I was wondering if students with KC are entitled to any help whilst studying at uni. I have a friend who has dyslexia and is given a laptop, dictaphone etc and extra time in exams. I am currently at uni and as all assignments must be word processed I spend most my time in front of a computer screen. The computers at the uni library don't have great resolution so typing up work is difficult. Also in lectures when I can't get my lenses in I can not see the board. Is there anything in place at the moment, and who would I need to contact to find out more?
kaz
Help at uni..
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GarethB
- Ambassador
- Posts: 4916
- Joined: Sat 21 Aug 2004 3:31 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Graft(s) and contact lenses
- Location: Warwickshire
Hi Kaz,
Supporting Students With Keratoconus is a useful fact sheet. Make sure all your tutors are aware of it and ask for handouts to be available instead of everything being on screen. Some of us have trouble seeing certain colours on a screen, but OK when the presentation is printed.
Dictaphones are useful, I had one from the RNIB when I was at Uni in the early 1990's which allowed a 90 minute tape to last 180 minutes, I could then write the notes at my leaisure. Technology has moved on so you can plug the tape into the pc and it will convert it all to text for you.
As far as I am aware, as long as you have a doctors note or note from your optician stating you visual problems, you would then get extra time and large print exam papers available to you. Fortunatly I did not need this past year 1 at Uni after my second graft. However during A levels this was really useful, I even had available someone to write the answers that I dictated back to them. That same person was available to read the question if I had trouble seeing it.
Read the leaflet and by all means ask further questions here.
Gareth
Supporting Students With Keratoconus is a useful fact sheet. Make sure all your tutors are aware of it and ask for handouts to be available instead of everything being on screen. Some of us have trouble seeing certain colours on a screen, but OK when the presentation is printed.
Dictaphones are useful, I had one from the RNIB when I was at Uni in the early 1990's which allowed a 90 minute tape to last 180 minutes, I could then write the notes at my leaisure. Technology has moved on so you can plug the tape into the pc and it will convert it all to text for you.
As far as I am aware, as long as you have a doctors note or note from your optician stating you visual problems, you would then get extra time and large print exam papers available to you. Fortunatly I did not need this past year 1 at Uni after my second graft. However during A levels this was really useful, I even had available someone to write the answers that I dictated back to them. That same person was available to read the question if I had trouble seeing it.
Read the leaflet and by all means ask further questions here.
Gareth
Gareth
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rosemary johnson
- Champion
- Posts: 1478
- Joined: Tue 19 Oct 2004 8:42 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Contact lenses
- Location: East London, UK
Does your uni and/or students union have a Student Welfare Office? - - or aan Officer for Students with Disabilities? Those would be useful points of contact.
If you have to use a computer a lot, youmight find it helpful to use one(s) where you can change the colour scheme, enlarge the screen, or sections of it, make hich-visibility mouse pointers, etc. Sppeech output may be useful, even, using screen reader software and a speech synthesiser. (Even if you don't like using speech output to read what the computer is telling you, the speech output can be useful when you're typing in your work - if the voice produces a strangled moan, you know you've got a typo in there and not a pronouncble word!
your uni may have some computers set up with these types of software on them - or they may have it set up on a network, so it can be run from any (or manyy) of the computers attached to the network, and you may be able to arrange a special password/set of instructions to use this.
There are many other types of specialist equipment of which your uni may have some available - such as scanners, and the CCTV systems which let you put a book or paper onto a base plate, and it will display an enlarged, colour reversed (if you wish) image on a monitor screen.
Good luck with your studies.
Rosemary
If you have to use a computer a lot, youmight find it helpful to use one(s) where you can change the colour scheme, enlarge the screen, or sections of it, make hich-visibility mouse pointers, etc. Sppeech output may be useful, even, using screen reader software and a speech synthesiser. (Even if you don't like using speech output to read what the computer is telling you, the speech output can be useful when you're typing in your work - if the voice produces a strangled moan, you know you've got a typo in there and not a pronouncble word!
your uni may have some computers set up with these types of software on them - or they may have it set up on a network, so it can be run from any (or manyy) of the computers attached to the network, and you may be able to arrange a special password/set of instructions to use this.
There are many other types of specialist equipment of which your uni may have some available - such as scanners, and the CCTV systems which let you put a book or paper onto a base plate, and it will display an enlarged, colour reversed (if you wish) image on a monitor screen.
Good luck with your studies.
Rosemary
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