How I Did It at University

Things are very different today when it comes to how blind and sight impaired students do such things as take notes at lectures, read their text books, and interact with the mainstream student.  They use electronic note takers that are equipped with special access technology, they are able to receive textbooks in electronic format, large print, and Braille, and they are finding ways to integrate more easily into the mainstream student population.

 

When I attended university, I taped almost all of my lectures and then I had to go home and listen to them and then take notes in Braille.  I received most of my textbooks on cassette tapes, and I either typed my exams or had oral ones with my professors.  My exams were given to me either in Braille or on cassette and my interaction with the mainstream student population was very limited; mainly due to my own shyness.

 

By the time I completed my Master's degree, computers were just coming into play so you see!  I did not have the luxury of the electronic age.  Nevertheless I managed to succeed and there was one thing that I always adhered to and it was not taking any extra time to do my exams.  Even when it was offered to me, I always refused and my reason for doing this was that I felt that it was imperative for me to complete my work in the same length of time like everyone else.  It was important for me because when I stepped into the real world, I would be fully ready and prepared to compete with the rest when it came to completing tasks and jobs in a specific length of time. 

 

I have continued to be a student since graduating and within the last few years, I have had the luxury of being able to take courses using electronic methods but I still continue to stick to my way of completing exams in the time allotted to the mainstream person.  If you would like to learn more about how blind and sight impaired students go about getting textbooks in electronic formats or if you would like to learn more about some of the note takers that they use, then you can visit the American Printing House for the Blind at www.aph.org.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and asking you to go out there and share my blogs with others.