[nabs-l] Accommodation Rights and Not Using Disability Services

Mon Dec 19 23:39:59 UTC 2016

Again, most of the policies described above are intended to protect
students with hidden disabilities from being outed to their
professors. If you have a visible disability like blindness and are
willing to disclose it, however, this matter of anonymity is no longer
a problem.
Arielle

On 12/19/16, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Ellana,
> I firstly just want to commend you for being willing to take charge of
> your education by exploring a different way of getting things done
> when the disability services office is less than satisfactory. When I
> was in college, I decided midway through my degree to start taking my
> tests directly with professors instead of working with the disability
> office, for several reasons, but mainly because this process was
> simpler and less prone to error. I also liked that I could ask
> professors clarification questions just like any other student during
> a test.
> The short answer to your question is that many professors will
> accommodate you without the disability office's involvement, but you
> will want to check with them and be sure before you do anything
> drastic. If you are unable to get in touch with next semester's
> professors yet, you might consult an advisor or department head at
> your college to see if they have any formal requirements or policies
> about DSS involvement or use of accommodation letters. These letters
> are mainly necessary for people with invisible learning or health
> disabilities to prove that the disability is verified by a doctor. In
> the case of blindness, as long as you use a cane or other mobility aid
> that's visible, that proof thing shouldn't be an issue. Again, though,
> the culture may vary from school to school, so it would be good to
> check with professors or department heads first.
> Another option you might consider is to register with the DSS and get
> your letter, but just not ask for any testing accommodations. You
> could then go to your professor, show him or her the letter, and say
> that you have decided it would be easier for all involved to take your
> tests in the classroom on the computer, using the professor as a
> reader, or any other accommodation plans you have come up with.
> My experience, at least at university, has been that professors will
> usually agree to the accommodations that's the least work for them.
> Working with disability services can be as big of a nuisance for them
> as it is for us, so if we can offer professors an easier way to
> accommodate without all the extra hassle, they will usually agree to
> it.
>
> Best, Arielle
>
> On 12/19/16, Elif Emir Öksüz via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> I agree what being said.
>> If you decide to talk to DSO, this may help you.
>> If you haven't seen this, please have a look.
>> https://nfb.org/self-advocacy-higher-education
>>
>>
>> 2016-12-18 16:04 GMT-05:00, Karl Martin Adam via NABS-L
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>:
>>> You have to go through DSS if you want accommodations.  This is
>>> because its the job of DSS to verify that you have a disability
>>> and that the accommodation in question is reasonable for that
>>> disability.  So if you ask a professor for an accommodation, what
>>> they will do (if they do what they're supposed to do) is to tell
>>> you to get a letter from DSS and get back to them.  (This is why
>>> nearly every syllabus includes a line saying if you have a
>>> disability contact the DSS to arrange accommodations.)  That
>>> being said, just because you get accommodations from DSS does not
>>> mean that you can't take tests in the classroom.  Taking your
>>> test in the testing center is an accommodation, and you, of
>>> course, don't have to accept that accommodation.  That being
>>> said, if you want accommodations like extra time or a reader,
>>> that isn't really compatible with taking your test in the
>>> classroom.
>>>
>>> HTH,
>>> Karl
>>>
>>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Ellana Crew via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> To: NABS-L at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Sun, 18 Dec 2016 13:03:51 -0500
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] Accommodation Rights and Not Using Disability
>>> Services
>>>
>>> Hi there,
>>>
>>> I am a community college student about to start another semester
>>> of classes, but more recently, I have been thinking of breaking
>>> away from using the disability services office at school because
>>> of all of the troubles I have had in the past with DSS offices
>>> and mixups and failures on their end. However, before I decide to
>>> go through with this, I'd like to have some more information on
>>> what exactly I'm entitled to still as far as accommodations and
>>> the law if I choose not to go through disability services and
>>> give my professors the official letter requiring their
>>> compliance.
>>>
>>> Is there anybody who may be able to give me a little information
>>> on if professors are still required to accommodate me reasonably
>>> if I do not go through disability services and give them an
>>> official letter from them, especially in regards to test taking?
>>> I am concerned that perhaps they may not be obligated to provide
>>> me any sort of accommodation at all without an official letter
>>> from disability services requiring them to, or that perhaps there
>>> is a limit on how much they are allowed to grant me, and
>>> especially if that limit is when it comes to tests.
>>>
>>> I am particularly interested in being able to take my tests in
>>> the classroom with the rest of the class instead of going through
>>> the hassle of coordinating a scheduled time in the testing center
>>> and dealing with more failures to properly prepare my test or not
>>> prepare my test in time for the scheduled appointment in the
>>> testing center, and being forced to automatically be at a
>>> disadvantage by having to take my test in a different setting
>>> while the rest of the class is able to take their test in the
>>> same environment in which they learn the information which has
>>> been proven many times to improve the persons ability to retrieve
>>> the information they learned in that environment, and I have
>>> known some people who have talk to the professors and been able
>>> to take their tests in their classrooms in this way, but I want
>>> to be sure that I would not be in violation of anything in that I
>>> know my rights when it comes to this if my professor does not
>>> know themselves if it is OK or is hesitant to work with me on
>>> this particular factor.
>>>
>>> If there is anybody here who may be able to give me some useful
>>> information or connect me with somebody who may have that
>>> information, I would be incredibly grateful.
>>>
>>> Thank you!
>>>
>>> Ellana Crew, Vice President
>>> Maryland Association of Blind Students
>>>
>>> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not
>>> the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we
>>> raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations
>>> create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can
>>> live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> NABS-L mailing list
>>> NABS-L at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>> for NABS-L:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kmaent1%40gma
>>> il.com
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> NABS-L mailing list
>>> NABS-L at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> NABS-L:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/filerime%40gmail.com
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> NABS-L mailing list
>> NABS-L at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> NABS-L:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/arielle71%40gmail.com
>>
>