[nabs-l] Single Room: Opinions

[T. Joseph Carter]

Arielle, I just have a hard time imagining you needing a terribly 
large space to yourself.  *grin*  Of course, at my substantially 
larger size, a normal sized dorm room to me feels like living in a 
shoebox.

Joseph

On Sat, Apr 24, 2010 at 11:07:05AM -0600, Arielle Silverman wrote:
>Hi Chelsea and all,
>
>Don't get me started on this--when I was in college all the blind
>students were urged to get single rooms, for similar reasons as what
>you described. We were also urged to get the special
>wheelchair-accessible rooms at the end of the hall so we could have
>more space and our own bathroom. I ended up doing the single, but
>insisted on having a normal room in the middle of the hall so I
>wouldn't be so isolated from everyone else (not to mention appear more
>disabled than I really am to all my floormates). In hindsight I don't
>think having the single was bad, but it certainly wasn't necessary,
>and I do wonder if I would have been more socially active had I had a
>typical room with a roommate. I also had Braille books, but they
>generally fit on one or two shelves on a typical shelving unit. I
>think it depends on what equipment you will actually be bringing. I
>think most college students have a computer and printer in their dorm
>room, so if you bring a laptop or netbook (which takes up very little
>space), a scanner/printer/copier (same size as a printer and works
>just as well for scanning), and a Braille Note/Pac Mate (also tiny),
>you should be fine. Unless you anticipate getting entire books in
>Braille all at once, I don't think the Brailled chapters will take up
>much extra space (remember, sighted students have several print books
>too). I got my Braille books chapter-by-chapter, so I never had the
>whole book in my room at once.
>
>Finally, if you do decide to go the single room route, make sure
>you're being assigned to a typical room on the same floor you would
>normally. Residential life once tried to put me in a
>wheelchair-accessible room on an all-guys' floor, which I suppose may
>appeal to some women, but would have made social interaction very
>awkward, to say the least. Use the communal bathrooms if your hall has
>them and keep your door open and go to floor/dorm events if you want
>to get to know your dormmates and be part of the group.
>
>Arielle
>
>On 4/24/10, Beth <thebluesisloose at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I wouldn't recommend a single room.  I was put in one and in a remote
>> location, so watch where you live dorm wise.  It's hard for me to walk
>> everywhere and mobility has been a huge concern, so I'm med dropping
>> three of my classes.  It's really hard on me because if I need
>> something done and my computer freezes up, and I have Windows
>> Vista/Pista (don't ask), I have to knock on someone's door and they
>> usually help, but I've gotten people who aren't knowledgeable about
>> PC's.  So I have to be careful and I'd recommend a roommate until you
>> figure things out.
>> Beth
>>
>> On 4/24/10, Chelsea Cook <astrochem119 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hello NABSters,
>>>
>>>
>>> I will be starting college next fall. Likewise, I've been very busy
>>> getting everything worked out! Something brought up: It was suggested
>>> by a few blind friends that I try and obtain a single room (I will
>>> have many computers and a lot of Braille for my physics major.) I've
>>> shared a room before and totally intend to participate in dorm life.
>>> What do you guys think? From a practical standpoint, it seems like an
>>> enticing idea; just want a second opinion.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Chelsea
>>> --
>>> "I ask you to look both ways.  For the road to a knowledge of the
>>> stars leads through the atom; and important knowledge of the atom has
>>> been reached through
>>> the stars."
>>> Sir Arthur Eddington, British astrophysicist (1882-1944), Stars and
>>> Atoms (1928), Lecture 1
>>>
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>>
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>
>
>--
>Arielle Silverman
>President, National Association of Blind Students
>Phone:  602-502-2255
>Email:
>nabs.president at gmail.com
>Website:
>www.nabslink.org
>
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