[humanser] Disclosure about Blindness to Clients

Thu Oct 31 23:37:37 UTC 2013

  Have you heard of cases like the one I'm wanting to share in when the 
client saw I was blind, she ran away? the mother was very ashamed of 
let's see if Ican get her back; I waited and waited and no client! 
Imagine how Ifelt?

El 31/10/2013 05:22 p.m., Terrie Terlau escribió:
> Hello all,
> I stay pretty quiet on this list, but am very glad to read what you all
> discuss. I am currently doing product development at the American Printing
> House for the Blind. However, I have my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, am
> maintaining my Kentucky license, and will probably do some private practice
> in the next few years.
>
> I am totally, and therefore obviously, blind.
> When I saw clients at The Ohio State University  Counseling and Consultation
> Service, in private practice, at a Rape Crisis Center, and my university
> clinic, I went to the waiting room with my Seeing Eye Dog and called my
> client's name. When he or she answered, I would walk toward the person,
> sometimes they would meet me half way, and I would shake hands. I would then
> ask them to follow me back to my office. Because I was obviously blind, I
> brought blindness up in my first session along with all the other
> confidentiality and procedural paperwork. I mentioned that I would not have
> direct eye contact because I couldn't see and that I would jot down some
> notes in braille. I used a slate and stylus in a binder in my lap, where I
> also kept labeled hole-punched folders for the forms and paperwork that we
> had to deal with. I usually said that I paid attention to lots more than
> what they said and that I communicated with my face and body to them as
> well. I said that my blindness is a part of me just like my brown hair, and
> I said that any questions, concerns, or thoughts about my blindness were
> always appropriate to bring up.
>
> Usually, people just took my blindness in stride. I had one client ask for a
> sighted therapist because she wanted to work with someone who could see her
> artwork. I thanked her for asking for what she needed and she was
> transferred to someone else. This felt like a totally legitimate request. I
> also firmly believe that a blind therapist can work with drawings that
> sighted clients make. However, if someone wants to work on creativity and
> wants the art to be seen visually by a therapist, I think they should be
> able to have that.
>
> I would think that, if I traveled without a cane or a dog, I would bring up
> my low vision at some point early in treatment. I would not want to surprise
> someone if I had to hold a form very close to my face to read it or if I
> took notes in such large, bold print that the client could read it
> upside-down eight feet from me. But we all need to find out, sometimes by
> trial and error, what works best for each of us.
>
> Best regards,
> Terrie (Mary T.) Terlau
> terrieter at gmail.com
> -----
> From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Karen Rose
> Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 6:55 PM
> To: Human Services Mailing List
> Cc: Human Services Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [humanser] Disclosure about Blindness to Clients
>
> I find them blindness can be a very good Rorschach tool with clients. It is
> interesting to see how or if they react to it. If not then I usually bring
> it up by end of second session or so just to make it safe. Karen
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Oct 31, 2013, at 3:01 AM, "justin williams"
> <justin.williams2 at gmail.com>  wrote:
>> So you have a job where it might matter?  If not, then I would say that it
>> is up to you.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dorothea
>> Martin
>> Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 5:29 AM
>> To: humanser at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: Re: [humanser] Disclosure about Blindness to Clients
>>
>> Hello, Elyssa,
>> It seems to me that trying to conceal something that is obvious to
> everyone
>> who can see is pointless. The converse is also true:  We might not need to
>> alert someone to something he can s clearly see. One reason I've found for
>> raising the topic of my blindness at some point early in a relationship is
>> that this takes the subject off the taboo list and allows the other person
>> to ask questions.
>> Dotty Martin
>>
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>>
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