Podcast Audio Page
Podcast Summary:
In the “College 101” webinar hosted by State Services for the Blind of Minnesota, three students, Amy, Arianna, and Maddy, shared their experiences transitioning from high school to college. They discussed the importance of self-advocacy, managing accommodations like extended test times, and utilizing assistive technologies such as Braille displays and Voice Dream Reader. The panelists emphasized building strong technology skills and relationships with professors to access essential resources. They also shared tips on tackling challenges, exploring campus life, and balancing independence. Their advice inspires high school students with visual impairments to prepare for a successful college journey.
To find out more about the services provided at State Services for the Blind, and what they can do for you, contact Shane DeSantis at shane.desantis@state.mn.us or call Shane at 651-385-5205.
Full Transcript
[Music]
Amy: I do have an accommodation that professors have to give me access to all of their PowerPoints.
Maddy: You might not get the same accommodations. I mean, it really depends on your personal situation. They might use the IEP as inspiration or like just to kind of get a better understanding of what’s worked for you in the past.
Arianna: So I started meeting with the professor and my tech specialist. The professor had no idea that she wasn’t describing, so it was really good to point that out to her in a of course, professional manner.
Jeff: Welcome to Blind Abilities. I’m Jeff Thompson. College 101 is a webinar put on by State Services for the Blind of Minnesota and hosted by Shane DeSantis, transition coordinator at SSB. And this year’s panelists come from three unique perspectives one from a university, one from a community and technical college, and the other a high school student taking PSEO classes, learn from their experiences that they share about their journey, their transition from high school to college. And now here’s Shane DeSantis. We hope you enjoy.
Shane: Yeah. So we’re going to kick it off. I’m gonna ask our panelists to introduce themselves. Amy, would you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your college journey?
Amy: Yes. Hi, I’m Amy, I’m a sophomore at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and I’m majoring in social work.
Shane: Thank you, Amy. Arianna?
Arianna: Hi, everyone. My name is Arianna. I go to South Central Community College in Mankato and this is my second year there.
Shane: Thank you Arianna. And Maddy?
Maddy: Hi everyone, I’m Maddy, I’m currently a SEO student at Normandale Community College and I’m a senior in high school at Armstrong High School in Plymouth.
Shane: Awesome. Well, thank you three for being here with us tonight. I love the diverse college experiences we have tonight, and I hope that all three of you can draw in some different experiences that will be insightful. This is going to be just like a round robin types of questions for all three panelists. Like I said, any attendees, if you have any questions, feel free to raise your hand or put them in the chat. We’ll also leave time at the end if anyone has any questions or wants to connect and chat if we have time at the end. Amy, let’s start off with you. Can you tell us what types of accommodations students with visual impairments can receive?
Amy: There are so many different accommodations. There’s like assistive technology, braille, large print, and I think really it’s a lot of personalized accommodations too, because when you take your classes, you’ll be like, oh, I think I’m going to need large print for this. And that’s when you go to your disability center and you get that. So my school has a testing center, and it’s where you can go into a quiet room and take your test. And also if you’re taking your test for a longer time, extended time, like I have double time on my exams. So that way I don’t have to worry about finishing in time before people in the class are done. I can just take my accommodated time and that’s been really helpful for me.
Shane: Awesome. Thank you Amy. Arianna, do you want to talk about what accommodations you use both in the classroom and for tests and quizzes?
Arianna: Yeah, so some accommodations I use. I record my lectures, which anyone can do, but I work with my technology specialist and she helps me to convert those recording into word, a word document so that I can use my braille display to also incorporate my notes with that too. And I use like what Amy said, I use the testing room, I get extended time and notes provided sometimes by professors, but that’s kind of more special circumstances and also communication with your advisor. It kind of helps with that. They make accommodations, too.
Shane: Thanks Arianna. And Maddy, want to close it out with that question?
Maddy: Yes, all my classes have been online so far, so most of my accommodations are kind of related to like the computer and testing. But I also get double time, like I get my textbooks and like a e-text format that is like screen reader compatible, any like worksheets I have if they’re not already accessible. The disabilities office will convert that for me. Those are the main ones I use. I also get to use Desmos, like the online calculator, because the physical calculators doesn’t really work for me. But yeah, those are the big ones.
Shane: Thank you. I heard a couple of themes there taking notes, so there’s accommodations for taking notes. Arianna, you’ve recorded lectures ideally, and then you’re able to convert that into different methods for referring back to those recordings when you work with the disability office to handle those recordings. Amy, sounds like you use a mix of braille and electronic access to your notes into the courses. And Maddy as well. You’ve got the e-Text accommodation, which I’m assuming all three of you are able to get access to your textbooks electronically. So then testing, that’s another area we’ve talked about having extended time to take your tests and quizzes and also having that quiet environment free of distraction going to, Amy said. There’s a testing center that you’re able to go to receive that extended time and being in that quiet environment for your tests. Amy, you mentioned some technology using a Braille display and Arianna as well. Any three of you? Are there any other assistive technology accommodations that either you use or were offered, or are able to use in the classroom or online for your classes?
Maddy: At Normandale, I haven’t had to use like this accommodation yet, but it was offered to me and it’s in my like accommodation letter, which is kind of like an IEP, like for testing if I ever like had to test on like one of like a Normandale like device, like it would have ZoomText on it. I believe it’s also in that accommodation letter that I’m allowed to use my phone in class. Um, not during exams, but like in class if I need to like, use it as a magnifier or like take a picture of the board or something.
Shane: Yeah, that’s important there. Maddy, thank you for bringing that up. For low vision users, having that access to a magnifier in the classroom is something that you can get an accommodation for, like Maddy said. Having that accommodation of using your cell phone to enlarge texts or use it as a magnifier right there in the moment. Whereas if you’re in a lecture on your phone, some professors might be wondering what. But having that as an accommodation, I’m sure that eases some of that potential confusion of, you know, hey, what’s Maddy doing on her phone knowing that? Yep. It’s an accommodation. And that’s something that you’re permitted to use. Thank you for that. Just to wrap up the accommodations question, I like all three of you to chime in. And let’s start with Arianna. What accommodations have you found to be most helpful so far in your academic journey?
Arianna: Extra time on test is the biggest one because using braille takes so much more time that just reading, writing and then also just taking your time with it has been a big one. Also, having access to an assistive technology specialist to ask questions. I know that’s not a recommendation, but having good connections with the disability office is huge. Honestly, for me it’s make or break the experience.
Shane: So it sounds like that extended time and that access to a technologist has been huge for you.
Arianna: Yes.
Shane: Amy, what about you? What’s been the most helpful accommodation you’ve utilized?
Amy: For me, I didn’t mention this earlier because it kind of slipped my mind, but I have had an access assistant, which is what they call like someone who comes in to class and is kind of like support. If you’ve used like a para in school before, that’s kind of what they are. And I’ve used one twice, one for a biology course that I took my first semester, and this semester I also have one for my linguistics class and both classes have been very visual, so they have been really helpful in describing what’s going on. For my linguistics class, my access assistant has written what’s on the board, on a whiteboard and in black marker in front of me so I can know what problems are being written up there. And that really has been like the biggest help, because I can actually follow along with the class and understand what’s going on.
Shane: Wonderful. Thank you. Maddy, what about you? What accommodation have you found most helpful so far?
Maddy: Probably what Arianna said the double time has been pretty nice on exams. Just kind of. It does kind of take longer if you’re magnifying things and it kind of, you know, just takes some of the stress off of the test. And also, just like the disabilities like resource center as a whole, like at least in my experience, they’ve been really helpful if I’ve ever, like, come across something that I’m like, I don’t know, like how I’m going to access this. They’re helpful and they’ll help you figure it out.
Shane: So yeah. Awesome. Thank all of you. It’s important to know that these are three examples of students who use various accommodations. It’s not all of the accommodations that are out there for blind, low vision and deaf blind college students. There are more that’s out there. And one of you had mentioned that there’s accommodations on your list of accommodations that you have not used. Can one of you talk about that briefly? Do you have to use all your accommodations and how does that work, getting accommodations for when you may need them?
Arianna: Every semester you put in a new accommodations because of course you’re going to have different classes, different professors. I’m just doing this right now. Before I select my classes for the spring, I actually reach out to the tech specialist and say, do you know these professors? What’s your advice? Are these ones good to take? Are they a heavy load? And then I go from there to make a decisions about, Yeah.
Amy: I would say that’s a really good point, Arianna. Also to kind of go back to the accommodation question, I do have an accommodation that professors have to give me access to all of their PowerPoints for their like the class time so that I can go through them either during class or before class to take notes. And I honestly don’t really use that accommodation because I just go to class and do the lecture. But if I ever needed to use them, I could. And that’s like really important is to have it there just in case, because you never know when you’re going to need it.
Shane: So what do you say, Amy? It’s better off to list the accommodations that you may need versus only advocating for the ones you absolutely know you’re going to use?
Amy: Yeah, for sure.
Shane: Thank you. Can you just talk about how disability services offices work and how you connect with that resource?
Amy: Yeah, I think a really like really important thing to do is look at their website because every school might have their own different procedure. But for my school I had to fill out a form kind of introducing myself and stating what kind of accommodations I would need. And then when they received that form, they sent me an email and asked to actually, I don’t think they sent me an email. I think I had to send an email and set up a meeting time with one of their advisors. Once I set up that meeting, we kind of talked through what accommodations I would need, what it would be like to go to UMD because I, you know, I’d never been there before, obviously. So I didn’t even know, like, what the process was like. And then my advisor helped me put together a letter of Commendation, which is just all of your accommodations laid out in a list, and then they’re sent out to your professors through my school, it’s really easy because you kind of just like on the website, you just send it and they get it right away, and it’s when they approve it, it’s all good. And then you’re all set up, basically.
Shane: Thank you, Amy. Maddy, what was it like for you connecting with Normandale as a school student in getting accommodations?
Maddy: So it was kind of a similar process to what Amy described. I just went on like the Disabilities Resource Office website and scheduled an intake meeting. And then I went and I brought like my IEP. And so the like specialist who I was working with at that then also had a list of other accommodations that I may like from, like the other accommodations that other visually impaired students had used. And then we just kind of talked through like the classes I was signed up for, what those would look like, what future classes may look like. And then put that in the accommodation letter. And then they sent that off to my professors. I also reached out to the professors just being like, hi, like I need these accommodations. Then it was pretty smooth sailing from there.
Shane: I like that. Maddy, along with your letter being sent to the professors, you said you also reached out to advocate for your accommodations and make that instant connection with a professor. How have you found that to work with your teachers?
Maddy: It’s been pretty great, especially like in the online courses, like it’s not like you’re seeing your professors really at all. So just being able to have that connection, even if it’s just through email, is kind of nice. And I also think it kind of shows the teachers that, like, you care about this class, like you’re committed, and it also is a good opportunity for you to like, let them know what you actually need. Since as we kind of talked through before, you don’t need to use all the accommodations that are on your letter. So like for the online classes, a lot of times, the only accommodation I need the professor to do anything for is the double time on test. So just being able to kind of voice that to them is pretty great.
Shane: And one last quick follow up for you, Maddy. So you’re a PSEO student. You’re still in high school. You mentioned bringing in your IEP to get accommodations. Don’t they just go off of your IEP for your accommodations.
Maddy: Like at Normandale?
Shane: Yes.
Maddy: Not necessarily. Since in college I mean college it’s a bit different from high school. So you might not get the same accommodations. I mean, it really depends on your personal situation in college. They can be a bit more strict about what they let pass. So they might use the IEP as inspiration or like just to kind of get a better understanding of what’s worked for you in the past. But it’s not just going to be a straight okay, copy and paste your IEP. You’re good to go.
Shane: So as a school student, even though you’re still in high school, Maddy’s accommodations are enforced and delivered through her college and not by the high school. Since when Maddy’s taking those college classes, she is a college student, and she is covered through the college and their accommodations. And they’re just really office and not the high school and the IEP, because that is a big shift. Going from high school to college is while you may still reference that IEP in college or the disability office might reference it when they’re setting up your accommodations, that is not a plan. Even if you’re still in high school as a student, that the college needs to follow since it is two separate entities. Arianna, what was it like for you setting up your accommodations and working with the Disability Services Office. Did you bring your IEP or did you just advocate for accommodations on your own?
Arianna: I brought my IEP, but I also just talked about my experience, and my college had some experience with people with visual impairments. So it wasn’t too much of a struggle because the professor I had already had a student with a visual impairment. So my first semester was like really smooth sailing, which was nice because it got me familiar. I didn’t take too many classes, so I wasn’t overwhelmed. Yeah, it was great.
Shane: Awesome. Amy, when did you reach out to the Disability Services office? Coming from a graduating senior into an incoming freshman.
Amy: Um, I think it was around June or July. It was kind of late because I was kind of procrastinating. I was a little bit scared. I was like, oh, my God, scary. So I didn’t really do it until I was like, okay, Amy, you have to do this now. And I think it was I want to say, June, that sounds right to me. Yeah, that’s when I reached out. But a lot of people do recommend doing it earlier, especially if, you know, if you’re going to have like math courses that require textbooks in Braille, like they really want those early. So getting connected with them as early as possible is really beneficial.
Shane: I couldn’t agree more. So important to know you can connect with the disabilities office on campus at any time. Even as a prospective college student thinking of going to a college, you can set up a time to chat with them and get a feel of what it would look like if you attend that school, and what accommodations they can provide. And also ask a question of have you the office had experience working with students with vision loss? That might be a real big insight into their level of comfort working with those with a vision loss, providing those accommodations and having those tools right at their disposal. Arianna, let’s start with you on this next question. If you could give your high school self one piece of advice, what would it be and what might you have done differently in high school if you had a chance?
Arianna: One piece of advice I would give to high school students now is that work on using tech like using a laptop and Jaws commands. Because when I got to college and I had to start writing papers, I was used to just using an iPad with the email app and all that. I didn’t know how to access editing and all that. So it was a struggle at first, and I would have really appreciated spending more time on that.
Shane: I love that. Arianna so you’re telling me I can’t go off to college and just use my iPad and my phone and get by.
Arianna: No, it won’t get you by at all.
Shane: The importance of lab top experience and knowledge is vital to going into college, because definitely going to be able to navigate the keyboard. And if your a screen reader user, navigating those key commands and navigating that technology to access your college material. Maddy, you’re still in high school. So a little bit of a different question for you. But even looking back, let’s say before you began classes, what piece of advice might you have given yourself?
Maddy: I would say just be a bit more assertive. And when it comes to like advocating for like certain accommodations or, well, like all accommodations, but just like not being afraid to say what you need or like to even suggest things because, you know, I’m sure a lot of us have had an experience where a teacher might think they know what works well, but it doesn’t. So being better at speaking up for myself and also getting better at doing more audio related things as opposed to like magnification. That also is pretty important and I wish I started doing that earlier.
Shane: Audio. That is another great tool that going into college, a lot of college students rely on, more so than they may have thought they would have in high school. Amy, what piece of advice would you give your high school self and what might you have done differently in high school?
Amy: I think Arianna and Maddy had really great answers that I was going to give, so I’m making one up right now. But one thing I did in high school was I worried so much about the social aspect of college, like how people were going to react to me being visually impaired. And when I got here, it was like, like they’re adult people here. Like, it’s not high school anymore. And I’ve noticed that people treat me just like a regular college student, and that is like a really big thing that I was worried about in high school. So just be like, it’s okay, because this is the real world now. You’re not in high school anymore.
Shane: Yes, definitely a leap into a newer environment that we’re hoping that events like this will help other students prepare for as they make that leap. I want to talk a little bit about being a good self-advocate working with SSB. I hope everyone has heard from their counselor or caseworker how important it is to be a good self-advocate. Maddy, can you talk a little bit about how you advocate for yourself in your PSEO classes?
Maddy: Really, the big thing for me is one just reaching out to the professor, you know, within that first week of classes, since they’re all online, I do it within that first week. If they were like in person and I would probably need like more accommodations right on that first day. So I’d probably like, reach out like, you know, before the first day of class, but reaching out and making that connection. You know, just letting them know what like my specific situation is because like, I have had some professors who have had a visually impaired student before, but, you know, as we all know, like, you know, no two people are the same and we all need something different. So just letting them know, like what I need. And then also just being confident in myself and reaching out to them. If there’s ever like an issue or like I need something else or something isn’t working, just getting really good at communicating with that professor is really important when it comes to advocating for yourself.
Shane: Yes, building a relationship is key. That’s what I’ve heard there. Arianna, I know you’ve done some really neat things advocating for blind and low vision users on your campus. Can you talk a little bit about how important advocating in college is and how you advocate?
Arianna: Yes. Honestly, if you can learn, one thing now is to don’t forget to speak up because people don’t know you can’t read your mind. So an example of a time where I had to speak up was when I was my first semester of college, and I wasn’t using my textbook correctly because I wasn’t used to using textbooks on a computer. And my first test I did really poorly on. And I didn’t know why, because I studied for hours on it every day, and eventually I figured out with my tech specialist that I wasn’t accessing the entire chapter. So I had to go to my professor and say, explain the situation. And then he said no to me. So I was like, he didn’t understand me. So I went above him and I went to the director of disability at my college. And then I was able to retake the test. So that was a hard situation because I had to advocate twice.
Shane: Yes, sounds hard, but it also sounds like you stood strong with your voice and your advocating skills. And at the end of the day, you got what you needed, which is very admirable. Amy, what about you? Can you talk about the importance of being a self-advocate?
Amy: Yes. In college, self-advocacy is so important because you’re the only person that’s there to advocate for yourself. There isn’t like a teacher there to talk to your professors, for you, to give you your Braille materials, to give you your large print. You have to do all of the work to get what you need, because only you know what you need. Kind of like Arianna said. Like they can’t read your mind and you have to let them know what you want and what you need to succeed. And like Amy said, forming that connection with your professors, like not just on the first day or before, like throughout the whole semester, continuing to work with them to make sure that they’re giving you all the accommodations that you need. Yeah, like self-advocacy, like it’s ongoing forever, unfortunately. But yeah.
Shane: Yes. That is why Self-Advocacy is a core service that State Services for the Blind provides, because it is a core skill that everyone needs, and developing that early is important and can be helpful, and I hope have helped all three of you prepare for and be successful in college. I want to switch it up a little bit and talk about the reading demand in college. Arianna, can you talk a little bit about your reading demands and how you access your textbooks?
Arianna: Yeah, I access my textbooks through two ways. One is the Voice Dream Reader app. If you haven’t heard of it, you just can download it. It costs a little bit of money, but it’s pretty cheap and I love it. You can have access to most books, most of my college textbooks I’ve been able to download, and it’s a great way. If you need citations, you can check where the number is on the page. It’s so accessible. I don’t know what I’d do without it. Pdfs you can download to it. So anything in a PDF you can have access to it on the Voice Dream Reader app. That is honestly what I use every day for accessibility.
Shane: Thank you Arianna. Just to talk a little bit about voice dream Reader. Voice Dream Reader is an app on your phone that you can download. I know it’s on iOS devices, and I believe it’s on Android as well where you can, like Arianna said, get access to textbooks. Voice Dream reader can pair up with Bookshare, and so any Bookshare books that you download, you can pull into Voice Dream Reader and have access to right there on your device. Amy, are you familiar with Voice Dream Reader?
Amy: Yes, I am. I do love Voice Dream Reader, especially because of that bookshare feature. I have had some textbooks that have been sent to me by the disability office that are accessible. I can read the text, but they don’t have headings in them, so I can’t really. Find chapters as easily. So I’ve gone to Bookshare downloaded that version with the headings, and that way I can access it better. But yeah. Voice Dream is so helpful for textbooks. And also if like professors decide randomly that they want to hand out a worksheet or like a little reading or something in class on paper that I can’t read. So then I take a picture of it through Voice Dream and it scans it, and then I can listen to it through my phone.
Shane: Can you talk a little bit about the reading demands in college, and maybe compare that to high school? How much more reading do you do in college versus high school?
Amy: So much more reading. Every professor has like well, most professors depending on the class, but have textbooks that you have to read and they’ll be like, read page 51 to 80 or something before next class. And so it’s a lot, a lot of reading, which is why having Voice Dream or some kind of way to listen to it is so helpful because you can speed it up or like, you can like even just listening to it. It’s so much faster than trying to read it in braille or magnifiers. And also it’s kind of finding a balance of like, if you have so many readings for a class and like other classes, have readings as well, kind of like deciding like, do I actually need to read this? Like that’s kind of bad advice to give kind of that. That’s why you need to like look at your reading materials, because I’ve had a class where all the reading was basically what we were going over in class. So I decided I don’t need to focus all my time on this reading. I can skim it, and then I can pay attention in class to make sure that I get all the material. So it’s kind of like learning your classes and the coursework.
Shane: Awesome. Thank you. Maddy, can you talk a little bit about the reading demands and how you access your textbooks?
Maddy: I mainly use I really like Bookshare. I also like will use like the PDFs that like a lot of my assignments are on PDFs, like one of my professors like, writes his own. He kind of writes his own textbook, but they’re all in like accessible PDFs. So like, it’s fine. But yeah, definitely all online. I use ZoomText to read it for me or Bookshare, but it’s definitely different from high school. Yeah, a lot of reading, and you definitely need to learn how to manage your time and prioritize what is important. Like Amy said, because you might not need to read everything carefully, but just learning how to do that and learning how to manage your time is like super important. So it’s definitely different from high school.
Shane: Thank you Maddy. Amy, I’m going to go back to you on this next one. Transportation And getting around the campus. Amy, you’re up at Minnesota Duluth where you’ve got underground tunnels, which can be convenient, I’m sure, but not all campuses have those. How do you navigate campus and even getting to campus from your hometown in the Twin Cities? What’s transportation and orientation and mobility look like for you?
Amy: Yes. So like Shane said, my campus is really cool in that it’s all connected through tunnels and skywalks, so I don’t have to, like, go outside ever. And sometimes it’s kind of scary in like the middle of winter when I’m like, oh my God, I haven’t been outside in two weeks. Let me do that. But as for transportation, there is this really cool system where there is a bus that will go from my college down to the Twin Cities campus and it will, you know, go from there to here or from here to there. And that’s usually how I get home. I’ll just go down to the cities, and then my dad or my mom will pick me up and take me home, and I really like using that. And then in Duluth, I also really like using the bus system. I take it to the grocery store, to subway, to Taco Bell. I like basically like learning the bus has been really helpful because it’s given me a lot of independence to go places that I want to go off campus.
Shane: Awesome, thank you. And how about finding your classrooms? And every semester you’re in new classrooms, right? How do you navigate that?
Amy: So my first semester I didn’t know the school at all. So what I did was I worked with an O&M instructor to learn routes, class to class, from my dorm to the dining center, from my dorm to my first class of the day. And that was really helpful because I just followed those routes my first semester. And then I started, you know, kind of like, what if I take this turn instead and kind of exploring the building? And then for my next semester, which is last semester, I just walked around on my own with one of my friends to look for my classes and then did the same thing for this semester because, like, now I know the building, the buildings, I guess. But I do think that that one instruction at the beginning was really helpful because they helped me kind of get a foundation.
Shane: Arianna, what’s transportation navigating your campus look like for you?
Arianna: Yeah. So I use a metro mobility. It’s, um, the bus system that’s connected to the city bus. So I get door to door service, which is really nice. In the winter when I don’t want to walk three blocks to the bus stop. So that was just really simple. I might not get my ride right away, but in a few days I’ll have a ride. And if I need a ride quickly, I use the city bus and there’s an app that you can download and it will audio describe what is this stop? What’s the next stop? And it’s super accessible. So yeah that’s the transportation I’ve been using.
Shane: Thank you guys. And yes I’ve heard of students every semester. If you’re on a larger campus working with either SSB or the disability office to learn where those new classrooms are, you know, the bigger campus where a new semester you might have classes all in new buildings and new areas of the campus where connecting with an orientation and mobility professional or just someone to help you walk the route and learn where the building and where the classroom is, is something that can be set up and is available. Going to go on to the next question, because I know we all deal with this in all areas of our life and in college. Sometimes it might come out even more so than others. How do you manage procrastination, especially in college, where you don’t have a teacher of the blind and visually impaired or an IEP team following you along? Maddy, do you deal with procrastination and if so, how do you help combat that?
Maddy: I definitely am guilty of procrastinating, especially this semester. Senior slide is hitting me, but something that I have found really helpful is like one having like an actual like planner system like I use. There’s this website called Notion, which I use, like I put all my assignments in there and put like the due date. Then you can like check them off as you do them. Like before the semester, I would just like create a list of assignments in my Notes app and like might work for some, but like it wasn’t working for me. So having like a good system to just like keep track of everything and then also like something I like to do, I think there’s a name for it, but I don’t know what it is, but it’s you like, set a 25 minute timer and like you don’t do anything but like homework or whatever you’re trying to do. Then you take a five minute break, then you set a 25 minute timer and you just do that pattern for however long. So like if I really need to get an assignment done, I will do that. But also just like having a good system to keep track of everything and know when things are due is like definitely really important.
Shane: Amy, you mentioned procrastination already earlier on. How do you manage procrastination?
Amy: Yes, procrastination is so bad, especially like during the end of the semester where you just want to be done and want to go home. And that’s like me right now. And I have like projects and papers and exams to study for. So kind of what Maddy said, putting some kind of system in place like that could be in your calendar app on your phone. I just typed everything out in a document and put what I’m doing each day. So today I have like music homework I have to do and start my review for my exam. That’s like on my list, which I have to do today, like after this. But yeah, just having that schedule is so helpful because it kind of puts in your brain that you have to do something like you have to do your work. Also, getting out of my room, going to the library or like to a study area that’s like specifically for studying is really helpful because it gets me out of the mind space of, oh my gosh, let me go on Instagram right now and it puts me in study headspace.
Shane: Thank you Amy. Arianna, what about you? Do you deal with procrastination?
Arianna: Um, usually I just mostly get on top of stuff. I have trouble with sometimes spacing different assignments, so I try to set reminders, create visuals of like I love check boxes, so if I see an empty box, I want to fill it. And that kind of motivates me. I know it might sound silly, but anything that kind of gets you to do something. Like Amy said, making a set list to make sure you get everything done you’re accountable for. It is what I do, and it’s a reminders app that I use. I have an Apple phone. I think that most phones have it and that’s really helped me. I can set a folder for psychology, for US history, and then I can put my assignments, and then I can check them off as I go through my day.
Shane: Awesome, thank you. I think a couple of themes there is having some sort of management system, whether that’s the reminders app, a app. Maddy mentioned one. Amy has her list. Something where you can put in assignments and responsibilities and have them down somewhere. So you go down that list, get them taken care of, and know what’s coming up that you have to work on. Next question. And Arianna, let’s continue with you. Have you participated in any student life activities on campus and or any clubs? And if so, do you have any advice on how to get connected with clubs and campus activities?
Arianna: Yeah, my college always has like kind of like student council or student life activities like once a month. And I always like with my site, try to find like the table with the director or like the student like workers. And they’re always so willing to like, help me and describe what’s around. And that’s how I usually can get involved and meet people. And yeah, that’s usually the key is what I always do when I want to get involved.
Shane: Mandy, what about you?
Maddy: Kind of like what Arianna said. I’ve gone to, like, a couple events or whatever at Normandale, and, like, I literally will just walk in and go to the desk and, like, be like, where is this? And they’ll be like, oh, right here. Like, it’s just asking for help or like asking for directions and like just putting yourself out there. Yeah, it’s a great way to, like, meet new people.
Shane: Yeah. Putting yourself out there. And sometimes that takes being vulnerable and that’s okay. Every college student I think has their different approaches to putting their stuff out there and being vulnerable. Amy, what about you? Are you involved in any clubs or student life activities?
Amy: I used to be a part of my school’s ballroom dancing club. I joined it my first semester, actually. During the first week they had like a bunch of different events and like clubs, you could go like, meet different clubs and stuff. And I went to the ballroom dancing meeting and I was like, oh, this is fun and like to make it more accessible. I think one thing was they were like showing dance moves. And I was like, I don’t know what you’re doing, lady, please tell me. And so they kind of just saying, hey, could you show me, like right in front of me, what you’re doing so that I can see you, like, just like again, advocating for yourself. And I’m not a part of that anymore. Like, I just lost interest, which is totally fine. I think trying different things is so important. Like, you’re not going to like everything that you join, and that’s okay. And you can find something else that you like. And now I do go to a lot of student life activities and those are really fun. Definitely meet people and have fun experiences. And I would really recommend going to those.
Shane: I don’t know if any of you have experienced this, But soon clubs and on campus activities typically have free food, which…
Amy: Yes!
Shane: Thank you Amy. And as a college student, free food, getting out of that dining hall and maybe going to a club for some local pizza. I think that that was a huge perk when I was in college. And meeting people is another huge thing there. Amy, you touched on that. Getting out of your comfort zone, meeting new individuals, networking. Great. Getting involved. Maddy, I’ve got a question exclusively for you. How, in your opinion, does being visually impaired make PSEO more challenging in juggling your high school and extra college classes?
Maddy: I would kind of say one thing I think it can kind of impact is like at least if you’re doing online, like just like arranging your schedule to like, work for you. Like, I meet with like my vision teacher once a month, but some people might meet once a week or even more. I have to like, kind of think in advance, like, do I have a test this day? Can I meet at this time? Like, because things when you’re in college, like, it’s not like you’re in school for seven hours a day, you kind of have more free time, but you also have to be in charge of managing your time and just be more on top of things like yourself. Because also like you are the only like your parents aren’t, don’t have access to like your college schedule, your grades, or your classes like it’s all you. Even if your school, like your high school case manager, can’t access anything through your college, so it’s really on you to be on top of your like, assignments. Be on top of your grades, be on top of everything. And like that transition might be slightly harder for someone who’s like, visually impaired because you might be used to having a lot of support and then you kind of have to, like, just go and figure things out yourself, which I actually kind of liked because then I was just in charge of everything, and I didn’t have to, like, wait for people to send in these things. And I’ll just say, like in college, it’s much more like straightforward. I would say, like accommodations and everything, at least in my experience. But also everything’s on you. So yeah.
Shane: So a lot more independence and autonomy at a younger age than a typical college freshman fresh out of high school. And then one follow up, when can a high school student start taking PSEO classes? And how many classes can you take as a PSEO student?
Maddy: So it might be a dependent on your high school, but I believe in most cases you can start taking PSEO your junior year and you can take anywhere from like 1 to 17 credits. And so like I’ve done part time PSEO. So like last year when I was a junior, I took 11 college credits each semester. Then, like one class at my high school, just because I kind of liked still going to school and like having that sort of routine. So I did that. Then this semester and next semester, I think I’m taking like 12 or 13 credits, and I still take that one class at the high school. But you can like, take as little or as much as you want, really. So like if you were thinking about it, you always can just take like one PSEO class that first semester and still take like most of your classes at the high school, if you’re kind of nervous about it, that’s an option. Yeah, I think that answers the question.
Shane: Yes, thank you. I just want to take a quick pause. We’ve got about just over 20 minutes left in the evening. I have a few questions left on my list, but I do want to do a quick reminder. Any attendees, if you have any questions, feel free to raise your hand, come off mute Or type something in the chat. If you have a question that you would like to ask Amy, Arianna or Maddy. Awesome! You guys are great. I saw Riley’s hand go up first. Riley.
Riley: Hello guys. I’m a sophomore in high school and this might be for Amy and Arianna. I’m not sure. Maddy, how much this would affect you, but how crucial is it for instructors to explain the problems that they’re doing on the board? I have this, you know, where biology, they’re trying to do genetics problems. And during math, you know, our math teacher has to explain what he’s doing. How crucial is it for you to tell your professors that, hey, you need to explain this? Not trying to be, like, rude about it, but in a you just gotta be able to ask them, hey, can you explain this? How crucial is that for you guys?
Amy: That is a really good question, Riley. That is definitely something that’s really crucial because they might not know the level of vision you have. So really saying, oh, I really need you to explain what’s going on, because otherwise I won’t be able to understand is so important. And I think that’s actually one of the accommodations in my letter that’s like a spoken visual content, I think is what it’s called, something like that. So adding that to your accommodation letter is something you can do too. But definitely give that reminder because they might forget, you know, they’re humans too. So just reminding them maybe sit in the front so they can see you. Like definitely.
Arianna: I had a little frustrating experience my first week and taking Lifespan Psychology, where she was my professor was showing cells and not describing or anything. So I set up a meeting with the professor and my tech specialist, and we kind of just talked over things, and the professor had no idea that she wasn’t describing. So it was really good to point that out to her in a, of course, professional manner.
Shane: Another example of being a self-advocate. Thank you. Riley, did that answer your question?
Riley: Yeah, that helps a lot. Yeah.
Shane: Awesome. I know I saw another hand go up and then come down again. If anyone has a question, feel free to raise your hand or come off mute and chime in if you feel comfortable.
Ghazal: Yeah. Hi. It’s Ghazal. Hi, gazelle. Hi. I was just going to ask the same question that I asked, so I’m good. Like, does professor come up to you and help you, like in high school or. Yeah, but I got my question answered. Thank you.
Shane: Wonderful, great minds think alike. Thank you. Ghazal and Riley, I’ve got another question that I’d like all of you to answer. Can you talk about taking notes? What practices do you use for note taking that you’ll find helpful, whether that be assistive technology or any methodologies that you find to take notes. Arianna, I know you mentioned recording lectures to audio. Is there any other note taking methods that you use?
Speaker6: Yeah.
Arianna: So as you mentioned, I record my notes, but I also work with my tech specialist. I think I might have mentioned this before, but she uploads it actually into AI. And so it spits out it gives me every word the professor says, but then gives me an alternate version that just goes into more depth. So I have two options for notes that way. And I have like just the recording itself. So I have like three different options to go from.
Shane: Wonderful, thank you. So, in the AI, it’s a real tool that individuals are using and being used in the classroom. Thanks, Arianna. Maddy, what do you use for note taking?
Maddy: I just use my computer. Just type on like a document. I also think this is an accommodation I have is that I can use my computer to note take. I feel like now that’s like kind of a common practice. But like the only issue I’ve ever ran into was actually in a high school class where it was the teacher didn’t want people to have their computers out, but like, kind of just having that, like on your letter might be kind of helpful, but I just use a computer. Next year when I’m like at the U of M, I’ll probably like kind of do what Arianna does and record the lectures and then probably put it through AI or whatever to get like a summary. But yeah, I just like using a Google doc. I use like Cornell Notes template if anyone knows what that is. But yeah.
Shane: So typing for you must be huge if you’re typing in notes, must have strong typing skills. Another piece that I did want to touch on briefly is in the accommodations letter, how does having access to a computer can be an important accommodation? Yes, most colleges and most classes everyone’s going to have access to a computer. Majority of students nowadays take notes on their laptops versus handwritten anyhow. But if you ever find yourself in a class where a teacher does not permit technology in the classroom, having that accommodation on your letter will afford you that accommodation. Another example of a accommodation that may not be needed, but if you ever find yourself in that one class where you need that accommodation, that’s when it could be utilized. Amy, what about you? Can you talk about your note taking?
Amy: Yeah, I also just type my notes out in a word document and that’s mainly what I do. I did have the option to record, and to be honest, I just never really got the program to work. I was more focused on like, the lectures. So I’m sure that’s really helpful and I might give it another try. And one thing I do for my document is I’m a really bad speller, so I make sure that the topic of the day is spelled correctly, and then I just like do my notes for the day. But that way when I need to look for a specific like term or something, I can just do control F and like type in what I’m looking for in the document and it’ll take me right to that section. And that’s really helpful. So I don’t have to scroll through the whole document. Yeah, that’s the big thing that I do.
Shane: Thank you. Have any of you been offered or utilize. And I’m not talking about a Braille note taker here, but accommodation of a note taker?
Arianna: Yeah. So in the beginning of the semester, my professor asked me if I’d be interested in that, and I said, of course, that’d be super helpful. And it ended up being pretty great, except for the note taker asked me. This is a very silly tool of someone that’s very blind. If they could give me my notes in print and handwriting and I was like, no. So there was a lot of work with that. So you had to do advocating with that. And I was like, no, that will not work. I can’t see that it worked for a little bit because she ended up finding a way to get it in word document, but it ended up being a great resource because now we’re friends, we text, and she helps me with the class, even though she’s not like an official note taker.
Shane: Yeah, and just for some information about that, some disability offices will be able to hire a sometimes a classmate that will take notes for you or share their notes with you so you have access to. Yes, it’s someone else’s notes, but they go through a little bit of a vetting process to where they have to be strong note takers themselves. And another way to get some live notes in the classroom. Again, another accommodation out there not everyone uses, but an option for some that will work. I have just two more questions, so I’m going to just ask this question, and the three of you can um, chime in if you have a response. What have you found to be the most challenging aspect of attending college with a vision impairment so far?
Maddy: Just doing my classes online, it’s been kind of smooth sailing. Like pretty much. But like, I did have one class last semester and it was a calculus class and the teacher would lecture, but when she lectured, she would like hand draw these like graphs and like numbers and like they were like, borderline illegible and like, she had a really, like, thick accent. So I like, couldn’t tell what she was saying half the time. And it was kind of a struggle. Eventually I got used to it, but it can be kind of hard, just like having to navigate certain things like that. Also with that, like for our test, we had like these like lockdown browsers, but it wouldn’t let me use Desmos. So like that was a whole thing, but I just had to like kind of reach out to the disabilities resource office and they got it all figured out. So definitely just like, don’t ever be afraid to, like, ask for help or just tell people what’s going on. But yeah, I feel like that was the biggest challenge I’ve come across so far.
Shane: Thanks, Maddy. And maybe just to cap off the evening, the question for all three of you. And let’s start with you, Amy. What advice do you have for someone thinking about attending college?
Amy: That is really hard. I think just making sure that you have all the skills that you’re going to need, whether that be computer skills like using a screen reader, making sure that you are like, know all your key commands and stuff like that, your self-advocacy skills practicing, you know, maybe go to your IEP meeting and advocate for yourself. Don’t let the adults be the only ones talking. That’s a really good way to really get your self-advocacy skill up a little bit. Take every opportunity that you have to get your skills up and take it. And you know, you could do some SSB training and stuff like that to get yourself ready. Yeah.
Shane: Awesome. Arianna, what advice do you have for someone thinking about attending college?
Arianna: Like Amy said, don’t be afraid to stick up for yourself. I always say this to myself, you got this. You can do it. If you’re feeling intimidated and you don’t feel like you can do it, maybe take a day break and, like, that’s what one of my advisors told me. He’s like, if you’re tired and you’re overwhelmed, take a day. You can take a day like you can take a personal day if you’re just mental health is just like, I can’t do it. And then the other thing is use your assistive tech. I use a Mantis Q40. I don’t know what I’d do without it. It’s a Bluetooth keyboard and it can connect to a phone, laptop, whatever, and it has braille input and it has really helped me in college.
Shane: Then Maddy, what advice do you have?
Maddy: I would say kind of like what Amy and Arianna have been saying. Like, definitely get used to using a computer if you’ve just been going with like through high school and stuff using an iPad, maybe consider talking to your vision teacher about a computer because or other assistive technology that you might need in college. Just start having those conversations because you’re probably going to need different support than what you have in high school. And also maybe consider challenging yourself in high school, whether that be through like an AP class or like a PSEO class. Like you don’t have to do all PSEO, you can just do one class if you want, but just kind of starting to have those conversations and like, yes, like at your IEP meeting, like talk about it and like advocate for what you want to do at your IEP meeting because I mean, you can ask for services like at mine IEP meeting last year. And I’d had a conversation with my own before, but I was like, can we like do some lessons at the U of M? Because like I’m kind of like intimidated by the campus and it seems really big. And she’s like, yeah, like, why not? So like, just don’t be afraid to like, ask for to do things that you want to do and ask for, like the resources and stuff you think would help you prep for college.
Shane: Great words of advice. I picked up on a few themes tonight, one being the importance of strong self-advocacy skills, another having strong technology skills. Being familiar with the technology that you may be using in college. That’s important. Being comfortable with using a computer, using a laptop, and how crucial that is to success in college, and also just being willing to take that risk. Be vulnerable. Put yourself out there, connect with others, learn skills, and really challenge those abilities that you’re going to need to be successful in college are just a summary of some of the skills that Amy, Arianna and Maddy talked about tonight. I encourage any student who’s interested in college to really challenge themselves to developing, or some of you probably have developed those skills that may be trying to further those skills a little bit to help prepare yourself for college. If that’s your goal, I’d also recommend to continue to connect with college students and learn from them about their experiences. Connect with colleges directly with those disability specialists on campus to learn about how they can be a resource for you as you go off to college, and also utilize State Services for the Blind, your counselor, your assistive technologist, and any support staff at SSB. Anyone to help you develop some more skills to further your skills to help you be prepared for success in higher education.
Tonight we had three different perspectives. Two who are currently at a two year technical school or community school. Maddy, I know you’re preparing for a transferring to a larger university after you finish school, which is great. Arianna, you’re at that technical school right now working on your degree. And Amy, you’re at that university. You’re diving right into that higher education for your degree. And so these three perspectives, I’m hoping can help shed some light on what that transition to college might look like. And also know that that transition to college can be different for everyone. And those skills needed for that success can be similar amongst all of you. So if anyone has any last questions you would like to ask Amy, Arianna or Maddy, feel free to come off mute or raise your hand. But know that even if you have a question down the road, as SSB has connections to these students and other students and we can help make more connections if that would ever be helpful. I do want to point out tonight’s recording will be posted on our website under our Youth Services page. Under other Resources, we have a College preparedness section.
I encourage you all to go and check that out. We have a college readiness checklist on there that talks a lot about the skills that Amy, Arianna and Maddy talked about tonight. We have our college student handbook on there that details how SFB can be a resource in college and what our policies and procedures are for supporting a student when they go off to college. Amy and Arianna have read through this. Maddy, if you haven’t, you will, as she goes off to college after high school, her next journey in college, I should say. And then we also have scholarships posted there as well. We have a list of college scholarships that are available for the 2025 2026 school year that are labeled 2024 2025 because they’re available this year to apply for. So I encourage you all to go check those out. And like I said, if anyone has any questions about college or wants to dive deeper into anything talked about tonight, please contact your SSB counselor, me or anyone else on your team to help you be prepared for college. Thanks everyone for joining. I hope you all have a great night and I hope to see you next time. Take care everyone!
Jeff: To find out more about all the programs at State Services for the Blind, contact ShaneDeSantis@state.us. That’s Shane D e S a n t i s at state dot us. Be sure to contact your State services for the Blind, your Voc Rehab and find out what they can do for you. Live. Work. Read. Succeed. I want to thank you for listening. And until next time, Bye Bye.
[Music] [Transition noise] –
When we share-
What we see
-Through each other’s eyes…
[Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence]
…We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities