[nabs-l] Equipment Coming In

[Jewel S.]

Hey all,
I got my VictorStream Reader today, and have it authorized for RFBD
already and have the process started for NLS books.

DSB says that my equipment is coming in and as soon as all of it is in
(except the VictorStream, which was shipped directly to my apartment),
they'll deliver it and get me set up and start learning it. This from
the people who said they likely wouldn't have it until the end of
semester...I am so mad that I dropped my classes now, since it's only
3 weeks into classes now. I wish I had waited until the final drop
date.

So I'm saying Yay for my stuff, but Grrrrr that now I have to wait
till next semester to get going with school.

In the meantime, I'm going to be on DSB's butt about this. In NC, the
funds are not released until August 1, which is two weeks before
school starts...this gives no time for equipment to get shipped in in
time for school to start. This means that any student who needs
equipment to be able to work to their full ability in class can't
start in the fall but must wait until Spring semester. That's
ridiculous, in my mind. I wasn't able to keep up with classes on the
first week even because I didn't have even basic tools, like a way of
taking notes that didn't hurt me more than it helped or a good
accessible way of reading textbooks in class. Now I have the
VictorStream, so that'll be good for next semester, and they already
have my laptop (though they won't release it until all of the stuff
comes in).

Does anyone else have trouble with late funding release in their
state? My local president and state president are pushing me to
self-advocate this, but I'm having trouble speaking up for myself (I'm
a bit timid in person), and I'm really not sure what I should be
demanding. Any suggestions on what I should be doing here? I think I
need to advocate for the fund release date to be changed to allow more
time, and I know I need to advocate for more students being allowed
into the college prep class at the Voc Rehab (they have a 15 week
maximum, and there was  a really long waiting list for college prep,
so I was unable to get into the college prep class at all). I'm also
hoping to see if they'll let me back in the voc rehab for intensive
college prep training to make up for the training I didn't get when I
was there full-time. They do allow intensive training (one week of
working on one subject only), but it is usually computer training, and
there is only one teacher there who can teach a scanner, one of the
things I'll need to learn, and she's the one who teaches the college
prep *and* consumer education classes, plus she has an intern she's
supervising, *and* she teaches a cooking class)...they have this poor
woman way overworked., and they aren't helping the students meet all
their goals by having a limited college prep placements...

It's all a bit mess, and any suggestions, ideas, or advice would be
gratly appreciated. And horray for my equipment coming in finally!

~Jewel

-- 
~Jewel
Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com