From ninam0814 at gmail.com Sun Dec 1 22:50:04 2019 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2019 17:50:04 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Annual National Scholarship Call Happening Sunday Dec 15th at 9 PM EST Message-ID: Hey students! We are so excited to announce our annual NFB Scholarship call, happening on Sunday Dec 15th at 9 PM EST! Every year, the National Federation of the Blind selects 30 students as finalists in this prestigious scholarship program. It's an amazing opportunity, and all students should apply! Applications have been open since Nov 1st! This call will be an opportunity to hear from past winners, talk with our National Scholarship Chair, and ask any and all burning questions you may have! It's always great to start the application early! We hope that you will join us on Dec 15th. To join, call: (712) 770-5197,,265669# If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out before the call. Best, Nina From trishak.nfb at gmail.com Mon Dec 2 05:39:27 2019 From: trishak.nfb at gmail.com (trishak.nfb at gmail.com) Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2019 21:39:27 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Join Us Next Sunday for the December Fundraising Call at 9:00pm EST. Message-ID: <000b01d5a8d2$dd5dacc0$98190640$@gmail.com> Dear Students, I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable break and are ready to drive 2019 home! We know it is a busy time of year, so the NABS Fundraising Committee wanted to send out a reminder to mark your calendars to join us next Sunday at 9:00pm EST. for our monthly conference call. Topics will include Giving Tuesday and Washington Seminar. You won't want to miss it! Call 712-770-5197 followed by access code 265669. Have a lovely week and talk to you soon! Best, Trisha Kulkarni Board Member | National Association of Blind Students A Proud Division of the National Federation of the Blind trishak.nfb at gmail.com www.nabslink.org From president.iabs at gmail.com Tue Dec 3 00:57:41 2019 From: president.iabs at gmail.com (Kathryn Olsen) Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2019 00:57:41 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Iowa Youth Counselor Positions for Summer 2020 Message-ID: Hi all, It is never too early to start planning for employment for summer 2020. Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to work with blind teens in Iowa! Follow the link below to find out more information. https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/iowa/jobs/2642473/summer-youth-counselor?department%5B0%5D=131%20Iowa%20Department%20for%20the%20Blind&sort=PositionTitle%7CAscending&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs Katy Olsen President, Iowa Association of Blind Students From cricketbidleman at gmail.com Tue Dec 3 22:36:57 2019 From: cricketbidleman at gmail.com (Cricket X. Bidleman) Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2019 14:36:57 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] CABS scholarships to Washington Seminar Message-ID: Dear all, The California student division (CABS) is proud to provide up to two partial Washington Seminar scholarships to students attending accredited institutions in California. We feel that this is an incredibly valuable experience to developing students and advocates in general, and we are proud to have the funding to help make it a possibility. Thank you to everyone who helped make this a possibility--we would like to give back to our members and to our prospective members now and in future. Here is a link to the application form--don't worry, it's very brief! Please understand that all fields are required for a reason, and that all questions are asked for a reason. Thanks! The form will close at midnight on December 23rd, and decisions will be announced by December 31st. https://forms.gle/2ByG7Jcx4HKJ5Cbs5 Best, Cricket -- Cricket X. Bidleman (she/her/hers) Stanford University | Class of 2021 BA Candidate | Communications Accessibility Consultant | Stanford University Computer Science Director of Communications | Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) Education SME and Student Liaison | AIRA President | California Association of Blind Students (CABS) From justin.williams2 at gmail.com Sat Dec 7 21:06:42 2019 From: justin.williams2 at gmail.com (Justin Williams) Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2019 16:06:42 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] adobe audition Message-ID: <03c201d5ad42$3ada27c0$b08e7740$@gmail.com> Has anyone used adobe audition? Is it accessible? Thanks, Justin From ninam0814 at gmail.com Sun Dec 8 13:31:50 2019 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2019 13:31:50 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Reminder-- Annual National Scholarship Call happening Sunday Dec 15th at 9 PM EST Message-ID: Hey students! We are so excited to remind you that our annual NFB Scholarship call is happening on Sunday Dec 15th at 9 PM EST! Every year, the National Federation of the Blind selects 30 students as finalists in this prestigious scholarship program. It's an amazing opportunity, and all students should apply! Applications have been open since Nov 1st! This call will be an opportunity to hear from past winners, talk with our National Scholarship Chair, and ask any and all burning questions you may have! It's always great to start the application early! We hope that you will join us next Sunday. To join, call: (712) 770-5197,,265669# If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out before the call. Best, Nina Nina Marranca Moderator | National Association of Blind Students Mailing List Co Chair | Communications Committee Secretary Treasurer | New York Association of Blind Students ninam0814 at gmail.com From trishak.nfb at gmail.com Sun Dec 8 20:35:33 2019 From: trishak.nfb at gmail.com (trishak.nfb at gmail.com) Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2019 12:35:33 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Canceled: No Fundraising Call Tonight Message-ID: <004b01d5ae07$0a837890$1f8a69b0$@gmail.com> Dear Students, The NABS Fundraising Committee wanted to let everyone know that we will not be having a call this evening, but do not fear! We will be back in January to kick off 2020 strong! Good luck with finals and Happy Holidays! Best, Trisha Kulkarni Board Member | National Association of Blind Students A Proud Division of the National Federation of the Blind trishak.nfb at gmail.com www.nabslink.org From syedrizvinfb at gmail.com Sun Dec 8 22:00:55 2019 From: syedrizvinfb at gmail.com (Syed Rizvi) Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2019 16:00:55 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] come out to DC with nabs Message-ID: What’s Up Homies, I hope you are all crushing your finals!!! Washington Seminar is right around the corner and we want as many students as possible to be able to come out. We will have awesome student events and it’s a lit opportunity to not only network but also see what the Federation does on Capital Hill. This year especially, a lot of the legislative efforts will focus on greatly improving circumstances for blind students. That being said, we know that finances can be tight when your on the ramen noodle diet. So hit the link below, please apply for funding and spread the word to any students who may be interested but need some bread to make it happen. Hit me up if you have any questions using my info below. Funding Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdl0AJ3zBPI-OUOWfMI2uCgP7VHOMwaK664StKswvmCOj3jeA/viewform Contact Info: Phone number- (413)250-3523 Email- SyedRizviNFB at gmail.com Peace Out, Your 1st VP, Syed Rizvi From mkvnfb94 at gmail.com Mon Dec 9 12:05:49 2019 From: mkvnfb94 at gmail.com (Mariya Vasileva) Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 07:05:49 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Waze carpool accessibility question Message-ID: Sent from my iPhone Hi, Has anybody used Waze Carpool before on the iPhone? If you have, how are you able to view a drivers profile before giving them a request for a ride? I’m having accessibility issues with viewing their information. Any tips would be helpful. From martinbecerramiranda at yahoo.com Mon Dec 9 18:05:18 2019 From: martinbecerramiranda at yahoo.com (Martin Becerra-Miranda) Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 11:05:18 -0700 Subject: [NABS-L] Join us this Friday at 7pm! References: <48A8F37B-83E4-4E99-ADB8-4284A9D056B8@yahoo.com> Message-ID: <24E6C7C4-0029-42C1-8DEF-45F36A842235@yahoo.com> The Colorado Association of Blind Students (CABS) will be holding our monthly conference call on Friday, December 13 at 7:00 PM. During the call: · We will be joined by Bonnie Barlow. Bonnie is an audio description specialist for television, movies, live theater and other events. “Since 1992 I have done description of live plays in the Denver, Colorado area. I was trained by Alan Woods of the Ohio Theatre Alliance. I have also described other events such as ballet, opera, the rodeo and art exhibits. I have personally described over 250 plays and similar events. I have trained other describers. I have written descriptions of exhibits for Access Days for People With Disabilities for the Denver Art Museum. I also write description scripts for television shows and movies. Some of the shows I write description for are ABC's Black-ish, Modern Family, The Middle and Secrets and Lies. Netflix descriptions for animated series Masha and the Bear. I wrote description for the movie Mr. Holmes starring Ian McKellan. I describe live theater for the Denver Center Performing Arts -- the Buell and Space/Stage/Ricketson theaters. See the DCPA website for accessible dates in addition to checking my schedule for the shows I personally will be describing and other events to be described. There are new things in the works.” · We will be discussing our fundraising plans for the upcoming year. · We will be sharing details on the Colorado Avalanche’s “Try Blind Hockey” Event at the Pepsi Center on January 9, 2020. Zoom meeting Topic: CABS December 13, 2019 Call Time: Dec 13, 2019 07:00 PM Mountain Time(US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/603708242?pwd=ZTZqeHloOFRPUTF3NUQ0NTlMUU9JZz09 Meeting ID: 603 708 242 Password: 023975 One tap mobile +17207072699,,603708242# US (Denver) +16465588656,,603708242# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 720 707 2699 US (Denver) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) Meeting ID: 603 708 242 Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/acqRQ8ejDI Kind regards, Martin From blindinsider1 at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 03:45:33 2019 From: blindinsider1 at gmail.com (Seyoon Choi) Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 21:45:33 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies Message-ID: <45D1FBBA-A93B-4100-BD32-4A59D5AABBFD@gmail.com> Hey students, Final season is here! Per usual it’s time to get that one Starbucks coffee or that chocolate bar into our system and cram in as much in our heads. I just had a quick question in regards to how you study best, what tools/methods you use that have worked effectively to succeed in final exams, and for some advice of course. I’ve been mainly using Quizlet, which is somewhat accessible but could be better. There is an upcoming exam for me this Friday and am trying to explore some methods and strategies that other students here have used that have worked. Yes, I’m expecting a relatively difficult exam and would appreciate some input from you all. The exam that I’ll be taking consists of about 50 multiple choice portion followed by short answer/free response portion. Looking forward to hearing from you all! Happy studying! Warm regards Seyoon Seyoon Choi Political Science Undergraduate Researcher - Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & Technology blindinsider1 at gmail.com (314) 650-8306 From ninam0814 at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 03:48:57 2019 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 03:48:57 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies In-Reply-To: <45D1FBBA-A93B-4100-BD32-4A59D5AABBFD@gmail.com> References: <45D1FBBA-A93B-4100-BD32-4A59D5AABBFD@gmail.com> Message-ID: Reviewing and rewriting notes is my main tactic. It works well for me because I remember much better if I write things down. I sometimes also choose to rewrite notes or flash cards using a Perkins Brailler because certain things just click better for me if I physically read them. Nina Marranca Moderator | National Association of Blind Students Mailing List Co Chair | Communications Committee Secretary Treasurer | New York Association of Blind Students ninam0814 at gmail.com ________________________________ From: NABS-L on behalf of Seyoon Choi via NABS-L Sent: Monday, December 9, 2019 22:46 To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Seyoon Choi Subject: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies Hey students, Final season is here! Per usual it’s time to get that one Starbucks coffee or that chocolate bar into our system and cram in as much in our heads. I just had a quick question in regards to how you study best, what tools/methods you use that have worked effectively to succeed in final exams, and for some advice of course. I’ve been mainly using Quizlet, which is somewhat accessible but could be better. There is an upcoming exam for me this Friday and am trying to explore some methods and strategies that other students here have used that have worked. Yes, I’m expecting a relatively difficult exam and would appreciate some input from you all. The exam that I’ll be taking consists of about 50 multiple choice portion followed by short answer/free response portion. Looking forward to hearing from you all! Happy studying! Warm regards Seyoon Seyoon Choi Political Science Undergraduate Researcher - Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & Technology blindinsider1 at gmail.com (314) 650-8306 _______________________________________________ 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/ninam0814%40gmail.com From alpineimagination at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 08:15:56 2019 From: alpineimagination at gmail.com (Vejas Vasiliauskas) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 00:15:56 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies In-Reply-To: <45D1FBBA-A93B-4100-BD32-4A59D5AABBFD@gmail.com> References: <45D1FBBA-A93B-4100-BD32-4A59D5AABBFD@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi Seyon, I use a Braillenote Apex and have all the vocabulary words I need to study in one file. For me, it's not re-writing that helps, but reading and re-reading, and going through the words I don't know repeatedly. Another thing I have done (although this probably only works with tricky words for English class) is to create sentences with the words I'm having trouble with to review later. I like creative writing, and I try make sentences relating to either myself or one of the characters about whom I am writing. If you do this, try to be specific: the sentence should grasp your ability to apply the word. Hope this helps, Vejas > On 9 Dec 2019, at 19:46, Seyoon Choi via NABS-L wrote: > > Hey students, > > Final season is here! Per usual it’s time to get that one Starbucks coffee or that chocolate bar into our system and cram in as much in our heads. I just had a quick question in regards to how you study best, what tools/methods you use that have worked effectively to succeed in final exams, and for some advice of course. I’ve been mainly using Quizlet, which is somewhat accessible but could be better. There is an upcoming exam for me this Friday and am trying to explore some methods and strategies that other students here have used that have worked. Yes, I’m expecting a relatively difficult exam and would appreciate some input from you all. The exam that I’ll be taking consists of about 50 multiple choice portion followed by short answer/free response portion. > > Looking forward to hearing from you all! > Happy studying! > > Warm regards > Seyoon > > > Seyoon Choi > Political Science > Undergraduate Researcher - Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & Technology > blindinsider1 at gmail.com > (314) 650-8306 > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 From jordanmirander at icloud.com Tue Dec 10 15:04:15 2019 From: jordanmirander at icloud.com (Jordan Mirander) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 07:04:15 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] NABS-L Digest, Vol 158, Issue 6 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: How can I go about negotiating with my school to let me have finals week off? Finals week is Washington seminar week for the winter 2020 semester. Yes, I am taking sociology 1 over The winter intercession semester, and I will probably have a final exam on February 13, 2020. Jordan Xavier Mirander -The One Minute Manager > On Dec 10, 2019, at 4:01 AM, nabs-l-request at nfbnet.org wrote: > > Send NABS-L mailing list submissions to > nabs-l at nfbnet.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > nabs-l-request at nfbnet.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > nabs-l-owner at nfbnet.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of NABS-L digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Waze carpool accessibility question (Mariya Vasileva) > 2. Join us this Friday at 7pm! (Martin Becerra-Miranda) > 3. Study Methods & Strategies (Seyoon Choi) > 4. Re: Study Methods & Strategies (Nina Marranca) > 5. Re: Study Methods & Strategies (Vejas Vasiliauskas) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 07:05:49 -0500 > From: Mariya Vasileva > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Subject: [NABS-L] Waze carpool accessibility question > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > > > Sent from my iPhone > Hi, Has anybody used Waze Carpool before on the iPhone? If you have, how are you able to view a drivers profile before giving them a request for a ride? I?m having accessibility issues with viewing their information. Any tips would be helpful. > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 11:05:18 -0700 > From: Martin Becerra-Miranda > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Subject: [NABS-L] Join us this Friday at 7pm! > Message-ID: <24E6C7C4-0029-42C1-8DEF-45F36A842235 at yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > The Colorado Association of Blind Students (CABS) will be holding our monthly conference call on Friday, December 13 at 7:00 PM. > During the call: > ? We will be joined by Bonnie Barlow. Bonnie is an audio description specialist for television, movies, live theater and other events. > ?Since 1992 I have done description of live plays in the Denver, Colorado area. I was trained by Alan Woods of the Ohio Theatre Alliance. I have also described other events such as ballet, opera, the rodeo and art exhibits. I have personally described over 250 plays and similar events. I have trained other describers. I have written descriptions of exhibits for Access Days for People With Disabilities for the Denver Art Museum. I also write description scripts for television shows and movies. Some of the shows I write description for are ABC's Black-ish, Modern Family, The Middle and Secrets and Lies. Netflix descriptions for animated series Masha and the Bear. I wrote description for the movie Mr. Holmes starring Ian McKellan. I describe live theater for the Denver Center Performing Arts -- the Buell and Space/Stage/Ricketson theaters. See the DCPA website for accessible dates in addition to checking my schedule for the shows I personally will be describing and other events to be d > escribed. There are new things in the works.? > ? We will be discussing our fundraising plans for the upcoming year. > ? We will be sharing details on the Colorado Avalanche?s ?Try Blind Hockey? Event at the Pepsi Center on January 9, 2020. > > Zoom meeting > Topic: CABS December 13, 2019 Call > Time: Dec 13, 2019 07:00 PM Mountain Time(US and Canada) > > Join Zoom Meeting > https://zoom.us/j/603708242?pwd=ZTZqeHloOFRPUTF3NUQ0NTlMUU9JZz09 > > Meeting ID: 603 708 242 > Password: 023975 > > One tap mobile > +17207072699,,603708242# US (Denver) > +16465588656,,603708242# US (New York) > > Dial by your location > +1 720 707 2699 US (Denver) > +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) > Meeting ID: 603 708 242 > Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/acqRQ8ejDI > > > Kind regards, > Martin > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 21:45:33 -0600 > From: Seyoon Choi > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list > > Subject: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies > Message-ID: <45D1FBBA-A93B-4100-BD32-4A59D5AABBFD at gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Hey students, > > Final season is here! Per usual it?s time to get that one Starbucks coffee or that chocolate bar into our system and cram in as much in our heads. I just had a quick question in regards to how you study best, what tools/methods you use that have worked effectively to succeed in final exams, and for some advice of course. I?ve been mainly using Quizlet, which is somewhat accessible but could be better. There is an upcoming exam for me this Friday and am trying to explore some methods and strategies that other students here have used that have worked. Yes, I?m expecting a relatively difficult exam and would appreciate some input from you all. The exam that I?ll be taking consists of about 50 multiple choice portion followed by short answer/free response portion. > > Looking forward to hearing from you all! > Happy studying! > > Warm regards > Seyoon > > > Seyoon Choi > Political Science > Undergraduate Researcher - Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & Technology > blindinsider1 at gmail.com > (314) 650-8306 > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 03:48:57 +0000 > From: Nina Marranca > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list > > Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies > Message-ID: > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" > > Reviewing and rewriting notes is my main tactic. It works well for me because I remember much better if I write things down. > I sometimes also choose to rewrite notes or flash cards using a Perkins Brailler because certain things just click better for me if I physically read them. > > Nina Marranca > Moderator | National Association of Blind Students Mailing List > Co Chair | Communications Committee > Secretary Treasurer | New York Association of Blind Students > ninam0814 at gmail.com > > ________________________________ > From: NABS-L on behalf of Seyoon Choi via NABS-L > Sent: Monday, December 9, 2019 22:46 > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list > Cc: Seyoon Choi > Subject: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies > > Hey students, > > Final season is here! Per usual it?s time to get that one Starbucks coffee or that chocolate bar into our system and cram in as much in our heads. I just had a quick question in regards to how you study best, what tools/methods you use that have worked effectively to succeed in final exams, and for some advice of course. I?ve been mainly using Quizlet, which is somewhat accessible but could be better. There is an upcoming exam for me this Friday and am trying to explore some methods and strategies that other students here have used that have worked. Yes, I?m expecting a relatively difficult exam and would appreciate some input from you all. The exam that I?ll be taking consists of about 50 multiple choice portion followed by short answer/free response portion. > > Looking forward to hearing from you all! > Happy studying! > > Warm regards > Seyoon > > > Seyoon Choi > Political Science > Undergraduate Researcher - Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & Technology > blindinsider1 at gmail.com > (314) 650-8306 > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/ninam0814%40gmail.com > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 00:15:56 -0800 > From: Vejas Vasiliauskas > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list > > Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Hi Seyon, > I use a Braillenote Apex and have all the vocabulary words I need to study in one file. For me, it's not re-writing that helps, but reading and re-reading, and going through the words I don't know repeatedly. Another thing I have done (although this probably only works with tricky words for English class) is to create sentences with the words I'm having trouble with to review later. I like creative writing, and I try make sentences relating to either myself or one of the characters about whom I am writing. If you do this, try to be specific: the sentence should grasp your ability to apply the word. > Hope this helps, > Vejas > >> On 9 Dec 2019, at 19:46, Seyoon Choi via NABS-L wrote: >> >> ?Hey students, >> >> Final season is here! Per usual it?s time to get that one Starbucks coffee or that chocolate bar into our system and cram in as much in our heads. I just had a quick question in regards to how you study best, what tools/methods you use that have worked effectively to succeed in final exams, and for some advice of course. I?ve been mainly using Quizlet, which is somewhat accessible but could be better. There is an upcoming exam for me this Friday and am trying to explore some methods and strategies that other students here have used that have worked. Yes, I?m expecting a relatively difficult exam and would appreciate some input from you all. The exam that I?ll be taking consists of about 50 multiple choice portion followed by short answer/free response portion. >> >> Looking forward to hearing from you all! >> Happy studying! >> >> Warm regards >> Seyoon >> >> >> Seyoon Choi >> Political Science >> Undergraduate Researcher - Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & Technology >> blindinsider1 at gmail.com >> (314) 650-8306 >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 > > > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > > > ------------------------------ > > End of NABS-L Digest, Vol 158, Issue 6 > ************************************** From dahillelisa at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 15:26:49 2019 From: dahillelisa at gmail.com (Elisa Dahill) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 10:26:49 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] SAT prep Message-ID: <5FBB67CD-244D-47CE-B4B8-C2C20B4884F4@gmail.com> Hi, My son is a high school junior and will be taking SATs with a screen reader. Where can I find accessible practice material? The College Board website only has one practice test in screen reader version. Thanks, Elisa From ninam0814 at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 15:38:08 2019 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 15:38:08 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] SAT prep In-Reply-To: <5FBB67CD-244D-47CE-B4B8-C2C20B4884F4@gmail.com> References: <5FBB67CD-244D-47CE-B4B8-C2C20B4884F4@gmail.com> Message-ID: I took the SAT in Braille, so it's a bit different. However, my vision teacher in high school had to Braille the practice tests and book for me. The only thing that the college board provided was a Braille test on test day. I have no idea if this is the case when using a screen reader, but I hope not. Nina Marranca Moderator | National Association of Blind Students Mailing List Co Chair | Communications Committee Secretary Treasurer | New York Association of Blind Students ninam0814 at gmail.com ________________________________ From: NABS-L on behalf of Elisa Dahill via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2019 10:28 To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org Cc: Elisa Dahill Subject: [NABS-L] SAT prep Hi, My son is a high school junior and will be taking SATs with a screen reader. Where can I find accessible practice material? The College Board website only has one practice test in screen reader version. Thanks, Elisa _______________________________________________ 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/ninam0814%40gmail.com From ahbeeorton at yahoo.com Tue Dec 10 15:40:37 2019 From: ahbeeorton at yahoo.com (Ahbee Orton) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 09:40:37 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] finding accessible textbook References: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B.ref@yahoo.com> Message-ID: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B@yahoo.com> Hi All, I am looking for a specific textbook for the spring semester of my freshman year in college. I haven't found the exact copy. I've tried Bookshare and VitalSource Bookshelf. Are there any other sources for textbooks I could check out? Is there another method to get an accessible copy of the Business Law Today: The Essentials, Text, and Summarized cases (Cengage Advantage Books), ISBN: 9781337061858 textbook? Thank you. Blessings, Ahbee “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV From andrehill6188 at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 15:56:18 2019 From: andrehill6188 at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Andr=C3=A9_Hill?=) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 10:56:18 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] finding accessible textbook In-Reply-To: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B@yahoo.com> References: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B.ref@yahoo.com> <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B@yahoo.com> Message-ID: Goor Morning, Did you try calling Cengage directly and talking to them? They were very helpful with getting me a book I needed for my history course. Website: https://www.cengage.com/accessibility/ Email: accessibility at cengage.com I hope this helps. André Hill From misokwak12 at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 15:57:18 2019 From: misokwak12 at gmail.com (Miso Kwak) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 10:57:18 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] SAT prep In-Reply-To: References: <5FBB67CD-244D-47CE-B4B8-C2C20B4884F4@gmail.com> Message-ID: It has been many years since I took the SAT, and I took it with Braille test as well. That said, I do wonder if you could contact College Board directly and ask what they can offer. I also think that while it is important and nice to practice with conditions and parameters that reflect the real test taking environment, it would not hurt to glean whatever practice problems you can find online and use those. All the best, Miso On 12/10/19, Nina Marranca via NABS-L wrote: > I took the SAT in Braille, so it's a bit different. However, my vision > teacher in high school had to Braille the practice tests and book for me. > The only thing that the college board provided was a Braille test on test > day. I have no idea if this is the case when using a screen reader, but I > hope not. > > Nina Marranca > Moderator | National Association of Blind Students Mailing List > Co Chair | Communications Committee > Secretary Treasurer | New York Association of Blind Students > ninam0814 at gmail.com > > ________________________________ > From: NABS-L on behalf of Elisa Dahill via > NABS-L > Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2019 10:28 > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Cc: Elisa Dahill > Subject: [NABS-L] SAT prep > > Hi, > My son is a high school junior and will be taking SATs with a screen reader. > Where can I find accessible practice material? The College Board website > only has one practice test in screen reader version. > Thanks, > Elisa > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/ninam0814%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/misokwak12%40gmail.com > From misokwak12 at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 15:58:29 2019 From: misokwak12 at gmail.com (Miso Kwak) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 10:58:29 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] finding accessible textbook In-Reply-To: References: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B.ref@yahoo.com> <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B@yahoo.com> Message-ID: Have you tried Learning Ally? Miso On 12/10/19, André Hill via NABS-L wrote: > Goor Morning, > > Did you try calling Cengage directly and talking to them? They were very > helpful with getting me a book I needed for my history course. > Website: > https://www.cengage.com/accessibility/ > Email: > accessibility at cengage.com > > I hope this helps. > > > André Hill > _______________________________________________ > 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/misokwak12%40gmail.com > From mikgephart at icloud.com Tue Dec 10 15:58:54 2019 From: mikgephart at icloud.com (Mikayla Gephart) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 10:58:54 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] finding accessible textbook In-Reply-To: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B@yahoo.com> References: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B@yahoo.com> Message-ID: Hi Ahbee. I get as many textbooks as I can from Bookshare and Learning Ally, and then if they do not have it, I Purchased the book and the disability services office at my school gets an accessible copy from the publisher. Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 10, 2019, at 10:43 AM, Ahbee Orton via NABS-L wrote: > > Hi All, > > I am looking for a specific textbook for the spring semester of my freshman year in college. I haven't found the exact copy. I've tried Bookshare and VitalSource Bookshelf. Are there any other sources for textbooks I could check out? Is there another method to get an accessible copy of the Business Law Today: The Essentials, Text, and Summarized cases (Cengage Advantage Books), ISBN: 9781337061858 textbook? > Thank you. > > Blessings, > Ahbee > > “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” > 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV > > “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” > 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV > _______________________________________________ > 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/mikgephart%40icloud.com From eschlenker at cox.net Tue Dec 10 16:07:30 2019 From: eschlenker at cox.net (Emily Schlenker) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 10:07:30 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] finding accessible textbook In-Reply-To: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B@yahoo.com> References: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B@yahoo.com> Message-ID: Hi. I would suggest that you contact the disability services at your school and explain your situation. They need to go to the publisher and explain that universities are not supposed to use books that are not accessible to everyone, so The publisher needs to provide a Microsoft Word document or appropriately tagged PDF.. Is it a public university? Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 10, 2019, at 9:43 AM, Ahbee Orton via NABS-L wrote: > > Hi All, > > I am looking for a specific textbook for the spring semester of my freshman year in college. I haven't found the exact copy. I've tried Bookshare and VitalSource Bookshelf. Are there any other sources for textbooks I could check out? Is there another method to get an accessible copy of the Business Law Today: The Essentials, Text, and Summarized cases (Cengage Advantage Books), ISBN: 9781337061858 textbook? > Thank you. > > Blessings, > Ahbee > > “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” > 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV > > “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” > 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV > _______________________________________________ > 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/eschlenker%40cox.net From rbacchus228 at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 16:08:38 2019 From: rbacchus228 at gmail.com (rbacchus228 at gmail.com) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 11:08:38 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] SAT prep Message-ID: <5defc309.1c69fb81.8b91e.88b7@mx.google.com> Hi Nina thanks for your message. When I took the Psat and the Act in braille, I had braille copies of the actual test and a practice test. I would recommend to anyone taking the Sat and the Act that they take their time on the practice tests. Roanna Bacchus'   On Dec 10, 2019 10:38 AM, Nina Marranca via NABS-L wrote: > > I took the SAT in Braille, so it's a bit different. However, my vision teacher in high school had to Braille the practice tests and book for me. The only thing that the college board provided was a Braille test on test day. I have no idea if this is the case when using a screen reader, but I hope not. > > Nina Marranca > Moderator | National Association of Blind Students Mailing List > Co Chair | Communications Committee > Secretary Treasurer | New York Association of Blind Students > ninam0814 at gmail.com > > ________________________________ > From: NABS-L on behalf of Elisa Dahill via NABS-L > Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2019 10:28 > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Cc: Elisa Dahill > Subject: [NABS-L] SAT prep > > Hi, > My son is a high school junior and will be taking SATs with a screen reader. Where can I find accessible practice material? The College Board website only has one practice test in screen reader version. > Thanks, > Elisa > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/ninam0814%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/rbacchus228%40gmail.com From ninam0814 at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 16:14:29 2019 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 16:14:29 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] finding accessible textbook In-Reply-To: References: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B@yahoo.com>, Message-ID: Good morning. I suggest Learning Ally or BARD. However, there will be books that just aren't available in this format. You can attempt to purchase a PDF version online, which can be imported to an app like voice dream to be read to you or can be read on a Braille Display. Of course, a PDF can also be viewed on a computer, but sometimes, such large PDH's give screen readers issues. PDF books usually are only a fraction of the cost of hard copy books. Additionally, contact your disability office. They can talk to the publisher about what accessible formats are available. Just be ware of scam websites and such if you decide to buy an electronic copy of your book. Best, Nina Nina Marranca Moderator | National Association of Blind Students Mailing List Co Chair | Communications Committee Secretary Treasurer | New York Association of Blind Students ninam0814 at gmail.com ________________________________ From: NABS-L on behalf of Emily Schlenker via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2019 11:08 To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Emily Schlenker Subject: Re: [NABS-L] finding accessible textbook Hi. I would suggest that you contact the disability services at your school and explain your situation. They need to go to the publisher and explain that universities are not supposed to use books that are not accessible to everyone, so The publisher needs to provide a Microsoft Word document or appropriately tagged PDF.. Is it a public university? Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 10, 2019, at 9:43 AM, Ahbee Orton via NABS-L wrote: > > Hi All, > > I am looking for a specific textbook for the spring semester of my freshman year in college. I haven't found the exact copy. I've tried Bookshare and VitalSource Bookshelf. Are there any other sources for textbooks I could check out? Is there another method to get an accessible copy of the Business Law Today: The Essentials, Text, and Summarized cases (Cengage Advantage Books), ISBN: 9781337061858 textbook? > Thank you. > > Blessings, > Ahbee > > “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” > 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV > > “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” > 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV > _______________________________________________ > 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/eschlenker%40cox.net _______________________________________________ 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/ninam0814%40gmail.com From keribcu at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 18:05:55 2019 From: keribcu at gmail.com (Keri Svendsen) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 13:05:55 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] finding accessible textbook In-Reply-To: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B@yahoo.com> References: <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B.ref@yahoo.com> <6A1B5DB8-4861-4FA9-BD4E-AF907DD9391B@yahoo.com> Message-ID: <604a848f-5751-ed69-ef1a-1b78f32c6e0b@gmail.com> good afternoon Abhee, Have the school's disability/accessibility office check out access text. Alternatively you can contact the publisher. On 12/10/2019 10:40 AM, Ahbee Orton via NABS-L wrote: > Hi All, > > I am looking for a specific textbook for the spring semester of my freshman year in college. I haven't found the exact copy. I've tried Bookshare and VitalSource Bookshelf. Are there any other sources for textbooks I could check out? Is there another method to get an accessible copy of the Business Law Today: The Essentials, Text, and Summarized cases (Cengage Advantage Books), ISBN: 9781337061858 textbook? > Thank you. > > Blessings, > Ahbee > > “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” > 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV > > “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” > 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV > _______________________________________________ > 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/keribcu%40gmail.com -- Keri Svendsen From mikgephart at icloud.com Tue Dec 10 18:34:21 2019 From: mikgephart at icloud.com (Mikayla Gephart) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 13:34:21 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] finding accessible textbook In-Reply-To: <604a848f-5751-ed69-ef1a-1b78f32c6e0b@gmail.com> References: <604a848f-5751-ed69-ef1a-1b78f32c6e0b@gmail.com> Message-ID: <0614A993-510F-4862-96B1-A8BE5C465F65@icloud.com> That’s what the accessibility specialist at my school’s disability office uses. She checks access text first, and then will contact the publisher if she can’t find it. Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 10, 2019, at 1:08 PM, Keri Svendsen via NABS-L wrote: > > good afternoon Abhee, > > > Have the school's disability/accessibility office check out access text. Alternatively you can contact the publisher. > > >> On 12/10/2019 10:40 AM, Ahbee Orton via NABS-L wrote: >> Hi All, >> >> I am looking for a specific textbook for the spring semester of my freshman year in college. I haven't found the exact copy. I've tried Bookshare and VitalSource Bookshelf. Are there any other sources for textbooks I could check out? Is there another method to get an accessible copy of the Business Law Today: The Essentials, Text, and Summarized cases (Cengage Advantage Books), ISBN: 9781337061858 textbook? >> Thank you. >> >> Blessings, >> Ahbee >> >> “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” >> 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV >> >> “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” >> 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV >> _______________________________________________ >> 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/keribcu%40gmail.com > > -- > Keri Svendsen > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/mikgephart%40icloud.com From jty727 at gmail.com Tue Dec 10 22:48:47 2019 From: jty727 at gmail.com (Justin Young) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 17:48:47 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Legislative Advocacy Committee Call on Sunday December 15 at 8pm Message-ID: Hi All, Hope you are enjoying the end of your semesters & that finals haven't been too stressful! Please join us this Sunday, December 15 at 8pm Eastern for the NABS Legislative Advocacy Committee meeting. We always appreciate your input of the legislative activities being undertaken by the Federation! To participate in this meeting, please call (712) 770-5197,,265669#. Thanks & look forward to you all joining us! Justin Young Co-Chair, NABS Legislative Advcacy Committee President, New York Association of Blind Students From nabs.president at gmail.com Wed Dec 11 03:43:38 2019 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (Kathryn Webster, National Student President) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 22:43:38 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] NABS-L Digest, Vol 158, Issue 6 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <029a01d5afd5$2e665190$8b32f4b0$@gmail.com> Hi Jordan! Great question! The NABS Board is developing a sample letter that students can send to their professors if they are indeed confirmed to attend Washington Seminar. We will distribute next steps on how attendees can obtain one of these letters in the coming weeks. Thanks for bringing up a great point! Kathryn Kathryn C. Webster President | National Association of Blind Students A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind Nabs.president at gmail.com | (203) 273-8463 www.nabslink.org -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Jordan Mirander via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2019 10:04 AM To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org Cc: Jordan Mirander Subject: Re: [NABS-L] NABS-L Digest, Vol 158, Issue 6 How can I go about negotiating with my school to let me have finals week off? Finals week is Washington seminar week for the winter 2020 semester. Yes, I am taking sociology 1 over The winter intercession semester, and I will probably have a final exam on February 13, 2020. Jordan Xavier Mirander -The One Minute Manager > On Dec 10, 2019, at 4:01 AM, nabs-l-request at nfbnet.org wrote: > > Send NABS-L mailing list submissions to > nabs-l at nfbnet.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > nabs-l-request at nfbnet.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > nabs-l-owner at nfbnet.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of NABS-L digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Waze carpool accessibility question (Mariya Vasileva) > 2. Join us this Friday at 7pm! (Martin Becerra-Miranda) > 3. Study Methods & Strategies (Seyoon Choi) > 4. Re: Study Methods & Strategies (Nina Marranca) > 5. Re: Study Methods & Strategies (Vejas Vasiliauskas) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 07:05:49 -0500 > From: Mariya Vasileva > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Subject: [NABS-L] Waze carpool accessibility question > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > > > Sent from my iPhone > Hi, Has anybody used Waze Carpool before on the iPhone? If you have, how are you able to view a drivers profile before giving them a request for a ride? I?m having accessibility issues with viewing their information. Any tips would be helpful. > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 11:05:18 -0700 > From: Martin Becerra-Miranda > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Subject: [NABS-L] Join us this Friday at 7pm! > Message-ID: <24E6C7C4-0029-42C1-8DEF-45F36A842235 at yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > The Colorado Association of Blind Students (CABS) will be holding our monthly conference call on Friday, December 13 at 7:00 PM. > During the call: > ? We will be joined by Bonnie Barlow. Bonnie is an audio description specialist for television, movies, live theater and other events. > ?Since 1992 I have done description of live plays in the Denver, > Colorado area. I was trained by Alan Woods of the Ohio Theatre Alliance. I have also described other events such as ballet, opera, the rodeo and art exhibits. I have personally described over 250 plays and similar events. I have trained other describers. I have written descriptions of exhibits for Access Days for People With Disabilities for the Denver Art Museum. I also write description scripts for television shows and movies. Some of the shows I write description for are ABC's Black-ish, Modern Family, The Middle and Secrets and Lies. Netflix descriptions for animated series Masha and the Bear. I wrote description for the movie Mr. Holmes starring Ian McKellan. I describe live theater for the Denver Center Performing Arts -- the Buell and Space/Stage/Ricketson theaters. See the DCPA website for accessible dates in addition to checking my schedule for the shows I personally will be describing and other events to be d escribed. There are new things in the works.? > ? We will be discussing our fundraising plans for the upcoming year. > ? We will be sharing details on the Colorado Avalanche?s ?Try Blind Hockey? Event at the Pepsi Center on January 9, 2020. > > Zoom meeting > Topic: CABS December 13, 2019 Call > Time: Dec 13, 2019 07:00 PM Mountain Time(US and Canada) > > Join Zoom Meeting > https://zoom.us/j/603708242?pwd=ZTZqeHloOFRPUTF3NUQ0NTlMUU9JZz09 > > Meeting ID: 603 708 242 > Password: 023975 > > One tap mobile > +17207072699,,603708242# US (Denver) > +16465588656,,603708242# US (New York) > > Dial by your location > +1 720 707 2699 US (Denver) > +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) > Meeting ID: 603 708 242 > Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/acqRQ8ejDI > > > Kind regards, > Martin > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 21:45:33 -0600 > From: Seyoon Choi > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list > > Subject: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies > Message-ID: <45D1FBBA-A93B-4100-BD32-4A59D5AABBFD at gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Hey students, > > Final season is here! Per usual it?s time to get that one Starbucks coffee or that chocolate bar into our system and cram in as much in our heads. I just had a quick question in regards to how you study best, what tools/methods you use that have worked effectively to succeed in final exams, and for some advice of course. I?ve been mainly using Quizlet, which is somewhat accessible but could be better. There is an upcoming exam for me this Friday and am trying to explore some methods and strategies that other students here have used that have worked. Yes, I?m expecting a relatively difficult exam and would appreciate some input from you all. The exam that I?ll be taking consists of about 50 multiple choice portion followed by short answer/free response portion. > > Looking forward to hearing from you all! > Happy studying! > > Warm regards > Seyoon > > > Seyoon Choi > Political Science > Undergraduate Researcher - Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & > Technology blindinsider1 at gmail.com > (314) 650-8306 > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 03:48:57 +0000 > From: Nina Marranca > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list > > Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies > Message-ID: > > tlook.com> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" > > Reviewing and rewriting notes is my main tactic. It works well for me because I remember much better if I write things down. > I sometimes also choose to rewrite notes or flash cards using a Perkins Brailler because certain things just click better for me if I physically read them. > > Nina Marranca > Moderator | National Association of Blind Students Mailing List Co > Chair | Communications Committee Secretary Treasurer | New York > Association of Blind Students ninam0814 at gmail.com > > ________________________________ > From: NABS-L on behalf of Seyoon Choi via > NABS-L > Sent: Monday, December 9, 2019 22:46 > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list > Cc: Seyoon Choi > Subject: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies > > Hey students, > > Final season is here! Per usual it?s time to get that one Starbucks coffee or that chocolate bar into our system and cram in as much in our heads. I just had a quick question in regards to how you study best, what tools/methods you use that have worked effectively to succeed in final exams, and for some advice of course. I?ve been mainly using Quizlet, which is somewhat accessible but could be better. There is an upcoming exam for me this Friday and am trying to explore some methods and strategies that other students here have used that have worked. Yes, I?m expecting a relatively difficult exam and would appreciate some input from you all. The exam that I?ll be taking consists of about 50 multiple choice portion followed by short answer/free response portion. > > Looking forward to hearing from you all! > Happy studying! > > Warm regards > Seyoon > > > Seyoon Choi > Political Science > Undergraduate Researcher - Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & > Technology blindinsider1 at gmail.com > (314) 650-8306 > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/ninam0814%40gmail. > com > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 00:15:56 -0800 > From: Vejas Vasiliauskas > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list > > Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Study Methods & Strategies > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Hi Seyon, > I use a Braillenote Apex and have all the vocabulary words I need to study in one file. For me, it's not re-writing that helps, but reading and re-reading, and going through the words I don't know repeatedly. Another thing I have done (although this probably only works with tricky words for English class) is to create sentences with the words I'm having trouble with to review later. I like creative writing, and I try make sentences relating to either myself or one of the characters about whom I am writing. If you do this, try to be specific: the sentence should grasp your ability to apply the word. > Hope this helps, > Vejas > >> On 9 Dec 2019, at 19:46, Seyoon Choi via NABS-L wrote: >> >> ?Hey students, >> >> Final season is here! Per usual it?s time to get that one Starbucks coffee or that chocolate bar into our system and cram in as much in our heads. I just had a quick question in regards to how you study best, what tools/methods you use that have worked effectively to succeed in final exams, and for some advice of course. I?ve been mainly using Quizlet, which is somewhat accessible but could be better. There is an upcoming exam for me this Friday and am trying to explore some methods and strategies that other students here have used that have worked. Yes, I?m expecting a relatively difficult exam and would appreciate some input from you all. The exam that I?ll be taking consists of about 50 multiple choice portion followed by short answer/free response portion. >> >> Looking forward to hearing from you all! >> Happy studying! >> >> Warm regards >> Seyoon >> >> >> Seyoon Choi >> Political Science >> Undergraduate Researcher - Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & >> Technology blindinsider1 at gmail.com >> (314) 650-8306 >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 > > > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > > > ------------------------------ > > End of NABS-L Digest, Vol 158, Issue 6 > ************************************** _______________________________________________ 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/nabs.president%40gmail.com From Steve.Cook at sccb.sc.gov Wed Dec 11 16:07:14 2019 From: Steve.Cook at sccb.sc.gov (Cook, Steve) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2019 16:07:14 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] FW: Older Blind Program Counselor Greenville, SC Message-ID: Steve Cook, CPM Assistive Technology Consultant SC Commission for the Blind 1430 Confederate avenue Columbia, SC 29201 Office: (803) 898-8788 Cell: (803) 908-3856 1-888-335-5951 [SCCB_logoblue] www.sccb.state.sc.us From: Mendoza, Luis Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2019 10:11 AM To: _CFB - South Carolina Commission for the Blind Subject: Older Blind Program Counselor Advertisement Good morning: The position of Older Blind Program Counselor is now being advertised at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sc/sccb. Luis Gamarra Mendoza, PHR Human Resources Manager- Talent Acquisition and Development South Carolina Commission for the Blind 1430 Confederate Ave Columbia, SC 29201 Office: (803)-898-8751 Fax: (803) 898-8721 1-888-335-5951 [SCCB_logoblue] www.sccb.state.sc.us [fbbutton] [Careers email button] CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this email message and any attachments are intended solely for the addressee(s) and may contain confidential and/or privileged information and may be legally protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient of this message or their agent, or if this message has been addressed to you in error, please immediately alert the sender by reply email and then delete this message and any attachments. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, copying, or storage of this message or its attachments is strictly prohibited. Aviso de Confidencialidad: Este mensaje (incluyendo los archivos adjuntos) está dirigido solo al receptor señalado y puede contener información de carácter privilegiada, privada o confidencial. Si usted no es el receptor señalado o bien si ha recibido este mensaje por error, por favor notifique inmediatamente al remitente y elimine el mensaje original. Cualquier otro uso de este mensaje de correo electrónico está prohibido. Gracias por su cooperación. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 9339 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 1299 bytes Desc: image002.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image005.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 4188 bytes Desc: image005.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Advertisement.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 14781 bytes Desc: Advertisement.docx URL: From mikgephart at icloud.com Thu Dec 12 17:40:00 2019 From: mikgephart at icloud.com (Mikayla Gephart) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2019 12:40:00 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college Message-ID: <4EFF0639-ED29-48DC-B735-A6F1237BBDDC@icloud.com> Hi all, I hope you are all doing well, and that your final exams are going well. As many of you know, I started my first year of college in August after nine months at the Colorado Center for the Blind. I have enjoyed my college experience, but the Disability Services office has been extremely frustrating. The week after I graduated from CCB in June, I had to attend a mandatory pre-orientation for college. Despite the fact that I had been corresponding with the Assistant Director for Disability Services since April and had sent in my documentation proving I was blind, they were not prepared for me at all. There were millions of print papers floating around that were not provided in an accessible format, and they required I do an online strengths test I had not been told about. I ended up having someone read everything to me so I could get everything out of the day, but I was upset. A few days after the reorientation, I met with the Assistant Director for my intake interview. She apologized and said she would never let this happen again. I believed her! After I received my schedule for the fall, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. During the week before classes started, I met with most of my professors. I am still undecided about my major and career goals, but I mentioned during the pre-orientation that I was considering majoring in Child Development. The Academic Advising team chooses schedules for all incoming freshmen based on our preferences as we mentioned on forms and at the pre-orientation, and they placed me in the introductory Child Development class. This class has a lab component at a local private preschool. The college I am attending is also a private, but they receive Financial Assistance funding from the government. When I met with my Child Development professor, I was told that the private school (where all students in this class fulfill their lab component) refused to allow me to complete my lab there. According to my professor, the school sited the North Carolina Division of Early Childhood Development and Education’s safety standards for supervision. She read out some of the standards, but I do not have a copy. From what my professor said, the standards say that staff in a school must be able to “see and hear” children eating. She said that the way the school is set up is that food is out during all times of the day, not just at lunch time. She also said that the school interprets this standard to mean that any adult in the class must be able to see and hear the students eating in case they choke. I feel like this in itself is wrong on so many levels! The fact that the state even has this standard is ridiculous, and the school’s interpretation is just as discriminatory. My professor also expressed some reservations about my ability to observe the students, even if the private school allowed me to observe in their school. She was pretty set on observation being a visual process, but was open to me reaching out to other teachers to find out how they handled it. I suggested I would gather information by interacting with the children, but she said that students observe and write down notes while off to the side so as not to interfere. We decided that I would take a General Education class during the fall, which would give us more time to figure out how to make Child Development work. I agreed, since it was so close to the start of the semester. I kept it together during the meeting, but I was devastated! However, I decided to let it go. I was still deciding on majors and careers anywhere, and it was four days before I was supposed to move in to the dorm and I wanted to keep focused on that. Most of my first semester of college went without a hitch. I was provided with all materials in an accessible format, and I enjoyed getting to know most of my instructors and fellow students. When it came time to register for classes on October 25th, I was extremely excited. I chose all of my classes carefully, thinking about how much time I would have in between classes and asking for recommendations of professors from other students. On November 2nd, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. I heard back from every professor except for my English professor. On November 25, I was told by the Disability Services office that the English department requested that I switch to another professor’s class. The English Department had 23 days from the time of receiving my introduction email to bring this up. Of course it was right in the middle of my finals. This could have been handled November 2 with a meeting including me of course. The reason given was that the professor I chose uses “visual materials”. I took Statistics this semester, and Statistics uses a lot of visual material. To me, this seemed like a thinly veiled excuse to keep me out of her class. I decided to switch to the professor they recommended because I do not want a professor who does not want me and because I found out that my new professor is great at making materials accessible. I am still upset! After I had some time to process the news, I sent a strong email to the Disability Services staff and the Dean of Students, even using the word discrimination. The Disability Services staff asked to meet with me last week, and I came prepared with strong but polite comments. Unfortunately, they did not seem to understand that this is discrimination. The Assistant Director came with several guesses, but never bothered to find out why the English department did not want me in this professor’s class. One of her guesses was that the Dean of the Humanities School, who made this request, thought the professor they recommended would be a better fit because of her experience making materials accessible, and that she does not think the Dean meant to discriminate because she is extremely student-centered. I did not feel like they understood how I feel about this. I feel like I need to speak up about this. I have had three issues so far. What’s next? I love the professors and students, and want to stay here. I have gotten them to follow the ADA requirements for railings and braille signs, so I am getting through somewhat. However, I am still not satisfied, so am going to file a formal grievance through the college’s grievance procedures. They need to start following the law, and I will not allow this to happen again to me or any other blind students. I go from sadness to anger to determination, and wish things did not have to exculpate this far. I would love to have positive and informal relationships with the Disability Services staff for the next three years, but I need to let them know I am serious. I have lost faith in informal conversations, so think a formal grievance is the next step. Any advice or encouragement will be appreciated. This is an extremely frustrating experience, but I will not back down. Mikayla From arielle71 at gmail.com Thu Dec 12 19:41:14 2019 From: arielle71 at gmail.com (Arielle Silverman) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2019 14:41:14 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Sign Up Today! Field Test Groundbreaking New App for Blind Youth In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Field Test of 4to24: App for Youth and Parents to Focus on Employment Sign up by December 31! “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope!” Star Wars fans know the scene well. Robot “R2-D2” played a message asking for help. Here’s your R2-D2 message: “Help us teens and young adults, you’re our only hope!” The NRTC on Blindness & Low Vision at Mississippi State University needs you to join field testing of our groundbreaking new app! Here’s the mission, should you choose to accept it: The new app, “4to24”, needs to be tested. What’s the app all about, you say? Ah, good question. The app helps youth who are blind or visually impaired learn about: • Putting together a resume and finding summer jobs; • Prepping for college; • Building technology skills; • Learning about self-advocacy; • Getting involved and feeling comfortable in the community; and • Uncovering hidden gems—resources, that is, available to young adults who are blind or visually impaired. The app will send you info, links, and suggested activities based on your age and interests. More about the field test We need youth or young adults who are blind or visually impaired, ages 16 to 24. To help, you’ll create an account in the app and use the app for six months. You’ll also fill out a series of surveys. Surveys will ask questions about prepping for future work and about goals and thoughts on your future. We’ll also ask for your feedback about how the app fits your needs. You’ll use the app as you normally would, and complete surveys related to our study before, during, and after the 6-month trial period. The surveys should take between 10 to 30 minutes each, for a total of about 1.5 hours of time on surveys. Participants who complete the final survey of the study will receive a thank-you gift card for $35. Think you’re up for field testing the app and participating in our study? Please fill out the information form at this link: msstatecoe.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5uaUlPCXCtQWxal. Need assistance or have questions? Get in touch with Anne Steverson (acc155 at msstate.edu) or Karla Antonelli (kantonelli at colled.msstate.edu). From eschlenker at cox.net Thu Dec 12 20:25:10 2019 From: eschlenker at cox.net (Emily Schlenker) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2019 14:25:10 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college In-Reply-To: <4EFF0639-ED29-48DC-B735-A6F1237BBDDC@icloud.com> References: <4EFF0639-ED29-48DC-B735-A6F1237BBDDC@icloud.com> Message-ID: Hi. I am sorry, and I wish I were surprised. The disability office is 100% out of line and inappropriate and the things that they are saying and doing. I have just had oral surgery, but if you want to call me in a few days you are welcome. I have been through this. Emily 316-644-4227 Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 12, 2019, at 11:43 AM, Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L wrote: > > Hi all, > > I hope you are all doing well, and that your final exams are going well. As many of you know, I started my first year of college in August after nine months at the Colorado Center for the Blind. I have enjoyed my college experience, but the Disability Services office has been extremely frustrating. > > The week after I graduated from CCB in June, I had to attend a mandatory pre-orientation for college. Despite the fact that I had been corresponding with the Assistant Director for Disability Services since April and had sent in my documentation proving I was blind, they were not prepared for me at all. There were millions of print papers floating around that were not provided in an accessible format, and they required I do an online strengths test I had not been told about. I ended up having someone read everything to me so I could get everything out of the day, but I was upset. A few days after the reorientation, I met with the Assistant Director for my intake interview. She apologized and said she would never let this happen again. I believed her! > > After I received my schedule for the fall, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. During the week before classes started, I met with most of my professors. I am still undecided about my major and career goals, but I mentioned during the pre-orientation that I was considering majoring in Child Development. The Academic Advising team chooses schedules for all incoming freshmen based on our preferences as we mentioned on forms and at the pre-orientation, and they placed me in the introductory Child Development class. This class has a lab component at a local private preschool. The college I am attending is also a private, but they receive Financial Assistance funding from the government. When I met with my Child Development professor, I was told that the private school (where all students in this class fulfill their lab component) refused to allow me to complete my lab there. According to my professor, the school sited the North Carolina Division of Early Childhood Development and Education’s safety standards for supervision. She read out some of the standards, but I do not have a copy. From what my professor said, the standards say that staff in a school must be able to “see and hear” children eating. She said that the way the school is set up is that food is out during all times of the day, not just at lunch time. She also said that the school interprets this standard to mean that any adult in the class must be able to see and hear the students eating in case they choke. I feel like this in itself is wrong on so many levels! The fact that the state even has this standard is ridiculous, and the school’s interpretation is just as discriminatory. My professor also expressed some reservations about my ability to observe the students, even if the private school allowed me to observe in their school. She was pretty set on observation being a visual process, but was open to me reaching out to other teachers to find out how they handled it. I suggested I would gather information by interacting with the children, but she said that students observe and write down notes while off to the side so as not to interfere. We decided that I would take a General Education class during the fall, which would give us more time to figure out how to make Child Development work. I agreed, since it was so close to the start of the semester. I kept it together during the meeting, but I was devastated! However, I decided to let it go. I was still deciding on majors and careers anywhere, and it was four days before I was supposed to move in to the dorm and I wanted to keep focused on that. > > Most of my first semester of college went without a hitch. I was provided with all materials in an accessible format, and I enjoyed getting to know most of my instructors and fellow students. > > When it came time to register for classes on October 25th, I was extremely excited. I chose all of my classes carefully, thinking about how much time I would have in between classes and asking for recommendations of professors from other students. On November 2nd, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. I heard back from every professor except for my English professor. > > On November 25, I was told by the Disability Services office that the English department requested that I switch to another professor’s class. The English Department had 23 days from the time of receiving my introduction email to bring this up. Of course it was right in the middle of my finals. This could have been handled November 2 with a meeting including me of course. The reason given was that the professor I chose uses “visual materials”. I took Statistics this semester, and Statistics uses a lot of visual material. To me, this seemed like a thinly veiled excuse to keep me out of her class. I decided to switch to the professor they recommended because I do not want a professor who does not want me and because I found out that my new professor is great at making materials accessible. I am still upset! > > After I had some time to process the news, I sent a strong email to the Disability Services staff and the Dean of Students, even using the word discrimination. The Disability Services staff asked to meet with me last week, and I came prepared with strong but polite comments. Unfortunately, they did not seem to understand that this is discrimination. The Assistant Director came with several guesses, but never bothered to find out why the English department did not want me in this professor’s class. One of her guesses was that the Dean of the Humanities School, who made this request, thought the professor they recommended would be a better fit because of her experience making materials accessible, and that she does not think the Dean meant to discriminate because she is extremely student-centered. I did not feel like they understood how I feel about this. > > I feel like I need to speak up about this. I have had three issues so far. What’s next? I love the professors and students, and want to stay here. I have gotten them to follow the ADA requirements for railings and braille signs, so I am getting through somewhat. However, I am still not satisfied, so am going to file a formal grievance through the college’s grievance procedures. They need to start following the law, and I will not allow this to happen again to me or any other blind students. I go from sadness to anger to determination, and wish things did not have to exculpate this far. I would love to have positive and informal relationships with the Disability Services staff for the next three years, but I need to let them know I am serious. I have lost faith in informal conversations, so think a formal grievance is the next step. Any advice or encouragement will be appreciated. This is an extremely frustrating experience, but I will not back down. > > Mikayla > _______________________________________________ > 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/eschlenker%40cox.net From nmpbrat at aol.com Fri Dec 13 05:31:42 2019 From: nmpbrat at aol.com (nmpbrat at aol.com) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 05:31:42 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college In-Reply-To: <4EFF0639-ED29-48DC-B735-A6F1237BBDDC@icloud.com> References: <4EFF0639-ED29-48DC-B735-A6F1237BBDDC@icloud.com> Message-ID: <2030558537.1762249.1576215102012@mail.yahoo.com> Mikayla,I'm sorry to hear about your experiences in college.  I can certainly appreciate and understand your feelings and frustrations, as I have dealt with discrimination both at the college level and employment level.  To be candid, in college, my discrimination experience was solely with one professor and after many sleepless nights, I made the decision not to take it to the formal level.  In my employment situation, on the other hand, I spent the past 5 years fighting it in the legal system.  I have some thoughts and things you may want to consider and think about in each of the situations but please understand, I am in no way trying to minimize or diminish what you have been through.  I also know though, that fighting battles such as these aren't as simple as you might think or as clear cut as you might think, even with the ADA "on your side".   First, if you decide you want to go through with the formal grievance process, you will want to go into the process knowing exactly what you want.  Now, let me explain what I mean by that.  Yes, they'll want to know your concerns about what has happened in the past to bring you to this point, although they likely will probably have a pretty good idea.  But, simply telling them what you don't want is not going to be good enough.  You need to be able to articulate exactly what you do want.  In other words, what does that look like?  For example, in the case of the Child Development class...simply telling them that you don't want to be excluded from it isn't going to be enough.  You will need to come in prepared with possible remedies or solutions to the problem.  So, if it were me, I would tell them that to fix the problem, they need to assign you to a different child development center and one in which does not allow access to food all day long.  Honestly though, i don't know why the regulations apply to you as a student observer...they really only should apply to the employees themselves.  Then, they need to provide you with a sighted assistant (like someone would have if they were taking a science class with labs) who can describe to you what they see.  So, instead of asking the students questions (if the professor feels that it is inappropriate at this stage), you can then ask the necessary questions to your sighted assistant during your observations.  I would go on to explain though, that if you would pursue child development, that you would handle things in such a way that communication with the kids would be essential.  As a side note, I am a public school teacher for the past 18 years, so I had my share of observations to do as well.  So in other words, they will need to mold the child development program to fit your needs and provide accommodations as necessary, such as the sighted assistant, to meet the requirements.  In the case of the observations, even with a sighted assistant, you will still need to know the right questions to ask that person in order to get the necessary information you are required to get.  The child development center they have chosen can't possibly be the only one in the area, so they need to step out of their comfort zone and find an alternative....but understand that if you don't go in asking for it, they aren't going to likely offer something like this up to you.  Ultimately, there are ways to work around the requirements of the program, it just might take a little thinking outside the box.  If your college happens to have faculty who teach courses specifically about special education, disability studies, etc....you can always suggest that if your professor in the child development program feels more comfortable talking with colleagues, that they may get some ideas from their fellow colleagues as well on how to make things work.   As to the professor who decided they didn't want you in your class.  Yes, that is absolutely discriminatory and ridiculous.  With that said, you probably made the best decision possible by taking the class with the other instructor.  Forcing the situation, would likely have only made things hard on you.  It would have punished you more than them.  Again, if you choose to address this in your grievance, you need to not simply go in saying that the professor shouldn't be allowed to do it in the future.  Ask for more concrete specific measures for them to correct.  Be proactive.  Ask them about changing their protocols and procedures.  For example, maybe the professor must meet with the student and disability services representative to discuss the situation before they can make the request to not have the student in their class.  Maybe you suggest that disability services provides training to professors about having students with disabilities and providing accommodations to them, as maybe this professor is simply not well educated enough and if they had better training, they would have a better attitude about it.  As a side note, this "training" idea was actually something I used as part of the legal settlement with my employer.  Again, don't just tell them what they didn't do.  Sometimes, people actually need it spelled out for them what they actually need to do because they simply don't know.   My final thought is this.  When you take these types of things to a formal level, it changes the whole landscape of the situation and will possibly change how you are viewed and perceived by others, including those in the Disability Services Department....even if you are totally in the right.  Just know that, right or wrong, it will likely change at least some individuals' views of you.  Word will likely get out in the ranks of the professors, especially if you eventually pick a major and you will be known as the girl who "filed a formal grievance".  I guess my point is this....just keep in mind that although the formal process could get you to a place where you get exactly what you need....there are always two sides to every sword.   I wish you the best of luck in dealing with a very difficult situation but I'm confident you will find success in the end.  Take care,Nicole -----Original Message----- From: Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Mikayla Gephart Sent: Thu, Dec 12, 2019 12:42 pm Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college Hi all,     I hope you are all doing well, and that your final exams are going well. As many of you know, I started my first year of college in August after nine months at the Colorado Center for the Blind. I have enjoyed my college experience, but the Disability Services office has been extremely frustrating.       The week after I graduated from CCB in June, I had to attend a mandatory pre-orientation for college. Despite the fact that I had been corresponding with the Assistant Director for Disability Services since April and had sent in my documentation proving I was blind, they were not prepared for me at all. There were millions of print papers floating around that were not provided in an accessible format, and they required I do an online strengths test I had not been told about. I ended up having someone read everything to me so I could get everything out of the day, but I was upset. A few days after the reorientation, I met with the Assistant Director for my intake interview. She apologized and said she would never let this happen again. I believed her!     After I received my schedule for the fall, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. During the week before classes started, I met with most of my professors. I am still undecided about my major and career goals, but I mentioned during the pre-orientation that I was considering majoring in Child Development. The Academic Advising team chooses schedules for all incoming freshmen based on our preferences as we mentioned on forms and at the pre-orientation, and they placed me in the introductory Child Development class. This class has a lab component at a local private preschool. The college I am attending is also a private, but they receive Financial Assistance funding from the government. When I met with my Child Development professor, I was told that the private school (where all students in this class fulfill their lab component) refused to allow me to complete my lab there. According to my professor, the school sited the North Carolina Division of Early Childhood Development and Education’s safety standards for supervision. She read out some of the standards, but I do not have a copy. From what my professor said, the standards say that staff in a school must be able to “see and hear” children eating. She said that the way the school is set up is that food is out during all times of the day, not just at lunch time. She also said that the school interprets this standard to mean that any adult in the class must be able to see and hear the students eating in case they choke. I feel like this in itself is wrong on so many levels! The fact that the state even has this standard is ridiculous, and the school’s interpretation is just as discriminatory. My professor also expressed some reservations about my ability to observe the students, even if the private school allowed me to observe in their school. She was pretty set on observation being a visual process, but was open to me reaching out to other teachers to find out how they handled it. I suggested I would gather information by interacting with the children, but she said that students observe and write down notes while off to the side so as not to interfere. We decided that I would take a General Education class during the fall, which would give us more time to figure out how to make Child Development work. I agreed, since it was so close to the start of the semester. I kept it together during the meeting, but I was devastated! However, I decided to let it go. I was still deciding on majors and careers anywhere, and it was four days before I was supposed to move in to the dorm and I wanted to keep focused on that.     Most of my first semester of college went without a hitch. I was provided with all materials in an accessible format, and I enjoyed getting to know most of my instructors and fellow students.     When it came time to register for classes on October 25th, I was extremely excited. I chose all of my classes carefully, thinking about how much time I would have in between classes and asking for recommendations of professors from other students. On November 2nd, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. I heard back from every professor except for my English professor.     On November 25, I was told by the Disability Services office that the English department requested that I switch to another professor’s class. The English Department had 23 days from the time of receiving my introduction email to bring this up. Of course it was right in the middle of my finals. This could have been handled November 2 with a meeting including me of course. The reason given was that the professor I chose uses “visual materials”. I took Statistics this semester, and Statistics uses a lot of visual material. To me, this seemed like a thinly veiled excuse to keep me out of her class. I decided to switch to the professor they recommended because I do not want a professor who does not want me and because I found out that my new professor is great at making materials accessible. I am still upset!     After I had some time to process the news, I sent a strong email to the Disability Services staff and the Dean of Students, even using the word discrimination. The Disability Services staff asked to meet with me last week, and I came prepared with strong but polite comments. Unfortunately, they did not seem to understand that this is discrimination. The Assistant Director came with several guesses, but never bothered to find out why the English department did not want me in this professor’s class. One of her guesses was that the Dean of the Humanities School, who made this request, thought the professor they recommended would be a better fit because of her experience making materials accessible, and that she does not think the Dean meant to discriminate because she is extremely student-centered. I did not feel like they understood how I feel about this.     I feel like I need to speak up about this. I have had three issues so far. What’s next? I love the professors and students, and want to stay here. I have gotten them to follow the ADA requirements for railings and braille signs, so I am getting through somewhat. However, I am still not satisfied, so am going to file a formal grievance through the college’s grievance procedures. They need to start following the law, and I will not allow this to happen again to me or any other blind students. I go from sadness to anger to determination, and wish things did not have to exculpate this far. I would love to have positive and informal relationships with the Disability Services staff for the next three years, but I need to let them know I am serious. I have lost faith in informal conversations, so think a formal grievance is the next step. Any advice or encouragement will be appreciated. This is an extremely frustrating experience, but I will not back down. Mikayla _______________________________________________ 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/nmpbrat%40aol.com From ninam0814 at gmail.com Sat Dec 14 17:00:59 2019 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2019 12:00:59 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] =?utf-8?q?Reminder=E2=80=94_National_Scholarship_Call_h?= =?utf-8?q?appening_tomorrow_at_9_PM_EST?= Message-ID: Hey students! We are so excited to remind you that our annual NFB Scholarship call is happening tomorrow, Sunday Dec 15th at 9 PM EST! Every year, the National Federation of the Blind selects 30 students as finalists in this prestigious scholarship program. It's an amazing opportunity, and all students should apply! Applications have been open since Nov 1st! This call will be an opportunity to hear from past winners, talk with our National Scholarship Chair, and ask any and all burning questions you may have! It's always great to start the application early! We hope that you will join us tomorrow!. To join, call: (712) 770-5197,,265669# If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out before the call. Best, Nina From jty727 at gmail.com Sat Dec 14 20:03:39 2019 From: jty727 at gmail.com (Justin Young) Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2019 15:03:39 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Reminder of Legislative Advocacy Committee This Sunday Message-ID: Hi All, This is a friendly reminder to join us this Sunday December 15 at 8pm Eastern Standard Time for the Legislative Advocacy Committee call. We will be discussing legislation important to students like the AIM High Act that was recently introduced! The call in information is (712) 770-5197,,265669# We look forward to talking with you all tomorrow! Justin Young Co-Chair, Legislation Advocacy Committee, National Association of Blind Students (NABS) President, New York Association of Blind Students (NYABS) From nabs.president at gmail.com Mon Dec 16 03:15:40 2019 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (Kathryn Webster, National Student President) Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2019 22:15:40 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Action Needed ASAP - Accessibility Matters Message-ID: <018e01d5b3bf$18a01f10$49e05d30$@gmail.com> Dear Students, We so appreciate everyone who participated, or thought about participating, in our What's On Your Mind Wednesday question via social media this week. If you were one of the mighty thinkers, or just missed it amidst the other distracting Facebook posts or were bogged down with finals season, don't worry! There is still time! As part of a greater initiative for the National Association of Blind Students, we are mobilizing our efforts around exciting news! On Friday, December 6, 2019, blind students across the United States of America marveled at the great news of the introduction of the Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act (HR 5312) which works to equal the playing field for students in higher education. Now, we need to drive this effort home by sharing our stories with Congress, but we need your help to make it happen! Washington Seminar is right around the corner, but time is of the essence. We are asking you to write a short blurb about a time you faced an accessibility challenge with educational materials and what the passage of AIM High would mean to you. Our goal is to hear from every state by December 23, but we also want you to share the below far and wide. The voice of a blind student reaches new heights as it relates to this bill. You can see a sample and submit your statement through our Google form at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf68TacBetKMAHZcMhGJLmYgeWDIjjpSm9S z1OUwYKxzsIEAg/viewform We will be sharing these stories with your representatives on social media, by email, and in person. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to NABS Board Member Trisha Kulkarni at trishak.nfb at gmail.com . We need you; we appreciate you; and we want this for all of us! Love, Kathryn Kathryn C. Webster President | National Association of Blind Students A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind Nabs.president at gmail.com | (203) 273-8463 www.nabslink.org From mikgephart at icloud.com Mon Dec 16 03:26:47 2019 From: mikgephart at icloud.com (Mikayla Gephart) Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2019 22:26:47 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Action Needed ASAP - Accessibility Matters In-Reply-To: <018e01d5b3bf$18a01f10$49e05d30$@gmail.com> References: <018e01d5b3bf$18a01f10$49e05d30$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <96E7A8CB-2653-4FE4-AC4E-F54B8B39B659@icloud.com> Hi Kathryn, I would love to submit a story, but the link is broken up. Mikayla Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 15, 2019, at 10:17 PM, Kathryn Webster, National Student President via NABS-L wrote: > > Dear Students, > > > > We so appreciate everyone who participated, or thought about participating, > in our What's On Your Mind Wednesday question via social media this week. If > you were one of the mighty thinkers, or just missed it amidst the other > distracting Facebook posts or were bogged down with finals season, don't > worry! There is still time! > > > > As part of a greater initiative for the National Association of Blind > Students, we are mobilizing our efforts around exciting news! On Friday, > December 6, 2019, blind students across the United States of America > marveled at the great news of the introduction of the Accessible > Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act (HR 5312) which works to > equal the playing field for students in higher education. Now, we need to > drive this effort home by sharing our stories with Congress, but we need > your help to make it happen! Washington Seminar is right around the corner, > but time is of the essence. > > > > We are asking you to write a short blurb about a time you faced an > accessibility challenge with educational materials and what the passage of > AIM High would mean to you. Our goal is to hear from every state by December > 23, but we also want you to share the below far and wide. The voice of a > blind student reaches new heights as it relates to this bill. You can see a > sample and submit your statement through our Google form at: > > https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf68TacBetKMAHZcMhGJLmYgeWDIjjpSm9S > z1OUwYKxzsIEAg/viewform > > > > We will be sharing these stories with your representatives on social media, > by email, and in person. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach > out to NABS Board Member Trisha Kulkarni at trishak.nfb at gmail.com > . > > > > We need you; we appreciate you; and we want this for all of us! > > > > Love, > > Kathryn > > > > Kathryn C. Webster > > President | National Association of Blind Students > > A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind > > Nabs.president at gmail.com | (203) 273-8463 > > www.nabslink.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/mikgephart%40icloud.com From nabs.president at gmail.com Mon Dec 16 03:47:03 2019 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (Kathryn Webster, National Student President) Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2019 22:47:03 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Action Needed ASAP - Accessibility Matters In-Reply-To: <96E7A8CB-2653-4FE4-AC4E-F54B8B39B659@icloud.com> References: <018e01d5b3bf$18a01f10$49e05d30$@gmail.com> <96E7A8CB-2653-4FE4-AC4E-F54B8B39B659@icloud.com> Message-ID: <01b201d5b3c3$7b253bd0$716fb370$@gmail.com> Oh no! Does this one work for you? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf68TacBetKMAHZcMhGJLmYgeWDIjjpSm9Sz1OUwYKxzsIEAg/viewform Kathryn C. Webster President | National Association of Blind Students A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind Nabs.president at gmail.com | (203) 273-8463 www.nabslink.org -----Original Message----- From: Mikayla Gephart Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2019 10:27 PM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Kathryn Webster, National Student President ; President, National Federation of the Blind ; Dustin Cather Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Action Needed ASAP - Accessibility Matters Hi Kathryn, I would love to submit a story, but the link is broken up. Mikayla Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 15, 2019, at 10:17 PM, Kathryn Webster, National Student President via NABS-L wrote: > > Dear Students, > > > > We so appreciate everyone who participated, or thought about > participating, in our What's On Your Mind Wednesday question via > social media this week. If you were one of the mighty thinkers, or > just missed it amidst the other distracting Facebook posts or were > bogged down with finals season, don't worry! There is still time! > > > > As part of a greater initiative for the National Association of Blind > Students, we are mobilizing our efforts around exciting news! On > Friday, December 6, 2019, blind students across the United States of > America marveled at the great news of the introduction of the > Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act (HR 5312) > which works to equal the playing field for students in higher > education. Now, we need to drive this effort home by sharing our > stories with Congress, but we need your help to make it happen! > Washington Seminar is right around the corner, but time is of the essence. > > > > We are asking you to write a short blurb about a time you faced an > accessibility challenge with educational materials and what the > passage of AIM High would mean to you. Our goal is to hear from every > state by December 23, but we also want you to share the below far and > wide. The voice of a blind student reaches new heights as it relates > to this bill. You can see a sample and submit your statement through our Google form at: > > https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf68TacBetKMAHZcMhGJLmYgeWDIj > jpSm9S > z1OUwYKxzsIEAg/viewform > > > > We will be sharing these stories with your representatives on social > media, by email, and in person. If you have any questions, do not > hesitate to reach out to NABS Board Member Trisha Kulkarni at > trishak.nfb at gmail.com . > > > > We need you; we appreciate you; and we want this for all of us! > > > > Love, > > Kathryn > > > > Kathryn C. Webster > > President | National Association of Blind Students > > A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind > > Nabs.president at gmail.com | (203) > 273-8463 > > www.nabslink.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/mikgephart%40iclou > d.com From nabs.president at gmail.com Mon Dec 16 03:47:44 2019 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (Kathryn Webster, National Student President) Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2019 22:47:44 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Action Needed ASAP - Accessibility Matters In-Reply-To: <96E7A8CB-2653-4FE4-AC4E-F54B8B39B659@icloud.com> References: <018e01d5b3bf$18a01f10$49e05d30$@gmail.com> <96E7A8CB-2653-4FE4-AC4E-F54B8B39B659@icloud.com> Message-ID: <01b301d5b3c3$93cdcb70$bb696250$@gmail.com> This shortened one may be most helpful: https://forms.gle/VdQ3i33BkpHwUYDr8 Kathryn C. Webster President | National Association of Blind Students A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind Nabs.president at gmail.com | (203) 273-8463 www.nabslink.org -----Original Message----- From: Mikayla Gephart Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2019 10:27 PM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Kathryn Webster, National Student President ; President, National Federation of the Blind ; Dustin Cather Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Action Needed ASAP - Accessibility Matters Hi Kathryn, I would love to submit a story, but the link is broken up. Mikayla Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 15, 2019, at 10:17 PM, Kathryn Webster, National Student President via NABS-L wrote: > > Dear Students, > > > > We so appreciate everyone who participated, or thought about > participating, in our What's On Your Mind Wednesday question via > social media this week. If you were one of the mighty thinkers, or > just missed it amidst the other distracting Facebook posts or were > bogged down with finals season, don't worry! There is still time! > > > > As part of a greater initiative for the National Association of Blind > Students, we are mobilizing our efforts around exciting news! On > Friday, December 6, 2019, blind students across the United States of > America marveled at the great news of the introduction of the > Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act (HR 5312) > which works to equal the playing field for students in higher > education. Now, we need to drive this effort home by sharing our > stories with Congress, but we need your help to make it happen! > Washington Seminar is right around the corner, but time is of the essence. > > > > We are asking you to write a short blurb about a time you faced an > accessibility challenge with educational materials and what the > passage of AIM High would mean to you. Our goal is to hear from every > state by December 23, but we also want you to share the below far and > wide. The voice of a blind student reaches new heights as it relates > to this bill. You can see a sample and submit your statement through our Google form at: > > https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf68TacBetKMAHZcMhGJLmYgeWDIj > jpSm9S > z1OUwYKxzsIEAg/viewform > > > > We will be sharing these stories with your representatives on social > media, by email, and in person. If you have any questions, do not > hesitate to reach out to NABS Board Member Trisha Kulkarni at > trishak.nfb at gmail.com . > > > > We need you; we appreciate you; and we want this for all of us! > > > > Love, > > Kathryn > > > > Kathryn C. Webster > > President | National Association of Blind Students > > A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind > > Nabs.president at gmail.com | (203) > 273-8463 > > www.nabslink.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/mikgephart%40iclou > d.com From mikgephart at icloud.com Tue Dec 17 03:40:47 2019 From: mikgephart at icloud.com (Mikayla Gephart) Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2019 22:40:47 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college In-Reply-To: <2030558537.1762249.1576215102012@mail.yahoo.com> References: <4EFF0639-ED29-48DC-B735-A6F1237BBDDC@icloud.com> <2030558537.1762249.1576215102012@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Good evening Federation family, First of all, I would like to thank Nicole and Emily for responding to my message. I would also like to thank the rest of you for helping me learn that it is okay to advocate for myself, and that I can “live the life I want”. I am writing to update everyone on the latest developments, but want to respond to one of the messages I received. I am still open to any and all thoughts. Nicole, your message was extremely informative. While the grievance will only concern the incident with the English class due to the timeline, I am keeping what you said about the Child Development class in mind for the future. I am in complete agreement that the standards for Child Development should only be required for staff, but this school the college partners with requires these standards of observing students as well. This particular school also encourages parents to volunteer in the classroom, so I am guessing this would exclude blind parents. It is that whole issue of children being taken from their blind parents, but in a new form. I also agree that fighting these issues is not as simple as I would hope. To be honest, I have thought about how the Disability Services staff would perceive me, and that’s the only thing that scares me about filing the grievance. However, I feel like I am left with no choice. I love the students and professors, but the administration and Disability Services office need to learn that they cannot pull these things off with me anymore. I have seriously thought about not fighting this battle, but I have had three issues in six months. If I do not speak up beyond informal meetings, what will they try next. Two of the three incidents I mentioned in my previous message directly involved Disability Services, and I spoke with the people involved after each incident. I feel like I have gotten as far as I can with informal meetings. Today, I met with the Dean of Students (who handles the Disability Grievance Procedure) to discuss filing a formal grievance. I came prepared, knowing that my goal was not to intimidate or attack but to hopefully inspire a change in policies that would improve the experience for all students. I told the dean that I thought the procedure should be adapted so that they are required to discuss any issues with the student and the Disability office before they put in a request for a student to change classes. I said all of this, and the Dean of Students did not disagree with what I said, but I felt she sided more with the Disability Services office and the English department even though she is supposed to be neutral according to the grievance procedures. The Dean of Students requested I meet with the Dean of the Humanities school after our meeting. The Dean of the Humanities school is over the English and Child Development classes. I agreed to the meeting, as the first step of the grievance procedure is to resolve things informally, and I had not met with anyone involved with the request. I want to make a good-faith effort to resolve things informally if at all possible, regardless of my personal opinions. The Dean of Students also said that sometimes the dean over a certain department will meet with department heads and professors to make sure that students are in the most appropriate section of a class to meet their needs. I accepted this, but still expressed that it could have been handled in a manner that respected my input as a student. She did not admit that I was discriminated against, but I knew enough not to expect her to admit it. After I met with the Dean of Students, I met with the Dean of the Humanities school. She admitted that the professor I originally selected felt overwhelmed with the idea of providing descriptions of visual materials with only a few weeks notice. This is despite the fact that I sent her an email on November 2nd. The professor that was recommended to me by the English department does not teach every semester and has a lot of experience making materials accessible. I said that if they had framed it in that way from the beginning, I would not have a problem. She admitted that the lack of direct communication with me as the student is part of the problem, and said she wants to improve the process so this does not happen again. She also recommended I take the next required English class with the professor I originally chose, and that with a whole semester to prepare the professor would be ready to provide descriptions. I am prepared to refuse the suggestion, because the professor clearly did not want me in her class and they are simply offering this to appease me. Besides what I mentioned above, there were two things that annoyed me about my conversation with the Dean of the Humanities School. For one thing, she said I was never denied entrance into the professor’s class even though that is how it was portrayed to me. She also tried to invalidate my feelings by saying that she is not a lawyer and does not know whether or not it is discrimination, but wanted to focus on how I felt. She was silent when I told her that I felt discriminated against. I knew that they may try to do this, but it still was frustrating. While I think the meeting was a small success in some ways, I am still not satisfied. I did not file the grievance yet as the Dean of Students wanted me to have these meetings as part of the informal grievance process. However, I am going to proceed with the formal process as soon as possible. The grievance procedure primarily puts the burden of action back on Disability Services (where I feel part of the problem is), but I am hoping that at least this will show them that they cannot do this to me anymore. I appreciate all the advice, and am considering each idea carefully. Happy holidays, Mikayla > On Dec 13, 2019, at 12:31 AM, nmpbrat at aol.com wrote: > > Mikayla, > I'm sorry to hear about your experiences in college. I can certainly appreciate and understand your feelings and frustrations, as I have dealt with discrimination both at the college level and employment level. To be candid, in college, my discrimination experience was solely with one professor and after many sleepless nights, I made the decision not to take it to the formal level. In my employment situation, on the other hand, I spent the past 5 years fighting it in the legal system. > I have some thoughts and things you may want to consider and think about in each of the situations but please understand, I am in no way trying to minimize or diminish what you have been through. I also know though, that fighting battles such as these aren't as simple as you might think or as clear cut as you might think, even with the ADA "on your side". > > First, if you decide you want to go through with the formal grievance process, you will want to go into the process knowing exactly what you want. Now, let me explain what I mean by that. Yes, they'll want to know your concerns about what has happened in the past to bring you to this point, although they likely will probably have a pretty good idea. But, simply telling them what you don't want is not going to be good enough. You need to be able to articulate exactly what you do want. In other words, what does that look like? For example, in the case of the Child Development class...simply telling them that you don't want to be excluded from it isn't going to be enough. You will need to come in prepared with possible remedies or solutions to the problem. So, if it were me, I would tell them that to fix the problem, they need to assign you to a different child development center and one in which does not allow access to food all day long. Honestly though, i don't know why the regulations apply to you as a student observer...they really only should apply to the employees themselves. Then, they need to provide you with a sighted assistant (like someone would have if they were taking a science class with labs) who can describe to you what they see. So, instead of asking the students questions (if the professor feels that it is inappropriate at this stage), you can then ask the necessary questions to your sighted assistant during your observations. I would go on to explain though, that if you would pursue child development, that you would handle things in such a way that communication with the kids would be essential. As a side note, I am a public school teacher for the past 18 years, so I had my share of observations to do as well. So in other words, they will need to mold the child development program to fit your needs and provide accommodations as necessary, such as the sighted assistant, to meet the requirements. In the case of the observations, even with a sighted assistant, you will still need to know the right questions to ask that person in order to get the necessary information you are required to get. The child development center they have chosen can't possibly be the only one in the area, so they need to step out of their comfort zone and find an alternative....but understand that if you don't go in asking for it, they aren't going to likely offer something like this up to you. Ultimately, there are ways to work around the requirements of the program, it just might take a little thinking outside the box. If your college happens to have faculty who teach courses specifically about special education, disability studies, etc....you can always suggest that if your professor in the child development program feels more comfortable talking with colleagues, that they may get some ideas from their fellow colleagues as well on how to make things work. > > As to the professor who decided they didn't want you in your class. Yes, that is absolutely discriminatory and ridiculous. With that said, you probably made the best decision possible by taking the class with the other instructor. Forcing the situation, would likely have only made things hard on you. It would have punished you more than them. Again, if you choose to address this in your grievance, you need to not simply go in saying that the professor shouldn't be allowed to do it in the future. Ask for more concrete specific measures for them to correct. Be proactive. Ask them about changing their protocols and procedures. For example, maybe the professor must meet with the student and disability services representative to discuss the situation before they can make the request to not have the student in their class. Maybe you suggest that disability services provides training to professors about having students with disabilities and providing accommodations to them, as maybe this professor is simply not well educated enough and if they had better training, they would have a better attitude about it. As a side note, this "training" idea was actually something I used as part of the legal settlement with my employer. Again, don't just tell them what they didn't do. Sometimes, people actually need it spelled out for them what they actually need to do because they simply don't know. > > My final thought is this. When you take these types of things to a formal level, it changes the whole landscape of the situation and will possibly change how you are viewed and perceived by others, including those in the Disability Services Department....even if you are totally in the right. Just know that, right or wrong, it will likely change at least some individuals' views of you. Word will likely get out in the ranks of the professors, especially if you eventually pick a major and you will be known as the girl who "filed a formal grievance". I guess my point is this....just keep in mind that although the formal process could get you to a place where you get exactly what you need....there are always two sides to every sword. > > I wish you the best of luck in dealing with a very difficult situation but I'm confident you will find success in the end. > Take care, > Nicole > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list > Cc: Mikayla Gephart > Sent: Thu, Dec 12, 2019 12:42 pm > Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college > > Hi all, > > I hope you are all doing well, and that your final exams are going well. As many of you know, I started my first year of college in August after nine months at the Colorado Center for the Blind. I have enjoyed my college experience, but the Disability Services office has been extremely frustrating. > > The week after I graduated from CCB in June, I had to attend a mandatory pre-orientation for college. Despite the fact that I had been corresponding with the Assistant Director for Disability Services since April and had sent in my documentation proving I was blind, they were not prepared for me at all. There were millions of print papers floating around that were not provided in an accessible format, and they required I do an online strengths test I had not been told about. I ended up having someone read everything to me so I could get everything out of the day, but I was upset. A few days after the reorientation, I met with the Assistant Director for my intake interview. She apologized and said she would never let this happen again. I believed her! > > After I received my schedule for the fall, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. During the week before classes started, I met with most of my professors. I am still undecided about my major and career goals, but I mentioned during the pre-orientation that I was considering majoring in Child Development. The Academic Advising team chooses schedules for all incoming freshmen based on our preferences as we mentioned on forms and at the pre-orientation, and they placed me in the introductory Child Development class. This class has a lab component at a local private preschool. The college I am attending is also a private, but they receive Financial Assistance funding from the government. When I met with my Child Development professor, I was told that the private school (where all students in this class fulfill their lab component) refused to allow me to complete my lab there. According to my professor, the school sited the North Carolina Division of Early Childhood Development and Education’s safety standards for supervision. She read out some of the standards, but I do not have a copy. From what my professor said, the standards say that staff in a school must be able to “see and hear” children eating. She said that the way the school is set up is that food is out during all times of the day, not just at lunch time. She also said that the school interprets this standard to mean that any adult in the class must be able to see and hear the students eating in case they choke. I feel like this in itself is wrong on so many levels! The fact that the state even has this standard is ridiculous, and the school’s interpretation is just as discriminatory. My professor also expressed some reservations about my ability to observe the students, even if the private school allowed me to observe in their school. She was pretty set on observation being a visual process, but was open to me reaching out to other teachers to find out how they handled it. I suggested I would gather information by interacting with the children, but she said that students observe and write down notes while off to the side so as not to interfere. We decided that I would take a General Education class during the fall, which would give us more time to figure out how to make Child Development work. I agreed, since it was so close to the start of the semester. I kept it together during the meeting, but I was devastated! However, I decided to let it go. I was still deciding on majors and careers anywhere, and it was four days before I was supposed to move in to the dorm and I wanted to keep focused on that. > > Most of my first semester of college went without a hitch. I was provided with all materials in an accessible format, and I enjoyed getting to know most of my instructors and fellow students. > > When it came time to register for classes on October 25th, I was extremely excited. I chose all of my classes carefully, thinking about how much time I would have in between classes and asking for recommendations of professors from other students. On November 2nd, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. I heard back from every professor except for my English professor. > > On November 25, I was told by the Disability Services office that the English department requested that I switch to another professor’s class. The English Department had 23 days from the time of receiving my introduction email to bring this up. Of course it was right in the middle of my finals. This could have been handled November 2 with a meeting including me of course. The reason given was that the professor I chose uses “visual materials”. I took Statistics this semester, and Statistics uses a lot of visual material. To me, this seemed like a thinly veiled excuse to keep me out of her class. I decided to switch to the professor they recommended because I do not want a professor who does not want me and because I found out that my new professor is great at making materials accessible. I am still upset! > > After I had some time to process the news, I sent a strong email to the Disability Services staff and the Dean of Students, even using the word discrimination. The Disability Services staff asked to meet with me last week, and I came prepared with strong but polite comments. Unfortunately, they did not seem to understand that this is discrimination. The Assistant Director came with several guesses, but never bothered to find out why the English department did not want me in this professor’s class. One of her guesses was that the Dean of the Humanities School, who made this request, thought the professor they recommended would be a better fit because of her experience making materials accessible, and that she does not think the Dean meant to discriminate because she is extremely student-centered. I did not feel like they understood how I feel about this. > > I feel like I need to speak up about this. I have had three issues so far. What’s next? I love the professors and students, and want to stay here. I have gotten them to follow the ADA requirements for railings and braille signs, so I am getting through somewhat. However, I am still not satisfied, so am going to file a formal grievance through the college’s grievance procedures. They need to start following the law, and I will not allow this to happen again to me or any other blind students. I go from sadness to anger to determination, and wish things did not have to exculpate this far. I would love to have positive and informal relationships with the Disability Services staff for the next three years, but I need to let them know I am serious. I have lost faith in informal conversations, so think a formal grievance is the next step. Any advice or encouragement will be appreciated. This is an extremely frustrating experience, but I will not back down. > > Mikayla > _______________________________________________ > 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/nmpbrat%40aol.com From eschlenker at cox.net Tue Dec 17 03:52:52 2019 From: eschlenker at cox.net (Emily Schlenker) Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2019 21:52:52 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: You are doing the right thing! File it, and document everything. You are in the right, and people need to do better. Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 16, 2019, at 9:42 PM, Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L wrote: > > Good evening Federation family, > > First of all, I would like to thank Nicole and Emily for responding to my message. I would also like to thank the rest of you for helping me learn that it is okay to advocate for myself, and that I can “live the life I want”. I am writing to update everyone on the latest developments, but want to respond to one of the messages I received. I am still open to any and all thoughts. > > Nicole, your message was extremely informative. While the grievance will only concern the incident with the English class due to the timeline, I am keeping what you said about the Child Development class in mind for the future. I am in complete agreement that the standards for Child Development should only be required for staff, but this school the college partners with requires these standards of observing students as well. This particular school also encourages parents to volunteer in the classroom, so I am guessing this would exclude blind parents. It is that whole issue of children being taken from their blind parents, but in a new form. I also agree that fighting these issues is not as simple as I would hope. To be honest, I have thought about how the Disability Services staff would perceive me, and that’s the only thing that scares me about filing the grievance. However, I feel like I am left with no choice. I love the students and professors, but the administration and Disability Services office need to learn that they cannot pull these things off with me anymore. I have seriously thought about not fighting this battle, but I have had three issues in six months. If I do not speak up beyond informal meetings, what will they try next. Two of the three incidents I mentioned in my previous message directly involved Disability Services, and I spoke with the people involved after each incident. I feel like I have gotten as far as I can with informal meetings. > > Today, I met with the Dean of Students (who handles the Disability Grievance Procedure) to discuss filing a formal grievance. I came prepared, knowing that my goal was not to intimidate or attack but to hopefully inspire a change in policies that would improve the experience for all students. I told the dean that I thought the procedure should be adapted so that they are required to discuss any issues with the student and the Disability office before they put in a request for a student to change classes. I said all of this, and the Dean of Students did not disagree with what I said, but I felt she sided more with the Disability Services office and the English department even though she is supposed to be neutral according to the grievance procedures. The Dean of Students requested I meet with the Dean of the Humanities school after our meeting. The Dean of the Humanities school is over the English and Child Development classes. I agreed to the meeting, as the first step of the grievance procedure is to resolve things informally, and I had not met with anyone involved with the request. I want to make a good-faith effort to resolve things informally if at all possible, regardless of my personal opinions. The Dean of Students also said that sometimes the dean over a certain department will meet with department heads and professors to make sure that students are in the most appropriate section of a class to meet their needs. I accepted this, but still expressed that it could have been handled in a manner that respected my input as a student. She did not admit that I was discriminated against, but I knew enough not to expect her to admit it. > > After I met with the Dean of Students, I met with the Dean of the Humanities school. She admitted that the professor I originally selected felt overwhelmed with the idea of providing descriptions of visual materials with only a few weeks notice. This is despite the fact that I sent her an email on November 2nd. The professor that was recommended to me by the English department does not teach every semester and has a lot of experience making materials accessible. I said that if they had framed it in that way from the beginning, I would not have a problem. She admitted that the lack of direct communication with me as the student is part of the problem, and said she wants to improve the process so this does not happen again. She also recommended I take the next required English class with the professor I originally chose, and that with a whole semester to prepare the professor would be ready to provide descriptions. I am prepared to refuse the suggestion, because the professor clearly did not want me in her class and they are simply offering this to appease me. > > Besides what I mentioned above, there were two things that annoyed me about my conversation with the Dean of the Humanities School. For one thing, she said I was never denied entrance into the professor’s class even though that is how it was portrayed to me. She also tried to invalidate my feelings by saying that she is not a lawyer and does not know whether or not it is discrimination, but wanted to focus on how I felt. She was silent when I told her that I felt discriminated against. I knew that they may try to do this, but it still was frustrating. > > While I think the meeting was a small success in some ways, I am still not satisfied. I did not file the grievance yet as the Dean of Students wanted me to have these meetings as part of the informal grievance process. However, I am going to proceed with the formal process as soon as possible. The grievance procedure primarily puts the burden of action back on Disability Services (where I feel part of the problem is), but I am hoping that at least this will show them that they cannot do this to me anymore. I appreciate all the advice, and am considering each idea carefully. > > Happy holidays, > Mikayla > >> On Dec 13, 2019, at 12:31 AM, nmpbrat at aol.com wrote: >> >> Mikayla, >> I'm sorry to hear about your experiences in college. I can certainly appreciate and understand your feelings and frustrations, as I have dealt with discrimination both at the college level and employment level. To be candid, in college, my discrimination experience was solely with one professor and after many sleepless nights, I made the decision not to take it to the formal level. In my employment situation, on the other hand, I spent the past 5 years fighting it in the legal system. >> I have some thoughts and things you may want to consider and think about in each of the situations but please understand, I am in no way trying to minimize or diminish what you have been through. I also know though, that fighting battles such as these aren't as simple as you might think or as clear cut as you might think, even with the ADA "on your side". >> >> First, if you decide you want to go through with the formal grievance process, you will want to go into the process knowing exactly what you want. Now, let me explain what I mean by that. Yes, they'll want to know your concerns about what has happened in the past to bring you to this point, although they likely will probably have a pretty good idea. But, simply telling them what you don't want is not going to be good enough. You need to be able to articulate exactly what you do want. In other words, what does that look like? For example, in the case of the Child Development class...simply telling them that you don't want to be excluded from it isn't going to be enough. You will need to come in prepared with possible remedies or solutions to the problem. So, if it were me, I would tell them that to fix the problem, they need to assign you to a different child development center and one in which does not allow access to food all day long. Honestly though, i don't know why the regulations apply to you as a student observer...they really only should apply to the employees themselves. Then, they need to provide you with a sighted assistant (like someone would have if they were taking a science class with labs) who can describe to you what they see. So, instead of asking the students questions (if the professor feels that it is inappropriate at this stage), you can then ask the necessary questions to your sighted assistant during your observations. I would go on to explain though, that if you would pursue child development, that you would handle things in such a way that communication with the kids would be essential. As a side note, I am a public school teacher for the past 18 years, so I had my share of observations to do as well. So in other words, they will need to mold the child development program to fit your needs and provide accommodations as necessary, such as the sighted assistant, to meet the requirements. In the case of the observations, even with a sighted assistant, you will still need to know the right questions to ask that person in order to get the necessary information you are required to get. The child development center they have chosen can't possibly be the only one in the area, so they need to step out of their comfort zone and find an alternative....but understand that if you don't go in asking for it, they aren't going to likely offer something like this up to you. Ultimately, there are ways to work around the requirements of the program, it just might take a little thinking outside the box. If your college happens to have faculty who teach courses specifically about special education, disability studies, etc....you can always suggest that if your professor in the child development program feels more comfortable talking with colleagues, that they may get some ideas from their fellow colleagues as well on how to make things work. >> >> As to the professor who decided they didn't want you in your class. Yes, that is absolutely discriminatory and ridiculous. With that said, you probably made the best decision possible by taking the class with the other instructor. Forcing the situation, would likely have only made things hard on you. It would have punished you more than them. Again, if you choose to address this in your grievance, you need to not simply go in saying that the professor shouldn't be allowed to do it in the future. Ask for more concrete specific measures for them to correct. Be proactive. Ask them about changing their protocols and procedures. For example, maybe the professor must meet with the student and disability services representative to discuss the situation before they can make the request to not have the student in their class. Maybe you suggest that disability services provides training to professors about having students with disabilities and providing accommodations to them, as maybe this professor is simply not well educated enough and if they had better training, they would have a better attitude about it. As a side note, this "training" idea was actually something I used as part of the legal settlement with my employer. Again, don't just tell them what they didn't do. Sometimes, people actually need it spelled out for them what they actually need to do because they simply don't know. >> >> My final thought is this. When you take these types of things to a formal level, it changes the whole landscape of the situation and will possibly change how you are viewed and perceived by others, including those in the Disability Services Department....even if you are totally in the right. Just know that, right or wrong, it will likely change at least some individuals' views of you. Word will likely get out in the ranks of the professors, especially if you eventually pick a major and you will be known as the girl who "filed a formal grievance". I guess my point is this....just keep in mind that although the formal process could get you to a place where you get exactly what you need....there are always two sides to every sword. >> >> I wish you the best of luck in dealing with a very difficult situation but I'm confident you will find success in the end. >> Take care, >> Nicole >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L >> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list >> Cc: Mikayla Gephart >> Sent: Thu, Dec 12, 2019 12:42 pm >> Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college >> >> Hi all, >> >> I hope you are all doing well, and that your final exams are going well. As many of you know, I started my first year of college in August after nine months at the Colorado Center for the Blind. I have enjoyed my college experience, but the Disability Services office has been extremely frustrating. >> >> The week after I graduated from CCB in June, I had to attend a mandatory pre-orientation for college. Despite the fact that I had been corresponding with the Assistant Director for Disability Services since April and had sent in my documentation proving I was blind, they were not prepared for me at all. There were millions of print papers floating around that were not provided in an accessible format, and they required I do an online strengths test I had not been told about. I ended up having someone read everything to me so I could get everything out of the day, but I was upset. A few days after the reorientation, I met with the Assistant Director for my intake interview. She apologized and said she would never let this happen again. I believed her! >> >> After I received my schedule for the fall, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. During the week before classes started, I met with most of my professors. I am still undecided about my major and career goals, but I mentioned during the pre-orientation that I was considering majoring in Child Development. The Academic Advising team chooses schedules for all incoming freshmen based on our preferences as we mentioned on forms and at the pre-orientation, and they placed me in the introductory Child Development class. This class has a lab component at a local private preschool. The college I am attending is also a private, but they receive Financial Assistance funding from the government. When I met with my Child Development professor, I was told that the private school (where all students in this class fulfill their lab component) refused to allow me to complete my lab there. According to my professor, the school sited the North Carolina Division of Early Childhood Development and Education’s safety standards for supervision. She read out some of the standards, but I do not have a copy. From what my professor said, the standards say that staff in a school must be able to “see and hear” children eating. She said that the way the school is set up is that food is out during all times of the day, not just at lunch time. She also said that the school interprets this standard to mean that any adult in the class must be able to see and hear the students eating in case they choke. I feel like this in itself is wrong on so many levels! The fact that the state even has this standard is ridiculous, and the school’s interpretation is just as discriminatory. My professor also expressed some reservations about my ability to observe the students, even if the private school allowed me to observe in their school. She was pretty set on observation being a visual process, but was open to me reaching out to other teachers to find out how they handled it. I suggested I would gather information by interacting with the children, but she said that students observe and write down notes while off to the side so as not to interfere. We decided that I would take a General Education class during the fall, which would give us more time to figure out how to make Child Development work. I agreed, since it was so close to the start of the semester. I kept it together during the meeting, but I was devastated! However, I decided to let it go. I was still deciding on majors and careers anywhere, and it was four days before I was supposed to move in to the dorm and I wanted to keep focused on that. >> >> Most of my first semester of college went without a hitch. I was provided with all materials in an accessible format, and I enjoyed getting to know most of my instructors and fellow students. >> >> When it came time to register for classes on October 25th, I was extremely excited. I chose all of my classes carefully, thinking about how much time I would have in between classes and asking for recommendations of professors from other students. On November 2nd, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. I heard back from every professor except for my English professor. >> >> On November 25, I was told by the Disability Services office that the English department requested that I switch to another professor’s class. The English Department had 23 days from the time of receiving my introduction email to bring this up. Of course it was right in the middle of my finals. This could have been handled November 2 with a meeting including me of course. The reason given was that the professor I chose uses “visual materials”. I took Statistics this semester, and Statistics uses a lot of visual material. To me, this seemed like a thinly veiled excuse to keep me out of her class. I decided to switch to the professor they recommended because I do not want a professor who does not want me and because I found out that my new professor is great at making materials accessible. I am still upset! >> >> After I had some time to process the news, I sent a strong email to the Disability Services staff and the Dean of Students, even using the word discrimination. The Disability Services staff asked to meet with me last week, and I came prepared with strong but polite comments. Unfortunately, they did not seem to understand that this is discrimination. The Assistant Director came with several guesses, but never bothered to find out why the English department did not want me in this professor’s class. One of her guesses was that the Dean of the Humanities School, who made this request, thought the professor they recommended would be a better fit because of her experience making materials accessible, and that she does not think the Dean meant to discriminate because she is extremely student-centered. I did not feel like they understood how I feel about this. >> >> I feel like I need to speak up about this. I have had three issues so far. What’s next? I love the professors and students, and want to stay here. I have gotten them to follow the ADA requirements for railings and braille signs, so I am getting through somewhat. However, I am still not satisfied, so am going to file a formal grievance through the college’s grievance procedures. They need to start following the law, and I will not allow this to happen again to me or any other blind students. I go from sadness to anger to determination, and wish things did not have to exculpate this far. I would love to have positive and informal relationships with the Disability Services staff for the next three years, but I need to let them know I am serious. I have lost faith in informal conversations, so think a formal grievance is the next step. Any advice or encouragement will be appreciated. This is an extremely frustrating experience, but I will not back down. >> >> Mikayla >> _______________________________________________ >> 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/nmpbrat%40aol.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/eschlenker%40cox.net From nmpbrat at aol.com Tue Dec 17 04:12:13 2019 From: nmpbrat at aol.com (nmpbrat at aol.com) Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2019 04:12:13 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <570838728.147721.1576555933503@mail.yahoo.com> Mikayla,I agree with Emily...if you are not satisfied, move forward.  As she said, document...document....document!   Although not exactly the same, when dealing with my employment discrimination situation, I created a timeline documenting every situation, every conversation, every failure to accommodate, etc.  It was like 20 plus pages when I was done.  I had filing totes of documents....emails, letters, etc.  When I made the decision to move forward formally, I was bound and determined that if I was going to go through with it, it was going to be done right.  Keep us posted!Nicole -----Original Message----- From: Emily Schlenker via NABS-L To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Emily Schlenker Sent: Mon, Dec 16, 2019 10:54 pm Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college You are doing the right thing! File it, and document everything. You are in the right, and people need to do better. Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 16, 2019, at 9:42 PM, Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L wrote: > > Good evening Federation family, > >    First of all, I would like to thank Nicole and Emily for responding to my message. I would also like to thank the rest of you for helping me learn that it is okay to advocate for myself, and that I can “live the life I want”. I am writing to update everyone on the latest developments, but want to respond to one of the messages I received. I am still open to any and all thoughts. > >    Nicole, your message was extremely informative. While the grievance will only concern the incident with the English class due to the timeline, I am keeping what you said about the Child Development class in mind for the future. I am in complete agreement that the standards for Child Development should only be required for staff, but this school the college partners with requires these standards of observing students as well. This particular school also encourages parents to volunteer in the classroom, so I am guessing this would exclude blind parents. It is that whole issue of children being taken from their blind parents, but in a new form. I also agree that fighting these issues is not as simple as I would hope. To be honest, I have thought about how the Disability Services staff would perceive me, and that’s the only thing that scares me about filing the grievance. However, I feel like I am left with no choice. I love the students and professors, but the administration and Disability Services office need to learn that they cannot pull these things off with me anymore. I have seriously thought about not fighting this battle, but I have had three issues in six months. If I do not speak up beyond informal meetings, what will they try next. Two of the three incidents I mentioned in my previous message directly involved Disability Services, and I spoke with the people involved after each incident. I feel like I have gotten as far as I can with informal meetings. > >    Today, I met with the Dean of Students (who handles the Disability Grievance Procedure) to discuss filing a formal grievance. I came prepared, knowing that my goal was not to intimidate or attack but to hopefully inspire a change in policies that would improve the experience for all students. I told the dean that I thought the procedure should be adapted so that they are required to discuss any issues with the student and the Disability office before they put in a request for a student to change classes. I said all of this, and the Dean of Students did not disagree with what I said, but I felt she sided more with the Disability Services office and the English department even though she is supposed to be neutral according to the grievance procedures. The Dean of Students requested I meet with the Dean of the Humanities school after our meeting. The Dean of the Humanities school is over the English and Child Development classes. I agreed to the meeting, as the first step of the grievance procedure is to resolve things informally, and I had not met with anyone involved with the request. I want to make a good-faith effort to resolve things informally if at all possible, regardless of my personal opinions. The Dean of Students also said that sometimes the dean over a certain department will meet with department heads and professors to make sure that students are in the most appropriate section of a class to meet their needs. I accepted this, but still expressed that it could have been handled in a manner that respected my input as a student. She did not admit that I was discriminated against, but I knew enough not to expect her to admit it. > >    After I met with the Dean of Students, I met with the Dean of the Humanities school. She admitted that the professor I originally selected felt overwhelmed with the idea of providing descriptions of visual materials with only a few weeks notice. This is despite the fact that I sent her an email on November 2nd. The professor that was recommended to me by the English department does not teach every semester and has a lot of experience making materials accessible. I said that if they had framed it in that way from the beginning, I would not have a problem. She admitted that  the lack of direct communication with me as the student is part of the problem, and said she wants to improve the process so this does not happen again. She also recommended I take the next required English class with the professor I originally chose, and that with a whole semester to prepare the professor would be ready to provide descriptions. I am prepared to refuse the suggestion, because the professor clearly did not want me in her class and they are simply offering this to appease me. > >    Besides what I mentioned above, there were two things that annoyed me about my conversation with the Dean of the Humanities School.  For one thing, she said I was never denied entrance into the professor’s class even though that is how it was portrayed to me. She also tried to invalidate my feelings by saying that she is not a lawyer and does not know whether or not it is discrimination, but wanted to focus on how I felt. She was silent when I told her that I felt discriminated against. I knew that they may try to do this, but it still was frustrating. > >    While I think the meeting was a small success in some ways, I am still not satisfied. I did not file the grievance yet as the Dean of Students wanted me to have these meetings as part of the informal grievance process. However, I am going to proceed with the formal process as soon as possible. The grievance procedure primarily puts the burden of action back on Disability Services (where I feel part of the problem is), but I am hoping that at least this will show them that they cannot do this to me anymore. I appreciate all the advice, and am considering each idea carefully. > > Happy holidays, > Mikayla > >> On Dec 13, 2019, at 12:31 AM, nmpbrat at aol.com wrote: >> >> Mikayla, >> I'm sorry to hear about your experiences in college.  I can certainly appreciate and understand your feelings and frustrations, as I have dealt with discrimination both at the college level and employment level.  To be candid, in college, my discrimination experience was solely with one professor and after many sleepless nights, I made the decision not to take it to the formal level.  In my employment situation, on the other hand, I spent the past 5 years fighting it in the legal system.  >> I have some thoughts and things you may want to consider and think about in each of the situations but please understand, I am in no way trying to minimize or diminish what you have been through.  I also know though, that fighting battles such as these aren't as simple as you might think or as clear cut as you might think, even with the ADA "on your side".  >> >> First, if you decide you want to go through with the formal grievance process, you will want to go into the process knowing exactly what you want.  Now, let me explain what I mean by that.  Yes, they'll want to know your concerns about what has happened in the past to bring you to this point, although they likely will probably have a pretty good idea.  But, simply telling them what you don't want is not going to be good enough.  You need to be able to articulate exactly what you do want.  In other words, what does that look like?  For example, in the case of the Child Development class...simply telling them that you don't want to be excluded from it isn't going to be enough.  You will need to come in prepared with possible remedies or solutions to the problem.  So, if it were me, I would tell them that to fix the problem, they need to assign you to a different child development center and one in which does not allow access to food all day long.  Honestly though, i don't know why the regulations apply to you as a student observer...they really only should apply to the employees themselves.  Then, they need to provide you with a sighted assistant (like someone would have if they were taking a science class with labs) who can describe to you what they see.  So, instead of asking the students questions (if the professor feels that it is inappropriate at this stage), you can then ask the necessary questions to your sighted assistant during your observations.  I would go on to explain though, that if you would pursue child development, that you would handle things in such a way that communication with the kids would be essential.  As a side note, I am a public school teacher for the past 18 years, so I had my share of observations to do as well.  So in other words, they will need to mold the child development program to fit your needs and provide accommodations as necessary, such as the sighted assistant, to meet the requirements.  In the case of the observations, even with a sighted assistant, you will still need to know the right questions to ask that person in order to get the necessary information you are required to get.  The child development center they have chosen can't possibly be the only one in the area, so they need to step out of their comfort zone and find an alternative....but understand that if you don't go in asking for it, they aren't going to likely offer something like this up to you.  Ultimately, there are ways to work around the requirements of the program, it just might take a little thinking outside the box.  If your college happens to have faculty who teach courses specifically about special education, disability studies, etc....you can always suggest that if your professor in the child development program feels more comfortable talking with colleagues, that they may get some ideas from their fellow colleagues as well on how to make things work.  >> >> As to the professor who decided they didn't want you in your class.  Yes, that is absolutely discriminatory and ridiculous.  With that said, you probably made the best decision possible by taking the class with the other instructor.  Forcing the situation, would likely have only made things hard on you.  It would have punished you more than them.  Again, if you choose to address this in your grievance, you need to not simply go in saying that the professor shouldn't be allowed to do it in the future.  Ask for more concrete specific measures for them to correct.  Be proactive.  Ask them about changing their protocols and procedures.  For example, maybe the professor must meet with the student and disability services representative to discuss the situation before they can make the request to not have the student in their class.  Maybe you suggest that disability services provides training to professors about having students with disabilities and providing accommodations to them, as maybe this professor is simply not well educated enough and if they had better training, they would have a better attitude about it.  As a side note, this "training" idea was actually something I used as part of the legal settlement with my employer.  Again, don't just tell them what they didn't do.  Sometimes, people actually need it spelled out for them what they actually need to do because they simply don't know.  >> >> My final thought is this.  When you take these types of things to a formal level, it changes the whole landscape of the situation and will possibly change how you are viewed and perceived by others, including those in the Disability Services Department....even if you are totally in the right.  Just know that, right or wrong, it will likely change at least some individuals' views of you.  Word will likely get out in the ranks of the professors, especially if you eventually pick a major and you will be known as the girl who "filed a formal grievance".  I guess my point is this....just keep in mind that although the formal process could get you to a place where you get exactly what you need....there are always two sides to every sword.  >> >> I wish you the best of luck in dealing with a very difficult situation but I'm confident you will find success in the end.  >> Take care, >> Nicole >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L >> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list >> Cc: Mikayla Gephart >> Sent: Thu, Dec 12, 2019 12:42 pm >> Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college >> >> Hi all, >> >>    I hope you are all doing well, and that your final exams are going well. As many of you know, I started my first year of college in August after nine months at the Colorado Center for the Blind. I have enjoyed my college experience, but the Disability Services office has been extremely frustrating. >> >>      The week after I graduated from CCB in June, I had to attend a mandatory pre-orientation for college. Despite the fact that I had been corresponding with the Assistant Director for Disability Services since April and had sent in my documentation proving I was blind, they were not prepared for me at all. There were millions of print papers floating around that were not provided in an accessible format, and they required I do an online strengths test I had not been told about. I ended up having someone read everything to me so I could get everything out of the day, but I was upset. A few days after the reorientation, I met with the Assistant Director for my intake interview. She apologized and said she would never let this happen again. I believed her! >> >>    After I received my schedule for the fall, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. During the week before classes started, I met with most of my professors. I am still undecided about my major and career goals, but I mentioned during the pre-orientation that I was considering majoring in Child Development. The Academic Advising team chooses schedules for all incoming freshmen based on our preferences as we mentioned on forms and at the pre-orientation, and they placed me in the introductory Child Development class. This class has a lab component at a local private preschool. The college I am attending is also a private, but they receive Financial Assistance funding from the government. When I met with my Child Development professor, I was told that the private school (where all students in this class fulfill their lab component) refused to allow me to complete my lab there. According to my professor, the school sited the North Carolina Division of Early Childhood Development and Education’s safety standards for supervision. She read out some of the standards, but I do not have a copy. From what my professor said, the standards say that staff in a school must be able to “see and hear” children eating. She said that the way the school is set up is that food is out during all times of the day, not just at lunch time. She also said that the school interprets this standard to mean that any adult in the class must be able to see and hear the students eating in case they choke. I feel like this in itself is wrong on so many levels! The fact that the state even has this standard is ridiculous, and the school’s interpretation is just as discriminatory. My professor also expressed some reservations about my ability to observe the students, even if the private school allowed me to observe in their school. She was pretty set on observation being a visual process, but was open to me reaching out to other teachers to find out how they handled it. I suggested I would gather information by interacting with the children, but she said that students observe and write down notes while off to the side so as not to interfere. We decided that I would take a General Education class during the fall, which would give us more time to figure out how to make Child Development work. I agreed, since it was so close to the start of the semester. I kept it together during the meeting, but I was devastated! However, I decided to let it go. I was still deciding on majors and careers anywhere, and it was four days before I was supposed to move in to the dorm and I wanted to keep focused on that. >> >>    Most of my first semester of college went without a hitch. I was provided with all materials in an accessible format, and I enjoyed getting to know most of my instructors and fellow students. >> >>    When it came time to register for classes on October 25th, I was extremely excited. I chose all of my classes carefully, thinking about how much time I would have in between classes and asking for recommendations of professors from other students. On November 2nd, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. I heard back from every professor except for my English professor. >> >>    On November 25, I was told by the Disability Services office that the English department requested that I switch to another professor’s class. The English Department had 23 days from the time of receiving my introduction email to bring this up. Of course it was right in the middle of my finals. This could have been handled November 2 with a meeting including me of course. The reason given was that the professor I chose uses “visual materials”. I took Statistics this semester, and Statistics uses a lot of visual material. To me, this seemed like a thinly veiled excuse to keep me out of her class. I decided to switch to the professor they recommended because I do not want a professor who does not want me and because I found out that my new professor is great at making materials accessible. I am still upset! >> >>    After I had some time to process the news, I sent a strong email to the Disability Services staff and the Dean of Students, even using the word discrimination. The Disability Services staff asked to meet with me last week, and I came prepared with strong but polite comments. Unfortunately, they did not seem to understand that this is discrimination. The Assistant Director came with several guesses, but never bothered to find out why the English department did not want me in this professor’s class. One of her guesses was that the Dean of the Humanities School, who made this request, thought the professor they recommended would be a better fit because of her experience making materials accessible, and that she does not think the Dean meant to discriminate because she is extremely student-centered. I did not feel like they understood how I feel about this. >> >>    I feel like I need to speak up about this. I have had three issues so far. What’s next? I love the professors and students, and want to stay here. I have gotten them to follow the ADA requirements for railings and braille signs, so I am getting through somewhat. However, I am still not satisfied, so am going to file a formal grievance through the college’s grievance procedures. They need to start following the law, and I will not allow this to happen again to me or any other blind students. I go from sadness to anger to determination, and wish things did not have to exculpate this far. I would love to have positive and informal relationships with the Disability Services staff for the next three years, but I need to let them know I am serious. I have lost faith in informal conversations, so think a formal grievance is the next step. Any advice or encouragement will be appreciated. This is an extremely frustrating experience, but I will not back down. >> >> Mikayla >> _______________________________________________ >> 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/nmpbrat%40aol.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/eschlenker%40cox.net _______________________________________________ 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/nmpbrat%40aol.com From leadershipjba at gmail.com Tue Dec 17 04:28:18 2019 From: leadershipjba at gmail.com (JASON ALAMILLO) Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2019 20:28:18 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Mckayla, I am so sorry I did not get back to this awesome conversation on the day you sent it, I was completing my finals. I think it is atrocious disgusting it out rages that schools and Disability Resource Center‘s, if we can even call them that, are acting in such a profoundly discriminatory and callous manner. first, on the whole child development class issue, I’m not an expert in child development courses, but what I will say is that I don’t think switching you centers is the greatest idea but if it serves the purpose of you learning what you have to and getting the experience you need, I agree. on the other hand, I would say this to you, having them switch you to another center is basically telling them that they are correct and they shouldn’t accommodate, every excuse they gave you about needing to hear and see everything that’s going on it’s just a blatant way to discriminate against you so that they don’t have to accommodate you. and so I would come up with solutions on how you could actually take the course and still observe the children and the food and all other kinds of issues. I do not have any for you unfortunately, but that’s what I can tell you on that front. Now onto something I have had a lot of experience in, first I think it was good that you did go with another professor instead of the professor who apparently felt quote-on-quote overwhelmed. but you are in the right here, you sent the email weeks prior to the semester, the excuse that the class would be too visual is just a barbaric excuse. It is just a way for the university officials to calm their professor down and make her feel better. I will suggest what others have, sending an email to the professor, possibly the chair of the English department, and the disability specialist who you are assigned to, asking for a meeting to discuss every accommodation you will need. And then I would have the Disability Resource Center swear that they would provide you those accommodations along with the professor, and holding them to that account. Now as for your grievance, first, I would file it, for me to out of three issues is enough, but the fact that two of them had to do with the Disability Resource Center, it just shows a few things. first, it shows that the director of the Disability Resource Center has a lack of character and judgment, and does not know how to do his or her job. They don’t know how to keep their staff in line and actually make them work to help students with disabilities. next, it shows that those working in the Resource Center do not know how to work with people with disabilities, are not qualified to work with people with disabilities, or don’t care, I would go with all three. there is a lack of communication here and it is not your fault, but it is the fault of every university official, the dean of humanities, the dean of students, and, your instructors as well as the Resource Center. I believe that you should make this complaint and file it because they obviously are not learning, they don’t understand or care about the situation at hand and are obviously asking for a lawsuit to happen. When your meeting with the dean of humanities, the dean of students, the Resource Center professors department chairs and others, I would record everything, every meeting, every conversation, and I would make them aware that what they are doing is a breach of contract, discrimination, and breaking of the law, of the rehabilitation act of 1973, and the Americans With Disabilities Act, and should anything happen to where they do not correct themselves and the process, they will be liable in the court of law. I noticed a comment by Nicole about telling you that you should be aware of how people will perceive you in the Resource Center and other officials, just a piece of advice, that doesn’t matter. Anytime that you have to fight for your rights and hold people accountable to the law and to procedures, they are always going to perceive you negatively, and if they start mistreating you or rigging the process against you, it just proves their point and you could hold them liable again, and it would be worse for them. Don’t care about what people think about you, it can get to you but ignore it, they obviously don’t care what you think of them, they didn’t care to help you, and their lack of assistance and doing their jobs is what got them here in the first place. I have a philosophy, and it goes like this, and this is to people that I hold accountable, I don’t care what you think, I don’t care how you feel, you got yourself in this situation, you have to get out of it, you attacked my rights as a student with a disability, now I’m here to hold you accountable and if you don’t like it, well go cry in your little corner with all your other club members in the same predicament, because I’m standing here for myself. yes this is a little harsh but at the same time, that mindset is what has gotten me through college, and it has shown people that should they come against me one more time or do things out of malice or anger, I will come at them yet again, and officials and judges will start knowing and noticing that this is a reoccurring issue which would go worse for them. I am extremely proud of you, you are brave and you bring so much hope to me as a student with a disability who has had and continues having issues with various departments in my university. If you ever wanna talk about this, you can email me or you can call me or text me at this number. 702-762-6296. On Mon, Dec 16, 2019 at 7:54 PM Emily Schlenker via NABS-L < nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote: > You are doing the right thing! File it, and document everything. You are > in the right, and people need to do better. > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Dec 16, 2019, at 9:42 PM, Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L < > nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote: > > > > Good evening Federation family, > > > > First of all, I would like to thank Nicole and Emily for responding > to my message. I would also like to thank the rest of you for helping me > learn that it is okay to advocate for myself, and that I can “live the life > I want”. I am writing to update everyone on the latest developments, but > want to respond to one of the messages I received. I am still open to any > and all thoughts. > > > > Nicole, your message was extremely informative. While the grievance > will only concern the incident with the English class due to the timeline, > I am keeping what you said about the Child Development class in mind for > the future. I am in complete agreement that the standards for Child > Development should only be required for staff, but this school the college > partners with requires these standards of observing students as well. This > particular school also encourages parents to volunteer in the classroom, so > I am guessing this would exclude blind parents. It is that whole issue of > children being taken from their blind parents, but in a new form. I also > agree that fighting these issues is not as simple as I would hope. To be > honest, I have thought about how the Disability Services staff would > perceive me, and that’s the only thing that scares me about filing the > grievance. However, I feel like I am left with no choice. I love the > students and professors, but the administration and Disability Services > office need to learn that they cannot pull these things off with me > anymore. I have seriously thought about not fighting this battle, but I > have had three issues in six months. If I do not speak up beyond informal > meetings, what will they try next. Two of the three incidents I mentioned > in my previous message directly involved Disability Services, and I spoke > with the people involved after each incident. I feel like I have gotten as > far as I can with informal meetings. > > > > Today, I met with the Dean of Students (who handles the Disability > Grievance Procedure) to discuss filing a formal grievance. I came prepared, > knowing that my goal was not to intimidate or attack but to hopefully > inspire a change in policies that would improve the experience for all > students. I told the dean that I thought the procedure should be adapted so > that they are required to discuss any issues with the student and the > Disability office before they put in a request for a student to change > classes. I said all of this, and the Dean of Students did not disagree with > what I said, but I felt she sided more with the Disability Services office > and the English department even though she is supposed to be neutral > according to the grievance procedures. The Dean of Students requested I > meet with the Dean of the Humanities school after our meeting. The Dean of > the Humanities school is over the English and Child Development classes. I > agreed to the meeting, as the first step of the grievance procedure is to > resolve things informally, and I had not met with anyone involved with the > request. I want to make a good-faith effort to resolve things informally if > at all possible, regardless of my personal opinions. The Dean of Students > also said that sometimes the dean over a certain department will meet with > department heads and professors to make sure that students are in the most > appropriate section of a class to meet their needs. I accepted this, but > still expressed that it could have been handled in a manner that respected > my input as a student. She did not admit that I was discriminated against, > but I knew enough not to expect her to admit it. > > > > After I met with the Dean of Students, I met with the Dean of the > Humanities school. She admitted that the professor I originally selected > felt overwhelmed with the idea of providing descriptions of visual > materials with only a few weeks notice. This is despite the fact that I > sent her an email on November 2nd. The professor that was recommended to me > by the English department does not teach every semester and has a lot of > experience making materials accessible. I said that if they had framed it > in that way from the beginning, I would not have a problem. She admitted > that the lack of direct communication with me as the student is part of > the problem, and said she wants to improve the process so this does not > happen again. She also recommended I take the next required English class > with the professor I originally chose, and that with a whole semester to > prepare the professor would be ready to provide descriptions. I am prepared > to refuse the suggestion, because the professor clearly did not want me in > her class and they are simply offering this to appease me. > > > > Besides what I mentioned above, there were two things that annoyed > me about my conversation with the Dean of the Humanities School. For one > thing, she said I was never denied entrance into the professor’s class even > though that is how it was portrayed to me. She also tried to invalidate my > feelings by saying that she is not a lawyer and does not know whether or > not it is discrimination, but wanted to focus on how I felt. She was silent > when I told her that I felt discriminated against. I knew that they may try > to do this, but it still was frustrating. > > > > While I think the meeting was a small success in some ways, I am > still not satisfied. I did not file the grievance yet as the Dean of > Students wanted me to have these meetings as part of the informal grievance > process. However, I am going to proceed with the formal process as soon as > possible. The grievance procedure primarily puts the burden of action back > on Disability Services (where I feel part of the problem is), but I am > hoping that at least this will show them that they cannot do this to me > anymore. I appreciate all the advice, and am considering each idea > carefully. > > > > Happy holidays, > > Mikayla > > > >> On Dec 13, 2019, at 12:31 AM, nmpbrat at aol.com wrote: > >> > >> Mikayla, > >> I'm sorry to hear about your experiences in college. I can certainly > appreciate and understand your feelings and frustrations, as I have dealt > with discrimination both at the college level and employment level. To be > candid, in college, my discrimination experience was solely with one > professor and after many sleepless nights, I made the decision not to take > it to the formal level. In my employment situation, on the other hand, I > spent the past 5 years fighting it in the legal system. > >> I have some thoughts and things you may want to consider and think > about in each of the situations but please understand, I am in no way > trying to minimize or diminish what you have been through. I also know > though, that fighting battles such as these aren't as simple as you might > think or as clear cut as you might think, even with the ADA "on your > side". > >> > >> First, if you decide you want to go through with the formal grievance > process, you will want to go into the process knowing exactly what you > want. Now, let me explain what I mean by that. Yes, they'll want to know > your concerns about what has happened in the past to bring you to this > point, although they likely will probably have a pretty good idea. But, > simply telling them what you don't want is not going to be good enough. > You need to be able to articulate exactly what you do want. In other > words, what does that look like? For example, in the case of the Child > Development class...simply telling them that you don't want to be excluded > from it isn't going to be enough. You will need to come in prepared with > possible remedies or solutions to the problem. So, if it were me, I would > tell them that to fix the problem, they need to assign you to a different > child development center and one in which does not allow access to food all > day long. Honestly though, i don't know why the regulations apply to you > as a student observer...they really only should apply to the employees > themselves. Then, they need to provide you with a sighted assistant (like > someone would have if they were taking a science class with labs) who can > describe to you what they see. So, instead of asking the students > questions (if the professor feels that it is inappropriate at this stage), > you can then ask the necessary questions to your sighted assistant during > your observations. I would go on to explain though, that if you would > pursue child development, that you would handle things in such a way that > communication with the kids would be essential. As a side note, I am a > public school teacher for the past 18 years, so I had my share of > observations to do as well. So in other words, they will need to mold the > child development program to fit your needs and provide accommodations as > necessary, such as the sighted assistant, to meet the requirements. In the > case of the observations, even with a sighted assistant, you will still > need to know the right questions to ask that person in order to get the > necessary information you are required to get. The child development > center they have chosen can't possibly be the only one in the area, so they > need to step out of their comfort zone and find an alternative....but > understand that if you don't go in asking for it, they aren't going to > likely offer something like this up to you. Ultimately, there are ways to > work around the requirements of the program, it just might take a little > thinking outside the box. If your college happens to have faculty who > teach courses specifically about special education, disability studies, > etc....you can always suggest that if your professor in the child > development program feels more comfortable talking with colleagues, that > they may get some ideas from their fellow colleagues as well on how to make > things work. > >> > >> As to the professor who decided they didn't want you in your class. > Yes, that is absolutely discriminatory and ridiculous. With that said, you > probably made the best decision possible by taking the class with the other > instructor. Forcing the situation, would likely have only made things hard > on you. It would have punished you more than them. Again, if you choose > to address this in your grievance, you need to not simply go in saying that > the professor shouldn't be allowed to do it in the future. Ask for more > concrete specific measures for them to correct. Be proactive. Ask them > about changing their protocols and procedures. For example, maybe the > professor must meet with the student and disability services representative > to discuss the situation before they can make the request to not have the > student in their class. Maybe you suggest that disability services > provides training to professors about having students with disabilities and > providing accommodations to them, as maybe this professor is simply not > well educated enough and if they had better training, they would have a > better attitude about it. As a side note, this "training" idea was > actually something I used as part of the legal settlement with my > employer. Again, don't just tell them what they didn't do. Sometimes, > people actually need it spelled out for them what they actually need to do > because they simply don't know. > >> > >> My final thought is this. When you take these types of things to a > formal level, it changes the whole landscape of the situation and will > possibly change how you are viewed and perceived by others, including those > in the Disability Services Department....even if you are totally in the > right. Just know that, right or wrong, it will likely change at least some > individuals' views of you. Word will likely get out in the ranks of the > professors, especially if you eventually pick a major and you will be known > as the girl who "filed a formal grievance". I guess my point is > this....just keep in mind that although the formal process could get you to > a place where you get exactly what you need....there are always two sides > to every sword. > >> > >> I wish you the best of luck in dealing with a very difficult situation > but I'm confident you will find success in the end. > >> Take care, > >> Nicole > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L > >> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list < > nabs-l at nfbnet.org> > >> Cc: Mikayla Gephart > >> Sent: Thu, Dec 12, 2019 12:42 pm > >> Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college > >> > >> Hi all, > >> > >> I hope you are all doing well, and that your final exams are going > well. As many of you know, I started my first year of college in August > after nine months at the Colorado Center for the Blind. I have enjoyed my > college experience, but the Disability Services office has been extremely > frustrating. > >> > >> The week after I graduated from CCB in June, I had to attend a > mandatory pre-orientation for college. Despite the fact that I had been > corresponding with the Assistant Director for Disability Services since > April and had sent in my documentation proving I was blind, they were not > prepared for me at all. There were millions of print papers floating around > that were not provided in an accessible format, and they required I do an > online strengths test I had not been told about. I ended up having someone > read everything to me so I could get everything out of the day, but I was > upset. A few days after the reorientation, I met with the Assistant > Director for my intake interview. She apologized and said she would never > let this happen again. I believed her! > >> > >> After I received my schedule for the fall, I sent an email to all my > professors introducing myself. During the week before classes started, I > met with most of my professors. I am still undecided about my major and > career goals, but I mentioned during the pre-orientation that I was > considering majoring in Child Development. The Academic Advising team > chooses schedules for all incoming freshmen based on our preferences as we > mentioned on forms and at the pre-orientation, and they placed me in the > introductory Child Development class. This class has a lab component at a > local private preschool. The college I am attending is also a private, but > they receive Financial Assistance funding from the government. When I met > with my Child Development professor, I was told that the private school > (where all students in this class fulfill their lab component) refused to > allow me to complete my lab there. According to my professor, the school > sited the North Carolina Division of Early Childhood Development and > Education’s safety standards for supervision. She read out some of the > standards, but I do not have a copy. From what my professor said, the > standards say that staff in a school must be able to “see and hear” > children eating. She said that the way the school is set up is that food is > out during all times of the day, not just at lunch time. She also said that > the school interprets this standard to mean that any adult in the class > must be able to see and hear the students eating in case they choke. I feel > like this in itself is wrong on so many levels! The fact that the state > even has this standard is ridiculous, and the school’s interpretation is > just as discriminatory. My professor also expressed some reservations about > my ability to observe the students, even if the private school allowed me > to observe in their school. She was pretty set on observation being a > visual process, but was open to me reaching out to other teachers to find > out how they handled it. I suggested I would gather information by > interacting with the children, but she said that students observe and write > down notes while off to the side so as not to interfere. We decided that I > would take a General Education class during the fall, which would give us > more time to figure out how to make Child Development work. I agreed, since > it was so close to the start of the semester. I kept it together during the > meeting, but I was devastated! However, I decided to let it go. I was still > deciding on majors and careers anywhere, and it was four days before I was > supposed to move in to the dorm and I wanted to keep focused on that. > >> > >> Most of my first semester of college went without a hitch. I was > provided with all materials in an accessible format, and I enjoyed getting > to know most of my instructors and fellow students. > >> > >> When it came time to register for classes on October 25th, I was > extremely excited. I chose all of my classes carefully, thinking about how > much time I would have in between classes and asking for recommendations of > professors from other students. On November 2nd, I sent an email to all my > professors introducing myself. I heard back from every professor except for > my English professor. > >> > >> On November 25, I was told by the Disability Services office that > the English department requested that I switch to another professor’s > class. The English Department had 23 days from the time of receiving my > introduction email to bring this up. Of course it was right in the middle > of my finals. This could have been handled November 2 with a meeting > including me of course. The reason given was that the professor I chose > uses “visual materials”. I took Statistics this semester, and Statistics > uses a lot of visual material. To me, this seemed like a thinly veiled > excuse to keep me out of her class. I decided to switch to the professor > they recommended because I do not want a professor who does not want me and > because I found out that my new professor is great at making materials > accessible. I am still upset! > >> > >> After I had some time to process the news, I sent a strong email to > the Disability Services staff and the Dean of Students, even using the word > discrimination. The Disability Services staff asked to meet with me last > week, and I came prepared with strong but polite comments. Unfortunately, > they did not seem to understand that this is discrimination. The Assistant > Director came with several guesses, but never bothered to find out why the > English department did not want me in this professor’s class. One of her > guesses was that the Dean of the Humanities School, who made this request, > thought the professor they recommended would be a better fit because of her > experience making materials accessible, and that she does not think the > Dean meant to discriminate because she is extremely student-centered. I did > not feel like they understood how I feel about this. > >> > >> I feel like I need to speak up about this. I have had three issues > so far. What’s next? I love the professors and students, and want to stay > here. I have gotten them to follow the ADA requirements for railings and > braille signs, so I am getting through somewhat. However, I am still not > satisfied, so am going to file a formal grievance through the college’s > grievance procedures. They need to start following the law, and I will not > allow this to happen again to me or any other blind students. I go from > sadness to anger to determination, and wish things did not have to > exculpate this far. I would love to have positive and informal > relationships with the Disability Services staff for the next three years, > but I need to let them know I am serious. I have lost faith in informal > conversations, so think a formal grievance is the next step. Any advice or > encouragement will be appreciated. This is an extremely frustrating > experience, but I will not back down. > >> > >> Mikayla > >> _______________________________________________ > >> NABS-L mailing list > >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org > >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_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/nmpbrat%40aol.com < > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nmpbrat%40aol.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/eschlenker%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/leadershipjba%40gmail.com > From nmpbrat at aol.com Tue Dec 17 05:07:43 2019 From: nmpbrat at aol.com (nmpbrat at aol.com) Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2019 05:07:43 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1648145149.178467.1576559263868@mail.yahoo.com> Mikayla,Let me clarify what I said about how people would perceive you.  In no way was my comment meant to dissuade you from taking any actions you feel are necessary but was rather just a reminder of what may occur....that they may get very defensive and may even lash back out at you.  I share this from personal experience.  As I was going through my personal experiences, I had many people say to me "Oh, I could never do what you are doing."  They'd tell me how proud of me they were that I had the courage to do it...but said they personally could not have that same courage.  Not everyone has the same strength in them to tackle something like this, especially as big as a university like in your case.  It's been done though...and if you believe you can do it, that's all that matters.  I also know that prior to going through or even at the beginning of my legal experience...I though it would be clear cut...that the law was on my side.  Even with numerous attorneys working on my behalf who believed that my case was solid and even with support from the NFB, let's just say, it isn't always as clear cut and simple as it seems.  I hope for your sake, you are able to get it worked out internally through the formal process.  I thought that I would be able to do that in my situation too...but unfortunately, that wasn't what happened.  Instead, my employer lashed back out at me and attacked me on a professional level.  It was totally unfounded and ultimately got them nowhere....but I'd be lying if I said it didn't send me reeling and wondering if I had made the right decision.  I guess my point was simply to remind you to be a little guarded and grounded, as the process can be very messy and complicated at times and you need to go into it with a realistic viewpoint.  This doesn't mean though that you shouldn't fight for what is right.  Although messy at times, in the end, mine was totally worth it.  I'm hopeful yours will be too.  Nicole -----Original Message----- From: JASON ALAMILLO via NABS-L To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: JASON ALAMILLO Sent: Mon, Dec 16, 2019 11:29 pm Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college Hi Mckayla, I am so sorry I did not get back to this awesome conversation on the day you sent it, I was completing my finals. I think it is atrocious disgusting it out rages that schools and Disability Resource Center‘s, if we can even call them that, are acting in such a profoundly discriminatory and callous manner. first, on the whole child development class issue, I’m not an expert in child development courses, but what I will say is that I don’t think switching you centers is the greatest idea but if it serves the purpose of you learning what you have to and getting the experience you need, I agree. on the other hand, I would say this to you, having them switch you to another center is basically telling them that they are correct and they shouldn’t accommodate, every excuse they gave you about needing to hear and see everything that’s going on it’s just a blatant way to discriminate against you so that they don’t have to accommodate you. and so I would come up with solutions on how you could actually take the course and still observe the children and the food and all other kinds of issues. I do not have any for you unfortunately, but that’s what I can tell you on that front. Now onto something I have had a lot of experience in, first I think it was good that you did go with another professor instead of the professor who apparently felt quote-on-quote overwhelmed. but you are in the right here, you sent the email weeks prior to the semester, the excuse that the class would be too visual is just a barbaric excuse. It is just a way for the university officials to calm their professor down and make her feel better. I will suggest what others have, sending an email to the professor, possibly the chair of the English department, and the disability specialist who you are assigned to, asking for a meeting to discuss every accommodation you will need. And then I would have the Disability Resource Center swear that they would provide you those accommodations along with the professor, and holding them to that account. Now as for your grievance, first, I would file it, for me to out of three issues is enough, but the fact that two of them had to do with the Disability Resource Center, it just shows a few things. first, it shows that the director of the Disability Resource Center has a lack of character and judgment, and does not know how to do his or her job. They don’t know how to keep their staff in line and actually make them work to help students with disabilities. next, it shows that those working in the Resource Center do not know how to work with people with disabilities, are not qualified to work with people with disabilities, or don’t care, I would go with all three. there is a lack of communication here and it is not your fault, but it is the fault of every university official, the dean of humanities, the dean of students, and, your instructors as well as the Resource Center. I believe that you should make this complaint and file it because they obviously are not learning, they don’t understand or care about the situation at hand and are obviously asking for a lawsuit to happen. When your meeting with the dean of humanities, the dean of students, the Resource Center professors department chairs and others, I would record everything, every meeting, every conversation, and I would make them aware that what they are doing is a breach of contract, discrimination, and breaking of the law, of the rehabilitation act of 1973, and the Americans With Disabilities Act, and should anything happen to where they do not correct themselves and the process, they will be liable in the court of law. I noticed a comment by Nicole about telling you that you should be aware of how people will perceive you in the Resource Center and other officials, just a piece of advice, that doesn’t matter. Anytime that you have to fight for your rights and hold people accountable to the law and to procedures, they are always going to perceive you negatively, and if they start mistreating you or rigging the process against you, it just proves their point and you could hold them liable again, and it would be worse for them. Don’t care about what people think about you, it can get to you but ignore it, they obviously don’t care what you think of them, they didn’t care to help you, and their lack of assistance and doing their jobs is what got them here in the first place. I have a philosophy, and it goes like this, and this is to people that I hold accountable, I don’t care what you think, I don’t care how you feel, you got yourself in this situation, you have to get out of it, you attacked my rights as a student with a disability, now I’m here to hold you accountable and if you don’t like it, well go cry in your little corner with all your other club members in the same predicament, because I’m standing here for myself. yes this is a little harsh but at the same time, that mindset is what has gotten me through college, and it has shown people that should they come against me one more time or do things out of malice or anger, I will come at them yet again, and officials and judges will start knowing and noticing that this is a reoccurring issue which would go worse for them. I am extremely proud of you, you are brave and you bring so much hope to me as a student with a disability who has had and continues having issues with various departments in my university. If you ever wanna talk about this, you can email me or you can call me or text me at this number. 702-762-6296. On Mon, Dec 16, 2019 at 7:54 PM Emily Schlenker via NABS-L < nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote: > You are doing the right thing! File it, and document everything. You are > in the right, and people need to do better. > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Dec 16, 2019, at 9:42 PM, Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L < > nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote: > > > > Good evening Federation family, > > > >    First of all, I would like to thank Nicole and Emily for responding > to my message. I would also like to thank the rest of you for helping me > learn that it is okay to advocate for myself, and that I can “live the life > I want”. I am writing to update everyone on the latest developments, but > want to respond to one of the messages I received. I am still open to any > and all thoughts. > > > >    Nicole, your message was extremely informative. While the grievance > will only concern the incident with the English class due to the timeline, > I am keeping what you said about the Child Development class in mind for > the future. I am in complete agreement that the standards for Child > Development should only be required for staff, but this school the college > partners with requires these standards of observing students as well. This > particular school also encourages parents to volunteer in the classroom, so > I am guessing this would exclude blind parents. It is that whole issue of > children being taken from their blind parents, but in a new form. I also > agree that fighting these issues is not as simple as I would hope. To be > honest, I have thought about how the Disability Services staff would > perceive me, and that’s the only thing that scares me about filing the > grievance. However, I feel like I am left with no choice. I love the > students and professors, but the administration and Disability Services > office need to learn that they cannot pull these things off with me > anymore. I have seriously thought about not fighting this battle, but I > have had three issues in six months. If I do not speak up beyond informal > meetings, what will they try next. Two of the three incidents I mentioned > in my previous message directly involved Disability Services, and I spoke > with the people involved after each incident. I feel like I have gotten as > far as I can with informal meetings. > > > >    Today, I met with the Dean of Students (who handles the Disability > Grievance Procedure) to discuss filing a formal grievance. I came prepared, > knowing that my goal was not to intimidate or attack but to hopefully > inspire a change in policies that would improve the experience for all > students. I told the dean that I thought the procedure should be adapted so > that they are required to discuss any issues with the student and the > Disability office before they put in a request for a student to change > classes. I said all of this, and the Dean of Students did not disagree with > what I said, but I felt she sided more with the Disability Services office > and the English department even though she is supposed to be neutral > according to the grievance procedures. The Dean of Students requested I > meet with the Dean of the Humanities school after our meeting. The Dean of > the Humanities school is over the English and Child Development classes. I > agreed to the meeting, as the first step of the grievance procedure is to > resolve things informally, and I had not met with anyone involved with the > request. I want to make a good-faith effort to resolve things informally if > at all possible, regardless of my personal opinions. The Dean of Students > also said that sometimes the dean over a certain department will meet with > department heads and professors to make sure that students are in the most > appropriate section of a class to meet their needs. I accepted this, but > still expressed that it could have been handled in a manner that respected > my input as a student. She did not admit that I was discriminated against, > but I knew enough not to expect her to admit it. > > > >    After I met with the Dean of Students, I met with the Dean of the > Humanities school. She admitted that the professor I originally selected > felt overwhelmed with the idea of providing descriptions of visual > materials with only a few weeks notice. This is despite the fact that I > sent her an email on November 2nd. The professor that was recommended to me > by the English department does not teach every semester and has a lot of > experience making materials accessible. I said that if they had framed it > in that way from the beginning, I would not have a problem. She admitted > that  the lack of direct communication with me as the student is part of > the problem, and said she wants to improve the process so this does not > happen again. She also recommended I take the next required English class > with the professor I originally chose, and that with a whole semester to > prepare the professor would be ready to provide descriptions. I am prepared > to refuse the suggestion, because the professor clearly did not want me in > her class and they are simply offering this to appease me. > > > >    Besides what I mentioned above, there were two things that annoyed > me about my conversation with the Dean of the Humanities School.  For one > thing, she said I was never denied entrance into the professor’s class even > though that is how it was portrayed to me. She also tried to invalidate my > feelings by saying that she is not a lawyer and does not know whether or > not it is discrimination, but wanted to focus on how I felt. She was silent > when I told her that I felt discriminated against. I knew that they may try > to do this, but it still was frustrating. > > > >    While I think the meeting was a small success in some ways, I am > still not satisfied. I did not file the grievance yet as the Dean of > Students wanted me to have these meetings as part of the informal grievance > process. However, I am going to proceed with the formal process as soon as > possible. The grievance procedure primarily puts the burden of action back > on Disability Services (where I feel part of the problem is), but I am > hoping that at least this will show them that they cannot do this to me > anymore. I appreciate all the advice, and am considering each idea > carefully. > > > > Happy holidays, > > Mikayla > > > >> On Dec 13, 2019, at 12:31 AM, nmpbrat at aol.com wrote: > >> > >> Mikayla, > >> I'm sorry to hear about your experiences in college.  I can certainly > appreciate and understand your feelings and frustrations, as I have dealt > with discrimination both at the college level and employment level.  To be > candid, in college, my discrimination experience was solely with one > professor and after many sleepless nights, I made the decision not to take > it to the formal level.  In my employment situation, on the other hand, I > spent the past 5 years fighting it in the legal system. > >> I have some thoughts and things you may want to consider and think > about in each of the situations but please understand, I am in no way > trying to minimize or diminish what you have been through.  I also know > though, that fighting battles such as these aren't as simple as you might > think or as clear cut as you might think, even with the ADA "on your > side". > >> > >> First, if you decide you want to go through with the formal grievance > process, you will want to go into the process knowing exactly what you > want.  Now, let me explain what I mean by that.  Yes, they'll want to know > your concerns about what has happened in the past to bring you to this > point, although they likely will probably have a pretty good idea.  But, > simply telling them what you don't want is not going to be good enough. > You need to be able to articulate exactly what you do want.  In other > words, what does that look like?  For example, in the case of the Child > Development class...simply telling them that you don't want to be excluded > from it isn't going to be enough.  You will need to come in prepared with > possible remedies or solutions to the problem.  So, if it were me, I would > tell them that to fix the problem, they need to assign you to a different > child development center and one in which does not allow access to food all > day long.  Honestly though, i don't know why the regulations apply to you > as a student observer...they really only should apply to the employees > themselves.  Then, they need to provide you with a sighted assistant (like > someone would have if they were taking a science class with labs) who can > describe to you what they see.  So, instead of asking the students > questions (if the professor feels that it is inappropriate at this stage), > you can then ask the necessary questions to your sighted assistant during > your observations.  I would go on to explain though, that if you would > pursue child development, that you would handle things in such a way that > communication with the kids would be essential.  As a side note, I am a > public school teacher for the past 18 years, so I had my share of > observations to do as well.  So in other words, they will need to mold the > child development program to fit your needs and provide accommodations as > necessary, such as the sighted assistant, to meet the requirements.  In the > case of the observations, even with a sighted assistant, you will still > need to know the right questions to ask that person in order to get the > necessary information you are required to get.  The child development > center they have chosen can't possibly be the only one in the area, so they > need to step out of their comfort zone and find an alternative....but > understand that if you don't go in asking for it, they aren't going to > likely offer something like this up to you.  Ultimately, there are ways to > work around the requirements of the program, it just might take a little > thinking outside the box.  If your college happens to have faculty who > teach courses specifically about special education, disability studies, > etc....you can always suggest that if your professor in the child > development program feels more comfortable talking with colleagues, that > they may get some ideas from their fellow colleagues as well on how to make > things work. > >> > >> As to the professor who decided they didn't want you in your class. > Yes, that is absolutely discriminatory and ridiculous.  With that said, you > probably made the best decision possible by taking the class with the other > instructor.  Forcing the situation, would likely have only made things hard > on you.  It would have punished you more than them.  Again, if you choose > to address this in your grievance, you need to not simply go in saying that > the professor shouldn't be allowed to do it in the future.  Ask for more > concrete specific measures for them to correct.  Be proactive.  Ask them > about changing their protocols and procedures.  For example, maybe the > professor must meet with the student and disability services representative > to discuss the situation before they can make the request to not have the > student in their class.  Maybe you suggest that disability services > provides training to professors about having students with disabilities and > providing accommodations to them, as maybe this professor is simply not > well educated enough and if they had better training, they would have a > better attitude about it.  As a side note, this "training" idea was > actually something I used as part of the legal settlement with my > employer.  Again, don't just tell them what they didn't do.  Sometimes, > people actually need it spelled out for them what they actually need to do > because they simply don't know. > >> > >> My final thought is this.  When you take these types of things to a > formal level, it changes the whole landscape of the situation and will > possibly change how you are viewed and perceived by others, including those > in the Disability Services Department....even if you are totally in the > right.  Just know that, right or wrong, it will likely change at least some > individuals' views of you.  Word will likely get out in the ranks of the > professors, especially if you eventually pick a major and you will be known > as the girl who "filed a formal grievance".  I guess my point is > this....just keep in mind that although the formal process could get you to > a place where you get exactly what you need....there are always two sides > to every sword. > >> > >> I wish you the best of luck in dealing with a very difficult situation > but I'm confident you will find success in the end. > >> Take care, > >> Nicole > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L > >> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list < > nabs-l at nfbnet.org> > >> Cc: Mikayla Gephart > >> Sent: Thu, Dec 12, 2019 12:42 pm > >> Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college > >> > >> Hi all, > >> > >>    I hope you are all doing well, and that your final exams are going > well. As many of you know, I started my first year of college in August > after nine months at the Colorado Center for the Blind. I have enjoyed my > college experience, but the Disability Services office has been extremely > frustrating. > >> > >>      The week after I graduated from CCB in June, I had to attend a > mandatory pre-orientation for college. Despite the fact that I had been > corresponding with the Assistant Director for Disability Services since > April and had sent in my documentation proving I was blind, they were not > prepared for me at all. There were millions of print papers floating around > that were not provided in an accessible format, and they required I do an > online strengths test I had not been told about. I ended up having someone > read everything to me so I could get everything out of the day, but I was > upset. A few days after the reorientation, I met with the Assistant > Director for my intake interview. She apologized and said she would never > let this happen again. I believed her! > >> > >>    After I received my schedule for the fall, I sent an email to all my > professors introducing myself. During the week before classes started, I > met with most of my professors. I am still undecided about my major and > career goals, but I mentioned during the pre-orientation that I was > considering majoring in Child Development. The Academic Advising team > chooses schedules for all incoming freshmen based on our preferences as we > mentioned on forms and at the pre-orientation, and they placed me in the > introductory Child Development class. This class has a lab component at a > local private preschool. The college I am attending is also a private, but > they receive Financial Assistance funding from the government. When I met > with my Child Development professor, I was told that the private school > (where all students in this class fulfill their lab component) refused to > allow me to complete my lab there. According to my professor, the school > sited the North Carolina Division of Early Childhood Development and > Education’s safety standards for supervision. She read out some of the > standards, but I do not have a copy. From what my professor said, the > standards say that staff in a school must be able to “see and hear” > children eating. She said that the way the school is set up is that food is > out during all times of the day, not just at lunch time. She also said that > the school interprets this standard to mean that any adult in the class > must be able to see and hear the students eating in case they choke. I feel > like this in itself is wrong on so many levels! The fact that the state > even has this standard is ridiculous, and the school’s interpretation is > just as discriminatory. My professor also expressed some reservations about > my ability to observe the students, even if the private school allowed me > to observe in their school. She was pretty set on observation being a > visual process, but was open to me reaching out to other teachers to find > out how they handled it. I suggested I would gather information by > interacting with the children, but she said that students observe and write > down notes while off to the side so as not to interfere. We decided that I > would take a General Education class during the fall, which would give us > more time to figure out how to make Child Development work. I agreed, since > it was so close to the start of the semester. I kept it together during the > meeting, but I was devastated! However, I decided to let it go. I was still > deciding on majors and careers anywhere, and it was four days before I was > supposed to move in to the dorm and I wanted to keep focused on that. > >> > >>    Most of my first semester of college went without a hitch. I was > provided with all materials in an accessible format, and I enjoyed getting > to know most of my instructors and fellow students. > >> > >>    When it came time to register for classes on October 25th, I was > extremely excited. I chose all of my classes carefully, thinking about how > much time I would have in between classes and asking for recommendations of > professors from other students. On November 2nd, I sent an email to all my > professors introducing myself. I heard back from every professor except for > my English professor. > >> > >>    On November 25, I was told by the Disability Services office that > the English department requested that I switch to another professor’s > class. The English Department had 23 days from the time of receiving my > introduction email to bring this up. Of course it was right in the middle > of my finals. This could have been handled November 2 with a meeting > including me of course. The reason given was that the professor I chose > uses “visual materials”. I took Statistics this semester, and Statistics > uses a lot of visual material. To me, this seemed like a thinly veiled > excuse to keep me out of her class. I decided to switch to the professor > they recommended because I do not want a professor who does not want me and > because I found out that my new professor is great at making materials > accessible. I am still upset! > >> > >>    After I had some time to process the news, I sent a strong email to > the Disability Services staff and the Dean of Students, even using the word > discrimination. The Disability Services staff asked to meet with me last > week, and I came prepared with strong but polite comments. Unfortunately, > they did not seem to understand that this is discrimination. The Assistant > Director came with several guesses, but never bothered to find out why the > English department did not want me in this professor’s class. One of her > guesses was that the Dean of the Humanities School, who made this request, > thought the professor they recommended would be a better fit because of her > experience making materials accessible, and that she does not think the > Dean meant to discriminate because she is extremely student-centered. I did > not feel like they understood how I feel about this. > >> > >>    I feel like I need to speak up about this. I have had three issues > so far. What’s next? I love the professors and students, and want to stay > here. I have gotten them to follow the ADA requirements for railings and > braille signs, so I am getting through somewhat. However, I am still not > satisfied, so am going to file a formal grievance through the college’s > grievance procedures. They need to start following the law, and I will not > allow this to happen again to me or any other blind students. I go from > sadness to anger to determination, and wish things did not have to > exculpate this far. I would love to have positive and informal > relationships with the Disability Services staff for the next three years, > but I need to let them know I am serious. I have lost faith in informal > conversations, so think a formal grievance is the next step. Any advice or > encouragement will be appreciated. This is an extremely frustrating > experience, but I will not back down. > >> > >> Mikayla > >> _______________________________________________ > >> NABS-L mailing list > >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org > >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_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/nmpbrat%40aol.com < > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nmpbrat%40aol.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/eschlenker%40cox.net > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/leadershipjba%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/nmpbrat%40aol.com From nmpbrat at aol.com Tue Dec 17 05:43:43 2019 From: nmpbrat at aol.com (Nicole Poston) Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2019 00:43:43 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1E571407-721E-40EB-A292-025208513E65@aol.com> Mikayla, One other piece of advice. As you go into the formal process, you will want to protect yourself and your rights by either A) having a witness attend any meetings you have with them, B) recording the meetings but doing so with their knowledge because it is my understanding that recording others without their knowledge is not always admissible in court, or C) send a detailed follow-up email to whomever you met with summarizing all the important things you discussed with them and ending it with something like “Does this accurately reflect our conversation?” They will likely not respond but them not responding basically shows acceptance of what you wrote. Plus by putting it in writing, it makes it public record. In fact, I might even use this technique even if you do A or B. Just a suggestion. Nicole Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 16, 2019, at 10:41 PM, Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L wrote: > > Good evening Federation family, > > First of all, I would like to thank Nicole and Emily for responding to my message. I would also like to thank the rest of you for helping me learn that it is okay to advocate for myself, and that I can “live the life I want”. I am writing to update everyone on the latest developments, but want to respond to one of the messages I received. I am still open to any and all thoughts. > > Nicole, your message was extremely informative. While the grievance will only concern the incident with the English class due to the timeline, I am keeping what you said about the Child Development class in mind for the future. I am in complete agreement that the standards for Child Development should only be required for staff, but this school the college partners with requires these standards of observing students as well. This particular school also encourages parents to volunteer in the classroom, so I am guessing this would exclude blind parents. It is that whole issue of children being taken from their blind parents, but in a new form. I also agree that fighting these issues is not as simple as I would hope. To be honest, I have thought about how the Disability Services staff would perceive me, and that’s the only thing that scares me about filing the grievance. However, I feel like I am left with no choice. I love the students and professors, but the administration and Disability Services office need to learn that they cannot pull these things off with me anymore. I have seriously thought about not fighting this battle, but I have had three issues in six months. If I do not speak up beyond informal meetings, what will they try next. Two of the three incidents I mentioned in my previous message directly involved Disability Services, and I spoke with the people involved after each incident. I feel like I have gotten as far as I can with informal meetings. > > Today, I met with the Dean of Students (who handles the Disability Grievance Procedure) to discuss filing a formal grievance. I came prepared, knowing that my goal was not to intimidate or attack but to hopefully inspire a change in policies that would improve the experience for all students. I told the dean that I thought the procedure should be adapted so that they are required to discuss any issues with the student and the Disability office before they put in a request for a student to change classes. I said all of this, and the Dean of Students did not disagree with what I said, but I felt she sided more with the Disability Services office and the English department even though she is supposed to be neutral according to the grievance procedures. The Dean of Students requested I meet with the Dean of the Humanities school after our meeting. The Dean of the Humanities school is over the English and Child Development classes. I agreed to the meeting, as the first step of the grievance procedure is to resolve things informally, and I had not met with anyone involved with the request. I want to make a good-faith effort to resolve things informally if at all possible, regardless of my personal opinions. The Dean of Students also said that sometimes the dean over a certain department will meet with department heads and professors to make sure that students are in the most appropriate section of a class to meet their needs. I accepted this, but still expressed that it could have been handled in a manner that respected my input as a student. She did not admit that I was discriminated against, but I knew enough not to expect her to admit it. > > After I met with the Dean of Students, I met with the Dean of the Humanities school. She admitted that the professor I originally selected felt overwhelmed with the idea of providing descriptions of visual materials with only a few weeks notice. This is despite the fact that I sent her an email on November 2nd. The professor that was recommended to me by the English department does not teach every semester and has a lot of experience making materials accessible. I said that if they had framed it in that way from the beginning, I would not have a problem. She admitted that the lack of direct communication with me as the student is part of the problem, and said she wants to improve the process so this does not happen again. She also recommended I take the next required English class with the professor I originally chose, and that with a whole semester to prepare the professor would be ready to provide descriptions. I am prepared to refuse the suggestion, because the professor clearly did not want me in her class and they are simply offering this to appease me. > > Besides what I mentioned above, there were two things that annoyed me about my conversation with the Dean of the Humanities School. For one thing, she said I was never denied entrance into the professor’s class even though that is how it was portrayed to me. She also tried to invalidate my feelings by saying that she is not a lawyer and does not know whether or not it is discrimination, but wanted to focus on how I felt. She was silent when I told her that I felt discriminated against. I knew that they may try to do this, but it still was frustrating. > > While I think the meeting was a small success in some ways, I am still not satisfied. I did not file the grievance yet as the Dean of Students wanted me to have these meetings as part of the informal grievance process. However, I am going to proceed with the formal process as soon as possible. The grievance procedure primarily puts the burden of action back on Disability Services (where I feel part of the problem is), but I am hoping that at least this will show them that they cannot do this to me anymore. I appreciate all the advice, and am considering each idea carefully. > > Happy holidays, > Mikayla > >> On Dec 13, 2019, at 12:31 AM, nmpbrat at aol.com wrote: >> >> Mikayla, >> I'm sorry to hear about your experiences in college. I can certainly appreciate and understand your feelings and frustrations, as I have dealt with discrimination both at the college level and employment level. To be candid, in college, my discrimination experience was solely with one professor and after many sleepless nights, I made the decision not to take it to the formal level. In my employment situation, on the other hand, I spent the past 5 years fighting it in the legal system. >> I have some thoughts and things you may want to consider and think about in each of the situations but please understand, I am in no way trying to minimize or diminish what you have been through. I also know though, that fighting battles such as these aren't as simple as you might think or as clear cut as you might think, even with the ADA "on your side". >> >> First, if you decide you want to go through with the formal grievance process, you will want to go into the process knowing exactly what you want. Now, let me explain what I mean by that. Yes, they'll want to know your concerns about what has happened in the past to bring you to this point, although they likely will probably have a pretty good idea. But, simply telling them what you don't want is not going to be good enough. You need to be able to articulate exactly what you do want. In other words, what does that look like? For example, in the case of the Child Development class...simply telling them that you don't want to be excluded from it isn't going to be enough. You will need to come in prepared with possible remedies or solutions to the problem. So, if it were me, I would tell them that to fix the problem, they need to assign you to a different child development center and one in which does not allow access to food all day long. Honestly though, i don't know why the regulations apply to you as a student observer...they really only should apply to the employees themselves. Then, they need to provide you with a sighted assistant (like someone would have if they were taking a science class with labs) who can describe to you what they see. So, instead of asking the students questions (if the professor feels that it is inappropriate at this stage), you can then ask the necessary questions to your sighted assistant during your observations. I would go on to explain though, that if you would pursue child development, that you would handle things in such a way that communication with the kids would be essential. As a side note, I am a public school teacher for the past 18 years, so I had my share of observations to do as well. So in other words, they will need to mold the child development program to fit your needs and provide accommodations as necessary, such as the sighted assistant, to meet the requirements. In the case of the observations, even with a sighted assistant, you will still need to know the right questions to ask that person in order to get the necessary information you are required to get. The child development center they have chosen can't possibly be the only one in the area, so they need to step out of their comfort zone and find an alternative....but understand that if you don't go in asking for it, they aren't going to likely offer something like this up to you. Ultimately, there are ways to work around the requirements of the program, it just might take a little thinking outside the box. If your college happens to have faculty who teach courses specifically about special education, disability studies, etc....you can always suggest that if your professor in the child development program feels more comfortable talking with colleagues, that they may get some ideas from their fellow colleagues as well on how to make things work. >> >> As to the professor who decided they didn't want you in your class. Yes, that is absolutely discriminatory and ridiculous. With that said, you probably made the best decision possible by taking the class with the other instructor. Forcing the situation, would likely have only made things hard on you. It would have punished you more than them. Again, if you choose to address this in your grievance, you need to not simply go in saying that the professor shouldn't be allowed to do it in the future. Ask for more concrete specific measures for them to correct. Be proactive. Ask them about changing their protocols and procedures. For example, maybe the professor must meet with the student and disability services representative to discuss the situation before they can make the request to not have the student in their class. Maybe you suggest that disability services provides training to professors about having students with disabilities and providing accommodations to them, as maybe this professor is simply not well educated enough and if they had better training, they would have a better attitude about it. As a side note, this "training" idea was actually something I used as part of the legal settlement with my employer. Again, don't just tell them what they didn't do. Sometimes, people actually need it spelled out for them what they actually need to do because they simply don't know. >> >> My final thought is this. When you take these types of things to a formal level, it changes the whole landscape of the situation and will possibly change how you are viewed and perceived by others, including those in the Disability Services Department....even if you are totally in the right. Just know that, right or wrong, it will likely change at least some individuals' views of you. Word will likely get out in the ranks of the professors, especially if you eventually pick a major and you will be known as the girl who "filed a formal grievance". I guess my point is this....just keep in mind that although the formal process could get you to a place where you get exactly what you need....there are always two sides to every sword. >> >> I wish you the best of luck in dealing with a very difficult situation but I'm confident you will find success in the end. >> Take care, >> Nicole >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L >> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list >> Cc: Mikayla Gephart >> Sent: Thu, Dec 12, 2019 12:42 pm >> Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college >> >> Hi all, >> >> I hope you are all doing well, and that your final exams are going well. As many of you know, I started my first year of college in August after nine months at the Colorado Center for the Blind. I have enjoyed my college experience, but the Disability Services office has been extremely frustrating. >> >> The week after I graduated from CCB in June, I had to attend a mandatory pre-orientation for college. Despite the fact that I had been corresponding with the Assistant Director for Disability Services since April and had sent in my documentation proving I was blind, they were not prepared for me at all. There were millions of print papers floating around that were not provided in an accessible format, and they required I do an online strengths test I had not been told about. I ended up having someone read everything to me so I could get everything out of the day, but I was upset. A few days after the reorientation, I met with the Assistant Director for my intake interview. She apologized and said she would never let this happen again. I believed her! >> >> After I received my schedule for the fall, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. During the week before classes started, I met with most of my professors. I am still undecided about my major and career goals, but I mentioned during the pre-orientation that I was considering majoring in Child Development. The Academic Advising team chooses schedules for all incoming freshmen based on our preferences as we mentioned on forms and at the pre-orientation, and they placed me in the introductory Child Development class. This class has a lab component at a local private preschool. The college I am attending is also a private, but they receive Financial Assistance funding from the government. When I met with my Child Development professor, I was told that the private school (where all students in this class fulfill their lab component) refused to allow me to complete my lab there. According to my professor, the school sited the North Carolina Division of Early Childhood Development and Education’s safety standards for supervision. She read out some of the standards, but I do not have a copy. From what my professor said, the standards say that staff in a school must be able to “see and hear” children eating. She said that the way the school is set up is that food is out during all times of the day, not just at lunch time. She also said that the school interprets this standard to mean that any adult in the class must be able to see and hear the students eating in case they choke. I feel like this in itself is wrong on so many levels! The fact that the state even has this standard is ridiculous, and the school’s interpretation is just as discriminatory. My professor also expressed some reservations about my ability to observe the students, even if the private school allowed me to observe in their school. She was pretty set on observation being a visual process, but was open to me reaching out to other teachers to find out how they handled it. I suggested I would gather information by interacting with the children, but she said that students observe and write down notes while off to the side so as not to interfere. We decided that I would take a General Education class during the fall, which would give us more time to figure out how to make Child Development work. I agreed, since it was so close to the start of the semester. I kept it together during the meeting, but I was devastated! However, I decided to let it go. I was still deciding on majors and careers anywhere, and it was four days before I was supposed to move in to the dorm and I wanted to keep focused on that. >> >> Most of my first semester of college went without a hitch. I was provided with all materials in an accessible format, and I enjoyed getting to know most of my instructors and fellow students. >> >> When it came time to register for classes on October 25th, I was extremely excited. I chose all of my classes carefully, thinking about how much time I would have in between classes and asking for recommendations of professors from other students. On November 2nd, I sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. I heard back from every professor except for my English professor. >> >> On November 25, I was told by the Disability Services office that the English department requested that I switch to another professor’s class. The English Department had 23 days from the time of receiving my introduction email to bring this up. Of course it was right in the middle of my finals. This could have been handled November 2 with a meeting including me of course. The reason given was that the professor I chose uses “visual materials”. I took Statistics this semester, and Statistics uses a lot of visual material. To me, this seemed like a thinly veiled excuse to keep me out of her class. I decided to switch to the professor they recommended because I do not want a professor who does not want me and because I found out that my new professor is great at making materials accessible. I am still upset! >> >> After I had some time to process the news, I sent a strong email to the Disability Services staff and the Dean of Students, even using the word discrimination. The Disability Services staff asked to meet with me last week, and I came prepared with strong but polite comments. Unfortunately, they did not seem to understand that this is discrimination. The Assistant Director came with several guesses, but never bothered to find out why the English department did not want me in this professor’s class. One of her guesses was that the Dean of the Humanities School, who made this request, thought the professor they recommended would be a better fit because of her experience making materials accessible, and that she does not think the Dean meant to discriminate because she is extremely student-centered. I did not feel like they understood how I feel about this. >> >> I feel like I need to speak up about this. I have had three issues so far. What’s next? I love the professors and students, and want to stay here. I have gotten them to follow the ADA requirements for railings and braille signs, so I am getting through somewhat. However, I am still not satisfied, so am going to file a formal grievance through the college’s grievance procedures. They need to start following the law, and I will not allow this to happen again to me or any other blind students. I go from sadness to anger to determination, and wish things did not have to exculpate this far. I would love to have positive and informal relationships with the Disability Services staff for the next three years, but I need to let them know I am serious. I have lost faith in informal conversations, so think a formal grievance is the next step. Any advice or encouragement will be appreciated. This is an extremely frustrating experience, but I will not back down. >> >> Mikayla >> _______________________________________________ >> 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/nmpbrat%40aol.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/nmpbrat%40aol.com From kaybaycar at gmail.com Tue Dec 17 14:46:07 2019 From: kaybaycar at gmail.com (Julie McGinnity) Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2019 09:46:07 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college In-Reply-To: <1E571407-721E-40EB-A292-025208513E65@aol.com> References: <1E571407-721E-40EB-A292-025208513E65@aol.com> Message-ID: Hi Mikayla, Nicole has some great advice here. Documenting everything will be the key to remaining secure in this kind of situation. It has been my experience that disability services offices sometimes bow down to the professors and allow them to dictate what they do: what kinds of accommodations a student can receive, what kind of placement a student gets for an internship, and even whether or not a professor allows a disabled student in their class. You're right that disability services staff should be on your side, but unfortunately, this is not always the reality. I think the thing that bothers me the most in this situation is the child development piece. They keep snacks out for the kids to eat throughout the day, so they need for every adult to be able to see and hear the students eating. This is discrimination, nothing more, nothing less. Requiring that vision or hearing be essential for the performance of a job where those things don't have to be... That's not legal. And to be quite honest, functioning ears and eyes aren't infallible. Fully sighted and hearing people get distracted and don't pay attention to their senses a good deal of the time. I wish I knew how to argue that case though because obviously if the center is still keeping snacks out, they wouldn't see it that way. If you pursue the child development course, don't let these excuses scare you. It might be more benefitial though to find a classroom or child development center where you can engage with the children rather than simply observing, since this will be more useful for you as a blind person. You'll have to engage directly as a teacher or social worker or in any field that involves interacting with children. Simply observing won't generally work for you, and getting a sighted assistant won't really prepare you for that. Good luck with your formal grievance process. You are brave, and you are going down a path many of us wished we had in college. Julie On 12/17/19, Nicole Poston via NABS-L wrote: > Mikayla, > One other piece of advice. As you go into the formal process, you will want > to protect yourself and your rights by either A) having a witness attend any > meetings you have with them, B) recording the meetings but doing so with > their knowledge because it is my understanding that recording others without > their knowledge is not always admissible in court, or C) send a detailed > follow-up email to whomever you met with summarizing all the important > things you discussed with them and ending it with something like “Does this > accurately reflect our conversation?” They will likely not respond but them > not responding basically shows acceptance of what you wrote. Plus by > putting it in writing, it makes it public record. In fact, I might even use > this technique even if you do A or B. > Just a suggestion. > Nicole > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Dec 16, 2019, at 10:41 PM, Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L >> wrote: >> >> Good evening Federation family, >> >> First of all, I would like to thank Nicole and Emily for responding to >> my message. I would also like to thank the rest of you for helping me >> learn that it is okay to advocate for myself, and that I can “live the >> life I want”. I am writing to update everyone on the latest developments, >> but want to respond to one of the messages I received. I am still open to >> any and all thoughts. >> >> Nicole, your message was extremely informative. While the grievance >> will only concern the incident with the English class due to the timeline, >> I am keeping what you said about the Child Development class in mind for >> the future. I am in complete agreement that the standards for Child >> Development should only be required for staff, but this school the college >> partners with requires these standards of observing students as well. This >> particular school also encourages parents to volunteer in the classroom, >> so I am guessing this would exclude blind parents. It is that whole issue >> of children being taken from their blind parents, but in a new form. I >> also agree that fighting these issues is not as simple as I would hope. To >> be honest, I have thought about how the Disability Services staff would >> perceive me, and that’s the only thing that scares me about filing the >> grievance. However, I feel like I am left with no choice. I love the >> students and professors, but the administration and Disability Services >> office need to learn that they cannot pull these things off with me >> anymore. I have seriously thought about not fighting this battle, but I >> have had three issues in six months. If I do not speak up beyond informal >> meetings, what will they try next. Two of the three incidents I mentioned >> in my previous message directly involved Disability Services, and I spoke >> with the people involved after each incident. I feel like I have gotten as >> far as I can with informal meetings. >> >> Today, I met with the Dean of Students (who handles the Disability >> Grievance Procedure) to discuss filing a formal grievance. I came >> prepared, knowing that my goal was not to intimidate or attack but to >> hopefully inspire a change in policies that would improve the experience >> for all students. I told the dean that I thought the procedure should be >> adapted so that they are required to discuss any issues with the student >> and the Disability office before they put in a request for a student to >> change classes. I said all of this, and the Dean of Students did not >> disagree with what I said, but I felt she sided more with the Disability >> Services office and the English department even though she is supposed to >> be neutral according to the grievance procedures. The Dean of Students >> requested I meet with the Dean of the Humanities school after our meeting. >> The Dean of the Humanities school is over the English and Child >> Development classes. I agreed to the meeting, as the first step of the >> grievance procedure is to resolve things informally, and I had not met >> with anyone involved with the request. I want to make a good-faith effort >> to resolve things informally if at all possible, regardless of my personal >> opinions. The Dean of Students also said that sometimes the dean over a >> certain department will meet with department heads and professors to make >> sure that students are in the most appropriate section of a class to meet >> their needs. I accepted this, but still expressed that it could have been >> handled in a manner that respected my input as a student. She did not >> admit that I was discriminated against, but I knew enough not to expect >> her to admit it. >> >> After I met with the Dean of Students, I met with the Dean of the >> Humanities school. She admitted that the professor I originally selected >> felt overwhelmed with the idea of providing descriptions of visual >> materials with only a few weeks notice. This is despite the fact that I >> sent her an email on November 2nd. The professor that was recommended to >> me by the English department does not teach every semester and has a lot >> of experience making materials accessible. I said that if they had framed >> it in that way from the beginning, I would not have a problem. She >> admitted that the lack of direct communication with me as the student is >> part of the problem, and said she wants to improve the process so this >> does not happen again. She also recommended I take the next required >> English class with the professor I originally chose, and that with a whole >> semester to prepare the professor would be ready to provide descriptions. >> I am prepared to refuse the suggestion, because the professor clearly did >> not want me in her class and they are simply offering this to appease me. >> >> Besides what I mentioned above, there were two things that annoyed me >> about my conversation with the Dean of the Humanities School. For one >> thing, she said I was never denied entrance into the professor’s class >> even though that is how it was portrayed to me. She also tried to >> invalidate my feelings by saying that she is not a lawyer and does not >> know whether or not it is discrimination, but wanted to focus on how I >> felt. She was silent when I told her that I felt discriminated against. I >> knew that they may try to do this, but it still was frustrating. >> >> While I think the meeting was a small success in some ways, I am still >> not satisfied. I did not file the grievance yet as the Dean of Students >> wanted me to have these meetings as part of the informal grievance >> process. However, I am going to proceed with the formal process as soon as >> possible. The grievance procedure primarily puts the burden of action back >> on Disability Services (where I feel part of the problem is), but I am >> hoping that at least this will show them that they cannot do this to me >> anymore. I appreciate all the advice, and am considering each idea >> carefully. >> >> Happy holidays, >> Mikayla >> >>> On Dec 13, 2019, at 12:31 AM, nmpbrat at aol.com wrote: >>> >>> Mikayla, >>> I'm sorry to hear about your experiences in college. I can certainly >>> appreciate and understand your feelings and frustrations, as I have dealt >>> with discrimination both at the college level and employment level. To >>> be candid, in college, my discrimination experience was solely with one >>> professor and after many sleepless nights, I made the decision not to >>> take it to the formal level. In my employment situation, on the other >>> hand, I spent the past 5 years fighting it in the legal system. >>> I have some thoughts and things you may want to consider and think about >>> in each of the situations but please understand, I am in no way trying to >>> minimize or diminish what you have been through. I also know though, >>> that fighting battles such as these aren't as simple as you might think >>> or as clear cut as you might think, even with the ADA "on your side". >>> >>> First, if you decide you want to go through with the formal grievance >>> process, you will want to go into the process knowing exactly what you >>> want. Now, let me explain what I mean by that. Yes, they'll want to >>> know your concerns about what has happened in the past to bring you to >>> this point, although they likely will probably have a pretty good idea. >>> But, simply telling them what you don't want is not going to be good >>> enough. You need to be able to articulate exactly what you do want. In >>> other words, what does that look like? For example, in the case of the >>> Child Development class...simply telling them that you don't want to be >>> excluded from it isn't going to be enough. You will need to come in >>> prepared with possible remedies or solutions to the problem. So, if it >>> were me, I would tell them that to fix the problem, they need to assign >>> you to a different child development center and one in which does not >>> allow access to food all day long. Honestly though, i don't know why the >>> regulations apply to you as a student observer...they really only should >>> apply to the employees themselves. Then, they need to provide you with a >>> sighted assistant (like someone would have if they were taking a science >>> class with labs) who can describe to you what they see. So, instead of >>> asking the students questions (if the professor feels that it is >>> inappropriate at this stage), you can then ask the necessary questions to >>> your sighted assistant during your observations. I would go on to >>> explain though, that if you would pursue child development, that you >>> would handle things in such a way that communication with the kids would >>> be essential. As a side note, I am a public school teacher for the past >>> 18 years, so I had my share of observations to do as well. So in other >>> words, they will need to mold the child development program to fit your >>> needs and provide accommodations as necessary, such as the sighted >>> assistant, to meet the requirements. In the case of the observations, >>> even with a sighted assistant, you will still need to know the right >>> questions to ask that person in order to get the necessary information >>> you are required to get. The child development center they have chosen >>> can't possibly be the only one in the area, so they need to step out of >>> their comfort zone and find an alternative....but understand that if you >>> don't go in asking for it, they aren't going to likely offer something >>> like this up to you. Ultimately, there are ways to work around the >>> requirements of the program, it just might take a little thinking outside >>> the box. If your college happens to have faculty who teach courses >>> specifically about special education, disability studies, etc....you can >>> always suggest that if your professor in the child development program >>> feels more comfortable talking with colleagues, that they may get some >>> ideas from their fellow colleagues as well on how to make things work. >>> >>> As to the professor who decided they didn't want you in your class. Yes, >>> that is absolutely discriminatory and ridiculous. With that said, you >>> probably made the best decision possible by taking the class with the >>> other instructor. Forcing the situation, would likely have only made >>> things hard on you. It would have punished you more than them. Again, >>> if you choose to address this in your grievance, you need to not simply >>> go in saying that the professor shouldn't be allowed to do it in the >>> future. Ask for more concrete specific measures for them to correct. Be >>> proactive. Ask them about changing their protocols and procedures. For >>> example, maybe the professor must meet with the student and disability >>> services representative to discuss the situation before they can make the >>> request to not have the student in their class. Maybe you suggest that >>> disability services provides training to professors about having students >>> with disabilities and providing accommodations to them, as maybe this >>> professor is simply not well educated enough and if they had better >>> training, they would have a better attitude about it. As a side note, >>> this "training" idea was actually something I used as part of the legal >>> settlement with my employer. Again, don't just tell them what they >>> didn't do. Sometimes, people actually need it spelled out for them what >>> they actually need to do because they simply don't know. >>> >>> My final thought is this. When you take these types of things to a >>> formal level, it changes the whole landscape of the situation and will >>> possibly change how you are viewed and perceived by others, including >>> those in the Disability Services Department....even if you are totally in >>> the right. Just know that, right or wrong, it will likely change at >>> least some individuals' views of you. Word will likely get out in the >>> ranks of the professors, especially if you eventually pick a major and >>> you will be known as the girl who "filed a formal grievance". I guess my >>> point is this....just keep in mind that although the formal process could >>> get you to a place where you get exactly what you need....there are >>> always two sides to every sword. >>> >>> I wish you the best of luck in dealing with a very difficult situation >>> but I'm confident you will find success in the end. >>> Take care, >>> Nicole >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L >>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list >>> >>> Cc: Mikayla Gephart >>> Sent: Thu, Dec 12, 2019 12:42 pm >>> Subject: [NABS-L] Discrimination in college >>> >>> Hi all, >>> >>> I hope you are all doing well, and that your final exams are going >>> well. As many of you know, I started my first year of college in August >>> after nine months at the Colorado Center for the Blind. I have enjoyed my >>> college experience, but the Disability Services office has been extremely >>> frustrating. >>> >>> The week after I graduated from CCB in June, I had to attend a >>> mandatory pre-orientation for college. Despite the fact that I had been >>> corresponding with the Assistant Director for Disability Services since >>> April and had sent in my documentation proving I was blind, they were not >>> prepared for me at all. There were millions of print papers floating >>> around that were not provided in an accessible format, and they required >>> I do an online strengths test I had not been told about. I ended up >>> having someone read everything to me so I could get everything out of the >>> day, but I was upset. A few days after the reorientation, I met with the >>> Assistant Director for my intake interview. She apologized and said she >>> would never let this happen again. I believed her! >>> >>> After I received my schedule for the fall, I sent an email to all my >>> professors introducing myself. During the week before classes started, I >>> met with most of my professors. I am still undecided about my major and >>> career goals, but I mentioned during the pre-orientation that I was >>> considering majoring in Child Development. The Academic Advising team >>> chooses schedules for all incoming freshmen based on our preferences as >>> we mentioned on forms and at the pre-orientation, and they placed me in >>> the introductory Child Development class. This class has a lab component >>> at a local private preschool. The college I am attending is also a >>> private, but they receive Financial Assistance funding from the >>> government. When I met with my Child Development professor, I was told >>> that the private school (where all students in this class fulfill their >>> lab component) refused to allow me to complete my lab there. According to >>> my professor, the school sited the North Carolina Division of Early >>> Childhood Development and Education’s safety standards for supervision. >>> She read out some of the standards, but I do not have a copy. From what >>> my professor said, the standards say that staff in a school must be able >>> to “see and hear” children eating. She said that the way the school is >>> set up is that food is out during all times of the day, not just at lunch >>> time. She also said that the school interprets this standard to mean that >>> any adult in the class must be able to see and hear the students eating >>> in case they choke. I feel like this in itself is wrong on so many >>> levels! The fact that the state even has this standard is ridiculous, and >>> the school’s interpretation is just as discriminatory. My professor also >>> expressed some reservations about my ability to observe the students, >>> even if the private school allowed me to observe in their school. She was >>> pretty set on observation being a visual process, but was open to me >>> reaching out to other teachers to find out how they handled it. I >>> suggested I would gather information by interacting with the children, >>> but she said that students observe and write down notes while off to the >>> side so as not to interfere. We decided that I would take a General >>> Education class during the fall, which would give us more time to figure >>> out how to make Child Development work. I agreed, since it was so close >>> to the start of the semester. I kept it together during the meeting, but >>> I was devastated! However, I decided to let it go. I was still deciding >>> on majors and careers anywhere, and it was four days before I was >>> supposed to move in to the dorm and I wanted to keep focused on that. >>> >>> Most of my first semester of college went without a hitch. I was >>> provided with all materials in an accessible format, and I enjoyed >>> getting to know most of my instructors and fellow students. >>> >>> When it came time to register for classes on October 25th, I was >>> extremely excited. I chose all of my classes carefully, thinking about >>> how much time I would have in between classes and asking for >>> recommendations of professors from other students. On November 2nd, I >>> sent an email to all my professors introducing myself. I heard back from >>> every professor except for my English professor. >>> >>> On November 25, I was told by the Disability Services office that the >>> English department requested that I switch to another professor’s class. >>> The English Department had 23 days from the time of receiving my >>> introduction email to bring this up. Of course it was right in the middle >>> of my finals. This could have been handled November 2 with a meeting >>> including me of course. The reason given was that the professor I chose >>> uses “visual materials”. I took Statistics this semester, and Statistics >>> uses a lot of visual material. To me, this seemed like a thinly veiled >>> excuse to keep me out of her class. I decided to switch to the professor >>> they recommended because I do not want a professor who does not want me >>> and because I found out that my new professor is great at making >>> materials accessible. I am still upset! >>> >>> After I had some time to process the news, I sent a strong email to >>> the Disability Services staff and the Dean of Students, even using the >>> word discrimination. The Disability Services staff asked to meet with me >>> last week, and I came prepared with strong but polite comments. >>> Unfortunately, they did not seem to understand that this is >>> discrimination. The Assistant Director came with several guesses, but >>> never bothered to find out why the English department did not want me in >>> this professor’s class. One of her guesses was that the Dean of the >>> Humanities School, who made this request, thought the professor they >>> recommended would be a better fit because of her experience making >>> materials accessible, and that she does not think the Dean meant to >>> discriminate because she is extremely student-centered. I did not feel >>> like they understood how I feel about this. >>> >>> I feel like I need to speak up about this. I have had three issues so >>> far. What’s next? I love the professors and students, and want to stay >>> here. I have gotten them to follow the ADA requirements for railings and >>> braille signs, so I am getting through somewhat. However, I am still not >>> satisfied, so am going to file a formal grievance through the college’s >>> grievance procedures. They need to start following the law, and I will >>> not allow this to happen again to me or any other blind students. I go >>> from sadness to anger to determination, and wish things did not have to >>> exculpate this far. I would love to have positive and informal >>> relationships with the Disability Services staff for the next three >>> years, but I need to let them know I am serious. I have lost faith in >>> informal conversations, so think a formal grievance is the next step. Any >>> advice or encouragement will be appreciated. This is an extremely >>> frustrating experience, but I will not back down. >>> >>> Mikayla >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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/nmpbrat%40aol.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/nmpbrat%40aol.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/kaybaycar%40gmail.com > -- Julie A. McGinnity MM Vocal Performance, 2015; President, National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division From theglobe.195 at gmail.com Fri Dec 20 10:52:38 2019 From: theglobe.195 at gmail.com (David Dunphy) Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2019 05:52:38 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Help A Child's Wish To Come True And Win Prizes With The 195 The Globe Make A Wish Holiday Fund Raiser Message-ID: Hello Everyone! Please consider forwarding this message and/or sharing if this doesn't interest you, as it might matter to someone else, and it's a radio broadcast to promote a fund raiser to help children during the holidays! Please join me on Saturday December 21 2019 starting at midnight eastern (that's still Friday night at 11 PM central, 10 PM mountain, 9 PM pacific) for the 195 The Globe 24 Hour Radiothon to raise money for The Make A Wish Foundation. Make A Wish is a charity that grants wishes to, in many cases, terminally ill children and their families. Whether it's meeting a celebrity, going on a disney cruise, or even being a super hero... Nothing is too complicated for this charity to support, and because my mother loved children when she was alive, I run this event in her name every year. During our 24 hour broadcast, you'll hear clips of the various wishes Make A Wish has granted for children and their families. We have prizes available to those who donate, and a great 24 hour radio event that I think you will enjoy, starting at midnight eastern, and going all day Saturday! >From our traditional Christmas content, to some games and more, something is bound to keep you glued to our station on and off throughout the day. And our blend of regular tunes, holiday classics, requests, and the Djd Invasion holiday party at the end where we draw the prizes, will keep you hanging on. Coffie and caffeine are strongly recommended if you plan to be there for all 24 hours. 1. First off, if you'd like to donate until the end of our radiothon on Sunday morning, plus see what prizes we have available, visit http://www.195theglobe.com/campaigns/wish19 Will you be the lucky winner of our amazon smart oven prize? 2. To listen, do one of the following: 1. Ask your alexa or google devices to play 195 The Globe on Tunein any time during the Saturday day. 2. grab the Tunein app for your phone and search for 195 The Globe 3. Listen to us from the Tunein web site at https://tunein.com/radio/195-The-Globe-s301484/ 4. For all available listening options, go to http://www.195theglobe.com/listen or 5. Put the following into your favorite media player if all else fails: http://listen.195theglobe.com:8010/music To get in touch with me during the show, you can do so By email at theglobe.195 at gmail.com By phone at 408 638 0968 and entering in ID 4562366247 Via zoom at either https://zoom.us/j/4562366247 or http://www.195theglobe.com/zoom or send in any song requests you have all throughout our 24 hour Saturday show at http://www.195theglobe.com/dunphy Please spread the word about this event, so we can help to bring holiday cheer to those in need and help to make a child's wish come true. It might be the last bit of fun they have. Merry Christmas and happy new year to all! Enjoy our radiothon broadcast! >From David Dunphy From armando.l.vias at gmail.com Fri Dec 20 20:49:09 2019 From: armando.l.vias at gmail.com (Armando Vias) Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2019 15:49:09 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] =?utf-8?q?UNACCEPTABLE!_Ross_Employees_Refuses_To_Help_?= =?utf-8?q?Blind_Man_Shop_Because_Of_=E2=80=9CPolicy=E2=80=9D_=7C_The_Blin?= =?utf-8?q?d_Advocate?= Message-ID: <7223C454-A2EE-4122-AEC8-7CD277B8C19E@gmail.com> https://theblindadvocate.com/news/ross-store-employees-refuses-to-help-blind-man-shop/ From mrnicopetrillo at gmail.com Tue Dec 24 02:26:42 2019 From: mrnicopetrillo at gmail.com (Nico Petrillo) Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2019 21:26:42 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Capital Karaoke Message-ID: <7316A02E-FB6A-425A-B836-26A194D4624C@gmail.com> Hey fam, It’s ya boi Nick, and have I got news for you! Washington Seminar is fast approaching, and I know we are all studying up to kick some butt in our legislative appointments. All work and no play makes jack a dull boy though, so NABS is bringing you CAPITAL KAROKE. Monday February 10th come chill with me and the rest of the student gang from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM. But wait there’s more! Reply to this email with YOUR favorite songs, and will add them. To the nights song catalog. Keep it clean though; I’m looking at you LCB. Happy holidays, and hope to see you all there, OR ELSE :) Nick Petrillo VABS|President 703-346-9981 From manhouyin at gmail.com Tue Dec 24 18:01:42 2019 From: manhouyin at gmail.com (Haoran Wen) Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2019 13:01:42 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] NJ Commission For The Blind Message-ID: Hello, I am thinking of perhaps switching my case to NJ commission as I am attending college in NJ. I have some question about NJ commision so I am wondering if there is anyone on the list that is with NJ commission for the blind that I might be able to connect with. Thanks and happy holidays! Haoran From mikgephart at icloud.com Fri Dec 27 22:42:18 2019 From: mikgephart at icloud.com (Mikayla Gephart) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2019 17:42:18 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] National scholarship and undecided about major Message-ID: <7BFA4BFE-9044-43D4-B774-F739F089728F@icloud.com> Hi all, I hope you are having a restful break from school and a happy holiday. I am working on my application for the national scholarship, which will be the first major scholarship I have applied to receive. However, I am still undecided about my major and career goals. I went to college planning on majoring in Child Development and becoming a teacher, but am now changing course. I am a little nervous, because when I read about the scholarship winners in the Braille Monitor, they all seem to know their major or career goals. Would it look better if I share the major and career goal I am strongly considering now, or write undecided and list all the majors and career goals I am currently considering. Also, has anyone on here gotten a scholarship after putting “undecided” on their essay? One of the most frustrating thing so far in college has been that most freshmen seem to know exactly what they are planning on studying. I am just afraid that the committee will read my list of possible majors and the word “undecided”, and have concerns about giving me the scholarship. Thank you for any help. Mikayla From leadershipjba at gmail.com Fri Dec 27 22:52:58 2019 From: leadershipjba at gmail.com (JASON ALAMILLO) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2019 14:52:58 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] National scholarship and undecided about major In-Reply-To: <7BFA4BFE-9044-43D4-B774-F739F089728F@icloud.com> References: <7BFA4BFE-9044-43D4-B774-F739F089728F@icloud.com> Message-ID: I am not sure about the scholarship, I have not gotten one so I probably wouldn’t be the best one to give you that answer. But, take your time deciding what you want to do, I have known people in my classes that have switched majors five or six times or even two or three times, it’s fine, you just need to take your time and find out what you really want to do. Just a bit of advice for you. On Fri, Dec 27, 2019 at 2:44 PM Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L < nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote: > Hi all, > > I hope you are having a restful break from school and a happy > holiday. > > I am working on my application for the national scholarship, which > will be the first major scholarship I have applied to receive. However, I > am still undecided about my major and career goals. I went to college > planning on majoring in Child Development and becoming a teacher, but am > now changing course. I am a little nervous, because when I read about the > scholarship winners in the Braille Monitor, they all seem to know their > major or career goals. Would it look better if I share the major and career > goal I am strongly considering now, or write undecided and list all the > majors and career goals I am currently considering. Also, has anyone on > here gotten a scholarship after putting “undecided” on their essay? One of > the most frustrating thing so far in college has been that most freshmen > seem to know exactly what they are planning on studying. I am just afraid > that the committee will read my list of possible majors and the word > “undecided”, and have concerns about giving me the scholarship. Thank you > for any help. > > Mikayla > _______________________________________________ > 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/leadershipjba%40gmail.com > From trishak.nfb at gmail.com Fri Dec 27 23:10:40 2019 From: trishak.nfb at gmail.com (trishak.nfb at gmail.com) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2019 18:10:40 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] National scholarship and undecided about major In-Reply-To: References: <7BFA4BFE-9044-43D4-B774-F739F089728F@icloud.com> Message-ID: <000201d5bd0a$dbe94c40$93bbe4c0$@gmail.com> Hi Mikayla, So happy to hear you are applying to the national scholarship program! I was a finalist the summer after I graduated high school and had similar concerns about putting a major down that I was not 100% sold on. That being said, the committee is very understanding that career interests and goals change a lot throughout the course of college. If you are worried about saying that you are undecided, I would say to put the most promising choice you have right now. There will be no consequences if that changes in the future. That being said, it is equally viable to put your top couple choices. I would not recommend simply saying that you are undecided though without any other context as the committee is mostly trying to get a sense of who you are as a person. Hope this helps and good luck! All the Best, Trisha Kulkarni Board Member | National Association of Blind Students A Proud Division of the National Federation of the Blind Trishak.nfb at gmail.com www.nabslink.org -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of JASON ALAMILLO via NABS-L Sent: Friday, December 27, 2019 5:53 PM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: JASON ALAMILLO Subject: Re: [NABS-L] National scholarship and undecided about major I am not sure about the scholarship, I have not gotten one so I probably wouldn’t be the best one to give you that answer. But, take your time deciding what you want to do, I have known people in my classes that have switched majors five or six times or even two or three times, it’s fine, you just need to take your time and find out what you really want to do. Just a bit of advice for you. On Fri, Dec 27, 2019 at 2:44 PM Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L < nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote: > Hi all, > > I hope you are having a restful break from school and a happy > holiday. > > I am working on my application for the national scholarship, > which will be the first major scholarship I have applied to receive. > However, I am still undecided about my major and career goals. I went > to college planning on majoring in Child Development and becoming a > teacher, but am now changing course. I am a little nervous, because > when I read about the scholarship winners in the Braille Monitor, they > all seem to know their major or career goals. Would it look better if > I share the major and career goal I am strongly considering now, or > write undecided and list all the majors and career goals I am > currently considering. Also, has anyone on here gotten a scholarship > after putting “undecided” on their essay? One of the most frustrating > thing so far in college has been that most freshmen seem to know > exactly what they are planning on studying. I am just afraid that the > committee will read my list of possible majors and the word > “undecided”, and have concerns about giving me the scholarship. Thank you for any help. > > Mikayla > _______________________________________________ > 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/leadershipjba%40gm > ail.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/trishak.nfb%40gmail.com From johnawright98 at gmail.com Fri Dec 27 23:16:20 2019 From: johnawright98 at gmail.com (Johna Wright) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2019 18:16:20 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] National scholarship and undecided about major In-Reply-To: <7BFA4BFE-9044-43D4-B774-F739F089728F@icloud.com> References: <7BFA4BFE-9044-43D4-B774-F739F089728F@icloud.com> Message-ID: <889D6F45-5BA7-4906-BF2E-C0A02C752BA8@gmail.com> Hey Mikayla! I was a national scholarship winner in 2016 and there were a couple of people in my class who were undecided about their majors. I think what they did was listed the major as “undecided”, and focused on the one or two career goals they were most strongly considering. In their essays, they talked about how the college experience would help them flesh out their plans as they get involved in different areas and explore different paths. The committee members aren’t as concerned about your major as your involvement and leadership potential. Also, please don’t feel discouraged about not knowing what you want to do with your life yet. I am a senior in college and have changed my major/concentration multiple times (education to pre-med to pre-law to psychology) and I just got into a grad program that has absolutely nothing to do with any of that stuff (international affairs)! That’s the super cool part about college — you can explore courses and careers you didn’t even know existed or that you thought you hated. I would definitely not let an undecided major deter you from applying for the scholarship at all, because from my experience you’ll have just as good of a chance of receiving it. Good luck with everything and always feel free to reach out to me if you need anything! Cheers, Johna Wright Board Member | National Association of Blind Students A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind johnawright98 at gmail.com (706) 962-2613 www.nabslink.org > On Dec 27, 2019, at 17:43, Mikayla Gephart via NABS-L wrote: > > Hi all, > > I hope you are having a restful break from school and a happy holiday. > > I am working on my application for the national scholarship, which will be the first major scholarship I have applied to receive. However, I am still undecided about my major and career goals. I went to college planning on majoring in Child Development and becoming a teacher, but am now changing course. I am a little nervous, because when I read about the scholarship winners in the Braille Monitor, they all seem to know their major or career goals. Would it look better if I share the major and career goal I am strongly considering now, or write undecided and list all the majors and career goals I am currently considering. Also, has anyone on here gotten a scholarship after putting “undecided” on their essay? One of the most frustrating thing so far in college has been that most freshmen seem to know exactly what they are planning on studying. I am just afraid that the committee will read my list of possible majors and the word “undecided”, and have concerns about giving me the scholarship. Thank you for any help. > > Mikayla > _______________________________________________ > 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/johnawright98%40gmail.com From jordanmirander at icloud.com Sun Dec 29 15:46:09 2019 From: jordanmirander at icloud.com (Jordan Mirander) Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2019 07:46:09 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] NABS-L Digest, Vol 158, Issue 16 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I like it by cardi b Jordan Mirander "The best minute I spend is the one I invest in people" -The One Minute Manager > On Dec 24, 2019, at 4:01 AM, nabs-l-request at nfbnet.org wrote: > > Send NABS-L mailing list submissions to > nabs-l at nfbnet.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > nabs-l-request at nfbnet.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > nabs-l-owner at nfbnet.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of NABS-L digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Capital Karaoke (Nico Petrillo) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2019 21:26:42 -0500 > From: Nico Petrillo > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Subject: [NABS-L] Capital Karaoke > Message-ID: <7316A02E-FB6A-425A-B836-26A194D4624C at gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > > Hey fam, > It?s ya boi Nick, and have I got news for you! Washington Seminar is fast approaching, and I know we are all studying up to kick some butt in our legislative appointments. All work and no play makes jack a dull boy though, so NABS is bringing you CAPITAL KAROKE. Monday February 10th come chill with me and the rest of the student gang from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM. But wait there?s more! Reply to this email with YOUR favorite songs, and will add them. To the nights song catalog. Keep it clean though; I?m looking at you LCB. Happy holidays, and hope to see you all there, > OR ELSE :) > > Nick Petrillo > VABS|President > 703-346-9981 > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > > > ------------------------------ > > End of NABS-L Digest, Vol 158, Issue 16 > *************************************** From martinbecerramiranda at yahoo.com Tue Dec 31 00:20:00 2019 From: martinbecerramiranda at yahoo.com (Martin Becerra-Miranda) Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2019 17:20:00 -0700 Subject: [NABS-L] CABS 2020 Football Playoffs Survivor Pool References: <1E2D8ECD-3FD9-4324-AC56-27F297C6E6A8@yahoo.com> Message-ID: <844DFF55-6DDA-416B-A067-2FAA187AC977@yahoo.com> After Sunday nights thriller in Seattle, the top 12 teams are set for another crazy Super Bowl run. Once again the Colorado Association of Blind Students will be holding ouR playoff survivor pool. We all know the games are a lot of fun but why not make it even more so by putting up a little bit of cash. Oh yeah… And help out the student association while you’re at it. The games begin this Saturday, January 4 aT 2:35 PM MST.Please see the rules below and feel free to get a hold of me with any questions. Thank you, Martin Becerra-Miranda 303-944-6861 Payment: Cost is $20 to join Payment must be received by January 4, 2020 or you will be unable to participate Three methods for making payment are: Mail check payable to Colorado Association of Blind Students Email cabs.students at gmail.com to receive current CABS treasurer mailing info. Cash in person to any CABS board member Send payment via Venmo to Carina (Board Member) @corozco31 Rules: Select one NFL team per week to win their game You can only pick the same team once with the exception of the NFC championship game, AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl in which even if you have already previously picked a team you may pick that team again. If your team doesn’t win their game you will be knocked out. We are not counting the Pro-Bowl as a part of the post season, thus participants need not pick this game. Picks should be emailed to Martin Becerra-Miranda at mbecerra at cocenter.org by the kick off of the first game of each round. If your pick is not submitted by this time you will be knocked out. If you pick the same team more than once in the first two rounds you will also be knocked out. We will email out picks after the kick off of the first game for the week so you know who to route for and against. We will send a reminder email to submit your picks each Wednesday. Prize Pool Distribution: 50% goes to the Colorado Association of Blind Students Winner takes 35% 2nd place takes 15% The winner will be determined by the last person standing If there are multiple people still standing prior to the super bowl, said individuals will also be asked to predict the total number of points that will be scored during the super bowl. In the event that selecting the winner of the super Bowl does not determine a winner it will be determined by proximity of ones predicted number of points to the actual number of points scored in the game. In the event that multiple individual’s total number of points are the same distance from the actual number of points scored, the prize pool will be split accordingly. In the event that all individuals except one individual go out in wild card weekend, then said individual who picked correctly wins both the first and second place prizes.