[nabs-l] Interesting interaction with a professor

[chelsea peahl]

This is actually interesting because that's similar to my learning communities course. Technology Isn't allowed, but I had to explain why I got to use a laptop and magnalink in a place where technology wasn't allowed. I was completely comfortable because I love my professors in the course and love my community 

Chelsea Peahl

> On Jan 6, 2016, at 1:25 PM, amazing tech via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> When I first started college I loved to educate people about technology that I used and my guide dog at the time. I still love doing it, but I'm finding that I don't have the time in my schedule nor do I really care what others thing. The professor can not make you do anything that is without side the relm of the ADA and your rights as a student with a disability. I'd would go to the dean of students with this concern as many disability departments within a university don;t give one hoot about one blind person's struggles. Be your own advocate and don't let this teacher do anything she can't legally do. She can not force you to get up and explain your technology to the class and she can not single you out either. 
> Thanks, for listening,
> Aaron Linson 
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On Jan 6, 2016, at 3:14 PM, Suzanne Germano via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> I think it is weird she would require this and frankly she cannot force
>> you.
>> 
>> It could be an opportunity to educate people on assitive tech.
>> 
>> On Wednesday, January 6, 2016, Kaiti Shelton via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> 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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