
>
> To quote an expert in the US law in this area: "A student does not have to
> produce responses in a form the professor can read so long as the means the
> student uses is considered standard and can be rendered into standard
> written form by any person trained to use that method."  In other words, it
> is perfectly legal to make a graph by sticking WikiStix on a tactile graph
> with braille labels and leave it to the college to get it interpreted by a
> trained person.  (If you choose to be that trained person, they should at
> least pay you as much as they pay other student help.)
>
> I do understand that braille-using students want to be independent.
> However, the main goal of college courses is to learn the subject matter.
> If you are spending anything more that a small fraction of your valuable
> time doing things that don't contribute to learning the course material,
> something is wrong. This is especially important in a mathematics course as
> there is a shortage of people who understand mathematics. Moreover, you may
> well be making it harder for the next student.
>
> SusanJ
> End Quote
>
> I like the point she makes "the main goal of college courses is to learn the
> subject matter."
>
> Keep following your dreams no matter what others say you should or should
> not do, even if it involves higher mathematics and it is trying and
> difficult for everyone.
>
> Connie Baker
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Jose Tamayo
> Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 10:39 AM
> To: 'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'
> Subject: [Blindmath] Question for Blind Mathematicians
>
> Hello Folks,
>
>
>
> I am  writing this e-mail to ask for assistance, perhaps offlist, in the
> best way to address this issue I am working through with an instructor at my
> University.  I thought the problems I would have would be limited to
> presentation and preparation of content but I have learned quite the
> contrary.  I have an instructor that has some question regarding
> accommodations for me and all have agreed except her.  Understandably, she
> has some questions / concerns but what worries me is her statement about
> suggesting other career paths for individuals with visual impairments.  I am
> pasting her response to some of our e-mails on accommodations and I would
> like some direction as this issue directly applies to the success of blind
> mathematicians in my area.
>
>
>
> Important note: The professor has questioned some very basic accommodation
> requests and also has taken the request out of context by asking if I will
> require all content available to me.  Obviously, we are not asking for all
> that she is concerned  about but that we cannot control.
>
>
>
> Professor’s e-mail content follows:
>
> Please excuse my delay in answering your e-mail from Tuesday, February 23,
> regarding Jose Tamayo’s request for Test 1.   I was hoping to discuss some
> of the issues with him yesterday but since that did not happen, I am writing
> the following response:
>
>
>
>
>
> It is my understanding that the materials and necessary tools for Jose to
> take this course are being currently developed.  I have been willing to
> extend the dates for administering tests, and have agreed to give an
> incomplete grade if Jose takes two tests (Chapter 7 and Chapter 8) before
> the end of the term.   However, I am now concerned as to what will be
> necessary and permissible to provide to Jose in a math exam.  I believe
> Jose’s request raises questions that need to be addressed responsibly, not
> lightly.
>
>
>
> If for test #1 the very basic right triangles 30º-60º-90º and 45º-45º-90º
> need to be given, then what would be expected when he has to draw different
> triangles and place them in the correct quadrants to answer other general
> questions in test #2?  In this course, there are many identities that
> students must memorize.  Because formula sheets are not allowed on tests,
> most students usually write them down on the test papers as soon as they get
> them so that they can refer to the formulas as they need them (they also do
> this for the basic triangles). Is it going to be expected for Jose to have
> these formulas? What would be expected for drawing triangles to represent
> the application problems, how about polar graphs in test #3, etc.?
>
>
>
> As I sat in the very informative presentation of Professor McDermott-Wells,
> Math in the Dark, on February 5, I wondered if I would have been one of
> those who would urge visually impaired students “to avoid career goals that
> involve any significant amount of Mathematics or technical content”.
> However, I have never been in the position of advising VI students and in
> fact, Jose is the only VI student I have had in my over 30 years of teaching
> mathematics, the last 10 years at FIU.
>
>
>
> A visually impaired student definitely requires a very individualized
> treatment, particularly in mathematics courses.  If Jose is going to
> complete this course and continue with other mathematics courses at FIU,
> shouldn’t the Department of Mathematics and Statistics be asked for some
> input as to what allowances can be provided?
>
>
>
> A grade on a student’s transcript assumes certain uniformity in the
> evaluation of a student’s work.  My concern is that for Jose not only the
> course has to be presented differently but also evaluated differently.  I
> will be discussing this matter with my chairperson, Dr. Bao Qin Li, next
> week.
>
>
>
>
>
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