[nabs-l] Dealing with Science Labs

[Melissa]

Good evening.  I can help, a little anyway.  I am a junior at the U of
Minnesota, majoring in nutrition and dietary science.  I have taken at least
6 chemistry courses, 2 biology courses, including micro, anatomy and
physiology which includes labs, and am currently in biochemistry.  Until
biochem, all of my labs were at a local community college, at which I was
the first blind person, and I graduated with honors.  So, that being said,
the first thing to do is ask them to find you a laboratory assistant who has
previously taken the course.  They can use work study to pay this person.
With this assistant, you will need to give them explicit instructions as to
what you want them to do, and they will perform the task for you.  For
example, if you want them to calibrate the spectrometer to a specific
setting, you instruct the to do so.  Then you would instruct them to prepare
the sample just so, then read you the results, which you are responsible for
recording and interpreting.  Having someone who has previously taken the
course as your lab assistant will help because they will know what
information is pertinent and what is not.
I would also suggest forming a close and snuggly relationship with your
professor and lab technician, who can be very valuable assets.
I am more than happy to be of any assistance that I can, I am a science
nerd.  Feel free to write me off list if you have further questions.  Please
though, take full advantage of this opportunity, I love it when the visually
impaired take courses that raise other's eyebrows.
Warmly,
Melissa
Melissa Riley
jamandgab at izoom.net
riley365 at umn.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jorge Paez
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 2:21 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Dealing with Science Labs

I don't know the specifics because I've never been in this particular
Science field, but I'd say the most important thing is to ask for a reader.

That way, if anything comes up that you MUST know, you can always ask them.

 


On Jan 31, 2011, at 3:17 PM, Brian Wooten wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> I am taking Astronomy this semester and I would like to get some 
> feedback, pointers and suggestions on how to deal with labs which are 
> quite visual. For example, measuring with calipers and micrometers, 
> interpreting spectroscopes, using Planetarium software, etc.
> 
> I attend a small community college and they don't know how to deal 
> with blind students. I am not sure what to ask of them.  Any 
> suggestions?
> 
> --
> Brian
> 
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