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

Suzanne Germano sgermano at asu.edu
Fri Oct 30 07:49:33 UTC 2015


Your university and disabled student office seems horrible!

I have been at ASU for 3 years and never had a professor not give me slides
before they were used.

The way your school is I would consider filing a lawsuit. They are allowing
professors to get away with discrimination.

I am usually not one to back down but I think I would sue them and also go
to a better school

On Thu, Oct 29, 2015 at 8:58 PM, 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 we
>
>  eks 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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