Systems of examinations should change so that our dependency on other people like scribes would be reduced. For new systems to work our primary/secondary education also has to evolve to being more technology based. VIs not being tech competent cannot be a reason to not use online processes. VIs have to empower themselves. That is a challenge. In the transition period, there would be a number of people who will find the computer/online processes tough. We need to focus on empowerment.
-----Original Message----- From: AccessIndia [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Vamshi. G Sent: 16 March 2015 19:54 To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning the disabled. Subject: Re: [AI] 2 Better Than 1? Being A Scribe For A Visually Impaired - Akanksha Mittal. The problem with examinations on computers is the lack of knowledge of the same for many visually challenged. I myself was not aware of screen readers till my 25th year. On 3/16/15, Kartik Sawhney <[email protected]> wrote: > Completely agreed > > On 3/15/15, bala9119 <[email protected]> wrote: >> They say experience is the best teacher. And two experiences then are >> better teachers, I guess. So here are two such experiences that gave >> me two entirely different perspectives, yet zeroing down to perhaps >> just one conclusion. The Staff Selection Commission conducts >> examinations for graduates and post graduates for various government >> posts, apart from UPSC and DSSSB. Examinations for the posts that can >> be taken up by Visually Impaired Students have the provision of >> Scribes to make the examination smooth and accessible to the students. >> Keeping aside the whole debatable concept of "posts that can be taken >> up by the Visually Impaired", here I am going to discuss two such >> instances when I became a Scribe for a few Visually Impaired persons >> appearing for the SSC Examinations. >> >> >> >> During my first attempt at writing the paper for a visually impaired >> person, I went through three hours of emotional blackmailing by the >> candidate trying to cajole me into filling up the answers for him >> through my knowledge. I was caught in an ugly position where in the >> name of philanthropy I was actually cheating with the consent of the >> system! There are mathematical questions that a student with visual >> impairment has to answer which perhaps cannot be solved without using >> aids such as an Abacus or a Calculator. Having been accustomed to >> using the Abacus, two of the candidates I wrote the exam for found it >> difficult to calculate on their fingertips. >> >> Further, repeating the questions thrice and asking them to repeat >> their choice of answers umpteen times leads to wasteful use of time. >> In that sense, even the provision of extra time of 20-40 minutes for >> the visually impaired students is sometimes not enough and sometimes >> not legitimate. If the scribe is honestly not doing the candidate's >> paper then the former applies and if the scribe is "helping" the >> candidate with his answers then the latter. >> >> To err is human. And having to bear the brunt of someone else's >> mistake in something that perhaps decides your mode of earning a >> livelihood is exploitative. The visually impaired student places a lot >> of trust in the scribe who is marking his/her answers and is perhaps >> never going to be able to find out what went wrong if his scribes just >> could not answer the same way the candidate wants him/her to. Who is >> to blame? >> >> The second experience pointed to the inefficiency of the examination >> system further. The scribes are paid a remuneration of Rs. 500 by the >> Government for being present at the examination centre during all the >> shifts in which the exams are conducted on a single day. Whether a >> scribe actually writes an exam for a candidate or not is not the >> concern. So technically, you can just plan a get together with your >> friends one pleasant Sunday afternoon, decide to mark your attendance >> as a scribe during the morning and afternoon sessions and get paid for >> just two signatures and catching up with your friends. And that is >> exactly what I saw a group of people doing there who were selected as >> scribes without any preliminary screening apart from meeting the >> minimum requirement of being a class 12 graduate. >> >> What happens on rainy days when the candidates do not appear for the >> examination but the scribes do? The government pays a handsome amount >> to people for no work done by them. One such rainy day was the second >> time I decided to write the examination for a visually impaired, when >> most candidates missed their exam owing to the rain. >> >> There is no denying that the government spends money in trying to make >> the exams more accessible to candidates with special needs. How much >> of this expenditure actually benefits them is the question. It would >> perhaps do some good if the government spent the same amount of money >> in providing the candidates with computers that would read out the >> question papers to the candidates who can then mark the answers with >> their own hand. Various countries like Spain actually use such an >> approach towards examinations. >> >> Providing reservations to candidates with special needs is not the >> solution. Giving them equal opportunity to perform to the best of >> their capability is what is needed. In the words of an invigilator at >> the SSC examination, "Getting jobs through the 3% reservation for >> people with disabilities might succeed at giving them a livelihood, >> but they are sometimes more a liability to the government offices than >> assets". >> >> There is no denying that every person has the capability to perform >> like any other. All that we need is an equal opportunity to do that, >> which the current examination structure does not succeed in providing. >> Directing the expenditure towards the development of better >> infrastructure would perhaps be a more intelligent choice than just >> spending it because you believe you have so much of it! >> >> Source: >> http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2011/08/two-better-than-one-being-a-scribe-for- a-visually-impaired-in-an-exam/ >> -- >> "It doesn't matter what we have, but it really matters what we do with >> what we have." >> >> With Sincere Regards >> >> Balanagendran. D >> IAS Aspirant >> Skype: balanagendran >> Twitter: >> http://twitter.com/balanagendran89 >> >> >> >> Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility >> of >> mobile phones / Tabs on: >> http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessin dia.org.in >> >> >> Search for old postings at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to >> [email protected] >> with the subject unsubscribe. >> >> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >> please >> visit the list home page at >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >> >> >> Disclaimer: >> 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of >> the >> person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; >> >> 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the >> mails >> sent through this mailing list.. >> > > > -- > -Kartik Sawhney, > Cell: +1-(650) 492-3220 (US), +91-9958499435 (India) > E-mail ID: [email protected], [email protected] > linkedin.com/in/kartiksawhney/ > > > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessin dia.org.in > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > -- G. Vamshi Mobile: +91 9949349497 Skype: gvamshi81 www.retinaindia.org >From darkness unto light Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessin dia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
