[nabs-l] Questions to Ask

Wed Jun 11 00:15:54 UTC 2014

Arielle,

Oh how lucky you were to have all course materials available via
course reserves! Only one of my Master's level classes this coming
semester has readings that are offered through course reserves, and I
know at least two of my required textbooks are not available through
Learning Ally or Bookshare. So I will likely have to get them from the
publisher in accessible format or else scan them with my Pearl. Not a
major inconvenience, but certainly more hassle than having all
materials automatically at one's fingertips!

You make some good points about there being more professor-student
interaction at the graduate level. I am only just now beginning my
program, but am already getting a sense that there is a difference in
that way as compared to undergrad. It does make sense though, since
graduate programs are on a more professional level and with more of a
narrowed focus. I think I personally will like that change.

Best,

Shickeytha

On 6/10/14, Arielle Silverman via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Zach,
>
> Although my Ph.D. was in a different field, I will say that in my
> experience with grad school, a disability services office really
> shouldn't be a huge requirement. In general, grad courses are small,
> and professors and grad students have much stronger one-on-one
> interaction. I always received any needed accommodations just by
> working with my professors. Furthermore, all course materials were
> made available electronically to everyone, not just to me. This is a
> big difference from undergrad where students have to fend for
> themselves to obtain textbooks and course readers. In grad school,
> especially in scientific disciplines, there is a much bigger focus on
> empirical papers, which are almost always available online through
> campus libraries or course reserves. The one reason I can think of
> where you might want to work with a DSS office might be if you want to
> get textbooks in Braille, but I'm not sure how much textbook reading
> you will be assigned.
>
> I would suggest applying to schools based on their programs and the
> quality of fit between your interests and those of the faculty. If you
> have a good working relationship with your mentor or mentors,
> everything else should fall into place. The mentor will have an
> interest in supporting your education and will do whatever is needed
> to make that happen. On the other hand, if your mentoring relationship
> is weak, you might find it harder to get the accommodations you need.
> Once you are admitted, you could certainly check out the DSS office,
> but I don't think it needs to be a priority when you're applying. Best
> of luck!
>
> Arielle
>
> On 6/10/14, zeynep sule yilmaz via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Hi Zack,
>>
>> One of my  neighborhood friends who is blind is doing his  PhD in
>> genetics.  Unfortionately, I don't have his number, but I can try to
>> find his email from other people. Would you like me to send his
>> contact info to you, if I can get it? Feel free to  contact with me,
>> if you are interested to talk to him.
>>
>> Thanks and good luck for the grad school!
>>
>> Zeynep
>>
>> 2014-06-10 10:51 GMT-05:00, Shickeytha Chandler via nabs-l
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>:
>>> Hi Zach,
>>>
>>> One thing I would recommend is start off by doing as much research as
>>> you can independently. By this I mean read everything available online
>>> about the program you are interested in, including but not limited to
>>> course descriptions, syllabi from previous semesters, etc. Then try to
>>> think about any accommodations you might need or problems that might
>>> arise in those specific classes and try to think of ways to work
>>> around those difficulties if they occur. In your discussions with the
>>> disability offices, you might bring up specific scenarios and see what
>>> their ideas would be for providing accommodations. If you have a State
>>> Vocational Rehabilitation counselor, you can also talk with him/her
>>> about what specific things that Agency can provide for you while in
>>> graduate school.
>>>
>>> I don't know much about genetics, but I get the impression that your
>>> program will be very science-intensive with lots of classes in
>>> biology, chemistry and the like. That is the area of study that I am
>>> least interested in and least skilled at, so I really do not have much
>>> to offer you in terms of advice, but I do know that the science
>>> classes I was required to take in undergrad were difficult for me with
>>> lots of visuals. So it might be a good idea to see if the disability
>>> office has a way of providing you with access to visual illustrations,
>>> presentations, etc. so that you can benefit from them as much as your
>>> peers.
>>>
>>> Best of luck!
>>>
>>> Shickeytha
>>>
>>> On 6/10/14, Zach Mason via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> Hi Group,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I'm applying for fall 2015 graduate programs in what I can best
>>>> describe
>>>> as
>>>> "genetics." As a graduate student, are there questions, or aspects
>>>> about
>>>> the
>>>> program I would be wise to inquire about of the Disabilities Offices?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Zac
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Zachary Mason
>>>>
>>>> Shepherd and Young Stock Manager
>>>>
>>>> Northwinds Farm
>>>>
>>>> (603) 922-8377 Work
>>>>
>>>> (603) 991-6747 Cell
>>>>
>>>>  <mailto:zmason at northwindsfarm@gmail.com>
>>>> zmason at northwindsfarm@gmail.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 806 U.S. Route 3
>>>>
>>>> North Stratford, NH 03590
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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