[nabs-l] O&M services through state agency for the blind

Fri Jul 23 17:59:06 UTC 2010

Kerri,
I've gotten decent services in other areas.  My VR  is not responsibe in a 
timely manner but counselor I think that is the case with many states.  I 
had technology services to learn my Braille Note and that was good training 
through a contracted tech trainer.  I also had a low vision exam from a very 
good professional  that was also contracted.  I say this to state that not 
all services are bad.

I believe there are great O and M people out there, maybe don't teach 
exactly like NFB does but they are great and have a variety of teaching 
methods for many types of people.
Unfortunately, the instructor I have is not a good OandMer.
For OandM there are two specialists through the office.  One has an 
excellent reputation and a good attitude and she is conscientious.  The 
other who I have is not.

I want to learn in my own area and own transit system.  I don't think I'd 
learn well from structured discovery.
I need systematic instruction to learn an area and I don't do well by guess 
work and discovering on my own to learn anything especially OandM.

There are many great O and M specialists out there and I think I'm going to 
insist they contract with an OandMer who can actually teach me if the 
current instructor does not improve.

I went to our state rehab center and its a mix of traditional and NFB 
instruction since its run by a Federationist.  I had a taste of mobility 
from an agency trained mobility person through NFB and it did not work.  I 
hate compass directions for one thing.  I cannot form a picture nor retain 
any info telling me Elm street goes south and Forest street goes west and 
walk a few blocks and turn west, etc.  It does not make sense and never 
will.  I need to do right/left or better yet tell me in terms of a clock.  I 
mean say "you're standing at 12:00 and at 6:00 is Store A and 9:00 is store 
B etc.
Structured discovery works well for those who can build a mental map and 
pick up and retain environmental information on their own.

I really struggle with directional concepts.  When I was young learning 
print I flipped the print B and D because they are opposites as you know if 
you saw them.  D has a loop on the left and B has a loop on the right.  I 
also learned braille after print because print they realized was not the 
best medium.
I mention this as another example of flipping directions and 
misunderstanding them.

Ashley

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2010 1:02 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] O&M services through state agency for the blind

> Hi Ashley:
>
> I'm from W.VA...a very poor state that also has terrible services.
>
> I right now am trying to decide which center I want to go to, but when
> I was getting contracted O and M services it was pretty bad. The
> instructor I had only worked on route travel with me, which I hate and
> do not do very well with...I am much better and am excelling even
> without training with the structured discovery method. Our state
> agency is so bad that a few years ago they lost funding and had to
> close part of the building down. They now put you in a hotel to stay
> every night...I toured our state center once and could tell just from
> that one tour that it was pretty bad.
>
> I doubt that you'll get very good services from your state...I'd also
> recomend one of the NFB training centers...or at least one that has
> structured discovery cane travel. I believe the structured discovery
> method is much much better and you'll learn much more with it.
>
> Just my opinion!
>
> Kerri
>
> On 7/22/10, Beth <thebluesisloose at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Florida services were bad enough.  The instructor I was assigned
>> canceled eight times.  I couldn't get O and M but once a week.  I hope
>> I can convince you, Ashley, to try CCB.  The staf are all amazing,
>> blind, and know how to travel.  My orientation skills are pretty bad
>> myself, but the CCB staff are determined to have me overcome this, and
>> so am I.  The NFB training centers are all about overcoming obstacles.
>>  Here, you can also learn Braille, computers/tech, and home management
>> skills.  Louisiana also has an NFB center, but I say CCB people are
>> better travelers because we have to walk and take the train and bus to
>> our center every day.  I think that makes us better travelers because
>> it makes us focus more on walking to the destination and gives us
>> practice, but I hate route travel.  Services with state agencies are
>> pretty bad a lot of times, so I would recommend going to an NFB
>> training center.
>> Beth
>>
>> On 7/22/10, bookwormahb at earthlink.net <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>> I wanted to vent here about a problem I have and see what sort of 
>>> service
>>> your state agency provides.  I'm in VA and the state agency is 
>>> Department
>>> for the blind and Vision Impaired, DBVI.
>>>
>>>
>>> one skill I struggle with is O&M.  I have tunnel vision and use a cane. 
>>> I
>>> don't have a good sense of direction and my spatial abilities are 
>>> lacking;
>>> Its hard for me to build a cognitive map in my head so if someone 
>>> explains
>>> directions or a layout I cannot hold that in my head and comprehend it
>>> unless its drawn for me as a map on paper.  Sometimes "drawing" on my 
>>> skin
>>> with a finger helps me get the shape of something.  I say this as
>>> background
>>> fo my situation.
>>>
>>> I am requesting O&M service from the agency.  However my instructor 
>>> really
>>> can't teach and he is rude.  I mentioned to Corbb who I think worked 
>>> with
>>> this instructor, that I really wanted the other instructor in the 
>>> Fairfax
>>> office.  He agreed with me.  But they denied my request stating I had to
>>> work with the instructor assigned to my territory.  This instructor gave
>>> me
>>> short lessons of less than an hour, cancelled many times, and had to 
>>> rest
>>> on
>>> lessons because he did not feel well.
>>>
>>> When I complained about this comduct they just said that is not 
>>> acceptable
>>> and the manager said he would speak to the instructor.  Then we had a
>>> meeting to lay out goals and clarify the instructor's responsibility.
>>> They
>>> said it was the instructor's responsibility to plan lessons and bring me
>>> to
>>> places to learn my objectives.  They also said I had a right to longer
>>> lessons.
>>> I was not happy with the meeting since the instructor hardly 
>>> participated
>>> and gave no indication as to how he would improve and teach me.  He
>>> clearly
>>> does not care.
>>>
>>> They, I mean the manager of the Fairfax office, tells me I may not get
>>> lessons but once a month because they are short staffed.  I feel this is
>>> rediculous because I need more to meet my needs; like three or four 
>>> times
>>> a
>>> month.
>>>
>>> The bottom line is they won't give me adaquate service.  Giving me
>>> instruction with an impatient, rude, instructor is not quality service.
>>> The
>>> other instructor is university trained as well, but she is much better,
>>> has
>>> teaching abilities and a positive attitude.  But I cannot have her 
>>> because
>>> she is not assigned to my territory.
>>>
>>>
>>> I wish they would outsource OandM service to meet client's needs.  There
>>> are
>>> many good OandMers here that don't work for the agency.  I wish they 
>>> would
>>> contract with someone.  BTW I want to learn such things as better
>>> orientation strategies outside, crossing streets, and public transit.
>>>
>>> Can you tell me what your services were like in terms of quality and
>>> frequency of lessons if you had community O&M from an agency.  I'm not
>>> sure
>>> what to do other than go up the chain of command with my complaint.
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>> Ashley
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>>
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>
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