[nabs-l] accomodations for english classes
Ashley Bramlett
bookwormahb at earthlink.net
Wed Feb 4 00:05:07 UTC 2015
Aleeha,
I’m glad to hear you got what you need. Anthologies are common in literature courses.
Wow, it seems like I’m the only one without accessible text.
I haven’t used bookshare, but I can via my school account if I need it.
Bookshare does not have my text. The book is Norton Anthology of Short Fiction.
They have a few norton anthologies when I searched but not this one.
I wish learning ally books spelled the names. I will have to either ask a reader for the spelling of names or ask a student in class.
Maybe I will ask a good classmate or two for that. I can only see my reader when she has time in her schedule.
I want to turn in quality work. I hate misspellings. I always edit my work even homework before turning it in.
Yet due to the nature of auditory learning, I cannot spell some of these names. I sound it out the best I can and make an educated guess.
For instance in the story Lost at C, I was not able to spell a few of the teachers’ names. I did preview it with a reader and asked her to skim for names and spell them. We got several down. But failed to catch the teachers he discussed because those fell later in the story.
I would imagine finding dialogue and spelling names is problematic for anyone doing it auditorily.
I guess those blind students before electronic text came out had issues like this.
You students with accessible electronic text are lucky.
I never had much need for the daisy text of bookshare because I can learn fine with most texts auditorily; besides, bookshare rarely had my textbooks anyway. However, I will add that I only took a few literature classes at college.
I have done college work with audio books and the very old fashioned human reader.
I had to research, and there is no way print is accessible without a reader.
I think I either will have to guess the spellings or ask a classmate. I guess I can note pages that have the names I need and ask students.
I have a meeting to with the professor tomorrow. I can ask him about grading as he did not explain it well; I will ask him if he takes off for spellings.
If he says yes, I will go back and revise my homework if he lets me.
I agree the college simply does not know their obligationn.
I do not know how to make a complaint though.
So does your college provide accessible electronic texts?
Ashley
They claim giving me electronic text is accomodating me, even though I explained that jaws may or may not read that format.
I said other colleges do convert things for students which made no difference.
From: Aleeha Dudley
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2015 9:13 AM
To: Ashley Bramlett ; National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] accomodations for english classes
I had to use the Norton Anthology in my english classes and believe I was able to get it from Bookshare in an accessible format. Yes, the file is huge, but at least it was accessible. You should definitely research how to make a complaint about accessibility at your university. This sounds like yet another case of a college just not knowing what they are obligated to provide for their blind students.
Aleeha Dudley and Seeing Eye Dog Dallas
Vice President, Ohio Association of Guide Dog Users
Vice President, Ohio Association of Blind Students
Both proud divisions of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
Email: blindcowgirl1993 at gmail.com
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.
“The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse’s ears.” - Arabian proverb
On Feb 2, 2015, at 9:09 PM, Ashley Bramlett via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
Carl,
Again, the school denied my request to convert to a different format.
She said the text comes in pdf and it has to stay that way for security reasons.
They are being difficult. They have the conversion software which is adobe pro.
They just will not do it.
The school knows about the website accessibility issues too, and fails to fix them. Me and a blind staff member and student told them of it.
I need to see the text. Learning ally is not working well for me for a lit class.
I do like your idea of the braille display. I can use the notetaker's braille display hooked to the pc.
That, or, I can see if putting the text file on a USB drive and placing the drive in the BrailleNote will work.
Then I can read the pdf on the notetaker and forget the step of the pc.
I'll just have to see what happens when the file comes. I'm just so frustrated with the school, northern virginia community college. nova for short.
I would think they would want to be helpful, not make excuses.
The norton anthology text is so big, I will have to experiment and see what size USB drive I need to put it on.
Ashley
-----Original Message----- From: Karl Martin Adam
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2015 6:17 PM
To: Ashley Bramlett ; National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] accomodations for english classes
If you have a Braille display you can connect it to your
computer, and it should display anything your computer can read.
It doesn't have to be a BRF file. Similarly, you can connect
your notetaker to the computer and use it as a braille display or
read files on it directly. Many schools don't have conversion
software to make the PDF into something else, and anyway,
converting it won't make the words unsmoosh. If it's really a
big deal for you, try using robobraille or one of the other
conversion services out there.
----- Original Message -----
From: Ashley Bramlett via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 2 Feb 2015 17:41:12 -0500
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] accomodations for english classes
This is a copy for the list.
Hi Lucy and all,
thanks for the responses.
Unfortunately, I was informed that I will get a pdf file only.
I requested it from the school and am waiting. They denied my
request to
convert it to a text based format even though other colleges do
that.
This community college is just difficult, IMO. Its an elective
thankfully so
if I have to miss copying quotes because I cannot go find them,
its not such
a big deal.
Lucy,
I wish I could use my braille display, but I do not have a brf
file and
never will.
I checked bookshare.
They do not have this book.
The text is Norton Anthology of short fiction. The seventh
edition.
If you can assist me, I'll write off list.
Just let me know, and which email you want me to use.
Thanks.
Ashley
-----Original Message-----
From: Lucy Sirianni
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2015 3:17 AM
To: Ashley Bramlett ; National Association of Blind Students
mailing list
Subject: re: [nabs-l] accomodations for english classes
Hi Ashley,
As a doctoral candidate in English and a college-level English
instructor, let me take a stab at answering just a few of your
questions.
First, I would encourage you to obtain the text in a format you
can access via Braille display. This will not only allow you to
access them in class but will also make it much easier to
integrate quotes into your writing, as you can simply paste them
into your analysis. Many of the Norton anthologies are available
via Bookshare. If the one you're using isn't, feel free to
contact me directly, as I frequently teach from various Norton
anthologies and may be able to point you toward an accessible
version of the one assigned for your class.
Second, I would ask for both comments and handouts to be sent to
you electronically. These are very reasonable accommodations to
request and ones I routinely offer students with no inconvenience
to myself. Assuming you do indeed have a note-taker, you
shouldn't need the handouts too far in advance of class, so the
professor shouldn't need to alter his or her schedule of lesson
planning substantially.
I haven't worked with Blackboard or with texts in audio format,
so I can't offer any input on your other questions, but please
don't hesitate to be in touch if I can help with anything else.
Enjoy the course!
Lucy
----- Original Message -----
From: Ashley Bramlett via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 23:24:54 -0500
Subject: [nabs-l] accomodations for english classes
Hi all,
I?셫 taking a literature elective. A year or so back, I tried
taking one and wrote to you all about a professor not interested
in accomodating me.
He showed videos of the literature he used and I would not be
able to access that outside class with a reader among other
issues.
Fortunately, my new professor for short story seems nice and
willing to help. No videos are used and his class is very
auditory with lots of discussion; sometimes in small groups and
sometimes as a whole class.
Here are my questions and concerns though.
Note that I have the book in audio form now, but am looking for
it in text form and may ask my dss office to get it from the
publisher. I generally have found publisher files unfriendly
though as its pdf. the words are often smashed together and
words are broken up with hyphens as jaws reads them.
But, I might need to try that way as I really need to see the
text and spelling of some words. Otherwise, I may have to pay a
reader to read some of the stories where Learning ally readers
are low quality or in situations where I need to see the spelling
and quotes in the story.
What ideas do you have for these issues.
1. The class is asked to bring their texts and reference
passages for discussion.
So far, the prof or a student reads the quotes to me. But I am
at a disadvantage not seeing the quotes in their context. Other
students can read further past the quote or skim the page to
refresh their memory where the passage came from.
Do you bring an accessible copy of the book to class? for
instance, a brf file or text file on your braille notetaker.
2. We have to write about the readings either a reading journal
response or discussion board.
After writing them, how has your professor given you feedback?
Do you ask for it electronically so you can read his/her
response?
In the past, I?셶e handed in homework and professors wrote it by
hand like everyone else; they would go over it with me if I asked
or I just asked my reader to read it over.
But, since the prof does it electronically via blackboard, maybe,
he could write the feedback in the paper.
3. For the discussion boards, is that accessible? I use jaws 15.
If you had issues, what were they? They use blackboard and we
have to not only have to write a new post but also comment on
them as well, and I don?셳 know if I will be able to comment on
them. I know I could not years ago in an english class.
4. How do you work quotes into your reading responses or essays?
Doing this auditorily is harder and I hope I can get this book in
text soon.
The only way I can think of is to copy it carefully verbatum on
my braille note first as I?셫 reading.
I cannot go back like everyone else and skim for quotes and then
pick what I want to. I?셪l have to think about it as I read and
copy it down as I listen.
Is it okay to start a paragraph with the quote or should I
explain it and then quote it?
5. Our responses have to be a certain word count or more. I use
word 2010. How do I find the word count?
Also when using handouts in class for activities, how do you
access them? Just use another student as a reader? That?셲 what
I?셶e usually done.
I was considering trying to get handouts ahead of time, but I
don?셳 think the professor preps too far in advance.
Thanks.
Ashley
_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
for nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/lucysirianni%
40earthlink.net
_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/blindcowgirl1993%40gmail.com
More information about the NABS-L
mailing list