[nabs-l] Is This a Typical Request for Disability Services?

[Greg Aikens]

I also had my DSO offer to have someone help me orient myself before the start of my freshmen year of college (too many years ago). That person helped me for one or two days, maybe three. They would have been available if I had a specific question about a route, but not to walk me to my classes every day. 

I certainly did get lost several times those first few weeks, but so did all freshmen. It was normal to stop someone and ask where a building was, normal for an older student to offer to show a group of freshmen where to go by walking part of the way, etc. I went to a small private school though, and that may not be so typical on a larger campus. 

If you are going to request this accommodation, I recommend you limit it to the first day you have each of your classes, or at most the first week. For me, my concerns about getting lost were a great catalyst for making friends in my classes early on. I would ask people where they were headed next after class and if they were heading in the same direction, I would ask to walk with them as far as our paths went the same way. This also motivated me to make friends with people in my dorm. I looked for people who might have a 9:00 AM class in the same building or in a building close to the building I needed and asked if we could walk together, at least at the beginning. You don’t want to be wholly dependent on these people of course, but it is a perfectly natural way to connect with others and learn your way at the same time. 

On a related note, my difficulties navigating the dining hall lead me to invite people to grab lunch after class etc. I got turned down plenty of times of course, but it was a good way to connect with people and learn my campus without them really even knowing it. Upon reflection, I probably would have benefited from better travel skills, but I made it work and developed some cool relationships in the process. 

Anyway, that’s just my take on it. I probably gave you more than you were asking for but I hope some of this helps.

Best of luck with starting school this fall.

-Greg
  
> On Jul 22, 2016, at 10:23 PM, Justin Williams via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Mine actually sais that they would also, but they also said that it was a
> very short term thing because they just didn't have the man power.
> Justin
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Logan Anderson
> via NABS-L
> Sent: Friday, July 22, 2016 9:53 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Logan Anderson <logan4447 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Is This a Typical Request for Disability Services?
> 
> Hi, 
> I to begin college in less than a month. I have not requested this
> particular service from my disability services office, but they have told me
> several times it is very typical to have someone help you learn the campus.
> Though they have said that it is typically only a few days that this person
> will help you. I am in the process of requesting my accommodations from
> them, and will probably have no & M on my list of things that I am going to
> ask for help with, but I myself don't need a long-term partner. I honestly
> don't think my disability services office even offers a long-term option
> like this. I don't have much insight on the situation, but I am sure they
> will willingly work with whatever you need to help you succeed in college.
> If you are working through the vocational rehabilitation system in your
> area, if there is one, then they also might have assistance that they can
> offer you with this question. 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Jul 22, 2016, at 8:54 PM, Vejas Vasiliauskas via NABS-L
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi All,
>> I start college next month, and have been trying to get everything ready,
> which includes meetings with Disability Services and the normal due-dates.
> (I never would have thought that there would be so many due-dates between
> college acceptance and the start of school-lesson learned there!"
>> Although I have been getting to know my disability services, I have only
> just today received an accmmodations letter.
>> One accommodation that I requested from them is to have someone walk with
> me to each of my classes for the first month or so, while I am still
> learning the layout of the campus.  Travel is one of these aspects for me
> that I just need to have constant repetition for, and although I will be
> working with someone authorized by the Department of Rehab, this process is
> still happening and I feel that knowing myself and my travel skills, I need
> this.  DSS seems unsure if this is possible, but is willing to discuss the
> matter further.  I don't know if their hesitation has anything to do with
> the fact that I have 5 classes at 5 completely different times, although I
> think it would be more of a matter of me communicating with these students
> via text to arrange times.
>> I have a meeting with them in two weeks, but was just wondering if you
> have had any similar issues with them and how you have dealt with them.
>> Thanks,
>> Vejas
>> 
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