Returning to School After Significant Vision Loss Part II

When my retinopathy of prematurity took a significant portion of my usable vision, I traded in my pencil and paper for a laptop. My computer is invaluable to me. When I returned to class at Miami University, I needed to rethink my note taking skills.

It was hard to picture studying for a test without thinking about myself hunched over a pile of papers filled with classroom notes from the professor's lecture. Going to class without a pencil seemed completely wrong to me.

Like many students, I took a tape recorder and extra batteries with me to the classroom to record the lecture for future reference. This was handy at times.

My original plan was to record the lecture on tape. Type in a key phrase or two on the laptop computer, and finish typing up my class notes later in the week. As a busy mom of four, and a lover of multi-tasking, I simply couldn't stand the extreme amount of time that seemed to be wasted during this process. I gave up on this idea and decided to take all notes during class. That is how other students take notes, that was how I took my notes in the past, and that was how I would write down the pertinent information now.

This new technique of mine presented some challenges for me. My computer uses JAWS, a screen-reading software, that announces audibly what is on the screen or what I have just typed. A simple, inexpensive set of ear buds would allow me to hear the computer, but not distract the other students in the classroom.

My difficulty came when getting used to paying attention to both the professor and my computer. If you have ever listened in on two conversations at once, then you can totally understand the confusion. Remember, my grade relied on me getting this figured out.

I practiced at home listening to my book on cassette tape and taking notes. This made things much easier for me. My typing speed was reasonable for practical purposes like email and letters, but not quite suitable for dictation. With some practice, I eliminated the use of the tape recorder altogether after a couple of weeks of class.

The notes I took during the first night of class were not suitable for anyone. Reading them sounded more like notes from a foreign language class than my anthropology course. By the end of the course, I was able to take my notes effectively. In fact, they were probably among the most organized in the class. One benefit of having all of my notes on my computer is the ability to organize them in separate files and folders.

Tossing the pencil and lugging the laptop was certainly a lesson in learning, for me. During that semester at Miami University, I learned so much about adapting to blindness, my abilities, and even a few things about anthropology.