Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Inaccessibility in college tech prevents blind students full participation (chronicle.com)
submitted by RoundSmartPanda
FrankenGretchen 2 points 4y ago
Inaccessibility in every arena prevents anyone needing accommodations from full participation. Some PWD need accommodations from birth and don't get them. Those who get to college level are well aware of these barriers and have some skills at getting around at least enough of them to succeed as much as they have.
It is my experience that as much as tech might create or fix an obstacle, my biggest and most insurmountable barrier has forever been people. Those on positions of power to provide supports, facilitate participation or require changes that facilitate that participation are the always the ones whose attitudes make or break a situation.
Ex: I was one of the first mainstreamed VI kids in my pss. The same woman who made that program, got some of us to camp for b/vi kids for years. The bad side? She controlled access to the library. (I was banned for a couple years because she felt I'd read everything accessible.) She decided what classes we could take (No art for any of us but advanced sciences and career oriented courses were off the table, too.) She also redistricted us to schools of her choosing. (She was single handedly responsible for the best thing in my childhood - camp AND facilitated daily sexual assaults, bullying and relentless abuse at the hands of teachers, peers and other kids in the program.).
This same woman pioneered all things braille for our pss. She retired nearly two decades ago and as far as I know, still is the spearhead of new tech for braille transliteration of all HS math course materials from her home office. She doesn't have the power she once had, but she can still decide whether a student has free access to a class via materials.
She's taught her secrets to others, for sure but they're less willing to do the work so a student actually used to have a better chance if she says 'yes' than if another teacher had to do the work. She may have died by now. Her good qualities were a blessing but she was human and a mess and we paid very well for her gifts.
So it is at every stage of our lives. College fir me was just as mixed. I had yo find my own enlargement service for my Russian materials but the math dept did their own magic. The ODS chief forbade biology classes so most of us didn't even try as her interference meant out of pocket readers, notetakers, labs assistants and proctors. She controlled find disbursements.
Pick your battles. Persevere. Leave an easier toad for the next guy. This is our plan for success.
It is my experience that as much as tech might create or fix an obstacle, my biggest and most insurmountable barrier has forever been people. Those on positions of power to provide supports, facilitate participation or require changes that facilitate that participation are the always the ones whose attitudes make or break a situation.
Ex: I was one of the first mainstreamed VI kids in my pss. The same woman who made that program, got some of us to camp for b/vi kids for years. The bad side? She controlled access to the library. (I was banned for a couple years because she felt I'd read everything accessible.) She decided what classes we could take (No art for any of us but advanced sciences and career oriented courses were off the table, too.) She also redistricted us to schools of her choosing. (She was single handedly responsible for the best thing in my childhood - camp AND facilitated daily sexual assaults, bullying and relentless abuse at the hands of teachers, peers and other kids in the program.).
This same woman pioneered all things braille for our pss. She retired nearly two decades ago and as far as I know, still is the spearhead of new tech for braille transliteration of all HS math course materials from her home office. She doesn't have the power she once had, but she can still decide whether a student has free access to a class via materials.
She's taught her secrets to others, for sure but they're less willing to do the work so a student actually used to have a better chance if she says 'yes' than if another teacher had to do the work. She may have died by now. Her good qualities were a blessing but she was human and a mess and we paid very well for her gifts.
So it is at every stage of our lives. College fir me was just as mixed. I had yo find my own enlargement service for my Russian materials but the math dept did their own magic. The ODS chief forbade biology classes so most of us didn't even try as her interference meant out of pocket readers, notetakers, labs assistants and proctors. She controlled find disbursements.
Pick your battles. Persevere. Leave an easier toad for the next guy. This is our plan for success.
multi-instrumental 1 points 4y ago
>AND facilitated daily sexual assaults
Uhhh... what?
Uhhh... what?
FrankenGretchen 1 points 4y ago
Myself and many, if not all, of the other kids in our group were molested/assaulted by one of our number. He was completely unrestrained in his activities though they were common knowledge among ALL the adults in his life. This teacher facilitated play dates, parties and small group class time where he routinely came after me with the assistance of other peers. (They helped him to earn protection from him especially on our bus rides where that redistricting hit me really hard. I was farthest from the school and youngest of them all. The bus driver certainly saw the show and did nothing, as well.) This teacher also caught him many times and saw the bruises and injuries his less sexual assaults left. He was blind. We were sighted if nominally. I particularly was accused of teaching him because I could see or allowing him to do things because I enjoyed them. (He was older and bigger and had help. I had nothing. He'd beat me or tear my clothing if I resisted in any way.). I don't know how she handled the incidents with male students but somehow word of my 'activities' spread among ps employees. This went on for six years. When we were sent back to our own districts, I got a reprieve from that part. She still held sway over class choice and those rumors continued until I graduated but he was in another school.
His behavior was public, btw. He molested everyone. Everywhere. In church, his neighborhood, family members, adults, kids, peers school employees. One of his supporters got him a job teaching piano lessons at a music store. Yep. He molested there, too. He had no limits. Those of us who spoke out were silenced. I got a few beatings from him for telling and then shaming by teachers for picking fights.
That teacher was one of the first to know about him and did nothing. He's an RSO, now. He so very definitely earned every bit of it. It didn't have to be that way.
His behavior was public, btw. He molested everyone. Everywhere. In church, his neighborhood, family members, adults, kids, peers school employees. One of his supporters got him a job teaching piano lessons at a music store. Yep. He molested there, too. He had no limits. Those of us who spoke out were silenced. I got a few beatings from him for telling and then shaming by teachers for picking fights.
That teacher was one of the first to know about him and did nothing. He's an RSO, now. He so very definitely earned every bit of it. It didn't have to be that way.
[deleted] 1 points 4y ago
[deleted]
[deleted] 1 points 4y ago
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