[nabs-l] Seeking Help for a Science Class

[Elizabeth Mohnke]

Hello All,

I have had a rather difficult start to my semester, and I am currently struggling with a basic environmental science class that I thought would be an easy class for me to take. However, it has been one battle after another in terms of being able to receive accommodations for my classes. I have already had to drop a math class due to a lack of accommodations, and I really do not want to have to drop my science class as well.

When I talked to my professor last semester, I was told that I needed to talk to disabilities office to receive accommodations for my class. Since I was able to work well with a reader for another science class last semester, I thought this would be the best way for me to take my science class this semester.

However, the reader I had last semester is no longer there, and the disabilities office failed to hire and train new readers before the beginning of the semester. As a result, I have three different readers working with me for each day that my class meets. This makes things rather difficult for me. One  of the readers is not a good reader and I do not understand why the disabilities office hired this person as a reader.

When I met with my professor last semester, I was told there would be in-class activities throughout the semester. However, my professor did not tell me that she teaches the class in a rather visual manner. This would not be that big of a problem if I had a consistent reader who could easily read or explain the visual aspects of the class to me. We are expected to work on the in-class activities individually, so I am not quite sure how well teaming up with one of my classmates would work for completing the in-class activities and visual handouts. I do not think it is reasonable to ask classmates to describe or explain something visual on a handout while they are trying to figure out and understand this information for themselves.

I am afraid that If I talk to my professor that she will tell me to talk to the disabilities office. It seems as though accommodations for classes is totally separate from the actual classes even though it makes more sense for the accommodations to be integrated with the actual classes. However, I am afraid that if I talk to the disabilities office that they will tell me that they have already provided me with the accommodations necessary for this class. This is what they told me for my math class. I am scared to talk to the disabilities office about this problem because of the way I was treated when I tried talking to the disabilities office about the problem for my math class.

If I had the money to pay for my own readers, then I would simply go and find my readers for my classes. However, I do not have the money to pay for readers right now, and I am afraid that if I advertise for readers for classes on campus that I would get into some sort of trouble with my disabilities office. And I would still need to successfully argue to use my own reader for tests and exams. I understand there are ways around such an obstacle. However, given the tone of the horrible meeting I had with the disabilities office at the beginning of the semester, it appears as though the college has a very limited view on what accommodations I can actually use.

I am finding it to be rather difficult, frustrating, and overwhelming in trying to figure out how to get the accommodations I need for my science class. I have also been told that I should file complaints against all the things that are not accessible to me as a blind student on campus. And I am finding this to be difficult, frustrating, and overwhelming to do all on my own. I feel like I simply do not have the time or the ability to provide all the specific details that would be needed to file a complaint in a professional manner while I am struggling to up with my classes. But every time I turn around there is one more thing that is not accessible to me as a blind student.

Some days I really just want to give up because of how difficult, frustrating, and overwhelming things have become for me. But instead, I keep trying to reach out to others to see if anyone might able to help me. If I keep reaching out to other people then maybe I might be able to find someone who is able and has the time to help me.

Thanks,
Elizabeth