[Blindmath] [Blind math] Equalizing the Blackboard

[Zach]

Hello Dr. Godfrey, 

I was thinking to share your information, or at least your publication with
the math department here, which seems to have the greatest issues with
accommodating students with disabilities. Out of curiosity, I have to make a
seminar for my department. Each year the graduate seminar course has a new
theme, and this year's is statistics. I wondered if you might have a
suggestion for writing PowerPoint slides with math content on them? I may
not have to do anything beyond what I can already do with MS PowerPoint, but
I just wondered for future reference how I might be able to create math for
slide shows.




Thanks,

Zac

Zachary Mason
M.S. Student
Animal and Dairy Sciences
Mississippi State University

-----Original Message-----
From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Godfrey,
Jonathan via Blindmath
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2017 1:58 PM
To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
<blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Godfrey, Jonathan <A.J.Godfrey at massey.ac.nz>
Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Equalizing the Blackboard

Hello Zac,

The interpretation of a "reasonable accommodation" is a tricky beast. What
may be quite reasonable to one provider might seem impossible to another,
and one solution that works extremely effectively for one vision impaired
person might be utterly inappropriate for another. I find the providers
usually don't really have a good idea of what they could do and what would
work; that isn't just an education problem though.

I know that I would find it quite disruptive to have you sit in my class
with a sighted helper who kept telling you what was on the front display; if
I failed to give you the necessary descriptions in class, then I would
expect you to either get the help needed at university cost from someone
else after class, or for you to camp outside my office with your questions
following each inaccessible class. This latter strategy doesn't need to be a
war but I admit that in one or two cases, the lecturer didn't like me doing
that when I was in your situation. On the other hand, there were many
lecturers who wanted me to succeed and would make sure that the only reason
for me not succeeding was me and my ability. I now count many of those
people as friends and professional colleagues.

I have offered in  the past to offer an expert opinion on what counts as
reasonable accommodation. Strangely enough, no university official has ever
asked me for my opinion to date. I suggest you extend my offer to the people
at your university, and give them a copy of the Godfrey and Loots article
you've read. I have on the other hand, been contacted by many university
staff who will be in contact with a blind student as it is them that ends up
with the day to day responsibility and usually a sense of justice that
supports the student.

Good luck,
Jonathan






-----Original Message-----
From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Zach via
Blindmath
Sent: Wednesday, 18 January 2017 5:13 a.m.
To: 'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'
Cc: Zach
Subject: [Blindmath] Equalizing the Blackboard

Hello all, 

 

What can I do to help equalize learning statistics during lectures? I really
enjoyed reading Godfrey et al., (2015)'s recommendations to professors on
how to teach students with blindness statistics, and how to explain
equations as well as graphics, but at a University where the capabilities of
the faculty is somewhat questionable, at least in certain departments, what
is the best solution? I have some residual eye sight that allows me to use
screen magnification cameras, but I fatigue quickly and haven't been the
most successful. I see getting a visual assistant to aid me in reviewing the
lectures, which are written on the chalk board as the most viable solution,
but my University and disabilities office claim that any assistance strictly
outside the hours of class meeting times falls under a personal thing and
not an accommodation. 

 

Regards,

 

Zac

 

Zachary Mason

M.S. Student

Animal and Dairy Sciences

Mississippi State University

 

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