[blindkid] Joli and her cane

Sun Oct 18 21:43:01 UTC 2009

great story!

At 02:02 PM 10/18/2009, you wrote:
>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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>
>
>
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>
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Carol Castellano, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.nfb.org/nopbc 