What Support Do People Get At Collee?

[Sofie]

I went to a college interview on Wednesday and because I put on my form that I visually impaired, (it's a tick box thing) they asked what my diagnosis is. I gave the lady 2 pieces of paper and after reading it, she said that getting stuff printed on yellow paper isn't a problem. I was just wondering what people got?

I got told yesterday that I'm not able to do the course and will have to find something else to do.

[jdtaylor]

I would highly recommend checking whether the reason why you aren't allowed to do the couirse was because of your eyesight, if this was the case this is discrimination and they could be done under the DDA Act and giving disabled full access to education which is required by the law.

[Sofie]

I got told it was because of my sight. (The career it leads to is nursing)

[Sofie]

I ended up getting accepted on to another course. The support I've given is well, non-existent. Thy've never worked with a student who has Nystagmus, but are acting like they know more than the eye infirmary consultants do. I told them I've been told that if I use computers, the monitor has to be at least 20" and I got told I should have no problems using their 15" monitors. After 2 weeks of going home with headaches and being tired after 10 minutes, (I can use a 20" monitor for 2-3 hours straight and have no problems at all) I complained. They gave me Supernova, which didn't help me at all.

They were also giving me A3 handouts because I told the I need to have all my work in large print and they claimed they can't do large print on A4. I've done it, as has the student rep and at least one teacher has done it.

5 weeks into term, they still hadn't sorted out the monitor issue. I emailed them and told them to sort it out now or I'm going to have to leave the course because of the lack of support I was given. I got in touch wit the student union rep and they said that they thought college were breaking the law and they said if they have to, they're going to get someone higher than my tutor involved.

The disability co-ordinator called a meeting and talked about my cocerns and said she'll lt all the tutor know that I have now been tested for another eye problem (irlens) and that I now need grey paper instead of yellow. I mentioned the subject of A3 paper- it didn't how many times I told them I can't use A3 paper, they wouldn't listen. They said cut it in half and I will have no problems - nearly all the work I've been given has diagrams covering over half thepage, so I'd cut some of the diagrams off - which they seem uninterested in. The student rep suggested doing it in ladscape instead of portrait. He wasn't too sure if it would work, so would try it at home first. He tried it and it worked ok. According to disability support, it's impossible to do landscape and when I mentioned this to my tutor, he said it's possible, but takes ages to do - the SU rep did it in 30 seconds.

They've finally sorted out the monitor issue, but the technicians have disabled the option to change the background colour. The colours are white on light blue, which i can'tread, so it looks like I'm going to have to have a word with them about it.

[carolcato]

If it was me, I would put in writing (and copy in ALL of your tutors, the disability co-ordinator AND the Principal) to put the college on notice that you may have to make a formal complaint and invoke the Disability Discrimination in Education Act! Be very clear about what the problems are and give them a timeframe in which you expect them to put things right. Explain that you do not want to make a formal complaint, but that you see no other option - this puts them in a position where they need to show that they have done everything possible. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING IN WRITING! It's very easy for them to try to wriggle out of things that they said - if it is written down, there's no way out!

THe RNIB education department are pretty good (as is the NN office!). The other place you may want to contact is LOOK - they were very helpful when I needed to give Adam's school a kick up the backside...

Are you registered as partially sighted? It's amazing how that little piece of paper seems to magically make the "professionals" listen.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else - I've been fighting similar battles for Adam for years... I quite enjoy it now (sad person that I am!)

[Sofie]

Thanks Carol. I am registered partially sighted, which they know about. They have at least 3 pieces of evidence stating this.