[NABS-L] Congratulations to All Students and a Burning Question

[Tina Hansen]

I want to congratulate all students who have finished school during the past
year. I know some will be going back in the fall, but I wish those who are
going onto something else well.

 

I have a burning question. Someone on this list has related their concerns
after taking a science course at their local community college. This student
had a variety of problems, even with the help of their team. This leads me
to wonder if it is possible to create or do research on more effective ways
blind/visually impaired students can get the same level of access sighted
students can get within a science course.

 

While we've come a long way, this person still feels there are accessibility
gaps. This person and I wonder if it's even physically possible to create
something that can give that kind of access.

 

This person also feels there are gaps within the higher education system
itself, where colleges don't always have the resources to create accessible
tools.

 

By the way, I may be operating with some misunderstanding here. I do believe
that students can and do, need and want, to be able to work at the same
level as everyone else. But if the technology isn't there, one needs to get
creative.

 

But if there are true accessibility gaps, as this person believes, how can
they be addressed. If there is a gap between the accessibility tools out
there and how the higher education system is set up, is there a way to
bridge that gap? If the tools currently out there don't work, can new ones
be created?

 

I also wonder if students in education or planning to teach need to take
required courses on accessibility. Is that necessary? Should they be
educated on the ADA and other accessibility legislation? Are  this person's
expectations unrealistic? Is there something happening that I don't know
about? Thanks.