[nabs-l] learning independent living

[Jedi]

Ashley,

To answer your questions, I provide the following.

I was born blind with some residual vision. For that reason, my mother 
used to say that she didn't raise me like a sighted child, nor did she 
raise me as a blind child. I don't know exactly what she means when she 
says that except perhaps that she didn't think some opportunities for 
the sighted were appropriate to me and that I should be expected to do 
the same things sighted kids do (go to school, clean my room, that kind 
of thing).

All that said, I was expected to clean my room, do the dishes, and rake 
the lawn. However, I had to figure out how to do my laundry, cook 
simple foods, etc. Most of the time, I used low vision devices to do 
these things which made them possible but terribly inefficient. I never 
got much in the way of living skills training, either. Most I got came 
from the school for the blind's summer camps and the like. most 
professionals figured I was "high functioning." I gathered that "high 
functioning" meant "has a lot of vision." As I grew to understand the 
"sight is might" philosophy and its affects on my life, I took off to 
training at LCB and learned all I already knew and then some all under 
blindfold. I'm not sorry I did it.

Respectfully,
Jedi
Original message:
> Hi all,

> I know we can attend centers to learn life skills as adults.  But I 
> think its better to learn skills growing up at age appropriate times.  
> Unfortunately, while I recieved great academic services like braille 
> handouts and alternative formats for texts, I did not get much 
> independent living training. I plan to do something about that of course.
> I think parents should take an active role in teaching skills so you're 
> not catching up later on and learning skills you could have learned at age 9.

> For me, my mom did not want us kids in the kitchen with her.  She 
> wanted to do things her way on her own.  So this isn't a totally 
> blindness thing.  My brothers were older.  The extent of their cooking 
> was microwaving food or preparing cereal.
> My brothers didn't do many house chores probably for the same reasons.  
> They did more than me though.

> I learned braille and had some O/M in school.  I learned computers and 
> my technology through tutors at the department for the blind and 
> reading the mannual.

> I was sent a rehab teacher as a teen after school at home.  I had two.  
> They taught me some basics.  They labeled the appliances, showed me how 
> to do laundry and labeled it and more.  They showed me dimo tape and 
> how to label.
> We did some cooking  and cleaning.
> This was helpful.
> I'd like to hear what you learned at home since I shared mine.
> So my questions are:
> 1. Did you do cooking at the age appropriate times?
> Were you able to do as much as your siblings if you have them?
> 2.  Did you participate in doing chores or other tasks as part of the 
> family?  I actually met a blind teen who did house work and recieved 
> allowance.  So I know some parents do this.  This girl, Amanda, was not 
> a federationist but her family raised her with nfb philosophy.

> 3. What do you wish your parents or family had done differently.
> For me I wish I had more opportunity and a patient mom to help me learn 
> and then I would help her fix dinner.
> I met a few blind peers at camp who said their mothers let them make a 
> dish for dinner such as a salad or dessert.  I wish I had done that.  
> Unfortunately many of us are  protected and in reality we were pretty 
> capable.  I guess most of you went to centers to rectify any deficits 
> or learned on your own.

> Ashley
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