[BlindMath] College Student seeking advice on statistics accomodation

[Godfrey, Jonathan]

Hello Stacie,

While the tools already described have their uses, I think your first step needs to be focused on the humans.

First, find out which courses you get to choose among. Not all statistics courses are the same today. The most modern courses (including the one I teach at introductory level) do not use calculators, do not rely on students doing lots of handwriting and make limited use of printed books or their digital equivalents. Other courses use digital substitutes for the printed books and handwritten manual working that was the way practically every statistics course of the late 20th century was taught.

Today's reliance on software in statistics courses can range from the trivial to almost completely done within a software environment. 

The style of teaching is therefore of primary interest when I'm offering advice. 

What you might find surprising is that the software dominated way of learning statistics can be considerably more accessible to a blind person than the more traditional courses, especially if the right tools are being used.

As a case in point, I observe that I find my job as a blind person teaching statistics to sighted students to be so much easier today because I am using the most modern (accessible) tools; these tools are almost all mainstream, but a few little additions do make a huge difference to me.

Jonathan

A. Jonathan R. Godfrey
Senior Lecturer in Statistics






-----Original Message-----
From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Stacie Leap via BlindMath
Sent: Monday, 15 March 2021 12:52 AM
To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
Cc: Stacie Leap <stacie.leap at gmail.com>
Subject: [BlindMath] College Student seeking advice on statistics accomodation

Hello all:

My name is Stacie Leap. I do apologize if this is not the right list to ask this question. If it is not, if anyone can tell me where to go for the answer.

I am starting college back up again after 10 years. I dropped out when I was 21 in my senior year back in 2011. I went blind in 2016 due to someone beating me until I went blind. Anyways, my question is that: what things do I need to get for myself or ask from my disability office at college?

I was told by my advisor that I would need to take statistics in order to graduate. I remember in high school and in my sophomore year in college using a lot of graphs, charts, and a graphic calculator. However, that was when I could see. How can I be able to read those things now? Is there a graphic calculator that is accessible that is similar to a T-83 or T-84? My advisor told me to talk to my disability office at college because she is unsure what is needed. I do not know what to ask and I was also told that some disability resource office just give you the bare minimum of what you as for. But I do not know what is needed.

I guess I am rambling but if anyone can assist me on this list or off, my email is stacie.leap at gmail.com and my phone number is 215-776-6741.

Thanks,
Stacie Leap, CPE, CPS, FPS
stacie.leap at gmail.com | 215.776.6741

Board Member, National Federation of the Blind: Keystone Chapter Cambodian (Khmer) Interpreter Mental Health First Aid Instructor for Adult Modules Student, Temple University: College of Public Health WRAP Facilitator _______________________________________________
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