[Nfb-science] [NFB-science] [NFB-science] Seeking Help for a Science Class
Elizabeth Mohnke
lizmohnke at hotmail.com
Sat Jan 28 01:14:23 UTC 2017
Hello Donna,
Thank you for your response. However, the disabilities office is not willing to work with me. So I am not quite sure what more I can do to work with them if they are not willing to work with me.
Like I said, using a reader worked really well for me last semester. So I was hoping it would work again for me this semester. However, the disabilities office has me working with three different readers for this one class. And one of these readers is an absolutely horrible reader. I was not able to fully participate in class because she was not able to read or describe a flow chart on the carbon cycle to me that we were working on in class.
I was hoping the new reader they hired to work with me on the days we are doing lab assignments in class would be my reader for all of my class periods. However, this does not appear to be the case.
There is no way for me to be able to discuss this with the disabilities office. When I tried discussing the problem I was experiencing with this same horrible reader for my math class, I was told that I had no other choice but to use this reader.
When I tried to meet with the disabilities office to discuss the problem I was experiencing with my reader for my math class, I felt like they had absolutely no desire to listen to me or discuss possible solutions to my problem.
The conversation was no different when I asked to speak to the supervisor to the disabilities office who is also the ADA coordinator. In fact, the conversation got worse when I tried talking to her. I was personally attacked, accused of making demands when making requests for accommodations, and accused of harassment when I kept repeating my questions that she refused to answer.
I am afraid if I put up signs around campus advertising for a volunteer reader to help me with my class that it will only make the people in the disabilities office more mad at me. But the disabilities office seems really adamant and controlling about what accommodations I can and cannot use for my classes though. So I feel like I am at a loss as to what to do. I am not quite sure what more I can do if the disabilities office is not willing to work with me.
Thanks,
Elizabeth
-----Original Message-----
From: Nfb-science [mailto:nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Donna Posont via Nfb-science
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2017 7:42 PM
To: NFB Science and Engineering Division List <nfb-science at nfbnet.org>
Cc: donnabutterfly50 at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Nfb-science] [NFB-science] Seeking Help for a Science Class
Hi Elizabeth,
Once I had a biology class that required an assignment to be done at the beginning of each class. I had to have a reader at each class and when we were done that part she left. There is no way around that except to have an in class reader and you can go out in the hall particularly if it is a graded assignment. This would be an acomidation that should be provided, but, my disability office worked with the tudoring student services and called it a tudor so that they did not bear all the expense in their budget.
It worked for me, but, it took lots of trips to the office and it did not get fully resolved until midsemester. Don't give up! I almost always feel like giving up the first few weeks of the semester because each time there is a new set of necessary acomidations to be worked out. I hope this helps a little, Donna Posont
-----Original Message-----
From: Elizabeth Mohnke via Nfb-science
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2017 6:32 PM
To: NFB Science and Engineering Division List
Cc: Elizabeth Mohnke
Subject: Re: [Nfb-science] [NFB-science] Seeking Help for a Science Class
Hello Jamie,
What part of I need help and support from other people is so difficult for other people to understand? My college has already told me that I need to be as specific as possible when discussing what I consider to be a lack of accommodations during a previous meeting I had with them. Right now I do not know how I am going to be able to pass my class, and I cannot afford to drop it. All I want is to find someone has the time and ability to help me figure out what to do. I am so scared that no matter what I end up doing that I will end up making the people in the disabilities office mad at me again or the college will come after me for somehow violating some college rule like they have done in the past. This is just way too much for me to deal with all on my own, and I would really like to be able to receive some help from other people so I do not have to figure out how to deal with this all on my own.
Thanks,
Elizabeth
-----Original Message-----
From: Nfb-science [mailto:nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jamie P. via Nfb-science
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2017 6:08 PM
To: NFB Science and Engineering Division List <nfb-science at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Jamie P. <blackbyrdfly at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Nfb-science] Seeking Help for a Science Class
It doesn't have to be all that detailed. I've gone through the process Josh described prior to filing a lawsuit against Florida State University several years ago. Climbing the hierarchy as was described here was the easy part.
What you wrote in your email to the list is perfect. You might be asked more specific questions about things you mentioned as the process goes forward, but at that point, you'll already have the ball rolling, and answering specific questions is less of an ordeal than spelling out a whole story from start to finish and worrying about getting every little detail.
-Jamie
Sent from my iPhone
> On Jan 27, 2017, at 15:43, Elizabeth Mohnke via Nfb-science
> <nfb-science at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Hello Joshua,
>
> And where exactly can I find someone to help me do all of this when I
> am feeling so frustrated and overwhelmed? I am already falling behind
> in my class, so where exactly am I supposed to find the time to file a
> complaint against every little thing that is not accessible to me as a
> blind student in very specific detail that would be required for
> filing these complaints? I need to find a way to pass my class before it gets too late.
> We have our first exam in about two weeks, and I have not been able to
> study the material all that well because I am busy and frustrated by
> simply trying to gain access to the material. I really wish I did not
> have to struggle with this all on my own.
>
> Thanks,
> Elizabeth
>
> From: Joshua Hori [mailto:jhori at ucdavis.edu]
> Sent: Friday, January 27, 2017 4:48 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>; nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org; NFB Science and
> Engineering Division List <nfb-science at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Elizabeth Mohnke <lizmohnke at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Seeking Help for a Science Class
>
>
> Hello Elizabeth,
>
>
>
> We can't fix things if there's no complaints. Reach out to your
> disability office, we have resources which may help and the office has
> the authority to help in areas where a professor is overstepping their
> boundaries by not providing an accommodation. If the office isn't
> helpful, ask for the director. If the director isn't helpful, ask for
> the ADA Coordinator. If the ADA Coordinator is unresponsive, make an OCR complaint.
>
>
>
> There is no such thing as training for readers. Most readers are
> individuals who signed up for a job where an institution is looking
> for readers and/or scribes, and they can't always be found quickly. Do
> not allow them to say "You're accommodated" if the reader doesn't suit
> you, but be aware that it may take additional time to find another reader.
>
>
>
> Do you have a sorority on your campus? Reach out to Delta gamma gamma
> for assistance since they offer 100 hours (per sister) of volunteered
> time to assist individuals with visual impairments.
>
>
>
> Learning Ally may be a good consideration and can convert books as
> needed by request, and there is also bookshare; but I believe you will
> have a better experience with Learning Ally.
>
>
>
> Lastly, request a class assistant for the course with visual in-class
> activities. The disability office can assist with ANY accommodation
> requests while on campus. For off campus, the student would work with
> the department of rehab.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
> Joshua Hori
>
> Accessible Technology Analyst
>
> University of California, Davis
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Nfb-science
> <nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org>
> > on behalf of Elizabeth Mohnke via Nfb-science
> <nfb-science at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-science at nfbnet.org>>
> Sent: Friday, January 27, 2017 11:19:28 AM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list;
> nfb-science at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-science at nfbnet.org>;
> nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Elizabeth Mohnke
> Subject: [Nfb-science] Seeking Help for a Science Class
>
> Hello All,
>
> I have had a rather difficult start to my semester, and I am currently
> struggling with a basic environmental science class that I thought
> would be an easy class for me to take. However, it has been one battle
> after another in terms of being able to receive accommodations for my
> classes. I have already had to drop a math class due to a lack of
> accommodations, and I really do not want to have to drop my science class as well.
>
> When I talked to my professor last semester, I was told that I needed
> to talk to disabilities office to receive accommodations for my class.
> Since I was able to work well with a reader for another science class
> last semester, I thought this would be the best way for me to take my
> science class this semester.
>
> However, the reader I had last semester is no longer there, and the
> disabilities office failed to hire and train new readers before the
> beginning of the semester. As a result, I have three different readers
> working with me for each day that my class meets. This makes things
> rather difficult for me. One of the readers is not a good reader and
> I do not understand why the disabilities office hired this person as a reader.
>
> When I met with my professor last semester, I was told there would be
> in-class activities throughout the semester. However, my professor did
> not tell me that she teaches the class in a rather visual manner. This
> would not be that big of a problem if I had a consistent reader who
> could easily read or explain the visual aspects of the class to me. We
> are expected to work on the in-class activities individually, so I am
> not quite sure how well teaming up with one of my classmates would
> work for completing the in-class activities and visual handouts. I do
> not think it is reasonable to ask classmates to describe or explain
> something visual on a handout while they are trying to figure out and
> understand this information for themselves.
>
> I am afraid that If I talk to my professor that she will tell me to
> talk to the disabilities office. It seems as though accommodations for
> classes is totally separate from the actual classes even though it
> makes more sense for the accommodations to be integrated with the actual classes.
> However, I am afraid that if I talk to the disabilities office that
> they will tell me that they have already provided me with the
> accommodations necessary for this class. This is what they told me for
> my math class. I am scared to talk to the disabilities office about
> this problem because of the way I was treated when I tried talking to
> the disabilities office about the problem for my math class.
>
> If I had the money to pay for my own readers, then I would simply go
> and find my readers for my classes. However, I do not have the money
> to pay for readers right now, and I am afraid that if I advertise for
> readers for classes on campus that I would get into some sort of
> trouble with my disabilities office. And I would still need to
> successfully argue to use my own reader for tests and exams. I
> understand there are ways around such an obstacle. However, given the
> tone of the horrible meeting I had with the disabilities office at the
> beginning of the semester, it appears as though the college has a very
> limited view on what accommodations I can actually use.
>
> I am finding it to be rather difficult, frustrating, and overwhelming
> in trying to figure out how to get the accommodations I need for my
> science class. I have also been told that I should file complaints
> against all the things that are not accessible to me as a blind
> student on campus. And I am finding this to be difficult, frustrating,
> and overwhelming to do all on my own. I feel like I simply do not have
> the time or the ability to provide all the specific details that would
> be needed to file a complaint in a professional manner while I am
> struggling to up with my classes. But every time I turn around there
> is one more thing that is not accessible to me as a blind student.
>
> Some days I really just want to give up because of how difficult,
> frustrating, and overwhelming things have become for me. But instead,
> I keep trying to reach out to others to see if anyone might able to help me.
> If I keep reaching out to other people then maybe I might be able to
> find someone who is able and has the time to help me.
>
> Thanks,
> Elizabeth
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