[nabs-l] One can live without disability services and others

Tue Dec 16 02:39:43 UTC 2014

I personally would not trust myself to honestly to do a take-home exam.
Also, as has been pointed out previously, family support is not as accessible in some cases, for example, where there is a complete lack of support, or if a student lives farther away from home, like I am planning.
While I agree that disability services should not hold her hands for us and do everything, I do not think that they should be completely dismissed. I think, if used in moderation, and effectively, the DSS office can be a valuable tool for success.
Granted, I do not have experience with disability services offices directly because I am a junior in high school still. However, from stories I have heard on here, and other stories I have heard through friends, I have formed my own opinion.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 15, 2014, at 8:45 PM, Karl Martin Adam via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> As someone who is going to become a college professor, I would never allow a student to take a test unproctored.  I've had professors offer to let me do that, and once or twice I have just out of convenience, but I have too many blind friends who use their blindness as an excuse to take tests on their notetakers or worse yet at home so they can cheat by looking at the book and their notes.  The level of cheating that goes on in DSS offices is horrifying (I know, I've worked there) without even getting into giving blind people the chance to take in class exams as takehomes.
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Michael D Ausbun via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> To: Gerardo Corripio <gera1027 at gmail.com>, "National Association of BlindStudents mailing list" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 22:28:37 +0000
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] One can live without disability services and others
> 
> Hello Gerardo:
>    First, I’d like to say that your experience is admirable and definitely worthwhile and one that ought to be heard; after all, as you pointed out, a large majority of blind individuals belief or seem to believe: if there is no disability service, then failure is inevitable.
>    With that said, however, I must point out a few things which are necessary, in order for something like your story to work successfully.
> 1)    A student must have family support. In some cases, especially when an individual is not an only child, family members may not always be able or willing to assist a student to the degree which is necessary (I.E. reading papers, recording books etc.). If there is zero family support, the chance of success is exponentially decreases, for both sited folks and blind.
> 2)    A student must have professor(s) trust. I also have had occasions where professors have given me the exam to take home or to do away from my disability center. In my case, it was either because the professor did not want to deal with the Disability services office or they did not trust the disability services office (professors are interesting creatures). In either case, if a professor gives you the exam like this, they have to trust that you will not cheat in some way shape or form. Many students, if they do not advocate well, never reach this level of trust with their instructors.
> 3)    Technology rocks, that is, if you manage to get your hands on technology which can help you succeed, then you may not need a disability center; however, most students don’t have the technology, which you stated, so most need the DSS in order to succeed in this case.
> Of course, there are other ways for individuals to do things without the disability services getting involved; for instance, I always request my books from bookshare, so I don’t have to worry about the disability center not getting them to me on time. I think though, the key fact is that the disability center provides students with a safety blanket. You don’t have to advocate as much nor do you have to stress as much. If you go through a disability services center, then nine times out of ten they assist you in shouldering your burden. This, for a lot of people, can and probably does, act as relief.
>    I hope I addressed your concerns adequately.
> Respectfully,
> Michael
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Gerardo Corripio via nabs-l [nabs-l at nfbnet.org]
> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2014 1:57 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: [nabs-l] One can live without disability services and others
> 
> HI guys
> It's interesting how you've guys talked about how the world comes
> crashing down when the Disability service in the college doesn't Braille
> out tests, make books available etc., so I wonder how do you think I
> managed in a country where disability services aren't heard of or known?
> By talking with the teachers, suggesting techniques for instance at
> first, they allowed me to take the tests home, and have my parents read
> me the tests and i'd answer on the computer and print them out, turning
> them to the teachers the next day as if it were homework; as the
> semesters wore on, the teachers graduated to seeing them in the
> classroom in a time when my classmates were out eating lunch or other
> activities, and orally test me; another time, I installed Jaws on the
> college's computer and I'd go and take the test there with the teacher
> in that she'd read me the questions, and I'd type in the answers,
> printing it out afterwards, generally before my classmates took the test
> in the classroom, but can you believe when the tech guys did computer
> maintainance, they erased my copy of Jaws?
> Books and other written assignments? During the first semester or so, my
> parents mostly, but also from time to time other family members,
> recorded the chapters on cassettes, to which I'd listen, and take notes
> on an old Toshiba Laptop running Keysoft my parents had bought while in
> the States; as the second semester ended, however, I guess I was lucky
> because the university donated for my use, a PC with kurzweil1000 and a
> scanner, to which I afterwards put on Jaws and did all my assignments on
> there; they also donated me a NoteTaker, the Braille Lite 2000 for
> taking notes etc; as I say again, maybe it was luck, because I've
> contacted other college students, and they only dream of having these
> technologies! I guess it's one of the advantages of having gone to a
> private college, and not a public university? So there you have it;
> perseverance/determination, wins! Also support from family mostly, and
> teachers, except for those who dinde'didn't believe in my abilities and
> made the semester a nightmare! So what do you guys think? are these
> experiences worthwhile?
> 
> --
> Enviado desde mi lap
> Gerardo J Corripio Flores Psicólogo, Terapéuta Reiki
> Saludos desde Tampico, Tamaulipas México
> RompiendoBarreras espacio de psicología/Superación Personal Sábados 10PM México http://radiogeneral.com ¡los esperamos!
> 
> 
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