WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS?

[Dmunchow]

WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS HAVE YOU ALL BEEN GIVEN? ANYONE HAD PROBLEMS RECEIVING THEM? I HAVE TROUBLE WRITING AND TYPING.

[Nabbosa]

Temperature

I've got accommodations regarding heat. Above 80 degrees, I start to get "muddy" - I can't think of words, start to ramble in my lectures etc.

First place I requested them gave them to me theoretically, but didn't actually do anything when I kept complaining about the temperature. Luckily, I could usually open the window and we had a very cold spring. Contract wasn't renewed, and I thought about making a fuss, but it wasn't worth it. It's a revolving-door position anyway.

New place has checked temperatures in my room, and talked with me about my own strategies - it's a college course with only 12 students, so I said I'd be inclined to go outside if the weather was good, or take the class to one of the coffeeshops in a cooler building (in summer, or if the heat goes crazy in the winter). The administration has this on record, so I think I can't get into any trouble if I have to do this.

They also acquired some fans that are in somebody's office that I could go get - theoretically. Realistically, if I start having heat problems, I might not be thinking straight enough to go get the fans. But I have the feeling that the attitude is a little better where I am now.

I used to work in IT at a university - speech-recognition programs might help you. I think all Macs now come with speech-recognition for commands (though last time someone I knew tried it out, it was rudimentary, but that was years ago).

A number of people on this board have mentioned more expensive speech-recognition software that turns your speech into a written file (probably Word, maybe other word processing software, too). Not sure of the name. I know Wheelchair Kamikaze uses it for his blog. That might be helpful for you.

If it's for comments on your students' papers, you could consider recording comments on your computer. I imagine students would think that was kind of cool to get the comments as their very own .mp3 file via e-mail.

[chalknpens]

Are you asking for extras or meeting in the middle?

Nabbosa gave you some good information about accommodations.

Asking for accommodations ought to be looked at as a two-way street. If you are asking for accommodations, you have to be willing to give yourself.

We teach kids who have learning differences not to give up, but to expect to have to work harder and differently than their peers might have to. You will have to work harder and differently than your peers, too.

There are cooling neck scarves that you can get from some of the pharmaceuticals (Shared Solutions, for one). You can ask permission to bring in a fan of your own (I say ask permission because you will be using school electricity, and minimal or not, it will count.)

Maybe you can alter your schedule, putting in longer hours before school opens so that you can leave earlier in the hot afternoons. Look at your schedule and find the spots where you can legitimately take a few quiet minutes to recharge. Then look at where or how you could give those minutes back.

It is always better to be willing to offer something in return when asking for something. If you approach management with an entitled attitude, you are not going to make things better for yourself, nor for anyone following you.

Set a positive, "best foot forward" model for workers with disabilities. Or do as most of us have done ... work without disclosing, without expecting to be treated any differently, and by asking only for things that will better working conditions for all teachers.

Does this sound unfair? Ask the new teacher who is still working at the supermarket if it's fair. Or ask the assistant who is fully qualified if it is fair. Ask a blind child if it is fair. Life is not fair. MS is particularly unfair. It's not your fault. Nor is it anyone else's.

[Nabbosa]

Writing - take 2

What kinds of writing/typing tasks are you concerned about?

If it's comments on papers (I work at the college level, and am currently only commenting on students' theses), you might also try to coordinate voice recordings of comments with some kind of interesting mark in their papers to coordinate your comments - and to keep their attention. Teachers' supply stores used to carry rubber stamps with stars and smiley faces and such. I know that's meant for younger kids, but as a mark in the text to help orient them - that might work!

I'm all about playing up the unconventional in my classroom, because I figure they'll at least be talking about my class because of something like - the teach who grades in turquoise or pink instead of red. The one who matched her outfit to the kind of music she taught about that day ... anything to make them remember. It's my own version of "multimedia", you could say.

If you think about creative ways to get around typing and writing in that way, it might also make you feel a little less like you've lost something - you can focus on what it brings to the students by you being "original".

[Dmunchow]

I teach middle school English. Luckily, I have a room that has A/C and an elevator. I have modified my grading so that I mostly use a check system. I modify rubrics so that instead of writing the number, I circle the number. My problem is that while teaching, I use a document projector and have trouble writing/modelling. I can pull the paper up on the computer, but typing is hard too. So, no, I am not asking for too much. I do not use the handicapped spaces. I did ask for a hall duty that was on my floor instead of down the stairs or outside. Another problem is inputting grades on our online grade program. Maybe it will improve once I start the meds next week.

[chalknpens]

Hi Dmunchow,
Sounds like you are asking for reasonable accommodations ... hall duty on the same floor, and maybe some assistance with transferring grades from your grade sheet to the infernal computer program (ours was terrible ... little boxes to write comments in, little codes to reflect behavior, all too little for me to see )... my husband helped me get the grades onto the screen. I could not have done that without help.

Those are reasonable things to ask for help with.

Pace yourself as much as you can. I began staying in my classroom for lunch, to save a trip up and down the stairs. I'm glad you have AC in your school - that is more than most have, and is a true blessing.

The DMD meds will not affect any of your current symptoms or weaknesses ... they are only supposed to slow your progression. Pacing yourself, saying no to as many extras as you can, and asking for help when it's needed and easy enough to provide are your best bets for staying on the job.

I lost the battle at thirty years in and sixty years of age. I wrote a book about my experience as a teacher with MS - it's at Amazon.

Be well,
Terry