[nabs-l] Is It just Me: Academic Challenges

Mon Jul 18 21:50:01 UTC 2016

Jameyanne,

I agree. You said it nicely to summarize the challenges of research. I also 
found all that to be the case. I know some NFbers are against extended time, 
but   I find it necessary to do well. I use extended time on exams. For 
assignments, I sometimes get extentions particulary for research.

For research, databases are a mixed bag. Yes, jstor is fairly usable but the 
pdfs are usually scanned images.
I have had the same difficulty citing sources because I don't always know 
the page numbers since that does not scan well or if I use a reader, the 
reader forgets to announce pages.
I also take extra time in the library finding print material such as books.

Time management is a good thing to master. For me, I did my homework and 
reading late afternoon and evening. II t also depended on my reader's 
schedule. Typically, my readers were available at 3:30 or later. Often, I'd 
use a reader right before dinner or right after dinner at 7:30.
Like some of you, I also threw my energy into academics and neglected sleep.

Great discussion. I always took less credits than most students and took 
longer in college. I thought I was the only one though as many blind 
students here take 18 credits and double major.

So, yes its challenging but you have to find what works for you.

Ashley
-----Original Message----- 
From: Jameyanne Fuller via NABS-L
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2016 4:33 PM
To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
Cc: Jameyanne Fuller
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Is It just Me: Academic Challenges

My answer is also yes and no. I find I can search within a textbook or
article faster because I can use a search function to find exactly what I'm
looking for. On the other hand, I've also found that I take in and remember
information better if I read it in Braille than if I listen to it using
JAWS or the speech on my BrailleNote. It's faster to listen, but I
inevitably lose focus or fall asleep. Like Cricket, sleep is always like my
last priority, which is a bad idea. On the other hand, I don't read Braille
quite as fast as my sighted peers read print, so sometimes listening
becomes the only option if I want to keep up. One solution I've come up
with is to have something to do with my hands while I'm listening to an
article or textbook. I make gimp lanyards, fiddle with a puzzle, draw with
my tactile drawing board, knit, wander around cleaning up my room and
folding laundry and such. It's not a perfect solution, but it helps.
In terms of research, I think that definitely takes me more time,
especially since I need assistance finding books in the library and then
have to wait for the disabilities services office to scan them. Databases
can be a mixed bag. I've found JSTOR to be pretty accessible.
One problem I've had a lot is the lack of page numbers in scanned documents
or even page numbers in strange places so I could never tell what was on
which page and it was never consistent across the scanned documents from
disabilities services. I usually figured it out for each book and made sure
to make my professors aware of the problem so they wouldn't take points off
if my intext citations cited the wrong page or so they would give me a
phrase to find in the book rather than a page number when discussing things
in class.
Take all of this with a grain of salt, because I was last in school two
years ago, and things might be different for me when I start up again this
fall.

-----Original Message-----
From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Karl Martin
Adam via NABS-L
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2016 3:55 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] Is It just Me: Academic Challenges

Well, the answer to this is yes and no.  I find that I read significantly
faster than cited people because my text to speech set to the top speed is
faster than they can read, and it's significantly easier for me to find
things in the book because I can search while they have to flip through
their paper copy.
Doing research on the other hand is much more time consuming for me because
of the difficulty of using databases and because of the inaccessibility of
print books in the library that sighted students can use.  I also have
usually needed a sighted person's help getting my papers correctly
formatted so everything looks right on the page.

HTH,
Karl

----- Original Message -----
From: Christina Moore via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 18 Jul 2016 15:21:59 -0400
Subject: [nabs-l] Is It just Me: Academic Challenges

Hello Everyone,

I am wondering if it is just me or do other blind people have challenges
academically that are due to their blindness.
Does anyone else find it challenging to search for information in a
textbook? Do you feel it takes longer for you to complete assignments
because it takes you longer to read information that is given to you
utilizing text-to-speech software? Does anyone else find it challenging to
take online tests/exams in the allotted time?
I know that is quite a few questions but I?™m wondering if it is just me or
if other people have these experiences.
What do you do to manage your assignments, papers and research
articles/information?
Thanks for any and all responses.
Christina
P.S. If I am set to no mail will I receive the responses to this question
since I posted it?
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