[NABS-L] Turning camera off as accommodation

[Gene Kim]

I echo Ty's thoughts; it's completely reasonable to ask for this
accommodation. However, for what it's worth, sighted people tend to
accidentally skip over participants without video in larger meetings from
personal experience, and in smaller meetings having your video off might
make you stand out in a negative way. So it's worth learning/getting
comfortable with **quick** non-visual ways of making sure your face is in
frame (e.g. square the laptop screen with your shoulders, angle the
screen's tilt about 90°, etc.). You can use Be My Eyes etc. to verify your
video/background looks okay, after these steps before every class if you'd
really like, but after a couple calls you'll start realizing that you
already know how to position things and you won't benefit from extra
assistance. Especially because this is a recurring class and not e.g. a one
off formal job interview, it's just not worth the extra steps to obtain
visual confirmation every time. So it's totally reasonable to ask for the
accommodation (I know sighted people with other disabilities who request it
too), but definitely consider ways to efficiently make yourself more
comfortable with having your video on if you can because that will benefit
you in the long-run.

Cheers,
Gene

On Tue, Dec 10, 2024 at 11:23 PM Ty Littlefield via NABS-L <
nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Just because something /should/ be done doesn’t mean blind people should
> have to jump through hoops to make a statement.
>
> Time is a precious, finite resource for me, and I value it deeply.
> Spending 5–10 minutes before each class trying to ensure I’m in the
> camera frame, using the many tools in my toolbox to match sighted peers
> who glance at their screens to center themselves isn’t worth it. This
> isn’t a matter of blindness philosophy; it’s about time and effort.
> Sighted individuals don’t have to invest nearly as much energy into
> achieving the same result.
>
> I believe in going above and beyond when it’s truly worthwhile, and I
> support putting in extra effort in many situations. However, there’s a
> fine line between pushing boundaries for the sake of progress and
> unnecessarily draining your resources to make a point. Independence is
> about knowing when to act on your own, when to rely on assistance, and
> when to conserve your energy for more meaningful battles.
>
> Our energy and spoons are limited. While I /can/ (with effort) make sure
> my face is centered in the camera frame, that doesn’t mean I /should/
> invest my time and energy there, especially when those resources could
> be better spent elsewhere. It’s important to choose your battles wisely.
>
> *TL;DR:* Requesting to stay off camera is perfectly reasonable. Focus on
> participating in class instead.
>
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