[nabs-l] Readers and Testing

Tue Feb 3 01:04:14 UTC 2009

This *did* happen, to a friend of mine. That is why I'm trying to gather
other people's input. I've been telling them a lot of what everyone here is,
but they insist that I don't understand, so I'm trying to get as much input
as I can for them.

On Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 7:35 PM, Nicole B. Torcolini <
ntorcolini at wavecable.com> wrote:

> Okay, first of all, hopefully this would not happen. On the off chance that
> it did:
>
> As people who are blind and visually impaired, we have the right to have
> the
> same preparation for a test as everyone else. If, for some bizarre reason,
> let's just be silly and say that aliens stole all of the math books, and no
> one knew the material that was on the test, would they still be expected to
> take that part of the test? The key in a problem like this is timing and
> the
> way in which you address the problem. Notify the appropriate people *ASAP*.
> Your disabilities services office should stand behind you here in
> advocating
> for you. If not, then there is something wrong. Again, this hopefully would
> not happen.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 1:32 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Readers and Testing
>
>
> Hi Jamie,
>
> I'm not sure what to reccommend.  My best advice is to prevent such a
> situation.  Have back up readers!
>
> If your reader doesn't show up for a whole week before the exam, I think
> its
> the student's responsibility to go to the professor, the dss office or
> someone to find another reader.
> Its the student's responsibility to learn the matterial and one should do
> something about accessibility problems way before an exam.
>
> Definately talk to the professor or write about the situation, but prior to
> the exam!
> I would say refusing to take the test because you could not prepare sends a
> bad message.  So perhaps the student should take the exam and see how they
> do.  If they fail the exam, that will teach them to be proactive and study
> next time with a different reader or tutor.
>
> I did not have issues with readers for preparing for tests in my one math
> class I had.  But I did encounter the other part of this situation you
> described.
>
> I was in a math class and had to use a combo of large print and readers for
> the text.  I could not get it in braille nor did rfb have it.
> My class used an online assignment system called Course Compass.  As you
> described, the software the math department uses for
> > practice exercises and test preparation isn't at all accessible.  I was
> > not able to do the practice exercises and test preparation online like
> > other students because Course Compass was not accessible.  I use jaws.
> So I did equivalent exercises from the text, the old fashioned way.  The
> advantage of doing it online was you got immediate feedback whether your
> answer was right or wrong.  But you can still practice the concepts and do
> homework out of the textbook.  So there's a solution to test prep.  If the
> software is inaccessible go back to doing it out of the textbook and write
> your work by hand.
>
> I think a situation  like this won't arise if a student is proactive and
> addressess accessibility issues before an exam comes or better yet right
> when the class starts.  I think such big accessibility issues like
> inaccessible
> software that is a big part of the class so you can prep for the exam,
> should be addressed eary on.
>
> Hth,
> Ashley
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jamie Principato" <blackbyrdfly at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 2:23 PM
> Subject: [nabs-l] Readers and Testing
>
>
> > This is more a survey than anything. I'm asking this question so that I
> > will
> > be better able and more equipped to help someone that means a lot to me.
> >
> > If you're a student in a math class and the university you attend can't
> > get
> > you a brailled textbook, and the software the math department uses for
> > practice exercises and test preparation isn't at all accessible, and your
> > teacher assigns you a reader but no back-up reader, and your reader
> > doesn't
> > show up for the entire week before a big exam, possibly due to illness,
> > what
> > should you do? Should you still go and take the exam on test day even
> > though
> > you couldn't adequately prepare? Should you refuse to take the test until
> > you are able to prepare properly? Should you try to write to the
> professor
> > who assigned the reader about the situation even though at such a big
> > university it seems like the professors just don't care about the needs
> of
> > one of thousands of students? Please help... :(
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