Reflection #14, about accommodating for a blind student
This questions made me think of a guy at the college I went to, for my junior and senior year; he was totally blind. He had a person with him who recorded the lecture, for him to listen to again later. Also, the chapters in the books were read to him; I'm not sure if he had Braille translations or not. Anyway, he went on to be in radio at a local station.
In reference to accommodating lind student, I would be willing to have my lectures recorded. I would also find out how he has communicated in the past, what has worked and what has not. Since my workplace has accommodated for a nearly deaf student w/interpreter, I don't see why we could not do what it takes for a blind person. We have had a guy who needed a sight dog, for him to get around; I'm not sure what he could see and what he could not, or how he functioned in class.
I think you just showed your age, Pamela! These days, it is much more likely that blind students at the college level will be using screen readers and other technology to function independently than that they have readers. Readers are still a viable possibility, and certainly make more sense in certain situations, but for long assignments and reading texts, most students prefer to be independent.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Yes, I agree about the technology being better; I have some students now, who automatically raise the zoom in Microsoft Office to 180%. I also purchased a small magnifying sheet, so those who needed it could borrow it.
For those who are totally blind, totally in the dark, could not use a computer screen or keyboard unless in Braille. There are still audio recorders made and used; I think maybe a combination of technologies, along with people assitance, a blind person would make it through.
[Yes, I am a baby boomer (55), and learned to type on a manual typewriter; I like the computer keyboards much better!]
Actually, Pamela, lots of folks who are totally blind use computers very efficiently. relying on text-to-speech and speech-to-text technology (that is, the computer reads to them, and they speak to the computer). The use of Braille is fast falling by the wayside. That is a source of real concern to the blind community, who still see reading Braille as a necessary skill.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
