[nabs-l] Audio books

[Elizabeth Mohnke]

Hello Anna,

I took an entry level pre-algebra math class with a reader in a lab style
class a couple of years ago. The lab style of the class was something that
was offered to all students, and this class setting seemed to be the best
option for me to be able to use a reader provided by the disabilities
office. This class setting allowed students to go through the course at
their own pace with more one on one time with math professors in areas where
the student needed the most help.

Since there was no set class time for this course, I would meet with a
reader from the disabilities office for the time that would have been
allotted for a regular class session for this course. I would have the
reader help me read through the textbook, and help me work through the
problems assigned to the different sections of the textbook. Since I learned
math as a sighted person, I was able to visualize the concepts and math
problems as the reader was describing them to me. I would have the reader
write out the math problems as I went through them. However, I was the one
who did all the work in solving the problems.  The reader simply wrote down
what I told them to write, and would read what I asked them to write down
for me so I could proceed to the next step in the problem.

I think the key to my success was working with a reader who had a good
understanding of math. I am not sure how many math classes my reader took,
but I heard he had worked as a math reader for someone in the past, and this
gave me a bit more confidence in using a reader for my math class. I also
think it was helpful to work on the math problems one step at a time. Once
each step was completed, my reader would read me the step that was just
completed so I could use this information to go on to the next step of the
math problem. Perhaps this may sound rather tedious to some, but it seems to
me that completing math problems in Braille would be just as tedious.

I still have yet to figure out how to complete my math classes as a blind
student who does not know Braille very well. However, I would like to find a
way to complete my math classes in a regular classroom setting. On the most
recent membership conference call where they talked a lot about taking math
classes, one of the pieces of advice they gave was to find a reader who has
completed calculus as they will be more likely to be familiar with the math
symbols you will come across in your class. In a case like yours where you
have the textbook in an audio format, I think the most efficient way to use
your time would be to read through the concepts on your own while completing
the math problems with a reader. However, I have never taken statistics
before, so I am not quite sure how well any of this helps you with your
particular situation. But I hope some of this proves to be helpful. 

Warm regards,
Elizabeth

of 



-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Anna via nabs-l
Sent: Thursday, December 31, 2015 2:56 PM
To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org; blindmath at nfbnet.org; nfb-science at nfbnet.org
Cc: annajee82 at gmail.com
Subject: [nabs-l] Audio books

I have been trying to use an audio book for the first time.  It is for a
statistics class I have to take. It was recommended to me to use an audio
book read by a person, so I got one from Learning Ally.  In the last
semester I was trying to use JAWS and some combination of my vision and
listening to science and math on the computer.  It did not go well at all.
So I am trying the audio book but I am quickly realizing....This is going to
take forever...
Using a reader and/or tutor seems the most efficient option.  I have some,
although not very much experience with working with people like this. I find
it difficult.  I guess I am just looking for support and other people's
experience.  
Have you used audio books for math?  How did it go?
Have you used a reader?  How was that?
How much time did you have to spend just reading through the book with the
reader?  How did you reference the book or related material when you are not
with your reader? How did you study on your own time? 
Any relevant information i can get on this would be helpful.  Thank you and
Happy New Years.

Anna E Givens


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