[nabs-l] More Questions About the Disabilities Office and Readers

Tue Oct 25 22:53:01 UTC 2016

Elizabeth,

I hope you do okay somehow in the class. It sounds like you doing what you 
can. Its unethical what they are doing to you. As a student who paid for the 
classes, you have a right to speak to people impacting your education. Your 
disability coordinator should meet with you; what on earth is she so busy 
that she cannot take one  hour of her work week to talk. Your professor has 
a responsibility to talk to you. You should report the professor!

You said
"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 agree Elizabeth! They need to discuss with you the change in attitude and 
plans. I can only suggest that you communicate with the reader in class best 
you can. Also, talk to the disability coordinator's supervisor after the 
semester. And, if there is a way to file a complaint at the school, do so. 
File a complaint with the office of equity and diversity or similar office.

If you want to chat off list, email bookwormahb at earthlink.net.

Take care,
Ashley

-----Original Message----- 
From: Elizabeth Mohnke via NABS-L
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 11:06 AM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Cc: Elizabeth Mohnke
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] More Questions About the Disabilities Office and 
Readers

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

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