Terry writes:
In such cases as this one there will always be some of the course which is
approached with difficulty. I can cite the example of a modern languages
student who had to study Medieval French in their second year when half
the material was not available and the lectures were very diagramatic
(tutor using white board).
Chris:
I can cite having dinner with a University lecturer of Medieval French who
was blind, so contrariwise as ever! It's the information that is important
not the format, as Esme says, nice to see you back Esme
Chris
The wisest strategy is to make ure that what material is accessible is
available early; the tutors will need to cooperate in this. You may find
that a year's preparation is necessary and that the student concerned would
be well advised to take a year out while you assembled such of the course
that was accessible. This time lapse would also give you time to solve
some of the problems with regard to those parts of the course which are at
present inaccessible and were there diagrams and other material needed time
to get these made up. Meanwhile, the student concerned on their year out
could be undertaking skilling exercises in areas directly related to their
forthcoming degree.
all teachers like to think that every jot of information they have to
impart is vital for the student. be honest! Those that succeed do not
ingest everything that is thrown their way. this does not, however,
undermine the value of the material taught.
Terry Brady, Project Officer, Open University
At 22:33 15/05/01 +0100, you wrote:
>Undoubtedly in such a degree there will be substantial amounts of
>graphic material, particularly diagrams of all kinds. Don't forget
>that the National Centre for Tactile Diagrams is here to provide
>tactile diagrams and relevant support for the student, tutors and
>others involved.
>
>This year we have been successfully providing diagrams to several
>students doing computer science degrees.
>
>We'd be very happy to arrange an early meeting with the student,
>tutors and one of our staff who can act as the main contact point
>from our end.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Helen Petrie
>
>
>>A student who is blind has asked if he could be considered for entry to
the
>>Electronic and Software Engineering Degree. A preliminary visit and
>>discussion has been held with the student, one parent, the Admissions
Tutor,
>>a lecturer, the Post-16 Education Officer from the RNIB (at the student's
>>request) and myself. It was clear from the meeting that any Engineering
>>student at Leicester is expected to work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week -
at
>>least 25 hours is contact time. The extra time that a student would need
to
>>process information in alternative formats would be considerable, there
are
>>also some incompatibilities with JAWS and some of the software that the
>>student would need to use, and so on. Even with a more or less full-time
>>PA, it is going to be a life absorbing course. In fact the department
feels
>>that one approach would be to split each year and effectively do the
course
>>part-time, although technically, the course is not part-time and six years
>>is a large chunk out of any one's life.
>>
>>Can anyone advise on successful ways of supporting a blind student on an
>>Electronic and Software Engineering Degree? I would be really interested
in
>>other people's experiences of supporting blind students in this area.
>>
>>Best wishes
>>
>>Paula
>>
>>Dr PB Dobrowolski
>>Head, AccessAbility Centre
>>Fielding Johnson Building
>>University of Leicester
>>University Road
>>Leicester, LE1 7RH
>>
>>tel and minicom: 0116 252 5002
>
>--
>Professor Helen Petrie
>Director
>Sensory Disabilities Research Unit
>and National Centre for Tactile Diagrams
>University of Hertfordshire
>Hatfield AL10 9AB
>United Kingdom
>
>phone: +44 1707 284629
>fax: +44 1707 285059
>email: [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]
>www: http://www.psy.herts.ac.uk/sdru/
> http://www.nctd.org.uk/
>internet research: http://www.netinvestigations.net/
>
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