[nabs-l] inaccessibility in the class may end up costing me a passing grade!

[annajee82 at gmail.com]

Abby,
I'm sorry to hear about the troubles you are experiencing in your English class.  Unfortunately, these types of issues are all too common.  
Although I am not completely sure about all the conversations you have had with your professor, I would suggest not going above your professor's head, ie. Going to his supervisor, unless absolutely necessary.  Unfortunately, professors are often rather clueless on how to work with students with disabilities and so relay all that responsibility to the school's disability office.  The school is required to provide you with some kind of accommodation that would allow you to get your work done.  If there is a specific coordinator in the disability office you work with, I believe it is important to have conversation with that person about the very specific issues you are having, if this is not helping, you may speak to the disability office supervisor, but I would tell your coordinator that you would like to do that.  There should also be an ADA coordinator at your school.  It may be helpful to set up a meeting with the ADA coordinator and professor and you.  It's difficult because there are so many people to go through and all these little policies that they're working with, and you are just trying to get your work done.  
I think the most important thing is to advocate for yourself to your professor in such a way that he better understands what it is you need; because he does not  seem to understand that now.  Sometimes bringing in another person, either someone from a disability office, or even another blind student or professional who has had experience with these things is helpful, if the professor is not understanding.
I guess at this point, there is some urgency in your situation, and you should stay in contact with your professor, explain the situation to him, again, perhaps with someone else present.  Approach from not from a place of frustration, but from a place of "here is why I have not been able to do ...x, y, and z."  Be appreciative of what he HAS done, and present possible solutions.  
It doesn't sound like your professor is completely uncaring about your situation.
Hope some of this helps.  

Anna E Givens



> On Nov 23, 2015, at 10:44 AM, Abby Bolling via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> So, I have been having so many problems with my English class in that even with all of your advice, I can not get the comments feature in MS word to work properly.
> So I have talked with and emailed my professor extensively all semester and we have agreed that he would put his comments in parenthesis.
> The problem is, he hasn't!
> I received an email this morning that consisted of him telling me that since I had not turned in any acceptable final drafts, I could not pass the class. he went on to say that I did nothing with the comments he provided which would have made my papers a lot better.
> I have since emailed his supervisor to explain what has been going on, because I refuse to accept a failing grade because a professor would not listen to accommadations that he had agreed upon in writing, and spoken word many times.
> Should I push further and harder with the supervisor if I don't hear from him in the next few days? I did get an email back from him saying that he and I could not meet today, but he would look into the situation and talk with my teacher early tomorrow morning.
> What would you all do in this situation?
> Also, a few of my teachers assignments are completed on a website called pilot.
> The conversation boards on pilot are almost completely inaccessible.
> I can read other students postings, burt I can not reply to them at all. I have tried to inform my teacher of this problem as well. His response was that he was sorry that technology wasn't working, but that I should work with Disability Services more! My problem is I have already informed ODS (several times) about this acce3ssibility problem, as well as the inaccessible of outlook webmail (which wright state uses for their email provider,) and nothing has been done.
> So where do I go next?
> 
> Thanks,
> Abigail Bolling
> 
> 
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