[NABS-L] Turning camera off as accommodation

[Cricket Bidleman]

JAWS has a "face in view" feature that will tell you if your face is in the frame. That being said, it does take extra effort for blind people. I never asked for this as an accommodation, but I did put a piece of paper over the screen. Technically the camera was on ... However I am a screen-reader user with no usable vision, so if you use any sort of screen magnification, that might not be the best idea. Hope this helps. 
Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 11, 2024, at 05:19, Gene Kim via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> 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.
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> NABS-L mailing list
>> NABS-L at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> NABS-L:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/gene.sh.kim%40gmail.com
>> 
> _______________________________________________
> NABS-L mailing list
> NABS-L at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/cricketbidleman%40gmail.com