[nabs-l] Chemistry for the Blind

[Anna Givens]

Hi Rebecca.  
Thanks for reaching out to the list.  I am a junior in college majoring in Biology.  There are many chemistry classes involved with that.  I am in one now.  
There are many ways to do chemistry lab work as a blind student.  Arielle provided you with some good websites to look at.  
The device you are referring to that can identify colors is a Lab Quest sold by Independence Science.  It can do many things, and is certainly a good tool.  I currently don't use one for a number of reasons.  But it's worth looking into, although you may want to just do the work you can with your partner.  Everyone is different and has different preferencesof how to do things.  
I have someone that is paid by my University to assist me in lab, and I also work with a lab partner.  My assistant is there to essential explain visual aspects of things (for example: "The solution is turning blue" "The chemical is dissolving partially." "The water in the flask is at the 45.5 cm mark." etc.)
He also can help me with handling equipment if necessary.  This way I can participate fully in lab without having to do the things that are visual.  The important thing is to understand HOW to use the equipment, how to do the technique, etc.  As long as you understand how to do everything in the lab enough to be able to explain to another person, then that is all that matters.  Actually doing it is not the point.  There are many ways of doing things and many tools you can use in chemistry as a blind student.  
Please feel free to contact me off-list is you would like, and we discuss this further.  
Thanks

Anna E Givens

> On Mar 19, 2015, at 4:49 PM, Arielle Silverman via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Rebecca, and welcome to the list. I am totally blind, and I took
> chemistry in high school and college. It was very simple and safe. My
> lab partner mixed the chemicals and described what was happening, and
> I took notes and wrote lab reports. Chemistry class is mostly about
> doing the math to balance equations and testing hypotheses. Only a
> tiny portion of the class is actually about mixing the chemicals. I've
> known several totally blind people who did chemistry, including people
> who have Ph.D.'s in chemistry. You absolutely can do it using the
> methods you mentioned. Now there are technologies you can use to
> perform some measurements independently, which didn't exist when I was
> in high school 15 years ago.
> Please check out
> www.independencescience.com
> and
> www.ncbys.org
> to learn more about how blind people participate in chemistry. Print
> out pages from these websites and show them to your teacher and TVI.
> Do your parents support your desire to take chemistry? If they do, see
> if your mom or dad would be willing to contact the principal of your
> school and request a meeting to explain how you can, and should, take
> chemistry with everyone else. By not allowing you to take chemistry,
> your teachers are limiting what you can study in college and what
> careers you can perform. As you say, we need to raise expectations.
> Best, Arielle
> 
>> On 3/19/15, Mikayla Gephart via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPad
>> 
>>> On Mar 19, 2015, at 5:53 PM, Rebecca Weber via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>>> On Mar 19, 2015, at 5:42 PM, Rebecca Weber <weberrebecca232 at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Hello NABS.
>>>> This is my first email on this list. Let me say that it’s awesome to find
>>>> a list that is designed for blind students. We are raising expetations
>>>> everyday.
>>>> My name is Becca Weber and I attend Archbishop John Carroll High School
>>>> in Pennsylvania. I have had a lot of frustrations here, particularly with
>>>> my team. I feel that they focus too much on vision. So, that’s why I’m
>>>> reaching out to you. I am wanting to take chemistry next year, but this
>>>> has been shut down because of safety reasons. I would like to point out
>>>> that I have, I believe, 20-500 vision. I think, so this may be different.
>>>> I have cooked by myself with no help at all sometimes. I am wondering how
>>>> a blind student could take chemistry?
>>>> I have some iddeas
>>>> -bottles of chemicals could be labeled in braille
>>>> -measuring chemicals with a caring
>>>> -Having a partner to describe the chemicals to me, but I can see color
>>>> -using a device called a math quest I think.
>>>> Anything else please email me.
>>>> Thank you so much for your help.
>>>> Have a nice day.
>>>> Becca
>>> 
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