[nabs-l] Readers and Testing

Tue Feb 3 00:35:02 UTC 2009

Okay, first of all, hopefully this would not happen. On the off chance that 
it did:

As people who are blind and visually impaired, we have the right to have the 
same preparation for a test as everyone else. If, for some bizarre reason, 
let's just be silly and say that aliens stole all of the math books, and no 
one knew the material that was on the test, would they still be expected to 
take that part of the test? The key in a problem like this is timing and the 
way in which you address the problem. Notify the appropriate people *ASAP*. 
Your disabilities services office should stand behind you here in advocating 
for you. If not, then there is something wrong. Again, this hopefully would 
not happen.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 1:32 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Readers and Testing

Hi Jamie,

I'm not sure what to reccommend.  My best advice is to prevent such a
situation.  Have back up readers!

If your reader doesn't show up for a whole week before the exam, I think its
the student's responsibility to go to the professor, the dss office or
someone to find another reader.
Its the student's responsibility to learn the matterial and one should do
something about accessibility problems way before an exam.

Definately talk to the professor or write about the situation, but prior to
the exam!
I would say refusing to take the test because you could not prepare sends a
bad message.  So perhaps the student should take the exam and see how they
do.  If they fail the exam, that will teach them to be proactive and study
next time with a different reader or tutor.

I did not have issues with readers for preparing for tests in my one math
class I had.  But I did encounter the other part of this situation you
described.

I was in a math class and had to use a combo of large print and readers for
the text.  I could not get it in braille nor did rfb have it.
My class used an online assignment system called Course Compass.  As you
described, the software the math department uses for
> practice exercises and test preparation isn't at all accessible.  I was
> not able to do the practice exercises and test preparation online like
> other students because Course Compass was not accessible.  I use jaws.
So I did equivalent exercises from the text, the old fashioned way.  The
advantage of doing it online was you got immediate feedback whether your
answer was right or wrong.  But you can still practice the concepts and do
homework out of the textbook.  So there's a solution to test prep.  If the
software is inaccessible go back to doing it out of the textbook and write
your work by hand.

I think a situation  like this won't arise if a student is proactive and
addressess accessibility issues before an exam comes or better yet right
when the class starts.  I think such big accessibility issues like
inaccessible
software that is a big part of the class so you can prep for the exam,
should be addressed eary on.

Hth,
Ashley

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jamie Principato" <blackbyrdfly at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 2:23 PM
Subject: [nabs-l] Readers and Testing

> This is more a survey than anything. I'm asking this question so that I
> will
> be better able and more equipped to help someone that means a lot to me.
>
> If you're a student in a math class and the university you attend can't
> get
> you a brailled textbook, and the software the math department uses for
> practice exercises and test preparation isn't at all accessible, and your
> teacher assigns you a reader but no back-up reader, and your reader
> doesn't
> show up for the entire week before a big exam, possibly due to illness,
> what
> should you do? Should you still go and take the exam on test day even
> though
> you couldn't adequately prepare? Should you refuse to take the test until
> you are able to prepare properly? Should you try to write to the professor
> who assigned the reader about the situation even though at such a big
> university it seems like the professors just don't care about the needs of
> one of thousands of students? Please help... :(
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%40earthlink.net
>
> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus
> signature database 3816 (20090201) __________
>
> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
>
> http://www.eset.com
>
>
>

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nabs-l:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ntorcolini%40wavecable.com 