Here are some of our students and the situations that have arisen for them.
Each audio file may take a minute or so to download and begin playing.
Scenario 1 - Student who suffers from migraines
Scenario 2 - Student who is deaf
Scenario 3 - Student with a learning disability
Scenario 4 - Student who has difficulty reading, writing and understanding English, using an older computer
Scenario 5 - Student with a severe physical disability
Scenario 6 - Student who is blind
Student who suffers from migraines
G'day, I'm Pita Costa. I'm a carpenter. I want to do an online course in Management. I reckon it'll help me run my business better. I don't have time to go to college, so doing it online suits me perfectly. I use the Internet quite a bit, but one thing that really puts me off is a busy screen - you know, lots of stuff moving and flashing on and off at you all the time. You see, I get migraines, and too much stuff moving on the screen just triggers them off. I just hope the TAFE online course won't do this.
Student who is deaf
I am Kerri, and I have Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2), which is a rare neurological disorder which results in developing brain tumours on both nerves to the ears, and you eventually become totally deaf, whether the tumours are surgically removed or left to be. I have been deaf now for the past 10 years.
As a person who is deaf, in a face-to-face class I require an Auslan sign language interpreter, and as well as a note taker, which is great. However, there is always a time lag involved and this can be a little frustrating for all involved but there is no way around it, in a face-to-face class.
Studying online offers flexibility, which allows me to undertake studies without sacrificing my work and social life. Some of the material is written, other parts are audio. Since I can't hear them, I have to ask the college to get transcripts of the sound tracks for me. That can be OK, but often the words on the page miss out on a lot of the real meaning - you know - language and cultural things - all the subtleties. Anyway, all of this can end up with me missing assignment deadlines.