[nabs-l] The blind educating the blind

[Linda Stover]

Jim,

I fundamentally disagree with you on this point.

The blind bring to the education of the blind a set of skills which
can not be matched by a sighted person, no matter how much TVI
training they have.  Firstly, they have incredibly high expectations
for their blind students as a rule, mainly because they have struggled
and persevered to reach there goals.

Secondly, they have an intimate knowledge of many of the training
methods because they have used and benifited from them.  Certainly, no
individual will have this intimate knowledge of every training method
available, but most blind TVI's/rehab specialists will for many.
Oftentimes, they are best equipped to teach students because they have
traveled a path that is similar/identical to the one the student is.
Even if they have not, they are still better equipped because having
suffered the discriminations/misconceptions of society firsthand, they
will have a good idea what skills students will require to succede,
simply by dent of employing/seeing these skills employed to be
successful.  I think that instead of isolating the blind community,
having this many visually impaired teachers of the blind would better
prepare us to integrate with the sighted world.
Courtney

On 5/16/09, Jim Reed <jim275_2 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hello all,
> Let me preface this post by saying I am in support of blind proffessionals
> serving the blind community, but:
>
> Hypothetically, let's assume that 95% of the professionals in the fields of
> blind education, rehabilitation, and OM were blind. Would this be a good
> thing? I propose that this would not be a good thing. It seems to me that
> such an arrangement would further serve to isolate and segregate the blind
> community from society as a whole.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Jim
>
> Homer Simpson's brain: "Use reverse psychology."
>  Homer: "Oh, that sounds too complicated."
>  Homer's brain: "Okay, don't use reverse psychology."
>  Homer: "Okay, I will!"
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/liamskitten%40gmail.com
>