[nabs-l] the test accomodations

Sun Apr 28 08:12:44 UTC 2013

Hi,

My experience thus far with community colleges is that they are indeed
smaller, but the professors are also not very used to having students
with disabilities other than mild learning ones.  (I'm trying to get
set up at one for summer classes myself, and they flip out once I
mention braille or anything to try to work things out).  You kind of
have to kick the teaching thing into overdrive a bit; I mean it's
important everywhere you go, but I think more so in community colleges
and places like that.  Try suggesting to the prof that a student
higher up in the courses of the department or something be the reader
during office hours.  This way the prof can oversee the administration
of the test, but you would get a decent reader who would know the
pronunciations.  Also, the prof could jump in if necessary.

I know universities are different from colleges, but I've found that
even in subjects where the tests are very long and drawn out the prof
will usually be willing to work with me if I just ask and tell him
what my needs are.  E.G.  My music theory and aural skills professor
will let me finish tests in his office if I need extra time.  We do a
lot of outside coordinating to make sure I get all the files I need to
do my homework and such anyway, but as long as I ask he's pretty
willing to work with me.  Just cut out the middle man and try asking
your professor if you can take the test under their supervision with
another reader in their office or somewhere else they feel would work.

On 4/28/13, Littlefield, Tyler <tyler at tysdomain.com> wrote:
> Ashley:
> I'm not sure what you mean by compitant. I've had people read from all
> ranges. There are people that read slower, but your two concerns ("They
> talk to the paper" and "'tThey don't know arabic words") are pretty far
> out there.
>
> First, they're going to be looking at the paper that they're reading.
> its physically impossible, unless they were to turn to face you for them
> to be looking straight at you. I'm not sure if this is a problem, but
> try sitting across from them at a table if you must be facing them.
> Second, if they mumble or have issues this is problematic and I suggest
> finding someone else. If you are unable to find a reader from department
> x, know that said reader probably won't know all the words, and it will
> be up to you guys to work things out to try to figure out what they
> mean. If they're reading from the book, flip to the back where there's
> generally a glossary.
>
> What it comes down to is you are blind, and as a result you have to make
> your own accomidations. You can scream and hollar about ADA as much as
> you want, but it doesn't matter. When they outright violate your rights,
> that's when you need to scream about ADA. When your reader isn't
> perfect, it needs to be accepted as one of the points to doing business,
> and you as the student needs to work it out. I'm not saying you need to
> lay down and take everything--I fully agree that you should complain
> about the math issue you mentioned. What I am saying though is you'll
> get a lot farther if you are willing to be flexable and acknowledge and
> accept that this won't be a perfect shot. It's something you have to
> deal with unless you want to find alternative means to getting the books
> that you need.
>
>
> I just want to throw one more thing out there at you. Being in college,
> as lame as it may sound really does get you ready for later work life.
> I've seen numerous complaints about professor x y and z for the last few
> semesters; if you're in a job, you already have to overcome the "wow
> she's blind" factor most of the time. Refusing to be flexable or work
> with people won't do you any good. You might call up the ADA, but when
> it really comes down to it, people can find a good reason to drop you
> eventually if they want to, and they don't even have to tell you it's
> because you're blind and unflexable. People don't have to hire you if
> they don't want to, and they don't have to tell you it's because you're
> blind; they can tell you someone else got the job and hand it to the
> loser who got half your GPA if they really want to. Again, it doesn't
> mean you should take everything, but I feel like you could problem solve
> some of these issues a lot more if you were willing to accept people's
> ideas and get outside the box, and starting now can only help you in the
> future.
>
> Good luck,
> On 4/27/2013 10:18 PM, Ashley Bramlett wrote:
>> Arielle,
>> I was told I have to use their readers by the dss office. I will check
>> the student handbook and the disability website to check on policies.
>> But I believe that I cannot use my own reader. Believe me, I'd love to
>> have another staff member or another student assist me who can read.
>>
>> My accomodations are between me and the professor to some extent. but
>> when I take a test in the testing center, it is my understand I have
>> to follow their rules. One rule might be I have to use their readers
>> from the dss office. But I will see if such a policy is written down.
>> I'll ask my counselor who tells me this to get me that policy. Ashley
>>
>> -----Original Message----- From: Arielle Silverman
>> Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2013 10:28 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] the test accomodations
>>
>> Again, who is "they"? Brining your own reader is a valid testing
>> accommodation that blind students have used. I haven't because I
>> prefer to use JAWS, but several of my blind friends have done this.
>> A disabilities office can choose what accommodations to provide
>> students, but they cannot tell you which available accommodations you
>> can use and which you can't. That decision is between you and the
>> professor to make.
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 4/27/13, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> 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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>>>>>
>>>>>
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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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-- 
Kaiti