[nfbcs] FW: your advice would be appreciatedFW: [List] Handling

[juliannah harris]

Hello,
I am sorry to hear about the issues the student is facing. The instructor sounds like a handful. I recently graduated and was faced with similar difficulties. Many courses are unfortunately not initially being designed using tools that are accessible to everyone, and it becomes a headache for everyone when the problem is brought to light. In my web courses I worked with my instructors to find alternative solutions when the tools they choose wouldn't work. Good web design is not just about having flash, knowing how to use CS6, or having the most pleasant color scheme. Good web design is knowing what good design is, about having a strong framework to design from, and thinking about accessibility first. That being said I would try and stress to the instructor that you can get just as much out of the course even if you don't use the tools they choose. The point of the course is to build the foundation for good design. Tools may change over
 time, but foundations are pretty solid.  
As for alternative solutions for your class I have a few. CSS can be done without dreamweaver using a text editor. And in my experience I successfully noticed drop columns and broken layout issues using JAWS just fine. Many image manipulations like cropping, brightness, and color contrast can be done on the command line to an image using a tool like ImageMagick. ImageMagick can also be used to create simple banners and buttons. I found it quite useful in my web apps class. I don't know what type of flash the instructor is having you work on, but if it is an animation you might be able to alternatively make an animated gif. I found a good tutor as well who was able to go over some of the things I couldn't get from the instructor or textbooks. I have even made mock ups of a web page with tactile mediums to get an idea of the page layout and elements. 
I wish you the best in your goals. You can do it.
- Juliannah Harris