[humanser] Examinations

[MARY CHAPPELL]

Jeannie,
I applaud your accomplishments with ETS and access with JAWS. When I was
newly blind, brain injury in 2000, and petitioning for the Graduate
Readiness Exam (GRE) I was denied access with screen reading software. That
was 2004 and, nearly 10  years later, not much has changed. Then I was the
vice president of my NFB chapter and vice president of our state student
division. I was so preoccupied with "getting on with my life" having had to
learn to walk, talk, feed myself, breathe  on my own, while acquiring
blindness skills, that I lacked the fire to fight this issue. Today, I do
walk, I definitely talk, and I am continually developing blindness skills (I
suspect I have greater deficits in Braille literacy than you, the brain
injury dampened my nerve sensation and fine motor skills leaving me less
than perceptive with Braille and only able to detect jumbo Braille); all in
all I am undergoing a continual process of overcoming and becoming. I refuse
to allow this discriminatory process of erecting barriers to stop my process
of growth and development. My hope is that a decision will be made that will
allow JAWS but, if it does not happen in time, I will take the exam with the
less than favorable accommodation and go on to fight for those following in
similar pursuit so they will not be without choice in their examination
process. 
I thank you, Jeannie, for sharing your story and fight. I trust that
something will be enacted to offer you relief in whatever next steps need be
taken and, in November things will proceed in a manner that will afford you
the fullest success. 
Genuinely,
Mary Tatum Chappell

-----Original Message-----
From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of JMassay
Sent: Saturday, August 03, 2013 8:09 PM
To: humanser at nfbnet.org
Subject: [humanser] Examinations

All-

I understand about Mary's concerns due to a brain injury. I do not have one
but lost vision as an adult, have only used technology   in an educational
setting and my Braille skills are well., less than they should be (I'm
working on it!).  My ability to process information has not readily adapted
to a human reader. Could I practice this skill? Well, yes, but I shouldn't
have to do so. To me it is the same as if all of the sighted examinees were
told that they must use a scribe and reader as well. Most would consider
that ridiculous.  

In 2007 when beginning to register for the GRE, I lobbied to take the entire
test with JAWS. Initially I was denied but ETS (Educational Testing
Services) eventually came around once I had contact with the director of
Disability Services at ETS. She has now attended a few student seminars at
the annual Washington Seminar. Things can be changed when we all come
together. I , like mary have an exam deadline, mine is the end of November.
I'll have to file for an extension but it will be well worth it if we can
make something happen. 

Sorry I haven't replied in a few days, I have my list serve feedback on
summery. I'll change it back so that I can more readily reply to everyone.
I'm clearly fired up about this issue and am so appreciative of the fact
that I am not in this alone. 

Thanks my brothers and sisters,

Jeannie 

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