While I think the initiative to train more and more students to be independent using computers is a good one, I don't think we can completely "eliminate" scribes. There are multiple disabilities not just blindness and there will always be students with different abilities and skill with the use of computers.
We'll also need other initiatives to improve the examination system all the way from giving some moral values to the students about what is wrong with cheating to making it harder to cheat with better invigilation, stronger penalties etc. When I took my exams as a blind student, my invigilator assumed that my scribe will basically take the exam for me and even encouraged it. Fixing this problem by training invigilators to deal with this correctly will also go a long way. -Manish -----Original Message----- From: AccessIndia [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Prashant Verma Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 3:59 AM 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. Dependence upon scribes and misuse of scribes is indeed a real problem. At NAB Delhi we have started a project titled "technology aided education of the blind" to make students independent in reading and writing thereby eliminating the dependence upon scribes. Under this project, our students of class 6 and above will get personal laptops and students of class 3 to 5 will get computer training. The target is to make sure all blind studetns of classe 6 and above are able to read the computer to read books and write their exams. I hope in the years to come, our students will write their exams themselves. -----Original Message----- From: AccessIndia [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of George Abraham Sent: 17 March 2015 07:42 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. 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_accessind ia.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.. 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..
