[nabs-l] More Questions About the Disabilities Office and Readers
Ashley Bramlett
bookwormahb at earthlink.net
Tue Oct 25 22:35:48 UTC 2016
Hi Vejas,
I think all Elizabeth was trying to do was explain why she could not do what
Lizzy and others said. I've never been in as bad a situation as her, but
I've experienced similar communication breakdowns. And, believe me, I know
how stressful and even heartbreaking it can be. I know Elizabeth was simply
venting and saying what a hard situation she had was.
Vejas, when you get in a situation in college when professors don't want to
talk to you in office hours because they are doing other things or say
your questions will be answered in class, you might understand. I've been in
that very situation in my classes recently; I've taken some electives at a
community college even though II graduated from college.
For instance, I was in a world war II history class and a few times I went
to the professor's office hours before class. One time he was not even in
his office! I was shocked. I waited 15 minutes and I asked the secretary
politely where he was and she replied she did not know and had not heard. I
went to class anyways, but I thought he might have been sick. I assumed he
would have emailed everyone cancelling office hours. I asked in class about
his where abouts.
It turned out he was photocopying things and other things for classes.
Another time, he acted too busy to help me.
So, I fully understand Elizabeth's struggles with unaccommodating professors
and ones who fail to talk to you in office hours. I can only suggest that
Elizabeth report such behavior to the professor's supervisors which is the
dean of the department probably. I find such behavior of professors
appalling. Such professors need to be reported and action taken. It is their
duty to assist students in office hours! They are paid to do this. If
professors fail to help students, disabled or not, they should be reported,
and hopefully fired. You or someone is paid for the class, and deserve to be
treated with respect and dignity. I just find it appalling when professors
are allowed to get away with such unethical and discriminatory behavior in
the 21th century.
So, when a student here wants to share their situation and issues, it would
be good to hear their side of the story.
Anyways, I do hope she can work something out.
Ashley
-----Original Message-----
From: Vejas Vasiliauskas via NABS-L
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 3:01 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Cc: Vejas Vasiliauskas
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] More Questions About the Disabilities Office and
Readers
Elizabeth, you should not feel the need to tell people that their attempts
at trying to help you are not applicable. Lizzy gave you some great
suggestions that, as she pointed out, could be helpful to you or anyone
else. All you really should have said was something like "Thank you so much
Lizzy, I appreciate your suggestions and will keep them stored in the
future."
You keep writing to a group of people who try to help you, then when we do
you find a reason that this help is not good enough. I know that life can be
hard at times, but it is important to have a positive outlook.
If you can't deal with writing to a board, maybe you could confide in a
close friend about your issues? Alternatively, you could just try to figure
them out for yourself.
You need to figure out how to deal with life because if you don't, then
nothing will ever satisfy you. How do you want people to remember by when
they think of your name? Just think about this.
Vejas
> On Oct 25, 2016, at 08:06, Elizabeth Mohnke via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>
> Hello Lizzy,
>
> I am sorry you feel as though my feelings of frustration regarding some of
> the responses I received from my most recent posts on this email list are
> not warranted. However, there were some responses that I received that did
> not come across to me as coming from a place of kindness that escalated
> further off list that I simply did not appreciate.
>
> I think your suggestions are good ones. However, they simply are not
> applicable to my situation. My reader that is assigned to work with me
> from the disabilities office is either not willing or is not able to talk
> to me directly about any problems she may be having with me. I am not able
> to talk to my professor as she is really not that great of a professor who
> simply does not understand the concept that I want to be able to
> participate in class as an equal. And the person in charge of the
> disabilities office is not willing to talk to me either despite the emails
> I have sent her requesting to meet with her.
>
> Since the professor does not appear to be all accommodating, and likes to
> do things rather randomly, including class activities using hard copy
> print that needs to be handed in at the end of the class period. Also, not
> necessarily everything on the print handouts can be read with a Screen
> reader. However, I thought I would be able to make it through this class
> as I felt as though I had a good working relationship with my reader. I
> figured using a reader in class for the full duration of the class period
> would be the best way to deal with the random teaching style of my
> professor.
>
> However, this seemed to change all of a sudden last week. I am still not
> completely sure what exactly is causing the problem. However, based on the
> questions the person in charge of the disabilities office had for my
> professor, it looks as though there might have been some questions as to
> whether or not I really needed a reader for the full duration of my class
> period. However, I can only assume this might be the problem as no one
> appears to want to talk to me directly about anything in regards to this
> issue.
>
> I appreciate different perspectives regarding policies and procedures
> about the person in charge of the disabilities office contacting my
> professor without my permission or talking to me about it first. It seems
> as though the people on here who have offered different perspectives
> either knew about the person in charge of the disabilities office
> contacting the professor ahead of time, or had a good relationship with
> the person in charge of the disabilities office. Unfortunately, this is
> not the case for me. I cannot even speak to the person in charge of the
> disabilities office in person or over the phone as she is simply too busy
> to talk to me.
>
> I feel as though if there was an agreement for the disabilities office to
> provide me with in-class assistance with a reader for the full duration of
> the class period, and if the disabilities has somehow changed their
> willingness to provide me with this service, or no longer wish to provide
> this service to me, then this is a discussion either the person in charge
> of the disabilities office or my assigned reader from the disabilities
> office should be having with me and not my professor.
>
> I have already tried talking to my professor at the end of class as well
> as during her office hours. However, the last time I showed up to her
> office hours, she did not want to take the time to talk to me as she felt
> as though my questions would be answered during class that day. It seemed
> as though she was more interested in preparing for class than she was in
> talking to me regarding the questions I had about concepts from class I
> was not understanding based on the way she presented these concepts in
> class.
>
> Likewise, the person in charge of the disabilities office is never
> available to talk to whenever I have tried stopping by the Student Support
> Services desk either. And this situation has caused a lot of tension and
> friction between me and my assigned reader from the disabilities office to
> the point that it makes it rather difficult to work with her. And I have
> absolutely no idea how to talk to her in a more friendly manner when she
> is barely willing to talk to me about anything besides course content
> materials.. In short, I have tried all of the suggestions people are
> giving me, and nothing seems to work to improve the situation.
>
> Elizabeth
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lizzy via
> NABS-L
> Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 9:27 AM
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Lizzy <lizzym0827 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] More Questions About the Disabilities Office and
> Readers
>
> Hi Elizabeth,
> Before I address the current situation, I just want to say that I wish
> nothing but the best for you this semester. From what I've observed,
> you've received a lot of thoughtful advice lately (as
> far as the questions you've posted to this list). It may not
> always be useful to you, but it is almost always thoughtful and from a
> place of well wishing. That said, I don't think it's fair that when
> people take the time out to respond to your questions you end the thread
> by saying that you wish you never would have posted them in the first
> place. I know that we may not understand your situation completely, but I
> don't understand why you are treating the same people who want to help you
> (at your
> request) with such disregard. It's very off putting and really makes me
> hesitant to respond at all. But alas, I want to assist in any way I can
> and even if a response doesn't help you today, hopefully it will help in
> the future or maybe someone else in a similar situation. I said all that
> to say, I genuinely hope this thread doesn't end like the previous one.
> Now, on to the advice:
> I agree with Justin, you don't want people making major decisions
> without you present, but the way to bring this up is by showing that you
> are a hands-on student. Meeting with the DS coordinator at your school so
> that you can form a positive working relationship with that person,
> meeting with your professors during office hours or scheduled
> appointments, meeting with your reader and not always necessarily in an
> "OK, let's get to work" kind of manner.
> You discussed firing your reader (and the reason wasn't exactly clear to
> me in your previous email), and paying someone else in coffee. If you can
> find it in your heart to keep the reader you have and appreciate their
> services a bit more (perhaps with a random coffee of appreciation?), you
> might have a better relationship with that person as well.
> Now that you know about these 3 people meeting with each other without
> your prior knowledge, it's time to strengthen each relationship so that
> you can get the result you want.
> They will automatically think to include you, if they know you personally
> because they'll value your opinion and want to know what you think. It
> won't take too much time to grab a quick coffee, drop by office hours and
> pop into the Disabilities Services office. You don't have to stay long or
> do this every week, just get them to know your face and who you are as a
> person. Someone who wants to do well, appreciates the work that these
> people are putting in-everyone wants to be appreciated-and cares about how
> things are done. Who wouldn't want to include someone like that?
> There's no need to go into the situation with guns blazing, especially
> if they want to be accommodating and you don't have the support behind you
> to go all out. Remember that you'll catch more flies with honey and only
> want to resort to vinegar if you must.
> I really hope this helps you!
> Best wishes,
> Lizzy
>
> _______________________________________________
> NABS-L mailing list
> NABS-L at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> NABS-L:
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> NABS-L mailing list
> NABS-L at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> NABS-L:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/alpineimagination%40gmail.com
_______________________________________________
NABS-L mailing list
NABS-L at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
NABS-L:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%40earthlink.net
More information about the NABS-L
mailing list