[humanser] newly blind

[JD Townsend]

Dear Nicole & List:

As we on the list, all counselors, find is that every action is based on a 
complex combination of factors.  A person with good intentions may become a 
blind rehabilitation counselor to help those poor, disadvantaged and 
helpless people.  Others may seek the gratitude of those blind folks who 
have been helped out of their pitiful positions into a job, real work.  It 
is a far different counselor who may help a blind individual find their 
talents have not been dulled by blindness and be encouraged to learn 
excellent alternate methods to progress with their careers.

I don't see evil workers, but I have many times met workers who held only 
very limited ambition for their clients, effectively damning them with their 
recommendations.  I have been known to counsel folks that they can easily 
out earn their rehab counselor if they will just allow their own ambition to 
become engaged.

In my limited experience blindness rehabilitation counselors are, most 
frequently, case managers with no real training in counseling, despite what 
they may say.  The profession is not regulated or licensed.  Though the NFB 
this picture is, very slowly, changing.



JD Townsend, LCSW
Daytona Beach, Florida, Earth, Sol System
Helping the light dependent to see.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <GraceSlickChick1 at aol.com>
To: <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, December 26, 2008 9:39 PM
Subject: Re: [humanser] newly blind


> HI, Cari.  I think we may know each other from livejournal and  another 
> yahoo
> group.  I'm friends w/ a girl named Lisa, who is also blind,  and I'm
> Brandy's partner.  Brandy is legally blind as well.  Just  getting caught 
> up on
> posts, and coming out of lurk mode to ask: How in the world  can someone 
> be a rehab
> counselor but hate blind people?  That just doesn't  make sense to me.  I
> mean, don't people enter that field because they want  to help people with
> disabilities?
> Nicole Gleason