[nabs-l] First O/M lesson

[Jim Reed]

Hey all, 

I just had my first O/M lesson under sleepshades, and I was not impressed. I am not convinced
that my O/M instructor has the time, skill, or proper additude towards blindness to
teach me what I need/want to know. My goal of O/M training is to be
able to safely travel and navigate non-visually anywhere I want/need to
go in Billings (or anywhere else for that matter).

Given
the goals I just mentioned, I told/asked my O/M instructor  to teach me under sleepshades, and I asked her to teach me universal
travel and navigation skills, rather than teaching me specific routes. Before I could turn
around twice, she is teaching me a specific route to campus. Then, even
though I was under sleepshades for the purposes of learning non-visual
techniques, she insisted that I take off my blindfold nearly every
block so that I could check out the terrain ahead, and she also made me
take off my sleepshades quite frequently so that I could visually see
the landmarks that she was pointing out. I must have took off and put
on those sleepshades about 20 times during the lesson. There were also
two times where she told me to take off my sleepshades and walk with
her, "so that we can find the best route visually". I think I probably
walked 4-5 blocks without my sleepshades on. I'm sorry, but I don't need a lesson on sighted O/M, I've
been doing that since birth. And what the hell good does it do me to
see a landmark visually that I may not be able to see visually when I
am walking to school at night? Additionally, she wasn't letting me
figure out anything for myself. She was telling me of all the landmarks
that were around, she was telling me everytime there were bushes
sticking out into the sidewalk, or trees overhanging it, she was
telling me everytime there was a bench, lightpost, sign, or any other
obstacle in my way, and she kinda made a gasping sound everytime I
approached a curb at full speed. She was doing all of this before I
even had the chance to detect the obstacle with my cane, and she was
doing all of this without having seen me run into anything; I guess she
just assumed that I would not/did not have the skills to be able to
detect and avoid obstacles on my own. 

Towards the end of the
lesson I got sick of her pointing out where every curb was, and I told
her that she wasnt doing me any favors by pointing out every curb. She
seemed to be taken by suprize at this, and she said something like
"fine, I'll let you walk off the curb". Whenever we get our next lesson
I intend to tell her to stop pointing out every little obstaclle, and I
intend to leave the sleepshade on for the duration of the lesson.

Additionally,
I asked my O/M instructor  if she herself actually gets under a sleepshade and
travels. Her response was, " I was trained under a sleepshade, but I
havent been under one for years." A blind friend of mine (who wants to
become an O/M instructor) made a good point that I am begining to agree with, she said, "if your O/M
instructor can't/won't travel under a sleepshade, then she really
doesnt have any buisness teaching O/M. All the theoretical knowledge
learned in O/M masters programs are nice, but without practical
application of the theoretical knowledge, she will never be as good of
an O/M instructor as her counterparts who routinely practices or works
with clients under sleepshades." 

Thoughts?

Jim

"From compromise and things half done, 
Keep me with stern and stubborn pride,
And when at last the fight is won, 
... Keep me still unsatisfied." --Louis Untermeyer