[nabs-l] the test accomodations

Sat Apr 27 04:01:22 UTC 2013

The way it sounds is that the college is very unflexible. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie McGinnity
Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2013 11:53 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] the test accomodations

Maybe you should go to your professor(like others have suggested) and
see what you can work out.  Even if the professor doesn't want you
bringing in your own reader, you might be able to get a reader from
the department who knows how to read the material.  I would strongly
recommend that anyone using readers get one from the department.  I
mean that if you are taking a biology class for instance, you talk to
that department and the disability services office to use a student
from that department as your reader.

Like Arielle and Kaiti, I prefer to use Jaws when taking tests.  It is
faster, and with another student, I always felt judged when taking
tests.  Crazy, I know, but I used to be a lot more anxious about
tests.

To answer Kaiti, I used readers for a while two years ago when my
computer was sick with a very bad virus.  Other than that, the only
thing I used a reader for was music theory class.  This was before I
had the music software to complete assignments independently.  I had a
reader and scribe who would read assignments and tests to me and write
my answers.  This person was a student the music department found for
me.  I also had a reader for my first semester of German classes at
the university level.  She read my tests to me.  But I found that even
with German, it was easier to use jaws.  But in that case as well, the
department found me a reader who could read in German.

Although I still miss the days when I got all my tests in Braille,
being able to fill out answers and write essay tests on the computer
is good enough.  I think I prefer it because I know that with jaws, I
can finish the test as fast as the other students, so I take the test
in class.  That is really freeing.

On 4/27/13, Littlefield, Tyler <tyler at tysdomain.com> wrote:
>
> of course it sounds like a possible ADA case. And this is why nothing
> ever gets done. Something happens and everyone screaches "xomg ADA lets
> sue," and there are people happy to sue everyone because they might've
> made a funny face and that description of that funny face was not in the
> ADA manual.
>
> And that was basically my point. If the professor is working with the
> DSS office to figure out a way for you to take the test and they say no
> reader and that's what's agreed on between them, then there won't be a
> reader hired from outside. Ultimately it's up to the professor, but I'm
> just stating that I can see why there would be issues hiring readers
> from outside to take tests.
>   On 4/27/2013 9:03 PM, Arielle Silverman wrote:
>> No, a DSS office cannot legislate what you do outside of their office.
>> If you and the professor agree that you will use a reader you hired
>> yourself, the DSS office cannot step in and veto that arrangement you
>> worked out with your professor. The DSS office only has authority if
>> you give it to them by asking to take the test in their office.
>> Hiring your own readers for testing is only a problem if the professor
>> has an objection to it. Many professors are quite laid-back about
>> things like that, even if they are technically not quite in line with
>> school policy.
>>
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 4/26/13, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Sounds like a possible ADA case if it gets to far.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ashley
>>> Bramlett
>>> Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2013 10:21 PM
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] the test accomodations
>>>
>>> Arielle,
>>> oOh, um, this is a community college. I'm finished my BA degree but
>>> taking
>>> classes to further my studies and get a writing certificate. The class I
>>> need a competent reader for is religion.
>>> No a TA won't work. Also, Its community college.
>>> you make it sound easy. Gee, I do wish I could get my own readers. Gosh.
>>> I
>>> can think of like 20 people who would be competent readers and have a
>>> clue
>>> how to read such a test. But no, they don't allow me to do this.
>>>
>>> I do indeed have my own readers for studying and reading texts and
>>> looking
>>> up material and research, but
>>> no I cannot bring a reader to the exam. Personally, I think this is a
>>> legal
>>>
>>> matter and they need to change the policy so you can have the option to
>>> bring your own competent reader as an accomodation under the ADA. Its
>>> not
>>> fair, not equal access, and can cause one to get a lower
>>> grade using bad readers.
>>>
>>> Ashley
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Arielle Silverman
>>> Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2013 7:45 PM
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] the test accomodations
>>>
>>> You can also ask the professor if the teaching assistant can
>>> read/scribe your exam, if there is one for the class. Most teaching
>>> assistants are graduate students or advanced undergraduates in the
>>> department and should know the material well, and since they're
>>> trusted employees of the professor, they are trusted not to help you
>>> cheat. Plus, many TA's have nothing else to do during an exam and
>>> would otherwise just be sitting around. If the class has no teaching
>>> assistant, as in a community college, maybe the professor could read
>>> it for you and scribe your answers during office hours the day before
>>> the test or some such?
>>> I know that blind students have hired their own readers for testing,
>>> which allows them to pick people who are competent. Some disability
>>> services offices frown on this practice because they prefer to hire
>>> and manage readers themselves, but it's an option that's at least
>>> worth discussing with your professor, who might not care much.
>>> Arielle
>>>
>>> On 4/27/13, Suzanne Germano <sgermano at asu.edu> wrote:
>>>> I haven't used readers since I am a partial and use cctv but when I had
>>>> disabled students pay for a chemistry lab aid I insisted the person was
>>>> a
>>>> chem major and an A student.
>>>>
>>>> So maybe you could find your readers through the department. And then
>>>> you
>>>> interview them by having them read to you.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Apr 27, 2013 at 3:30 PM, Kirt <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I'm in the middle of the nightmare that is transferring between
>>>>> colleges,
>>>>> but the college I am leaving almost always provided me with competent
>>>>> and
>>>>> capable readers. Sure, they might pronounce a few words incorrectly
>>>>> But
>>>>> they knew how to read out loud.  I hope I don't run into the same
>>>>> problem
>>>>> you are dealing with right now and my next college.
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>
>>>>> On Apr 27, 2013, at 11:21 AM, "Ashley Bramlett"
>>>>> <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> As finals approach, I wanted to know what test accomodations you get.
>>>>>> Do
>>>>> you feel they are adaquate and meet your needs?
>>>>>> If you need a reader and person to scribe your answers on a scantron,
>>>>> how are they? Are they competent readers?
>>>>>> I'm going through a discriminatory situation now. Most my readers
>>>>>> were
>>>>> incompetent but I got around that by asking them to speak slower and
>>>>> repeat
>>>>> things; I mean they could not speak all that clearly and read fast and
>>>>> spoke to the paper not articulately to me. Many exams I took with jaws
>>>>> to
>>>>> avoid this; I feel this way is slower for me and a reader can directly
>>>>> mark
>>>>> my answers on a scantron as well as go back to questions I missed. If
>>>>> I
>>>>> need a reader scribe I should be given a competent reader.
>>>>>> I'll tell more about this specific test issue in another message.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Look forward to seeing your responses.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ashley
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>
>
> --
> Take care,
> Ty
> http://tds-solutions.net
> He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; he
that
> dares not reason is a slave.
> Sent from my Toaster (tm).
>
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-- 
Julie McG
National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16

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