[blparent] My Story and request for help

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Against my better judgment, I'm supplying my own comments on this
thread.

At face value, I do agree with Gabe. Regardless of how you receive
instruction on blind skills, they are crucial if you want to be
successful at whatever your goal is: work, parenting, personal life,
etc.

However, what Gabe and others need to consider is that many find
themselves in a situation after the matter. Not all of us have always
been blind. Unlike school or work, you can't just stop being a parent so
you can learn to be blind. Someone like Pippi should be commended for
making this decision and realizing that this type of training is
essential in order for her to be successful as a parent now that she is
experiencing significant vision loss.

And here's some information for those who don't know: My husband worked
one summer as a change consultant for the Kansas rehab facility for the
blind back 8 years ago. At that time, the agency was less than
desirable, and despite the directors enthusiasm and willingness to adopt
new concepts and methods of training, the staff was completely resistant
to any change. I won't go into details, but I visited Ross and the
facility at that time, and it was bad, and I, as a *total* was treated
pretty rudely by some. After an frustrating and irritating summer, Ross
found out later that the training center had been closed, and at that
time, neither the NFB or other organization, as Federationist it seems
are suppose to refer to them as, were helping the situation at all. So
sadly those of you from Kansas had very little help to begin with and
close to nothing now.

So yes Gabe, you bring up a good point, but you do have to consider the
individual situations of people. I knew a young woman who wasn't blind
at all until she became pregnant and complications with the pregnancy
caused diabetic retinopathy. Here she was with a newborn baby and now
losing vision. I can't imagine that. It was hard enough to lose it
without a huge life responsibility like a baby.

So I think it's best we find diplomacy when commenting, and we do need
to consider other angles that may disrupt each of our lives. Anyone
seeking training should be commended, and at this point in time, nothing
about the past can be changed, so it's better to deal with the present,
look to the future and try to be positive instead of cynical, which I
think was Gabe's intent and not necessarily addressing Pippi, or anyone
else, as an individual.

Bridgit