[Athen] Visually Impaired Student Completing Math Homework

[Jeffrey A Dell]

Ohio's vocational rehabilitation agency does not support international students. A couple of years ago we had a student with cerebral palsy that we tried to refer to Ohio's Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation and she was denied services because she's not a US
Jeff citizen.

Sent from my iPhone.  please excuse errors from using Apple's dictation feature.


> On Sep 15, 2015, at 4:55 PM, Gaeir Dietrich <gdietrich at htctu.net> wrote:

> 

> Just as an FYI, having a blanket policy ("we do not...") when it comes to

> accommodations will not fly with the Office for Civil Rights. OCR's

> expectation is that every student's needs will be assessed on a case-by-case

> basis. Although you can have guidelines and best practices of how to

> accommodate a situation, the strategy that was outlined below is essentially

> an OCR complaint waiting to happen.

> 

> What would the student's option be for working with your state blindness

> agency? In California, I know our state agency that works with blind

> students sometimes will assist foreign students, but I do not know what

> Ohio's policy might be. State agencies will often cover reader services when

> required. 

> 

> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

> Gaeir (rhymes with "fire") Dietrich

> HTCTU Director

> 408-996-4636

> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

> 

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On

> Behalf Of Dimac, Marcie

> Sent: Monday, September 14, 2015 9:29 AM

> To: Access Technology Higher Education Network

> Subject: Re: [Athen] Visually Impaired Student Completing Math Homework

> 

> Susan,

> 

> I completely understand and realize that utilizing this new technology would

> be overwhelming. As a practice (not my call) we do not hire students to read

> textbooks to other students, nor do we hire them to record audio versions of

> textbooks - we rely on electronic text, audiobooks when available, and

> technology to provide content to students. 

> 

> We also do not provide accommodations for homework assistance, and we are

> concerned that if the student doesn't utilize the accommodation and learn

> the software, the student will struggle to complete homework assignments. 

> 

> We are currently providing readers and scribes for exams but again, wouldn't

> do so for homework or other assignments. 

> What no tech solutions would you recommend?

> 

> Thanks for your valuable input! Marcie 

> 

> Sent from my iPhone

> 

>>> On Sep 14, 2015, at 12:13 PM, Susan Gjolmesli

>> <susan.gjolmesli at bellevuecollege.edu> wrote:

>> 

>> Just a question...Why are you forcing the student to use technology he is

> not familiar with?  Why is it you are providing more barriers for the

> student rather than working a solution for him that is more within the scope

> of what is familiar to him?

>> 

>> As a blind person who uses JAWs but is not a geek...who struggles with

> each upgrade and every change that is thrown my way I can empathize with

> this student.  Add to that the fact that he is ESL I cannot  imagine...

>> 

>> Technology is what it is...imperfect.  Interfaces with Jaws....especially

> with something as concrete as math will be challenging - even to sighted

> individuals.   

>> 

>> Work innovatively minus the technology...my two cents.

>> 

>> S.

>> 

>> Susan Gjolmesli, Director

>> Disability Resource Center, B132

>> Phone: (425) 564-2498

>> http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc/

>> 

>> 

>> This email and any files transmitted may contain confidential information

> as protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20

> USC § 1232g and/or Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §

> 2510-2521. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified

> that any disclosure, copying, or distribution is prohibited. Furthermore, if

> you are not the intended recipient, please notify me immediately by

> telephone or return e-mail and completely delete this message from your

> system.

>> 

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On

> Behalf Of Maria Bohn

>> Sent: Monday, September 14, 2015 6:55 AM

>> To: Access Technology Higher Education Network

>> Subject: Re: [Athen] Visually Impaired Student Completing Math Homework

>> 

>> Could you make it one of his accommodations to turn in homework via

> recorder? Or have a scribe for homework if the Professor will not accept the

> recorded homework. I would think the student cannot write the mathematical

> equations himself without assistance. I am not sure of the math type and if

> that will work in this situate . Or have someone sit with him when he uses

> Math talk/Dragon  - to make sure it is outputting the way he is speaking it?

>> 

>> 

>> Maria Bohn

>> Senior Resource Accommodation Specialist Assistive Technology Office of

> Specialized Services Bergen Community College

>> 

>> From: <Dimac>, Marcie <mdimac at kent.edu<mailto:mdimac at kent.edu>>

>> Reply-To: Access Technology Higher Education Network

> <athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>>

>> Date: Monday, September 14, 2015 at 9:31 AM

>> To: "athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>"

> <athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>>

>> Subject: [Athen] Visually Impaired Student Completing Math Homework

>> 

>> Morning all,

>> 

>> I have a rather unique (I think) situation here and would love some

> feedback.

>> 

>> Student:Doctoral level, pure mathematics students, from Vietnam. This

> student has been in the United States for about a month, has very little

> English speaking skills but seems to understand English well. The student is

> blind, and in Vietnam, his accommodations were drastically different from

> what they are/will be here.

>> 

>> In Vietnam:An actual person would read his textbooks and homeworks aloud

> to him, at his convenience. The student knows how to use JAWS (on version

> 14) but has never used it to read mathematical content. The student was able

> to vocally dictate his answers into a recorder and turn the recorder in to

> the professor as homework submissions.

>> 

>> At Kent State:We  have hired mathematical content editors (doctoral level)

> to edit his books and homeworks with Mathtype and we have worked with the

> student to understand JAWS (v. 16) so he can use it to navigate mathematical

> content. None of his books were already available in audio format and must

> be formatted from "scratch". The student is insistent that we provide a

> reader for his textbooks and homework, which we are currently not providing,

> (as we are editing the  books to be compatible/readable with JAWS 16).

>> 

>> Current Concern:The student came in on Friday and informed us that he had

> submitted an audio recording of himself answering the questions for his

> latest homework assignment and the professor had rejected the work. We are

> asking if anyone has ANY technology solutions for this situation. I have

> looked into Dragon and Mathtalk, but I'm pretty sure you need to be sighted

> to use this.

>> 

>> Any thoughts?

>> 

>> Thanks :)

>> 

>> Marcie Anne Dimac, M.A. Ed.

>> 

>> Coordinator, Assistive Technology

>> Student Accessibility Services

>> DeWeese Health Center, Room 23

>> Kent, Ohio      44242

>> 

>> Email: mdimac at kent.edu<mailto:mdimac at kent.edu>

>> 

>> Phone: 330-672-3391

>> 

>> Confidentiality Notice:  This e-mail is intended only for the use of the

> individual or entity to which it is addressed. This e-mail message may

> contain confidential information intended only for use of the individual or

> entity named. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient,

> please do not read, use, disclose, copy or distribute this message and do

> not take any action in reliance upon it.  If you have received this

> transmission in error, you are hereby notified that any dissemination,

> distribution or copying of this communication is prohibited. Please delete

> it from your system without copying or forwarding it, and notify the sender

> of the error by reply e-mail or by calling 330-672-3001.

>> 

>> _______________________________________________

>> athen-list mailing list

>> athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu

>> http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list

>> _______________________________________________

>> athen-list mailing list

>> athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu

>> http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list

> _______________________________________________

> athen-list mailing list

> athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu

> http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list

> 

> 

> _______________________________________________

> athen-list mailing list

> athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu

> http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list