[nabs-l] SO MANY ACCOMMODATION ISSUES! Advice needed!

Tue Nov 3 06:01:44 UTC 2015

Yah, and I hear from those who work with accommodations that, sometimes they are still handed print paperwork. It cones back to poor design and simple bad attitudes. 

Sent from my iPad

> On Oct 31, 2015, at 10:52 AM, Steve Jacobson via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Sometimes, though, one has to make a choice as to what their goal is in
> taking a course.  I suspect that if one wanted to make a case that
> blackboard presentations constitute written materials, they might win after
> a long battle, but I doubt it is for certain.  For example, I doubt the ADA
> would cover a teacher using a blackboard to answer a question that was asked
> in class, where there was no advanced planning.  That happened often when I
> was in school and I doubt that has changed.  Further, whether the school is
> right or wrong, one does not have the same sort of protection in many jobs.
> It is worth developing one's ability to deal with information in less than
> accessible forms now rather than having to do it on the job when it could
> affect one's performance.  It is always a balancing act to figure out when
> one is morally correct but it might mean having to take a class again or
> whether one should concentrate on learning the subject matter.  I am not
> trying to say one or the other is always right, only that one has to pick
> one's battles in life, and I suspect the blackboard business is not going to
> be clearcut, even if it is true that the professor is being a bit of a jerk.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Steve Jacobson
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Karl Martin
> Adam via nabs-l
> Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2015 9:35 AM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Karl Martin Adam <kmaent1 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] SO MANY ACCOMMODATION ISSUES! Advice needed!
> 
> DO you even know what the ADA does?  For one thing, it makes what 
> this school is doing illegal.  Schools are required by law to 
> provide all written materials in accessable formats, either 
> accessable lab equipment or lab assistents, etc.  Sure they 
> sometimes break the law like this school is doing, but people 
> break the law against murder too, and that doesn't make laws 
> against murder "a joke."
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: wmodnl wmodnl via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list 
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Sat, 31 Oct 2015 08:19:45 -0400
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] SO MANY ACCOMMODATION ISSUES! Advice 
> needed!
> 
> The ADA is a joke of a piece of legislation as it relates to 
> providing access for the blind other than the sometimes 
> availability of braille signs you may find in a building. What a 
> waist of overnment services.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> On Oct 30, 2015, at 12:00 AM, chelsea peahl via nabs-l 
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I am in dier need of advice!This is my first semester returning 
> to school after taking a year-long leave of absence to receive 
> blindness training in Utah. I may have entered this semester too 
> confidently, but I felt like I could better advocate for myself, 
> but this semester may get the better of me.
> I'm not just dealing with accessibility or accommodation issues 
> in one or two classes, but all of them plus with my universities 
> accessibility center. (ASD) Here is just a glimpse of whats 
> happening
> Math: Everything is done on the board. He uses no technology in 
> his class, and is not open to trying anything. I cannot see 
> anything happening, and so have had to teach myself math this 
> semester off of YouTube videos. He does not have office hours, 
> and does not respond to emails. My midterm was not emailed to the 
> ATC to be made accessible until the day of the midterm, and that 
> is what has happened with several tests as well. I have a 
> notetaker, but having to rely on her notes isn't enough for a 
> math class. We have since tried using a transcriber, but because 
> I have to make the font so large to read it, most problems do not 
> fit on the screen. I am unable to see a problem start to finish 
> because the program kicks me to wherever the person is typing and 
> I am unable to look back. We have since discontinued this service 
> because it wasn't working for me. We are looking for a new option 
> to fill this. (ATC is looking at trying a video magnifier, but we 
> won't have access to one for weeks to try, then we will have to 
> purchase one which will take a few additional weeks, and by the 
> time it arrives, the semester will be over.
> HIstory: I have a notetaker who is decent in there, but access 
> to slides is a joke. I did not receive slides until the day 
> before the midterm for the semester. How do you study for a 
> midterm when you get the information the day before. I have yet 
> to receive any slides since our midterm 2 weeks ago. I talk to 
> him daily almost begging for the slides, but it has yet to 
> happen.
> Music: I have an intro to music class online. I learned that my 
> accommodation letter was never sent (thats how my university does 
> it for online classes) and therefore I have no accommodations for 
> my tests within that class. I am working my hardest to get them, 
> but its after midterms, so I may never receive accommodations for 
> the course.
> English: My english class is a joke. It has been since the 
> beginning. At first, my professor tried sending me into the 
> hallways for our daily quizzes (I haven't figured out why) 
> Everything is done on the board through powerpoint and other 
> sources daily, and the only thing I am ever given access to is 
> the quiz (Printed). She has emailed me asking if I was going to 
> drop her class, has refused to give me quizzes with the class, 
> calls out my blindness almost daily, and doesn't give me access 
> to any extra credit that the rest of my class gets. Because I am 
> unable to see the board, and she is unwilling to help me, I am 
> left to figure everything out on my own. (which sucks. If Im 
> paying to take a class, maybe she should teach me that subject) 
> Just today, she sent me another email saying the stuff shown 
> overhead isn't that important...and if I thought it was unfair, I 
> should go talk to her. (I talk to her DAILY to no avail!) I have 
> since been advised by ASD to not return to her class until 
> further notice. (which is stressful because we have daily quizzes 
> that can't be made up.) I also have a notetaker, but I'm lucky to 
> receive a few sentences of notes once a week.
> ASD: My councilors was of accommodating me with the struggles in 
> my classes was to offer to buy professors larger markers and to 
> tell me to walk to the board if I can't see it. (I'm legally 
> blind at 20/400 and 20/600 vision, and declining.) I have brought 
> up these issues since first week, and he never tried to approach 
> the situation in the slightest. After weeks of fighting, I 
> finally got someone to listen to me. (our amazing Lab Tech, 
> Jenna! She has gone above and beyond her job to help me, and I 
> couldn't thank her enough.) When she heard there was this big of 
> a problem, she has been working to try and help me solve this. I 
> have since gone through a councilor change to try and get 
> something done, and yet, nothing is happening. (other than a few 
> emails sent.)
> Its past midterms. My grades are suffering because of this all, 
> and its not my fault! I'm frustrated! My grades aren't due to 
> laziness or not doing the work, they are from test scores because 
> how can you study when you are never given the information?!
> It has been advised to file a formal grievance against the 
> university, but I still hold on to hope that things will get 
> better, but I have fought all semester. I have talked to 
> professors almost daily. I've stated these issues since the 
> beginning. I have fought with the ASD more than once a week. I 
> have had to get a new councilor, and have sat through multiple 
> meetings a week with the ASD and ATC. I have had to threaten a 
> formal grievance, (and may have to file one.) I overall feel like 
> I'm becoming the ASD "Problem client" and thats the last thing I 
> want. I just want access to my classes! I know I should pick my 
> battles, but if I back down now, I'm backing down for the next 
> three years or longer, and I'm not willing to do that! This is my 
> education, and I deserve access just like everyone else! This is 
> definitely taking a tole on me!
> I need your advice on where to go from here. I have more 
> meetings tomorrow and throughout next week, and I need to get 
> them to hear my voice, and what may have been helpful to you!
> Thank you! Chelsea Peahl
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