[blParent] Non-English-speaking blind parent needing assistance.

Tue Jun 8 01:28:16 UTC 2021

Thanks, very much.

Mom is non-English speaking, and the RP is such where she is no longer able to read print either.

My husband also suggested school resources, and I think you are right on.

Judy

-----Original Message-----
From: BlParent <blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Star Gazer via BlParent
Sent: Monday, June 7, 2021 4:34 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Star Gazer <pickrellrebecca at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [blParent] Non-English-speaking blind parent needing assistance.

You’re welcome, make sure she understands she shouldn’t feel guilty for using resources that her kid is entitled to use by virtue of being in the school system. Blindness has absolutely nothing to do with it. She’s also entitled as a parent to get material in Spanish if that would help.. our school sends out stuff on a daily basis in a bunch of languages. Again, blindness has nothing to do with it. 

They are also caring a lot more about kids who are slow to read because many of them go onto be adults who can’t read. 

There is a young adult book called Okay For Now which deals with just this issue, it’s about a middle schooler and is probably one of my favorite young adult books. 

We read it in book group and I remember a couple of us got to thinking that maybe the gym teacher also couldn’t read based on some of the events of the book. 

The book is set in the 1960’s, and I remember one of our group members who is a teacher saying that the school systems have really gotten to notice and care when a kid isn’t picking up reading at a typical pace.  Maybe mom’s blindness is why, maybe it’s that she doesn’t know even how to begin, but also know that the reading specialists have all kinds of ways to teach kids and that all those kids have parents who can see.. there aren’t enough parents who are blind who have kids with this issue to keep the reading specialists in business.  This is a long way of saying that if someone is telling her it’s her fault or pointing to her being blind as a reason we’re having this discussion, she can tell them to shut it. 

She can encourage reading, reading boxes for cooking, brownie mix is a good one, books, signs, words are everyplace. Her kid might get real good at reading since mom can’t give hints.. I remember being surprised that the pizza box said “what’s better then pizza, free pizza”.  My first grader read it to me no problem, and I had absolutely no clue it was there.  When she said “what’s better then pizza” I thought she was telling me a joke. 

It may also take awhile to find out what the kid actually wants to read, my first grader likes nonfiction.. that’s really the only thing she wants to read on her own v. have it read to her. I remember when it happened, my kid came to me crying and said “Balto died!”. Balto is a famous sled dog from the 1920’s, he’s been dead for a long time. This was new information to my kid and she was upset by it. My mom got her a book on Balto and then she learned that you can learn a lot of true information by reading.. and that seemed to get her over the “Why do I want/need to read” hump.  

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Judy Jones via BlParent
Sent: Monday, June 7, 2021 1:29 PM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Cc: Judy Jones
Subject: Re: [blParent] Non-English-speaking blind parent needing assistance.

Thanks, I really like your ideas, and my husband had the same suggestions, regarding the school system.

Judy

-----Original Message-----
From: BlParent <blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Star Gazer via BlParent
Sent: Monday, June 7, 2021 5:59 AM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Star Gazer <pickrellrebecca at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [blParent] Non-English-speaking blind parent needing assistance.

Is the kid in in person or virtual school? If in person, the school should have reading specialists who’s sole purpose is to help kids who need it, this kid and his/her mom are not unique in the sense that they do have that resource. 

Make sure too that the mom isn’t being bullied by the staff at school, again reading specialists are there for a reason. 
At the risk of sounding like I’m contradicting myself, does the teacher know Mom is blind? 
My husband had a real good point, his quote to me was “at some point it will matter, but it will matter in ways nobody expects”. 
Two of the greatest hits from this year was I found a thing on reddit about a cat and how his humans had to work out a feeding chart because the cat kept hitting each person in the house up for food. 
I knew my first grader would be interested, I wanted to test her reading ability and I could have her read it cold, i.e. she wouldn’t have any preparation, I simply handed her my phone and said “you will like reading this”. 
She actually did well, she could even read the word “roommate” and this was the beginning of the year. 
I was real proud and sent the link to her teacher with the note “kid read this!”
The teacher was real happy then told me “You may want to know there are some bad words here, voiceover probably didn’t pick them up”. 
She was right, voiceover hadn’t picked them up. We laughed about it. 

I was also doing math with the same kid and we were doing fractions. I showed her how to write them in decimal then realized the teacher wanted fractions, and I didn’t have a clue how to actually write it. I asked the teacher and she showed her and also the class, but was real happy I’d asked. 

Point being, Mom can ask for the same resources that are there for all students. Our school sends stuff out in Spanish all the time, can the mom get Spanish resources? 
As for other blindness skills, what is she wanting to know? She doesn’t need to learn everything at once, and a lot of what matters depends on the type of kids she’s got. 

There are some good shows that teach letters, World Girl, Sesame Street Blippi all come to mind Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Judy Jones via BlParent
Sent: Sunday, June 6, 2021 6:14 PM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Cc: Judy Jones
Subject: [blParent] Non-English-speaking blind parent needing assistance.

Hello, All,

I am assisting our independent living instructor on an as-needed basis, and she came to me for assistance regarding a new client, a mom from Mexico, only speaks Spanish, and has three kids, I believe ages five and under.

Her husband works very hard and is not at home much to be able to help out.

This lady has RP, in process of losing her sight, no blindness skills, and has concerns in raising her children.

The eldest, who is a kindergartener, is falling behind, as mom cannot help her with learning her letters.

The rehab teacher uses an interpreter when she makes visits, and mom also has a social worker who uses an interpreter.

I told the instructor I would reach out to this list for any assistance and Ideas.

We live in Skagit county in Washington state, and our agency for the blind nearest office is two counties away, about 83 miles.  My husband and I are the only two NFB members in the area.  Our affiliate does not yet have a blind parents group, although I believe there is some interest.

I have given the instructor referral to our state affiliate president for any ideas or resources she may know about.

The instructor has helped mom set up the Be My Eyes app on her phone in the Spanish language, so she has that resource at hand.  Mom knows she needs to eventually learn English, but has her hands full with young kids and new country.

I am hoping that someone who is a blind parent and Spanish speaker could be willing to hook up with the instructor and mom as a resource.

Thanks very much for any ideas.

Judy

🌄 (sunrise over mountains)

“embrace each day with His mercies and blessings.”

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