From: sludi@polyslo.csc.calpoly.edu (Stephanie Ann Ludi)
Newsgroups: alt.education.disabled
Subject: Re: Classes with disabled
Date: 16 Dec 92 08:13:39 GMT
Organization: Cal Poly State Univ,CSC Dept,San Luis Obispo,CA 93407

In article <1992Dec13.213809.12734@nmsu.edu> nmcb@dante.nmsu.edu (Yolanda Thompson) writes:
>In article <1992Dec8.012628.345@colorado.edu> cdash@moet.cs.colorado.edu (Charles Shub) writes:
>>In almost a quarter century of teaching, I've$had$my share of students
>>with handicapping conditions, ranging from difficulties in hearing or 
>>seeing to difficulties in mobility or ability to use equipment to
>>learning disabilities to psychologocial considerations.  Every time
>>a person with$a disability is in one of my classes, I worry if I am
>>doing all I could to provide a rich environment for that student.
>>Some examples...
>>1)  Obviously, I can't stop talking when a hearing impaired student
>>    takes a course, but how best to help that student pick up the
>>    nuances that are routinely gotten by the hearing students.
>>2)  I can't stop using the blackboard when I have a visually
>>    handicapped student, but how do I get things involving diagrams
>>    and graphs across without being unfair to this student.
>>3)  Physical handicaps can normally be compensated for by allowing
>>    extra time, but where does the fairness line get drawn?
>>4)  Psychological issues can be dealt with via alternative examination
>>    formats, but again how to assure equitable treatment.
>>     
>>Any wisdom out there? 
>>-- 
>>
>>charlie shub  cdash@cs.Colorado.EDU       -or-         (719) 593-3492     
>>on leave at the University of Iowa  cdash@cs.uiowa.edu (319) 335-0739
>
>I guess, that first of all it would be$correct to addres the correct
>terminology for disabled individuals.
>  Since the passage of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) the
>correct terminology is "Persons with disabilities."
>  This emphasizes the fact that the individual is a individual first
>and foremost, and yeah, they just happen to be disabled.

     Persons with disablilities, disabled, handicapped, whatever...you know when
you start tossing these pc terms around and correct people right and left
instead of educating them, then you will make people more uncomforable around
you, and set this whole disabled awareness and rights issue back about 20 years.
And yes I can say that, because I am a member of the above group.  I$am legally 
blind, or visually impaired if you like, but I don't throw around these terms
that are empty and turn people off.  My professors are confused and
uncomforable enough and I do not make things worse by doing that, I try to 
explain the best as possible what my impairment is and go from there.   

>  Fairness--to whom?  Fairness is relative, and therefore is difficult
>to address in a simple response.  If you're concerned about fairness
>to the students with disabilities in your class, then you are already
>disabling that student with your attitude of difference.  These are
>people who on a daily basis function in a "nondisabled" world.  They
>function in a sighted world if$blind.  They function in a hearing
>world if deaf.  And, they deal with architectural barriers and
>succeed.  Therefore, giving them what you offer every other student in
>your class is "fair."
>  If your question of fairness addresses the nondisabled students in
>your class, then where do you feel you might be unfair to them?


Yes disabled students should not be singled out in a class for general purposes
but there are times when special things have$to be done to accomodate a 
student.  I am a computer science senior and I had a hell of a time in
Calculus, Physics and my engineering classes.  Yes I FUNCTION in a sighted world
with dittos being darkened or printed in a larger font.  I was in an electrical
engineering class with some other disabled students and we had the biggest
jerk for a professor.  Was it fair when a student who had a mangled hand and took a little extra time to write, could not get extended test time? Or when he
refused to darken or enlarge handouts or the test for me and almost kick my
notetaker out of class (because she was not an enrolled student)? NO!! $I have
had professors say: why should I give you an extra couple minutes on a quiz,
that wouldn't be FAIR to the others.  Fair should mean that the students have
the oppurtunity to be graded with the class on the same level by assistance (whatever that may be).  If I get my test enlarged and darkened then I get an
equal chance like the rest of the class. 

I'm not quite sure if this makes sense at this moment --it's late. :)

>  A blind student knows how to get tle notes off of the blackboard.
Not always.  See below.

>The deaf student knows how to obtain new terminology. $The largest
ous regulr expressZKotWebarrier in today's society is the "social handicap."  The attitudes
>that concentrate on the differences rather than the sameness.

You have a point but the differences have to be addressed sometimes.  If you
ignore the differences all the time, you may do more harm than good to a person.

Well I'm stepping down from my soapbox and will answer the professors question.

**************************************************
To address the original educator: in my experience as a student the advice I
offer for visually impaired students is:


1) if you are giving a test/quiz and you make a correction to it in class and
write it on the board, please say what the correction is orally and make sure
the student is aware of$it.  I have had several teachers make a correction
and not say a word.

2) when you are writing stuff on the board (I am assuming you are in a technical
field), try not to say, "put this here and multiply that to this" because it
means nothing to the student who is trying to follow you mentally.

3) lastly, i understand some diagrams and derivations are long but please try
not to erase part of it instead of rewriting it, because when that happens
the student and notetaker have a very hard time following what you did and
comprehending it later.

4) oh yeah and overhead transparencies are AWFUL (especially if you work on them
in class and not merely preprepared).  If you do have to use them, try to have
a copy for the student and notetaker to look at (since you may need to make
changes to it, but the whole thing is too long for the notetaker to recopy by
hand).

I hope this helps you, and I apppreciate you coming forth and asking like this.


---Stephanie