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

Sat Oct 31 16:59:39 UTC 2015

The black board has a solution for the most part either a paid notetaker or
a classmate notetaker.

It sounds like the original poster goes to a school where discrimination
runs rampant. The teachers are not willing to help at all. For example
verbalizing what they are writing.

I can use a cctv to "see" the board so I can take all my own notes but
there is another blind student in my Stats class and I am his notetaker. I
scan them and email after class.

On Sat, Oct 31, 2015 at 7:50 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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