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"See" It Their Way

"See" It Their Way
7/12/2011
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Anna Meskishvili

Think of a modern classroom full of tech-savvy whiteboards and a plethora of electronic capabilities. Now think about being in that same classroom but not being able to see. Could you perform and interact like your vision-unimpaired classmates? Two Florida State University students, Christopher Toth and Jamie Principato, could not and are suing the institution for discrimination.

The two blind students were having extensive difficulties performing in the classroom because they were being denied the same resources as those students with vision. One of their complaints was the reliance on the “clicker” system in the classroom, which allows students to select answers to questions during lecture, which are displayed on a screen. Toth and Principato were also denied Braille copies of certain textbooks or accessible copies of lecture material. The students’ lawyer, Daniel Goldstein, comments that this case is very time-sensitive because of all the progressive advancements made in technology. Soon, there will be little for students with disabilities to relate to in a learning environment.

For students in wheelchairs, there are ramps. For students with learning disabilities, there are aides. For students without sight, however, it’s hard to simulate the experience of visual technology. Time and technology seem to be traveling at a supernatural speed but many learning institutions are slowly abandoning traditional, equal-opportunity learning.

It’s a difficult issue to formulate an opinion on since there are no equal-tiered technologically-advanced e-learning systems for the blind. What do you think would be a fair and progressive solution to Toth and Principato’s situation?

Anna Meskishvili is a rising senior at Boston University pursuing a degree in public relations at the College of Communication and hopes to someday work in healthcare administration communication. She is part of Kappa Delta at BU and has loved every second of it. She is also involved in Public Relations Student Society of America and Ed on Campus. Anna was born in the Republic of Georgia and considers herself a citizen of the world because she’s lived in Russia, England, France, Brooklyn and Connecticut. She loves to travel, run and learn.

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