[nabs-l] A Struggling Blind Student Looking for Some Advice

Sam Nelson nelsonsam68 at gmail.com
Sat Jan 30 00:01:14 UTC 2016


Hi E
lizabeth, 
 I don't know what it's like to have to learn braille as an adult and
everyone is different. 
 I also don't know you at all as just started  participating in
conversations today. 
 However it just strikes me that you got defensive very quickly when people
were giving genuine responses. I do agree with desiree about the training
center just not for me and I don't believe any one thing no matter what the
situation should be told to someone as well this will solve all your
problems. 
 Because Like Ella pointed out of course everyone is different. 
 You keep saying you never should have started this conversation and
continue to say you don't feel listened to. Why are you continuing to engage
in a conversation that is making you feel worse? 
 Sometimes the best thing to do is just back off from something  where you
don't feel you're getting good feedback. 
 And for the record,  I do understand what it's like to have other issues in
addition to blindness as I  have various mental health concerns that affect
my everyday life. And have many friends that have both physical and mental
health concerns. 
 I'm just trying to give my  thoughts. I don't want to hurt you or anything.

 Sam 

Check out my blog 
 matterstosam.wordpress.com 

 Want Psychology today to add consumer review feature to their therapist
directory? Sign this  pitition! 
 
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/447/835/607/ask-psychology-to-add-consumer-re
view-feature-to-therapist-directory/ 

I am evaluating the quality of mental healthcare across the US. Help me by
taking my survey! 
https://samjess.wufoo.com/forms/m1ww2j1h0w1w045/


-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth
Mohnke via nabs-l
Sent: Friday, January 29, 2016 5:21 PM
To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
Cc: Elizabeth Mohnke
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] A Struggling Blind Student Looking for Some Advice

Hello Sam,

I never said I could not learn Braille. I simply said that I would never be
able to obtain the Braille skills necessary to be able to read and
understand Braille at the same speed and level as someone reading print. It
is more difficult to learn Braille as an adult, and I do not know of anyone
who has learned Braille as an adult who is able to use it well enough as
their primary mode of communication.

And I am sorry, but I am not going to disclose all my personal health issues
on a public email list. I am pretty sure no one on here would be able to
understand, and I and I am not willing to subject myself to more
discrimination by discussing it on a public email list.

Elizabeth

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sam Nelson via
nabs-l
Sent: Friday, January 29, 2016 6:02 PM
To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Sam Nelson <nelsonsam68 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] A Struggling Blind Student Looking for Some Advice

Hi Elizabeth,
 I'm sorry  things feel so hopeless. 
 Like I said if nothing seems to  work then withdrawing might be the best
option. 
  Why don't you feel like people are listening to you though. I feel like we
are and trying to give different ideas. It might help to know what your
health issues are and why you feel you can't learn braille ETC. 
 Sam 

Check out my blog
 matterstosam.wordpress.com 

 Want Psychology today to add consumer review feature to their therapist
directory? Sign this  pitition! 
 
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/447/835/607/ask-psychology-to-add-consumer-re
view-feature-to-therapist-directory/ 

I am evaluating the quality of mental healthcare across the US. Help me by
taking my survey! 
https://samjess.wufoo.com/forms/m1ww2j1h0w1w045/


-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth
Mohnke via nabs-l
Sent: Friday, January 29, 2016 4:54 PM
To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
Cc: Elizabeth Mohnke
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] A Struggling Blind Student Looking for Some Advice

Hello Karl,

I am really getting frustrated by the fact that it appears as though no one
is listening to me. I cannot understand the voice that comes with NVDA, and
no amount of using this program is not going to change my ability to
understand the voice that comes with NVDA.

And if I really need to learn Braille to the point that I can use it in
class or for tests, then I am royally screwed. At this point in my life I do
not believe I could learn braille well enough to be able to read and
understand it enough to be able to read it and understand it at the same
rate and level as someone who reads print. This is simply not going to
happen, so please stop shoving this down my throat as if this is the only
answer.

Elizabeth

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Karl Martin
Adam via nabs-l
Sent: Friday, January 29, 2016 5:36 PM
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] A Struggling Blind Student Looking for Some Advice

Dear Elizabeth,

You're right that many of the suggestions people have given you won't help
for your test in two weeks.  If you want to continue college though,
learning braille whether from a training center or a Hadley course or
whatever or learning how to use something like NVDA will be something you
have to do.  We can't do that for you.  I wish we could, but you have to
actually learn the skills you need to do college assignments.  One thing you
could do is take an incomplete get the skills you need and finish the class
in the fall.  I'm assuming that's more drastic than you want to do though.
You could work on trying to learn something like NVDA for the next test, and
maybe your professor would allow you to take this one later if you explained
it to them or maybe they would let you take it orally.  I understand not
wanting to learn new technology, I really do.  I hate it, and I've never
been able to learn Windows and a screen reader well enough to function
effectively, which is why I use my Braillenote for everything.  I think you
might be surprised at how easy it is to learn how to make a smartphone work
though.  Androids are known for taking some time to figure out, but Iphone's
are fairly intuitive.  When I got mine I hated it for a day or two because I
couldn't make it work, but then it clicked.  All you really need is to type
your answers into the body of an e-mail and either send it to your professor
or have your scribe write it out onto the test or e-mail your answers to DSS
and have them print them.  Learning how to do that much really wouldn't be
very difficult--even someone who has as hard a time with technology as I do
can manage it.  I really hope you can find a way to do well on your exam!

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: Fri, 29 Jan 2016 17:02:48 -0500
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] A Struggling Blind Student Looking for Some Advice

Hello All,

I honestly wish I had never posted my email to this email list. I really
hate the fact that it just seems like all you are wanting to do is tell me
that an NFB training center is somehow going to solve all the problems in my
life. Even if I could ever go to an NFB training center, I will probably
never gain the Braille skills necessary to be able to use them in a testing
situation.

I have never used a smart phone before, so this option would not work for
me. There is absolutely no way I would be able to learn how to use it good
enough to use for a test that is in two weeks. 
I am already trying to catch up in this class after being sick, so I am not
looking to add anything more to my plate than what is already on it.

Using NVDA sounds like a good option, but again, I have never used it
before, and I cannot understand the voice that comes with it . So I am not
quite sure how this option would work for me.

I am sorry that I am not able to fight my college and the vocational
rehabilitation all on my own. The Client Assistant Program does not do much
of anything here. And no one in the NFB has never really been willing to
help me either. All I wanted to do was to find a way to pass this class. But
it looks as though I simply do not have the support, resources, and capacity
to do the things I wanted to be able to do before my accident.

I should have never signed up to take this class. I really did not have the
money to pay for it in the first place, and right now it just feels like
this was only a waste of my money. And I should just learn that I am never
going to be the same person that I was before my accident.

Elizabeth

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