Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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At Wit's End (self.Blind)
submitted by k00l_m00se
I'm at my wit's end here. My vision itself isn't getting any worse, but my eyes hurt more and more by the day, and I just can't handle my already reduced load of schoolwork. I'm legally blind, and use a handheld magnifier for my schoolwork, but it physically hurts me to use my vision for much anymore. Braille would be helpful, but I've just finished learning it, so I'm bad at it, and there isn't infrastructure at my school to really get me much in the way of work with my already reduced workload. Learning music is a whole other can of worms. I don't have enough sight left for regular sheet music, or music readers. Musical Braille is overly difficult and incredibly impractical. Im stuck in the lowest level band when I'm good enough to be an all stater, because I have to memorize everything, and it limits what I can do. I'm just so frustrated and worn out. My school district is doing everything they can, but they're really only prepared for someone who was blind from birth, which isn't my situation. I lost my vision a little over a year ago. Maybe this isn't so much of an advice post as it is getting it off my chest. I'm adjusted to my situation mentally, and I've had full O&M, but I'm just so burned out on trying to make school and band work.
museoftheday 4 points 6y ago
Limelighter
$1
You may not get around memorizing music. Another way is to have someone record audio reading of the sheet music.
Would a CCtv help?
In the end, you may have to accept that your best adaptation is using non visual means of coping. This can mean longer completion times. That's OK and you do not have to keep up with the pack, so to speak. Your success and well being are far more important.
As blind persons we are special in that we find a way to do anything we want. As for the schools, they're required to make your experience the best for you. Hold them to that. It doesn't make you entitled. It makes you a self advocate.
$1
You may not get around memorizing music. Another way is to have someone record audio reading of the sheet music.
Would a CCtv help?
In the end, you may have to accept that your best adaptation is using non visual means of coping. This can mean longer completion times. That's OK and you do not have to keep up with the pack, so to speak. Your success and well being are far more important.
As blind persons we are special in that we find a way to do anything we want. As for the schools, they're required to make your experience the best for you. Hold them to that. It doesn't make you entitled. It makes you a self advocate.
k00l_m00se [OP] 1 points 6y ago
I tried the Limelighter, but I don't have enough sight left to see what I'm doing. I'm trying to transition to using Braille and other non visual things, but I'm just absolutely terrible at Braille, and the curriculum is super visual based, especially in math and science. I love tactile graphics and images, but I can't really get them quickly enough to use them effectively. It's like fitting a square peg in a round hole. I'd like to think I'm a smart kid, but I'm stuck in basic level classes because that's the only way they can practically reduce my workload. Advanced classes are all about increased workloads. I'm only legally blind, but my eyes just hurt so bad to use now. I'm just so frustrated because I'm falling way behind trying to figure out what does and doesn't work for me. It's frustrating having low grades in mind numbingly easy classes because I can't do the work I'm given. Visual snow is a bitch.
k00l_m00se [OP] 3 points 6y ago
The American special education system can be very useful, but it doesn't do a great job helping people like me who lost their sight in their teenage years. It's just so frustrating.
snazzychica2812 2 points 6y ago
Have you tried moving to primary auditory learning methods? Audiobooks for anything you can find, Bookshare for anything there isn't an available audiobook (speak with your special ed case manager about Bookshare, it's a government program allowing you access to free audio and braille books). If there isn't a version out already, ask for everything you can in electronic format and use a screenreader like Jaws or NVDA, or if you're on Mac then VoiceOver. If it isn't available electronically, ask someone to read it to you. This will help reduce stress on your eyes but give you time to transition to braille, which is becoming less useful with time since we have all these great electronic resources for auditory learning.
Have you had a learning media assessment, also called LMA? It should most likely have been done when you qualified for special education services, and again if your vision changed significantly since then. It may list your primary learning media as auditory at this time, and if it does then that goes a long way toward getting the above accommodations officially listed on your IEP. Visual impairments are so uncommon that unless you're in a specialized program you're probably one of the only students with VI that your special ed teacher and case manager will ever have. Asking them about this is a great way to start self-advocating! You are in high school now and you have a right and responsibility to know what goes into your IEP, including the assessment that determined whether you'd be learning visually, nonvisually/braille, or aurally (if you're using a screen reader, that's a u aurally, not o r orally, aka learning by sound). Good luck and let me know if there's anything I can do to help! I'm a special ed teacher so I'm pretty knowledgeable about the system and your options.
Have you had a learning media assessment, also called LMA? It should most likely have been done when you qualified for special education services, and again if your vision changed significantly since then. It may list your primary learning media as auditory at this time, and if it does then that goes a long way toward getting the above accommodations officially listed on your IEP. Visual impairments are so uncommon that unless you're in a specialized program you're probably one of the only students with VI that your special ed teacher and case manager will ever have. Asking them about this is a great way to start self-advocating! You are in high school now and you have a right and responsibility to know what goes into your IEP, including the assessment that determined whether you'd be learning visually, nonvisually/braille, or aurally (if you're using a screen reader, that's a u aurally, not o r orally, aka learning by sound). Good luck and let me know if there's anything I can do to help! I'm a special ed teacher so I'm pretty knowledgeable about the system and your options.
k00l_m00se [OP] 1 points 6y ago
Thank you. We don't really use textbooks in Texas anymore. We're so underfunded, we have stuff from the mid 90s that doesn't relate to our curriculum at all. I have a visual impairment teacher, so I get pretty good instruction. My problem with Braille and auditory learning is that I lost my sight at 16, so learning to read tactilely and learn by ear is really difficult. It works out great in English and for my job as a legal researcher, because I have such good analytical skills. Math is much harder, because I've always sucked at math, and I've always been a visual learner. I'm stuck in geometry, which is a really hard subject to do if you can't see and don't have access to tactile graphics. I hate auditory learning with a passion. I hate having to constantly listen to things, which is why I want to get better at Braille. I'm going to have to disagree with you and say that Braille is incredibly useful and functional, especially for those who lose their sight later in life.
TheLittleBiddle 1 points 6y ago
Have you considered the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired? My daughter goes to our state state school --
k00l_m00se [OP] 2 points 6y ago
It's on the table. I've finally started to get some work in Braille, which has helped
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