[nabs-l] Lines

Tue Apr 2 04:47:44 UTC 2013

I have only used time extensions when I was either using tactile
diagrams or when I got a late start on a test because of a technology
problem. In the former case, with the tactile diagrams, I don't think
the extra time helped my test performance very much. I tended to spend
the extra time agonizing over questions when I couldn't understand the
tactile diagrams, and would just take longer to guess the wrong
answer. If I could have done it over again I would have either asked
for more guided practice reading the tactile diagrams or just asked
for verbal descriptions instead. In high school geometry I not only
got extra time, but my teacher sometimes allowed me to "make up" test
points by re-taking the test orally without the picture questions. I
ended up getting an A in that class and in hindsight, I think I
deserved a B and should have been given one. While my mathematical
understanding of geometry was very good, I had a clear struggle with
interpreting tactile diagrams and that's something that they should
have tried to address instead of just band-Aiding it with extra time
and extra credit points. If I'd been given a B or even a C based on
the points I earned, tactile diagram training might have been put on
my IEP. True, we don't usually encounter tactile pictures in everyday
life, but on standardized math tests that's often the only option, and
I believe that my math SAT and GRE scores could have been higher if I
had been forced to practice reading those diagrams in a more
systematic way. Extra time on those tests didn't help me much at all.
(I eventually worked on this with a GRE tutor and I did improve a
little bit, but it was slow going and perhaps if I'd done it in middle
or high school it would have been easier). I think the Band-Aid issue
is even worse when extra time is given to people with slow Braille
reading speeds without any attention to training faster reading. Since
I learned Braille in preschool, I never needed extended time for
verbal tests or math tests not involving diagrams, and my TVI and
teachers always praised how fast I was. It is sad that my finishing
the tests at a typical speed has to be such a surprise just because I
use Braille. As I have stated here before, I think that time
extensions for students in K-12 education have to be handled on a
case-by-case basis, but I think it's really important that any time
extensions be coupled with individualized training in whatever skill
the student is struggling with enough to need the time extension. Of
course, in today's world of overworked TVI's, that is unlikely to
actually happen.
I don't take tests anymore since I'm all-but-dissertation now, but if
I did I think I'd only use the extra time if I got a late start on the
test because of a technology issue or if I was working with a reader
and had to go over answer choices multiple times, which does
inherently take up more time than reading the answers independently in
Braille or print.
Arielle

On 4/1/13, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
> Justin,
>   In high school I took the extra time way more than I should have; in
> hindsight, I was using it to hide the fact that I wasn't as efficient
> with braille as my peers were with print.  I know this is an entirely
> different subject, but I think extra time is legitimate only when
> inherently visual information like pictures and complex graphs need to
> be presented tactally or verbally.  Even then, it ought to be used
> with care because, as has been said ad noseum, you can't get the "time
> and a half" on the job.
>   Best,
> Kirt
>
> On 3/31/13, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Do you take the time and a half on tests?
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Arielle
>> Silverman
>> Sent: Monday, April 01, 2013 11:04 PM
>> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nabs-l] Lines
>>
>> Hi all,
>> Thank you Kirt for making such a great point. When I was growing up my
>> parents and friends often pressured me to use my blindness so that we
>> could
>> cut lines and sometimes my parents even required it without giving me a
>> choice about it. I used to try and justify our behavior but in  the end
>> when
>> I did this I always felt a deep sense of shame and anger, but I could
>> never
>> figure out why. Since then I have learned about self-perception theory in
>> psychology classes and I think I understand why it bothers me (and many
>> of
>> us) so much. Basically, self-perception theory posits that we draw
>> conclusions about ourselves by observing our own behavior. I think
>> whenever
>> I used my blindness as a reason to get a guest pass and skip the line, it
>> made me start to see myself as a handicapped or crippled person, which
>> was
>> very upsetting. For some people who have trouble standing for long
>> periods
>> of time, or who have guide dogs who get uncomfortable standing out in the
>> sun, cutting in line seems legitimate. But if we can physically handle
>> the
>> lines, accepting the special passes doesn't do us any real favors. I
>> insist
>> on standing in line with everyone else because I want to see myself (and
>> my
>> fellow blind friends) as strong, healthy, normal people. I feel I have
>> little to gain by skipping the lines, and much to lose in terms of
>> self-esteem and self-respect. I think every time we take an
>> accommodation,
>> we need to think about what we are gaining from that accommodation vs.
>> what
>> we are potentially losing in terms of normalcy. If an accommodation like
>> a
>> piece of technology is  truly necessary, it will give enough benefit that
>> it's worth the self-esteem hit. But if an accommodation isn't really
>> needed,
>> I think we have more to lose than we have to gain by accepting it. For
>> this
>> same reason I also do not write off blindness as a reason to claim a tax
>> deduction.
>> I am proud to be (barely) earning enough income to be required to pay
>> taxes
>> and paying taxes just like anyone else in my income bracket makes me feel
>> good about myself and where I belong in the world.
>> There's also the argument that if we want to be allowed the same rights
>> sighted people get, we need to be willing to saddle the extra
>> responsibilities. If we want to be allowed to ride amusement park rides
>> without discrimination, we need to be willing to wait in line.
>> It sends a mixed message to skip the line and then insist on equal
>> treatment
>> by the ride operators, just like it sends a mixed message to request
>> unnecessary extra time on tests and then ask for a professor's letter of
>> recommendation.
>> Again, though I'm not a dog user, I think having a guide dog is a
>> legitimate
>> reason to not wait in lines.
>> Arielle
>>
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>
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