[Colorado-talk] seeing and childcare ... My thoughts

melissa R green graduate56 at juno.com
Sun Jun 14 22:44:39 UTC 2015


This is an issue that always
comes up pertaining to working
in the childcare field.  Even
with childcare facilities for
children with disabilities.  I
have experienced this myself.
I am currently working as a
director and teacher in a
childcare center.  The
licensing specialist and my
dvr counselor both brought up
my lack of vision.  My point
is this, we need to pick our
battles and not let our
emotions drive the response.
My advice is that Rebecca
should fill out the
application and and be
prepared to answer the
questions of how she will
handle things without vision.
I have had to do this many
time.  Also find support in
both the blindness community,
and with her advisors.  This
issue will come up more than
once.  You have to be prepared
to handle it.  You will also
get lots of rejection as well.
I will share one more
experience to illustrate my
point.  I applied to a job
working a childcare center
that is part of a major chain
of childcare centers.  I was
told by the interviewer that
she would need to check with
the state to see if hiring me
would effect their license and
continued to answer question
of me.  I calmly answered her
questions.  She continued to
say that she needed to check
with the state.  I stated this
was fine.  I knew that there
isn't anything in the state
laws that says that the
license of a childcare center
would be pulledfor hiring a
person who is blind.  She
stated that she would follow
up with me in two weeks.  I
waited and I contacted her and
she wouldn't answer the phone
or e-mails.  All of my
experiences taught me
something about myself and
about discrimination that I
would face in working with
children and more confident in
my abilities.  I also reached
out to others in the nfb and
to my colleagues at the
school.  Lastly, know the laws
and don't be surprised by any
question that you will be
asked by someone concerning
how you will work with
children having little to no
vision.  It will also seem
that you are alone and are the
only one to believe in you.
Just my opinion.  Hope that it
helps in some way.

Have a blessed day.
Best regards,
Melissa R Green and Pj
Love is being committed with
out a guarantee.


-----Original Message-----
From: Colorado-talk
[mailto:colorado-talk-bounces@
nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Beth
Taurasi via Colorado-talk
Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2015
3:28 PM
To: NFB of Colorado Discussion
List
Cc: Beth Taurasi
Subject: [Colorado-talk]
seeing and childcare ... My
thoughts

Dear List,
Seems that Everet's questions
about childcare brought some
interesting things to the
table.  Rebekah should be
contacted by leadership.  I
can name some names of people
on this list who have
childcare experience,
including but not limited to,
the Batrons, the LaBarres, and
the people like Trina Boyd
Pratt who's worked with
elementary kids at our Denver
CCB.  What on Earth is PPCC's
problem!?!?  Also, I have the
closest thing to a keeper in
my bf Blake, who, by the way,
has had little kid experiences
at Head Start Extended Day
programs in his local Arizona
town.  I dare somebody to take
a poll and see how many other
blind people in CO have had
experiences with Head Start
Colorado.  What about those
who help out at the Anchor
Center?  I can name some more
people, but I forgot who was
here and who was not, but the
blind parents I just mentioned
can and will continue raising
their families.  I want to be
a mom myself, but that
mentality that PPCC has got
regarding childcare is
unhealthy, but I think more
than that, it's dangerous for
Rebekah. There are more
Lakewood and Denver residents
here who are blind who can
testify that childcare is not
a sighted thing.  I'd first
start by giving those PPCC
people a copy of "Parenting
Without Sight", not so much
because of the kids but
because it mentioned blind
parents and blind caregivers
of children doing different
things.  For instance, I would
NEVER let my child, if I ever
dreamed of having one, roam
the neighborhood naked, let
alone roam streets I do not
know for sure.  I would lock
my windows and doors at night,
use a security system if Blake
and I were gone, etc.  There
are so many things that blind
people can do to prove that
childcare is accessible and
fun for them.  The key to
caring for kids, as Blake will
tell you, is to keep them in
it, engaged.  I would, for
instance, love to play with
little kids' hair and braid
it.  Lots of girls like that,
keeps them talking and having
fun.  
Boys are a bit adventurous in
my experience.  They love
their fire trucks and cars and
stuff, but then, a little more
than that, they like building
things.  One can play with
Legos with the kids and watch
the imagination of a child go
wild.  Play dough is fun too.
All those things I played with
myself.  What is so visual
about those things? Play dough
has that ... eau de dough that
you can't resist, but as long
as you don't really eat it,
you're fine.  Anyway, the
dough is fun to mess with, and
while you are rolling in to
the balls this particular
dough, kids around you will
see you doing it, and pick up
on it.  What is so darn visual
about playing with ... say, a
fire truck toy that has sirens
and flashing lights for
heaven's sake? What about
fashion dolls?  I played with
all of the above.
I would like to see the
leadership try and help with
Rebekah's case.  As a blind
person who grew up this way, I
can say for certain there's
nothing too visual about
childcare.  What about
Michelle Chacon?  Wasn't she
Corral Leader for the Kid
thing during state convention
for years?  
She can offer some points.
Beth

--
Check out my Wordpress blog:
denverqueen.wordpress.com or
you can reach me by skype at
denverqueen0920


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