[nabs-l] Frustrating High School Issue...

Wed Jan 29 15:13:56 UTC 2014

When I graduated from high skool, I attended a comunity college, and then 
after that I attend university. I asked if an assignment could be brailled 
for me, and the skools responce was that I needed to learn how to use 
openbook. RJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carly Mihalakis" <carlymih at comcast.net>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>; "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 8:23 AM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Frustrating High School Issue...


> Good morning, JJ,
>
> You sound very anguished about this. Is not simply asking a fellow student 
> not in option in your case? Seems like a no-brainer to me for, I believe 
> we oughtto strive for interdependence, proof that in fact, we need each 
> other.
> after all, people like Martin Luther King himself observed that, people 
> often forget that life is social so why not reach out to our fellows to 
> find out which room you're approaching? Why the anguish, JJ? I don't like 
> to see you so anguish'd when you're about to begin high school. Please 
> tell us about what is a presence within your world, that is making this so 
> hard?
> for today, Car
> 408-2209-3239Greetings,
>
>>Arielle has already given you some great suggestions on navigating your 
>>school without braille  signs. I would add that the signs may have tactile 
>>print on them already. Check those out and see if they will work for you. 
>>Don't forget that it is also okay to ask people which room you are about 
>>to enter. I use this technique from time to time. These techniques will 
>>definitely work for you, but don't stop your advocacy efforts for the 
>>accessible signs as they are a requirement of the ADA and new buildings 
>>and retrofitted ones.
>>
>>Finally, I do believe the National Center does actually have Braille 
>>signs. I don't know about the old part of the building, but the new part 
>>has some very nice signs indeed.
>>
>>Respectfully,
>>Jedi
>>
>>Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> > On Jan 28, 2014, at 10:00 PM, johnnie Jean duran
>> <johnniejduran at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > Dear National Association of Blind Students,
>> > As some of you are aware of, next year, I will become a 9th grader
>> > (freshman) at Alameda International High School. This high school is a
>> > public school in Lakewood Colorado.
>> > While visiting the school for the first time, I'd realized that the
>> > area in which the 9th grade students have classes in, has no braille
>> > on the walls. There are 2 pods, that look exactly alike, but there is
>> > no braille on each doorway to identify which room you are entering.
>> > This is going to be an issue for me because there is no way of
>> > identifying which room I am entering, or which pod I am in. I brought
>> > this situation up to my TVI and ONM teachers. My ONM teacher then
>> > informed me that she'd spoken to Alameda several times, and they've
>> > made it seem as if this issue was not a necessity. My TVI told me that
>> > she would talk to the administration about this issue. A few days
>> > later, she happily informed me that they were getting braille up on
>> > the walls ASAP.
>> > 2 months later, while I am viseting the school with my 8th grade
>> > class, we took a tour through the pods, and still I did not see any
>> > braille. At a parent night my Mom attended tonight, she brought up the
>> > issue to the Assistant Principal as well. He informed us that he's
>> > been aware of the situation for several years, and then turned away as
>> > if it were not important enough to discuss. He then told us, that I
>> > would be placed in a challenge room with students who have multiple
>> > disabilities. I was frustrated with this issue because of the fact
>> > that I do not need to be in a challenge room. I am capable of
>> > everything a sighted individual is capable of doing, and the only
>> > thing that is stopping me is that braille. I feel like I am being
>> > underestimated, and I rfuse to be placed in a challege room when I
>> > don't need it.
>> > The NFB is my last resort, therefore as experienced blind students, I
>> > am asking for your help. How would I take this situation to the next
>> > level?
>> > All advice is always appreciated!
>> > Thank you,
>> > JJ
>> >
>> > --
>> > Ms. Johnnie Jean Duran
>> > 8th Grade Student
>> > O'Connell Middle School - An IB World School
>> > Lakewood, Colorado, United States
>> > Member Of The National Federation Of The Blind Of Colorado (NFBCO),
>> > The Colorado Association Of Blind Students (CABS), and the North Metro
>> > Chapter of the NFB.
>> > Facebook: facebook.com/johnniejean.duran
>> > Instagram: jj_duran13
>> > Skype: jj.duran13
>> > Kik: jjd_13
>> > Twitter: jj_duran_13
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > nabs-l mailing list
>> > nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for nabs-l:
>> >
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/loneblindjedi%40samobile.net
>> >
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>nabs-l mailing list
>>nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>nabs-l:
>>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/carlymih%40comcast.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/joltingjacksandefur%40gmail.com