Shortly before my second year of college, I received a few orientation and mobility lessons for learning how to navigate with low vision and a blindness cane. These lessons were helpful for learning general travel skills, but I noticed they didn’t get into specifics about navigating college campuses or using university resources available for students with vision loss. One lesson that would have been really helpful is how to navigate the satellite campus where some of my information technology classes took place, so I’ve created the College O&M series to share my most-used tips and strategies for learning about this topic and others. Here are my tips for commuting and navigating around college satellite campuses as a student with low vision who uses a blindness cane.
Why I had classes at a satellite campus
At my college, select classes and majors are mainly or only offered at a satellite campus about thirty minutes away from the main campus. This is because many of the students who take these classes or majors are commuting from other areas and prefer the location of this campus, or because adjunct professors work close to the satellite campus. I took four classes on the satellite campus when I was an Information Technology major, and would have likely had to take at least 6 more classes on the campus if I hadn’t switched. While the fact I had to take classes on a satellite campus didn’t bother me too much, I wanted to avoid it if possible when I was choosing my new major.
Related links
- Ten Questions to Ask When Choosing a College
- Ten More Questions to Ask When Choosing A College
- Ten Questions To Ask When Changing Your Major
- Ten Questions To Ask When Choosing A Virtual Class
Benefits of taking classes on a satellite campus
Some of the benefits of taking classes on a satellite campus include:
- More flexibility with class scheduling and class times
- Smaller class sizes and more manageable classrooms
- There are fewer buildings so it’s more difficult to get lost- though still not impossible!
- Students can plan their schedules and take multiple classes in one day
- Many of the buildings and classrooms are new and filled with the latest technology, since they typically are from recent construction
Related links
- Finding College Classrooms: College O&M
- Building Identification: College O&M
- College Scheduling Hacks For Students With Chronic Illness
Frustrations of taking classes on a satellite campus
Some of the frustrations of taking classes on a satellite campus include:
- Having to sit on a bus for long periods of time to get to class
- A majority of campus resources and staff members are located on the main campus, such as the testing center and other academic supports
- Some professors may not be aware of accessibility resources or assistive technology
- Students may have to get to classes during rush hour
- Buses might have wifi for students, but it is often very slow and not secured
Related links
- How I Learned To Use The City Bus System With Low Vision
- Ten Facts About College Campus Wifi
- What To Bring To The Disability Services Testing Center
- How To Create A Disability Services File
- Tips For Passing Time On Flights With Low Vision
Planning routes to the bus stop
My college provides a free shuttle service to get to and from the satellite campus, with various stops around the main campus. Since I would be leaving for class early in the morning, the first thing I did was map out a route to the bus stop closest to my dorm using my phone’s GPS to navigate to the building directly behind the stop.
Some of the various ways I learned to use the bus system to get to the satellite campus include:
- Magnifying signs by zooming in with my phone’s camera
- Using apps for orientation and mobility and GPS tools for getting directions or tracking the bus schedule
- Asking Google Assistant for information or using the Google Lens tool to enlarge text
- Opening a visual assistance app like Seeing AI or Be My Eyes to read information
- Asking the bus driver to confirm where they are going and that I am getting on the right bus
Related links
- Smartphone Apps For Orientation and Mobility
- Using GPS Apps On College Campuses: College O&M
- How I Use Google Assistant While Traveling
- How I Use Be My Eyes With Low Vision
- Microsoft Seeing AI And Low Vision
Setting up a schedule
When I learned that I would have a 9 a.m class on the satellite campus, I researched the bus schedule to figure out what time I should leave for class, following my university’s guidelines about how it could take up to an hour to get to class. Since shuttles run every 20 minutes in the morning, I wrote a list of three different shuttle times and when they stopped at my preferred bus stop, as well as the times for my backup shuttle stops in case I left from a different campus building. I also added this information to my custom dorm room skill on my Amazon Alexa.
Since the bus stop on the satellite campus was only one building away from my class, I didn’t spend as much time thinking about finding out what time the shuttle would leave campus. However, I did note what time the shuttles would end at night when I had a late-night class.
Related links
- How Amazon Alexa Can Help You Navigate Your Dorm
- Navigating Campus In The Dark: College O&M
- College Scheduling Hacks For Students With Chronic Illness
- What If I Miss Assignments Or Classes In College?
- How I Use The Coursicle Class Scheduling App
Locating buildings on the satellite campus
While the main campus at my college is filled with lots of maps, guides, accessibility tools, and people in general, the satellite campus does not have a lot of these things. Prior to the first day of class, I emailed my professor and asked where the classroom was in relation to the bus stop, since I had trouble figuring out where the building entrance was on the map. The professor helpfully responded with easy walking directions and sent me a video of themselves walking from the bus stop to the main entrance of the class building. I’ve also contacted the campus information desk for directions in the past and had a security officer walk me to class when I got confused walking in the dark.
When a friend asked me for directions to the same building, I created a quick video in the Shadow Puppet app which showed me annotating an image and recording myself speaking about different landmarks and where to go.
Related links
- How To Be An Effective Human Guide For People With Vision Loss
- Creating Video Tutorials With The Free Shadow Puppet App
- Campus Police and Security Escorts: College O&M
Finding other campus resources
Besides finding my classes, I also made a note of where to find other campus resources and offices that could come in handy if I needed them at the satellite campus, along with their hours. These places include:
- Campus library
- Assistive technology/accessibility lab
- Cafe or other food places
- Student Health Services/urgent care
- Campus security with phone number
- Information desk
Related links
- College Libraries and Low Vision
- Campus Addresses Every Student Should Know: College O&M
- Navigating The Dining Hall: College O&M
- What To Know About College Assistive Technology Specialists
Other tips for navigating college satellite campuses with a blindness cane
- Student meal plans may work differently on satellite campuses compared to the main campus- for example, I only had one swipe per day at the satellite campus while I had unlimited swipes on the main campus with my meal plan
- Satellite campuses are often less crowded than the main campus, so students may find it easier to navigate through hallways compared to the main campus
- I typically would schedule all of my classes on the satellite campus on one day so I didn’t have to worry about commuting back to the main campus to make another class
- Students who primarily attend classes on the satellite campus may still need to travel to the main campus for Disability Services meetings and other administrative tasks
- Colleges may not offer disability transportation services on satellite campuses- check with Disability Services before scheduling classes. I didn’t need disability transportation because my class building was ten feet from the bus stop. Learn more at Using Disability Transportation Services In College
