[blindkid] Joli and her cane

Sun Oct 18 18:02:02 UTC 2009

Then too, the teachers must come to understand, that much like parents we
must must must instill independence  in our students in such a way that one
day they pass the teacher, confidently, pridefully and with utter and
complete independence. To that end, we must insist that when students like
joli enter an academic environment that they should take initiative  to
learn the lay of the land and accept that others, including teachers will
always challenge what is normal for joli in direct contrast to what is
"normal" for the sighted community.  I can almost bet my last dollar that
the students in joli's school will learn faster that joli can do anything
with the tools she uses regardless of whether they ar the "normal" tools
used by others or not.  I say this because one day I was conducting a
diversity appreciation course with a bumch of 9 and 10 year olds, who also
were labled emotionally and behaviorly disordered. I allowed each of the
children to choose a blind fold, all of which exemplified the broad spectrum
of blindness, from low partial to complete blindness.  We were having a ball
and the children felt very accomplished and proud of being able to use a
cane to move freely from one point to another.  So much so that the students
asked if we could play follow the leader, or in this case, marco polo on
land.  We all of us, donned our respective blinders, took a cane and with
the aid of my co-teacher and teacher aids, walked independently from the
play ground to the gym, through the gym and to a flight of stairs which led
down to the cafeteria.  Out of no where I heard a voice, "do you know that
the students ar blindfolded?" I immediately recognized the voice to be that
of the principal. My immediate response was "yes I know, we are doing a
trust walk and they are doing wonderfully!" the principal repeated herself,
but this time I sensed she directed the comment to another teacher. I again
responded, "I heard you the first time asked and answered. If you took the
time to assess the lesson, you would see  that we have a teacher at the base
of the stair, one on the stair, myself at the head of the stair, guiding
each student and yet another teacher bringing up the rear."  The next voice
was that of a student at the base of the stair enthusiastically  expressing
how great he felt having walked all the way into the school and down the
stairs with only a cane and a blindfold on.  You know principal (last name
withheld to protect the ignorant) you should try it some time, the older you
get the closer you get to becoming blind one day. If you learn this from mr.
rizzi  you will not have to sit at home and do nothing if you cannot see.
Oh yeah, that same boy challenged me to drive in a blindfold derby where I
took 2nd place and was interviewed for our local news station as the first
blind race car driver at riverhead raceway. All the other drivers were
blindfolded as well so it was a fair race. This young boy saw only my
ability and desire to do things according to my new set of norms and did not
se me as disabled, just a guy who happens to be  blind and very able.

Albert J. Rizzi
CEO/Founder
My Blind Spot, Inc.
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York  10004
www.myblindspot.org
PH: 917-553-0347
Fax: 212-858-5759
"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it."

-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Carol Castellano
Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2009 6:22 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Joli and her cane

I think Albert is right about "sighted guide" not promoting 
independence, but I'll go even farther and say that the teachers' 
discomfort MUST take a back seat to the child's need to develop 
skills.  If teachers feel that way, they need information and 
education.  And it isn't empathy that our kids need, but 
understanding of the fact that cane use equals freedom, independence, 
and competence and that the way the skill develops is for the child 
to use it, practice, and make progress.
Carol

Carol Castellano, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.nfb.org/nopbc

At 12:55 PM 10/17/2009, you wrote:
>I agree with Richard, the sighted guide technique does nothing for
promoting
>independence  in our students or in our adults transitioning into a blind
>life.  It is an important quick learn for Joli to take with her if and when
>she travels  alone  she would then be able to advise and teach others on
how
>best to guide her in an empowering and independent manner.  I do not agree
>with any one persons position that academics or technologies opening the
>door to cognitive development should take a back seat to a cane.i do agree
>that it is an odd goal to have in an iep and would suggest you immediately
>insist that Joli be aloud to independently determine if and when she
>considers setting the cane aside and let her choose to take an arm if and
>when she feels the need. If her mode of mobility were a wheel chair Do you
>think the  the teachers or administration expect her to get up out of
awheel
>chair and be carried from one class to another? I think not. Perhaps if
Joli
>had a collapsible cane that would alleviate any concern about how clumsey
>carrying it might appear to teachers. Or perhaps, we could invite the
>teachers and administrators at your aschool to tracel with a cane and
>without a cane, and oh yeah perhaps they should try doing so with a
>simulation of vision similar to that with which Joli travels on a daily
>basis. I have found that simple empathy and "walking a mile in my shoes"
>goes a long way to change perspectives on mobility for the sighted.
>
>Albert J. Rizzi
>CEO/Founder
>My Blind Spot, Inc.
>90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>New York, New York  10004
>www.myblindspot.org <http://www.myblindspot/>
>PH: 917-553-0347
>Fax: 212-858-5759
>"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
>doing it."
>
>
>
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