[Blindmath] Where Can I Get an Education in STEM Document Accessibility?

[Lewicki, Maureen]

Zach, I am sure there are a lot of people on the list thinking through how to help you! Can you tell us how you currently access materials? Or how you have accessed material in the past?



Maureen Murphy Lewicki
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Bethlehem Central School District
Bethlehem High School
700 Delaware Ave
Delmar, NY 12054
http://www.bethlehemschools.org
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. Helen Keller


-----Original Message-----
From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Zachary Mason via Blindmath
Sent: Monday, November 30, 2015 9:58 AM
To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
Cc: Zachary Mason
Subject: [Blindmath] Where Can I Get an Education in STEM Document Accessibility?

Hello: 

 

I am a blind master's student at Mississippi State University in the department of animal dairy science. It didn't take very long for me to find out that on top of mastering my own studies, I have to do a lot of advocating and be persistent to get my accommodations. MSU's disability's office, as I imagine many other universities are, was completely unprepared to handle the level and volume of technical materials including course books and material for a STEM graduate student. It's made me realize I will have to be more self-sufficient in terms of obtaining accessible format documents to make a career in research or education worth-while to me. 

 

I've spoken to my state's vocational rehabilitation about getting training in accessible document transcription, specifically for STEM documents. After being interviewed by the technical consultant, this request is being processed. I wondered if anyone on this list could help me begin to plan what kind of resources (courses, manuals, software, etc.), I need to get started. I'm starting at just about ground zero. 

 

What I'm hoping to be able to do is take either an electronic or a hard copy printed science article or college/professional level STEM text book, to either an electronic format (something readable with a screen reader), or mixed English grade II, UEB, and Nemeth Braille independently without, or with minimal sighted assistance. I don't expect to be able to begin a business transcribing for people myself, but I would like to gain an appreciation for how people do that. 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Zachary Mason

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