Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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School accommodations (self.Blind)
submitted by Milkedpatient
I am on my first year of college and already I may have to drop out. I never received some of the accommodation I asked professors, also the schools disability department for. I use an iPad. But jaws was necessary for an online course. If I make an appointment with the dean, what should I list as needs that they can’t refuse?
I am asking for print materials to be given to me in a format that can be read with voiceover. (Can it be listed as an accommodation?)
I am asking for print materials to be given to me in a format that can be read with voiceover. (Can it be listed as an accommodation?)
lapingvino 7 points 3y ago
Which country do you study in?
Migmatite 4 points 3y ago
Yes! You can even have an accomodation that states that all typed homework assignments will be turned in to the professor in a different font size and font family than the one the professor is requiring.
Make them give you all material including textbook in PDF format as well. Then request Jaws from them as you will need it for Microsoft Office products, if they refuse to pay for it then ask them to point you in the direction of a state agency that can provide it to you free of charge, because you cannot afford it.
If you can, get the Voice Dream Reader app (I have a calculus book on mine), and the Voice Scanner app (I use my app to read handouts).
You can also request a note taker and/or a classroom scribe, and even record lectures.
Ask them if they have a swell machine, if they do not, then there is a portable device that a scribe can use to draw graphs that allow you to feel them in 3D (I forget the name of it), see if they can order this device for you.
There is also talking graphing calculators that they should be able to order for you.
Then request that all test be given on some type of CCTV such as the DaVinci. You can also request 2.5x on all exams or quizzes due to your visual impairment.
For online homework from Pearsons, you need to tell the professor that he can only assign the assignments that are accessible for screen readers. Here is the link that will explain how to do this, https://www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com/northamerica/mymathlab/accessibility/index.html
NVDA works best with google drive (such as google docs). Unlike Jaws, NVDA is free, however it is somewhat limited.
You state should have some type of blind organization that can advocate on your behalf with your school in case you run into issues with your disability office.
I have had really bad experiences at my main university in getting what I needed to succeed, so I started taking what classes I can at a community college that had a better disability office.
Make them give you all material including textbook in PDF format as well. Then request Jaws from them as you will need it for Microsoft Office products, if they refuse to pay for it then ask them to point you in the direction of a state agency that can provide it to you free of charge, because you cannot afford it.
If you can, get the Voice Dream Reader app (I have a calculus book on mine), and the Voice Scanner app (I use my app to read handouts).
You can also request a note taker and/or a classroom scribe, and even record lectures.
Ask them if they have a swell machine, if they do not, then there is a portable device that a scribe can use to draw graphs that allow you to feel them in 3D (I forget the name of it), see if they can order this device for you.
There is also talking graphing calculators that they should be able to order for you.
Then request that all test be given on some type of CCTV such as the DaVinci. You can also request 2.5x on all exams or quizzes due to your visual impairment.
For online homework from Pearsons, you need to tell the professor that he can only assign the assignments that are accessible for screen readers. Here is the link that will explain how to do this, https://www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com/northamerica/mymathlab/accessibility/index.html
NVDA works best with google drive (such as google docs). Unlike Jaws, NVDA is free, however it is somewhat limited.
You state should have some type of blind organization that can advocate on your behalf with your school in case you run into issues with your disability office.
I have had really bad experiences at my main university in getting what I needed to succeed, so I started taking what classes I can at a community college that had a better disability office.
CloudyBeep 4 points 3y ago
Rather than scanning handouts yourself, you should request that they be provided to you as accessible documents.
Migmatite 1 points 3y ago
I have no center vision, so I request pdf to be sent to my e-mail. From there, I upload it into voice dream reader app and let voice dream reader read it to me.
However, sometimes I get something in the mail that I want to know what it is, and I use the Voice dream scanner for it. Or I need to know the ingredients on the back of a box and I don't want my shop helper to have to read it so I use the Seeing AI app. Or when I couldn't tell if my produce had gone bad, I called Be My Eyes and had someone look at it for me. However, any private information such as bank statements, prescription bottles, or anything with my address on it I use the Aira app. With Aira, the first five minutes of your call is free, if you go over five, they charge you. You can get a subscription for Aira that is cheaper than paying by the minute, but I don't do this, as my average phone call is around 3 minutes with them.
All these apps require voice over to be turned on, which on the ipad or iphone, it can be found under accessibilities.
If you get the Voice Over crash glitch with IOS 13.1.3 when hanging up phone calls or closing out apps, the trick to prevent that is to hit the home button before doing the double finger double tap to end the call.
However, sometimes I get something in the mail that I want to know what it is, and I use the Voice dream scanner for it. Or I need to know the ingredients on the back of a box and I don't want my shop helper to have to read it so I use the Seeing AI app. Or when I couldn't tell if my produce had gone bad, I called Be My Eyes and had someone look at it for me. However, any private information such as bank statements, prescription bottles, or anything with my address on it I use the Aira app. With Aira, the first five minutes of your call is free, if you go over five, they charge you. You can get a subscription for Aira that is cheaper than paying by the minute, but I don't do this, as my average phone call is around 3 minutes with them.
All these apps require voice over to be turned on, which on the ipad or iphone, it can be found under accessibilities.
If you get the Voice Over crash glitch with IOS 13.1.3 when hanging up phone calls or closing out apps, the trick to prevent that is to hit the home button before doing the double finger double tap to end the call.
CloudyBeep 3 points 3y ago
Yes, documents in accessible formats is an accommodation that you are within your rights to request and that the college must satisfy.
I suggest that you not drop out because you will either need to re-enrol with the college later on or find another college where you may experience a repeat of what you're facing now. Threaten the college with legal action if they do not fulfill your requests. Most developed countries have legislation that requires colleges to cater to the needs of students with disabilities; in the US, this is the Americans with Disabilities Act. You should seek assistance from blindness advocacy groups if you are still unable to get the college to fulfill your requests.
I suggest that you not drop out because you will either need to re-enrol with the college later on or find another college where you may experience a repeat of what you're facing now. Threaten the college with legal action if they do not fulfill your requests. Most developed countries have legislation that requires colleges to cater to the needs of students with disabilities; in the US, this is the Americans with Disabilities Act. You should seek assistance from blindness advocacy groups if you are still unable to get the college to fulfill your requests.
AmAsabat 1 points 3y ago
As a college professor who is blind and has many blind students please do not drop out, unless you can transfer to a college that will make the accommodations.
Firstly, in the US, you should expect that the college to do an assessment of you to agree with you what is required to make to allow you to study. The process can be tortuous and at my college I lead a process where we interview all the new intake before they start if they have said they are disabled, but that wont help right now.
Before you have any meeting please write a list of the adjustments you need and show that you have considered everything you think puts you at a disadvantage. Then show how the adjustments can be made in each of your classes.
Simple things like providing everything in a printed or text only format before the class is reasonable. It depends on your area of study. I teach English and on the whole its easy, the only problem area is when we use video clips which I have to source as audio described.
Maths is much harder to provide for as the software needed to interpret very complex formulas is much harder to accommodate especially if you are working things out on a whiteboard in front of the class. It’s is possible be requires an assistant to code the formulas contemporaneously for the student to read. In general the humanities are easier, anything medical is almost impossible, and sciences are ok if you have accommodating tutors.
The main issue for my students is professors not preparing early enough.
So to wrap up. Be specific in the adjustments your want, show how they can be done, and work with the college to make your study easy. Go with an open mind to get what you can but mostly open a dialogue.
Firstly, in the US, you should expect that the college to do an assessment of you to agree with you what is required to make to allow you to study. The process can be tortuous and at my college I lead a process where we interview all the new intake before they start if they have said they are disabled, but that wont help right now.
Before you have any meeting please write a list of the adjustments you need and show that you have considered everything you think puts you at a disadvantage. Then show how the adjustments can be made in each of your classes.
Simple things like providing everything in a printed or text only format before the class is reasonable. It depends on your area of study. I teach English and on the whole its easy, the only problem area is when we use video clips which I have to source as audio described.
Maths is much harder to provide for as the software needed to interpret very complex formulas is much harder to accommodate especially if you are working things out on a whiteboard in front of the class. It’s is possible be requires an assistant to code the formulas contemporaneously for the student to read. In general the humanities are easier, anything medical is almost impossible, and sciences are ok if you have accommodating tutors.
The main issue for my students is professors not preparing early enough.
So to wrap up. Be specific in the adjustments your want, show how they can be done, and work with the college to make your study easy. Go with an open mind to get what you can but mostly open a dialogue.
Chaserly 1 points 3y ago
I’m curious to know everything you asked for and didn’t receive.
I was supposed to have extended time in one my classes but the professor never seemed to honor it, despite me sending her the document numerous times.
I’m just barely scraping by on timed assignments.
I was supposed to have extended time in one my classes but the professor never seemed to honor it, despite me sending her the document numerous times.
I’m just barely scraping by on timed assignments.
quanin 0 points 3y ago
depending on what your college is using, your prof may not have the ability without making a separate version of the assignment for you. On Blackboard, for example, if you're given a 20-minute quiz to be done in class, the prof can't make it 30 just for you. That's a whole new assignment. That being said, if it's an in-class quiz like that, I wouldn't want it to go longer than 20 minutes. But that's just me.
Chaserly 1 points 3y ago
Our quizzes at my school are typically done online before or after class. The entire school uses the same system. The teacher gets the document and gives it to their respective IT assistant to implement (it is possible that it’s not her fault and it’s IT and she’s also a new part time professor so yeah).
The only reason I’m not making a big deal about it is because it’s just a 1 credit human sexuality course. 20 mins to 30 mins isn’t that big of deal, but I’ve had courses where we were give 180 minutes per exam (and the majority of the class didn’t finish) I had an extra 50% of that time but even then it was a struggle.
Without going into too much detail on my eye condition and stuff lol I just think it should be honored. As it has been for all my other courses.
It’s a relatively easy course, but I just feel like if it happened to me then it might happen to someone else too.
The only reason I’m not making a big deal about it is because it’s just a 1 credit human sexuality course. 20 mins to 30 mins isn’t that big of deal, but I’ve had courses where we were give 180 minutes per exam (and the majority of the class didn’t finish) I had an extra 50% of that time but even then it was a struggle.
Without going into too much detail on my eye condition and stuff lol I just think it should be honored. As it has been for all my other courses.
It’s a relatively easy course, but I just feel like if it happened to me then it might happen to someone else too.
quanin 0 points 3y ago
You may be asking for the impossible, unless you want someone to manually duplicate the assignment just for the sake of an extra 10 minutes on the timer. What a lot of these profs do is create the quiz once, then check off the names of students who should have access to it when it opens. Your prof might be willing to do that for a midterm or exam if that's online and timed (mine usually were), but for your standard every day quiz, you may just have to deal.
CloudyBeep 2 points 3y ago
That's not really an excuse. OP is still entitled to being ble to take the test in a fair way to their classmates, and not having extra time is not a level playing field.
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