2012 Visually Impaired College Survival Guide Joe Strechay CareerConnect Program Manager American Foundation for the Blind B 1

Attendance (O & M) Readings Testing Note Taking Studying Time Management Volunteer Experience Social Skills Self Advocacy Accessing Technology Resources Independent Living Skills Employment Skills 2 What areas must any college student succeed in?

Attendance (O & M) 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 3

Attendance (O & M) 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 4

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. 5

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. 6

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 7

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. 8

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. 9

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. 10

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 11

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 12

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! 13

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. 14

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 15

Accessing Technology Smart Phones = iPhone or Android phones Why the iPhone Apps Keyboard Accessing social media AccessWorld – 16

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. 17

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! 18

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 19

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!! 20

Social Skills 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 21

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…. 22

Employment Experience 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… 23

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. 24

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. 25

Survey: Tips and Resources for College Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired May – July 2012 (6 weeks) Informal National Survey Online 103 Respondents Current or Past College Students Purpose: Gather tips and resources 26

Respondents: Vision During College No Vision: 25 percent Light Perception: 12 percent Some Usable Vision: 40 percent Good Usable Vision: 23 percent 27

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 28

Respondents: Major or Area of Study 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) 29

Respondents: Mentor with VI in College Yes: 13 percent No: 83 percent Unsure: 4 percent 30

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) 31

Respondents: Most Common Barriers Professors: 20 percent (could be higher) Books / Textbooks: 28 percent Access: 13 percent Technology: 11 percent Understanding & Attitude: 8 percent Discrimination 32

33 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

34 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!