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

Mon Jul 18 22:09:14 UTC 2016

Extended time is something I like to request as an accommodation in case I run into problems with getting materials on time and such, but I almost never use it. I do use it for standardized tests: SAT, AP tests, GRE, LSAT, etc. other than that, the only time I used it regularly was for math exams in college. I was using Nemetex to translate my math from my BrailleNote into print, which was a nightmare, and I had to have a reader for a lot of the more complicated graphing calculator stuff. Like Cricket, I'm a super overachiever, and I don't like to use extra time if my classmates don't have it. But my feelings on accommodations like this is if they're helpful for you to be on even footing with your classmates, use them and who cares what anyone else thinks.

-----Original Message-----
From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cricket Bidleman via NABS-L
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2016 5:58 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Cricket Bidleman <cricketbidleman at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Is It just Me: Academic Challenges

Oh that's a good point with the extended time. I never take extended
time except on the SAT and AP tests. Not on regular tests, not on
assignments ... But I'm a bit of an overachiever because I think that
if I can't do it in the same amount of time as the other students,
then I'm not a good student. Obviously, that isn't necessarily true,
but I have dreadfully high standards for myself. How you deal with
extended time is up to you. Some people like it, some people don't. I
don't, but I would never say that people shouldn't have it because
hey, some day I might need it. And other people have different
circumstances, work ethic, etc.

On 7/18/16, Ashley Bramlett via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 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?셫 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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