Organizing for Success
Should Blind Students Use Note-Takers?
Getting the Most Out of Lectures and Presentations
Getting the Most Out of Reading Assignments
The Experience of Hebrew Study as a Student Who is Blind
Resources for Parents of Blind Children
Braille Literacy Resources
Orientation and mobility: getting around
Education Resources
Family life
Opinions and experiences
Blindness in Depth
Sarah Blake has lived with blindness/visual impairment due to premature birth since childhood. She has had several surgeries to treat complications such as detached retina, cataracts, glaucoma, and cornea damage which threatened her small amount of vision at various points in her life. She learned both braille and print as a young child. She travels with a dog guide.
Sarah graduated from Anderson University School of theology in 2009 with a Master of Divinity. She is a licensed minister with the Church of God (Anderson, IN) and travels as a guest speaker and singer to churches, colleges, and other community groups. She also works with companies to increase features of software to enable blind students to access foreign language materials.
Sarah serves on the health care issues committee affiliated with the American Council of the Blind, which promotes access to health information and equipment. She also serves as co-moderator for several online discussion groups, including BVI-Parents, a group for parents of blind and visually impaired children.
Sarah provides technology training and support, motivational speaking, and other services. Learn about her services.
Development of content for this site is supported by your contributions, the sale of products through various affiliate programs, and Sarah's work as a writer, speaker, and in other areas listed on her services page. If the material on this site has been helpful or encouraging to you, please consider shopping using the sites linked here--and return to do your shopping anytime using these links to continue supporting this site.
Have you ever been frustrated by the need for information which is not available in Braille or large print or on cassette? If so, using a reader is another way in which you can find or read the information you need.
Working with readers can feel like another challenge on top of numerous things confronting a new college student, especially one who has previously had access to materials in braille. This article may help you in planning how you will handle this new adventure. Whether you are using a reader for one day's search for information at the library or for regular homework sessions, the tips here will help you to find your readers and get them to do the job well for you.
There are many ways to find someone who can read for you. The following are a few hints.
8. Contact community service organizations, senior citizens' groups, etc. Members are often eager for things to do and would love to have the opportunity to assist you.
When I hired my first readers, I experienced a number of problems which would never have happened if I had interviewed them first. It may be hard to think of yourself as "the boss," but this is exactly what you are. If your reader does not respect you as an employer, he or she may not provide you with good reading. The first step in establishing a good working relationship is the interview.
Your interview should include some questions which will help you to know the person and his or her interests. It should also allow you the opportunity to find out how well he or she reads and whether you like his or her reading style. Finally, it should give you an opportunity to explain the requirements of the job and your expectations.
Ask about applicants' areas of interest and ability. Some types of reading might be best handled by someone with some knowledge in the subject area. Examples include foreign language, mathematics, science, and courses with medical terminology.
Ask about applicants' schedules. Are they available during class hours to read tests? Are they available at other times to assist you with library research? Have they had other jobs before?Do they often have other engagements which you perceive might interfere with their ability to meet your deadlines? Making poor grades because I chose not to do my own work was a pill I sometimes had to swallow. Making poor grades because my readers neglected their work and I had to cram left a very bitter taste in my mouth and often motivated me to look for new readers.
Have applicants read materials similar to those they will be required to read.
1. Do they read too fast or too slow? How do they respond when you ask them to speed up or slow down?
2. How do they handle unfamiliar words?
3. Do they interrupt the reading to make comments or summarize?4. How clearly do they describe pictures, diagrams, graphs, etc.?
Once you have your readers chosen, the key to a good working relationship (and your success) is your ability to run your business. You must handle the financial aspect as well as make sure that your readers' work is done in a way that will give you the information you need.
Your readers need to know how often they will be paid. Some state agencies which pay for reader service require the client to send in a form before they will send the money. In this case, it is best to pay the reader out of your pocket and reimburse yourself when the check comes from the state agency. Readers came to you because they need money, and they generally cannot afford to wait several weeks to get paid. Also inform the readers of the pay rate. I keep a log of hours, and so do my readers. This way there are no discrepancies regarding the amount of money I owe a reader.
When I have material read on cassette without my supervision, I pay by the amount of cassette time, not by the amount of time the reader spends correcting errors. I once had a reader bill me for 14 hours of time when I received four hours of cassette. I could only afford to pay for 45 hours of reading per month, and I felt that she must have been extremely perfectionistic about her reading. This is a good quality in a reader, but there is a limit to the amount I am willing to pay for this kind of reading. We came to a mutual agreement that I would no longer be able to employ her, and I found another reader who was able to read fluently without making many corrections on the cassette.
You may find it helpful to set up a schedule so that you know the reader will be available. There may be days when the reader is not needed, but it may be helpful for both of you to know that there is a specific time when he or she may be called and expected to come and read.
Even if the reader is reading on tape, have the reader read while you are present. This will allow you to monitor what is being read. If you do allow a reader to record material without supervision, monitor progress by giving reasonable deadlines and insisting that they be met. You hired your reader so that you would have timely access to information.
If a reader has done a poor job, your access to information could be limited. If the material which was read was related to your schoolwork, poor reading can negatively affect your grades. Therefore, it is important to know how to get the highest quality work out of your reader.
Let the reader know if he/she is reading too fast or too slow. A good reader should be sensitive to your needs.
You should be familiar with the organization of the library and the types of reference materials available there so that you can direct your reader to the information you need when you are doing research. Do not assume that your reader will know where the material is located or how to use the library.
Firing readers is unpleasant, but it is sometimes necessary. Do not allow other relationships to influence your working relationship. If a reader is not working out and the problem cannot be resolved, then it is necessary to fire him or her. The best way to do this is to be honest and tell the person that you feel that your working relationship is not working out and that you feel it would be best if you found another reader. It is unfair to leave a reader hanging, waiting for you to call about more work.
Using a reader is not always the most efficient method of gaining access to information. However, when used in combination with other methods, the use of readers is a perfectly good way to get information.
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Sarah J. Blake