Transcript Orientation & Mobility Program Content

2012 Visually Impaired
College Survival Guide
Joe Strechay
CareerConnect Program Manager
American Foundation for the Blind
Email: [email protected] Tiffany B
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What areas must any college
student succeed in?
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Attendance (O & M)
Readings
Testing
Note Taking
Studying
Time Management
Volunteer Experience
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Social Skills
Self Advocacy
Accessing Technology
Resources
Independent Living
Skills
• Employment Skills
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Attendance (O & M)
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Location of Housing
Transportation and the Cost
Learning the Campus
Get to Campus Early!
Enlisting an O. & M. Instructor
Who else could help?
Base routes and branch off
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Attendance (O & M)
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Landmarks, cues and clues.
Buildings and numbering systems.
Classroom set up and practice routes
Head to class Early
Campuses change
Plan schedule according to buildings
and times
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Attendance (O & M)
• May be necessary to ask for other
student’s assistance to get to classes. Be
polite and make sure they are in the class
as well. Don’t ware out your welcome!
(Until route is learned)
• Be practical and realistic.
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Readings
• Reading method must be fast and
efficient!
• Must know how to get access to reading
materials and be able to adapt or
accommodate for themselves if need be.
• Must take the initiative to find out books
prior and plan ahead.
• Books can be downloaded online.
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Readings
• Dialogue with professors – Open!
• Access readings in multiple mediums
• Prioritize and use good Time Management
Skills!
• Bookshare.org
• National Library Service
• LearningAlly (formerly RFB&D)
• iBooks
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Readings
• Student Textbook eRent Project
(STEP)
• NFB Newsline
• Other websites for audible books
• Stay on top of the technology
available! Read AFB’s
AccessWorld for free online.
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Time Management
• Make a schedule and live by it! A planner
is a good idea.
• Put all readings, assignments and exams
into the planner.
• Assign times to study.
• Allow time to sleep and eat, staying
healthy is important.
• Get assignments done early.
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Receiving Accommodations
• Contact the Student Disability Center
on the campus to find out their
procedures.
• Student should know what
accommodations they need.
• Let professors know what
accommodations are needed right
away.
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Receiving Accommodations
– Time
– Size of Print
– Having a reader
– Electronic format or Medium
– Lighting
– Filling out the answer key (Scantrons can be
difficult)
– Use of a CCTV or magnifier
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Self Advocacy
• Students must be able to express
themselves and what they want in an
appropriate manner.
• Students must know how to advocate for
themselves and this needs to be practiced
in all facets of life.
• Students must know when it is appropriate,
it many not always be.
• Disclosure statement
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Note Taking
• Speed, accuracy and efficiency.
• Must be able to take some sort of notes.
• Student should have a system set up with each
professor to obtain notes in a format accessible to
them PRIOR to the start of class
• Recording the class is great, but doubles the amount
of time spent on the notes. They will have to be
transcribed later.
• Method has to suit the student!
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Studying
• Introduce the student to multiple
methods.
• The student must have a primary method
before college.
• Some classes may require a different
method of studying.
• Some students do not study well in
groups.
• Schedule reader if needed.
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Accessing Technology
• Students must be able to use
computers, use the internet
efficiently, access online blackboard
sites, access e-journals and
extranets.
• They NEED to have tech skills
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Accessing Technology
• Smart Phones = iPhone or Android
phones
• Why the iPhone
• Apps
• Keyboard
• Accessing social media
• AccessWorld – www.afb.org/aw
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Hiring of “Readers” and Note Takers
takes practice
• Create a flyer with first name, phone number and the
service you are looking for.
• Make lists of hiring questions to ask and ask them.
• Practice and role play hiring readers and note takers.
• Use those TA’s or Peer Counselors!
• Create opportunities for hiring a reader/scanner.
• Teach them to be competent and confident scanners so
they can do it and train their new hires.
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Readers OR Scanners
• Readers are less common
• Turning into scanning materials
• Some schools offer this as a service
• Learn to scan your own – Practice
the skill!
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Readers and Note Takers
• This is a job, you can fire them if they don’t meet your
needs!
• Note-takers are hard to find in HS’s these days, most don’t
require note-taking. Essential to teach VI student to take
their own notes and gather notes from teachers
electronically when possible. Why rely on someone else?
Many classes don’t require a note-taker, just auditory
lectures
• Practice Practice Practice
• Not just a college skill but an employment skill for any job
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Readers for Math and Science
• Best to hire from within the department of
the class being taken so that language read is
correct
• Consider and contact local agencies to find out
about outsourcing for braille production
• If subjects are difficult, speak to professor
from the beginning about tutoring available
and use it!!
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Social Skills
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Basic manners
Age appropriate
Conversation skills
Posture and attention
Addressing different audiences
Dress and appearance
Peers will be honest, practice!!! Enlist help if
needed.
• Phone conversation skills
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Independent Living Skills
• “Laundryness”
• Grocery shopping skills, food
preparation
• Housekeeping skills at least strong
enough to maintain a college roommate
• Hygiene- Yes, think large amounts of
group work and opportunities to make
friends….
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Employment Experience
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First job is not a career.
Create a Portfolio.
Know your materials.
Interviewing skills
Letters of Reference
Be confident and dress to impress.
Practice, practice and more practice…
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Employment Experience
• Start Internships early and keep them
coming.
• Contact people in fields of interest.
• Mentors with VI in related field.
• AFB CareerConnect is a great resource!
• Career Centers are great places and are
under utilized.
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Volunteer Experience
• Volunteer with charities or
philanthropies.
• Volunteer to get employment
experience and “your foot in the
door.”
• Prove your value in these situations!
• Being a well rounded individual.
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Survey: Tips and Resources for College
Students who are Blind or Visually
Impaired
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May – July 2012 (6 weeks)
Informal National Survey
Online
103 Respondents
Current or Past College Students
Purpose: Gather tips and resources
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Respondents: Vision During College
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No Vision: 25 percent
Light Perception: 12 percent
Some Usable Vision: 40 percent
Good Usable Vision: 23 percent
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Respondents: Years Since College
• Current Student: 30 percent
• Graduated within the last 5 years: 24
percent
• Graduated within 6 to 10 years: 12
percent
• Graduated 11 or more years ago: 34
percent
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Respondents: Major or Area of Study
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Business / Administration: 10 percent
Arts (art, theatre, music, writing, lit.): 6 percent
Social Sciences & Human Services: 30 percent
Education & Rehabilitation: 29 percent
Sciences, Health, & Medical: 9 percent
IT & Computers: 7 percent
Law: 2 percent
General: 5 percent
Industrial (1 respondent)
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Respondents: Mentor with VI in
College
• Yes: 13 percent
• No: 83 percent
• Unsure: 4 percent
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Why is this interesting?
Top Results for Resources they Wished they had or
known about:
• Mentors
• Student Disability Resource Center
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Assistive Technology
• Transportation
• Bookshare.org
• LearningAlly (formerly RFB&D)
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Respondents: Most Common Barriers
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Professors: 20 percent (could be higher)
Books / Textbooks: 28 percent
Access: 13 percent
Technology: 11 percent
Understanding & Attitude: 8 percent
Discrimination
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Resources
• Mississippi State University – Great resources
including calendar
• College Ready Challenge (AFB CareerConnect)
• College Bound (AFB Press)
• Transition Tote (APH) – new edition coming
this fall
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Special Note!
• There is more to come from this survey!
• Special thanks to Tiffany Barbieri is a TVI and
Transition Specialist in Hillsburough County,
FL.
• THANK YOU!
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