[nabs-l] Interesting interaction with a professor

[Karl Martin Adam]

Elizabeth, the difference is that blind people cannot use a paper 
and pencil to take notes in class or take tests.  Some blind 
people are effective enough with a slate to do this, but most of 
us are not.  And when it comes to exams, it wouldn't do the 
professor any good for us to write essays in hard copy Braille 
with a slate anyway.  Those blind persons whose method of writing 
is to use a computer or notetaker should be able to use their 
method of literacy in class.  This is a perfectly reasonable 
accommodation.

Best,
Karl

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Elizabeth Mohnke via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Wed, 6 Jan 2016 13:02:18 -0500
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Interesting interaction with a professor

Hello Kaiti,

What is the big deal about taking tests and exams in the testing 
center?
This is how my college deals with tests and exams, and it has 
never been a
problem for me. If the professor does not allow students to use 
computers in
the classroom, then I honestly do not see how a blind student 
should be
exempt from this policy. After all, if we are fighting to be 
treated as
equals, we should be willing to abide by the same policies as 
anyone else.

Warm regards,
Elizabeth

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
Kaiti Shelton
via nabs-l
Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2016 12:43 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Cc: Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com
Subject: [nabs-l] Interesting interaction with a professor

Hi all,

I've been thinking about this for a while now for a variety of 
reasons.  The
first is that I wouldn't necessarily describe it as a dilemma in 
need of a
particular solution.  The second factor is that I do consider 
myself to be
comfortable with my blindness, and typically have no qualms about 
educating
others on the equipment I use when asked.  However, I just feel a 
little
awkward about the following situation and would like to get some 
ideas
bounced off of it.

I'm taking a psychology course this spring, so of course I 
emailed the
professor to introduce myself and start the discussion about 
accommodations
in advance.  Generally the professor seems to be pretty flexible 
and willing
to adapt the existing plans when necessary, and I think she and I 
can work
well together.  However, she seems very bent on her rules 
regarding the use
of technology in the classroom.
Obviously I'm the exception to her typical rule because the
computer/notetaker is my pencil and paper, and she isn't 
banishing me to the
testing center for exam days like some professors have, which I 
do
appreciate.  However, whether or not I can participate on exam 
days in the
classroom is contingent upon me explaining to the class why I 
need to use a
computer when they are not allowed to.  My knee jerk reaction was 
to say,
"Well, it should be pretty obvious why I need to," but I realize 
that this
professor is just trying to cover all her bases.  I just feel 
awkward about
the idea of talking about my accommodations to an entire class of 
my peers
(not familiar with me from my department) in a way that isn't 
expressly
about educating them on blindness, etc, especially on the first 
day of
classes.  I don't feel like it is fair to limit my choice of 
where I can
take my exams, which apparently are in essay format, based on 
whether or not
I want to explain how Jaws works and why I need it.

I have comfortably talked about blindness and such with classes 
before, but
not quite in this way.  Classmates in other gen ed courses 
obviously figured
out that I am blind plenty of times without me even saying it, 
and were
intellegent enough to ask if my computer talked to me or how it 
works
before.  I only had one incident about a year ago when another 
student tried
to use his laptop in class when he wasn't supposed to on the 
grounds that I
was allowed to use one so why can't he, and the teacher just told 
him to
read the syllabus and I qualified for using one because I had 
accommodations
and talked to her ahead of time.  Part of me just doesn't get why 
I have to
explain what I do to a class of people when it's obvious I can't 
use a
traditional pen and paper.  I realize I'm the different learner 
here too,
but this just seems weird to me.  I told the professor in our 
last email
that I had never been asked to do this before and would think 
about it, and
she responded basically saying that the other students are owed 
an
explanation of why I can use something they can't so the rules 
are clear.  I
don't necessarily agree with that since the whole point of 
accommodations
are to make access equal, but maybe I'm looking at this the wrong 
way.
Thoughts?
--
Kaiti Shelton

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