[nabs-l] The Carroll Center for the Blind

Mon Aug 15 01:37:41 UTC 2011

I went to our state Rehab center here in Florida, where the mobility 
instructor said I couldn't do mobility, verses our local light house where 
the mobility teacher is teaching about street crossings, and you can tell he 
really enjoys what he does. RJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "chris nusbaum" <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2011 9:02 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] The Carroll Center for the Blind


> Hi Arielle and Rania,
>
> Thank you so much! That helps a lot! Rania, what did you like at BISM?
> Was Loretta White the youth services director when you went? She was
> when I went for Kids Camp, and I had some bad experiences there.
>
> Chris
>
> On 8/14/11, Rania Ismail CMT <raniaismail04 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Bism was a good center as well.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Arielle Silverman
>> Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2011 6:16 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] The Carroll Center for the Blind
>>
>> Hi all,
>> When deciding which training center to go to, there are lots of
>> factors to consider. Training centers differ in what skills they teach
>> and how they teach them (i.e. with or without sleepshades) and it's
>> important to evaluate their teaching philosophies to determine which
>> one is best for you. However, there's another dimension that sometimes
>> gets missed and that's the "feel" of the center-and in particular how
>> the staff feel about their students and their jobs. This is one area
>> where I think NFB likely beats them all. I went through the adult
>> program at LCB and I've talked to lots of students and staff at CCB
>> and BLIND, Inc. and it's clear that with few exceptions, the staff at
>> all three of our centers (1) love their jobs and (2) actually care
>> about their students. These things seem obvious, but you'd be
>> surprised. When I was growing up I went to a local day summer program
>> for blind kids. This wasn't a center per se, but they had lots of
>> social activities for the kids and attempted to teach some skills,
>> like assistive tech. Anyway, I remember overhearing staff members at
>> this program talking to each other about how they couldn't wait for
>> the program to end or to get time off. Staff were often irritable and
>> got frustrated with kids who cried or got upset or kids with
>> intellectual disabilities who took longer to catch on. Furthermore, it
>> was made clear the adults were in charge and attempts by kids to
>> mentor other kids were discouraged. I liked the program because of all
>> the friends I made there, but the attitudes of the staff always got to
>> me. I was quickly impressed when I got to LCB, and even before that
>> when I worked one of the kids' science camps at the Jernigan
>> Institute, by how patient and loving and dedicated our teachers are. I
>> recall one of the LCB instructors waiting a half-hour past closing
>> time for a student to find her way to the classroom door on her own.
>> This is an easy task for many of us, but for someone who has always
>> been guided without a cane it can be very challenging. The teacher
>> could have just guided her to speed things up or yelled at her for not
>> being independent enough, which is probably what would have happened
>> at my old summer camp, but he didn't. He was willing to spend the
>> extra time so a student could learn a new skill and gain confidence.
>> It is clear the instructors at the centers are not just working there
>> for a paycheck. Many of them will talk freely and sincerely about how
>> much they enjoy their jobs, but it is also apparent in their demeanor
>> and actions. Even though I graduated from LCB in 2008, my instructors
>> still come up and hug me and ask how I've been when I see them at
>> convention or Washington Seminar, and they do so for other students as
>> well. I think this kind of affection and genuine caring is really
>> important. It helps students trust their teachers and be willing to
>> take on challenging assignments, and it helps the teachers trust their
>> students enough to give them those challenges. I think the warmth,
>> positivity, and belief our instructors have in their students is the
>> real ingredient that makes our centers so exceptional-even more so
>> than the curriculum.
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 8/14/11, David Dodge <daviddod at buffalo.edu> wrote:
>>> Chris,
>>> I have visited the Louisiana Center before and know several people that
>> have
>>> gone there. Generally, they describe it as one of the most extraordinary
>>> experiences.
>>>
>>> When I visited the staff was very kind and full of information. They are
>>> proud of what they do there.
>>>
>>> David
>>> ----------------------------------
>>> David Dodge
>>> Doctoral Degree Granting Institutions Rep.
>>> State University of New York Student Assembly
>>> English Major
>>> University at Buffalo
>>> 306 Clemens Hall
>>> Buffalo, NY 14260
>>> daviddod at buffalo.edu
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, Aug 14, 2011 at 10:50 AM, chris nusbaum
>>> <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>
>>>> This is an interesting discussion, and one which I was planning to
>>>> start in the near future. I agree with Peter's sentiments about
>>>> attending an NFB training center (although I wouldn't recommend
>>>> BISM... well, maybe they've changed as their leadership has changed,
>>>> from Loretta White to Amy Phelps) and I'm planning to attend a center
>>>> next summer. I'm trying to decide which I will go to, Minnesota,
>>>> Louissianna, or Colorado. So, I'd like to know what all of you thought
>>>> were the pros and cons of each program. What did you like about each
>>>> program, and what did you not like about it? What are the differences
>>>> in the programs, as they're all NFB training centers? I'll most likely
>>>> be going to the middle or high school program, I don't know which. I'm
>>>> going into 8th grade at the end of this month, so will be going into
>>>> 9th next August. So, which center would you recommend? Thanks!
>>>>
>>>> Chris
>>>>
>>>> On 8/14/11, Peter Donahue <pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com> wrote:
>>>> > Hello Justin and everyone,
>>>> >
>>>> >     For the reasons you point out below I wouldn't mess with the
>> Carroll
>>>> > Center under any circumstances. I'm originally from Massachusetts and
>>>> > saw
>>>> > the same kind of results you mentioned from students who went there.
>>>> > What
>>>> > can you expect from an agency whose founder viewed blindness as a
>>>> "Dying."
>>>> > If you want good blindness training go to an NFB center. Get what you
>>>> need
>>>> > once and it will last you a life time.
>>>> >
>>>> > Peter Donahue
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > ----- Original Message -----
>>>> > From: "Salisbury, Justin Mark" <SALISBURYJ08 at students.ecu.edu>
>>>> > To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>>> > Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2011 8:57 PM
>>>> > Subject: [nabs-l] The Carroll Center for the Blind
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > I attended the Carroll Center for the Blind for two consecutive 
>>>> > summers
>>>> with
>>>> > Justin Young, and I would like to give my personal take on it.
>>>> >
>>>> > Justin and I had this joke where we started the Justin Corporation, 
>>>> > an
>>>> > underground mafia meat market.  It was an amazing social experience
>> with
>>>> all
>>>> > of the other students involved.  If only considering the social
>>>> > frontier,
>>>> I
>>>> > highly recommend it.
>>>> >
>>>> > I attended the Youth in Transition (YIT) program in 2006 and then the
>>>> Real
>>>> > World Work Experience (RWWE) in 2007.  I valued every bit of the
>>>> experience
>>>> > both years, but I want to first make clear a fundamental disagreement
>>>> that I
>>>> > now have with the training that I received.  I lost my vision in 
>>>> > 2005,
>>>> > so
>>>> I
>>>> > was newly blinded when I went to the Carroll Center.  They taught me 
>>>> > to
>>>> use
>>>> > my remaining vision as much as possible and taught me ways to use my
>>>> > remaining vision.  I wish that they had taught me how to do 
>>>> > everything
>>>> > non-visually.  I wish that they had occluded (blindfolded) me during
>> O&M
>>>> > lessons and other lessons in general.  I learned a lot of great 
>>>> > things,
>>>> but
>>>> > blindness skills should be about knowing how to do things 
>>>> > non-visually.
>>>>  I
>>>> > am now planning to attend an NFB training center (Louisiana Center 
>>>> > for
>>>> the
>>>> > Blind, Blind, Inc, or Colorado Center for the Blind), where I will
>> learn
>>>> all
>>>> > of the skills I need non-visually.  Also understand that I have a
>> stable
>>>> > visual field and acuity.
>>>> >
>>>> > I am much better off having gone to the Carroll Center than I was
>> before
>>>> I
>>>> > went there, but it wasn't the best possible program that I could have
>>>> > chosen.
>>>> >
>>>> > In the Youth in Transition program, they worked with us on our
>>>> > confidence
>>>> > and social skills.  They taught us some basic cooking skills, how to 
>>>> > do
>>>> > laundry, a lot of O&M, housekeeping skills, how to use low vision
>>>> devices,
>>>> > and they had a class called "personal management," where they taught 
>>>> > us
>>>> > about shaving, tying a tie, sewing a button, and things like that. 
>>>> > If
>>>> > we
>>>> > already knew how to do something, they would watch us do it and 
>>>> > suggest
>>>> > modifications in technique if necessary.  They also had a class 
>>>> > called
>>>> > adaptive technology, where they introduced me to ZoomText and other
>>>> students
>>>> > with less vision than me to Jaws.  We had a lot of great group
>>>> > activities
>>>> > and social opportunities that I will remember for a long time.  We 
>>>> > also
>>>> saw
>>>> > a counselor while we were there on a weekly basis to make sure that 
>>>> > we
>>>> were
>>>> > adjusting well to the environment.  Another activity, called "people
>>>> talk,"
>>>> > was a time that we all gathered to talk about certain issues that 
>>>> > often
>>>> led
>>>> > to self-awareness and confidence building.
>>>> >
>>>> > In the Real World Work Experience program, we were evaluated on our
>>>> skills
>>>> > for a week and prepared for a month of work.  Once we started work, 
>>>> > we
>>>> > worked for three days per week in volunteer positions, and we were 
>>>> > paid
>>>> by
>>>> > the Carroll Center.  The other two days were used for field trips and
>>>> > training days.  Again, it was an amazing experience.  Different
>> students
>>>> > were placed in different positions in the Boston area.  We were
>>>> responsible
>>>> > for using public transportation to get to and from our work sites. 
>>>> > We
>>>> had
>>>> > two job coaches in charge of about 10 or 12 students in the program, 
>>>> > so
>>>> they
>>>> > weren't with us all the time.  They were sighted people who watched 
>>>> > us
>>>> > at
>>>> a
>>>> > distance while we were in the environment.
>>>> >
>>>> > At the beginning of the RWWE program, I met a few adults who were at
>> the
>>>> end
>>>> > of their adult program, which runs during the regular school year.
>> They
>>>> > spoke well of their program, but they told me that there wasn't an
>>>> > aggressive Braille standard that they had to meet in their program.
>>>> > They
>>>> > studied it a little bit, but they didn't become what an NFB training
>>>> center
>>>> > would push them to become.  Also, students at the Carroll Center live
>> in
>>>> a
>>>> > dorm and eat at a dining hall, which gives them a comfortable crutch,
>>>> > but
>>>> it
>>>> > does not push them to really be independent.  When you walk into the
>>>> dining
>>>> > hall, you are expected to put your cane in a docking station and
>>>> > navigate
>>>> > the dining hall without it by walking in either a clockwise or
>>>> > counter-clockwise direction.
>>>> >
>>>> > The Carroll Center is a good training center with good people in it,
>> but
>>>> it
>>>> > is not the very best option available.
>>>> >
>>>> > I'd be happy to answer specific questions on- or off-list.
>>>> >
>>>> > Justin
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Justin M. Salisbury
>>>> > Undergraduate Student
>>>> > The University Honors Program
>>>> > East Carolina University
>>>> > salisburyj08 at students.ecu.edu
>>>> >
>>>> > "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
>>>> change
>>>> > the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."    -MARGARET
>> MEAD
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > _______________________________________________
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>>>> >
>>>> >
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Chris Nusbaum
>>>>
>>>> Sales and Advertising Coordinator
>>>>
>>>> Arianna's Art Inc. Paintings for the Blind and Sighted!!!
>>>>
>>>> Like us on Facebook! Search for Arianna Lipka Art for the Blind!
>>>>
>>>> Visit the I C.A.N. Foundation online at: www.icanfoundation.info for
>>>> information on our foundation and how it helps blind and visually
>>>> impaired children in MD say "I can!"
>>>>
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>
>
> -- 
> Chris Nusbaum
>
> Sales and Advertising Coordinator
>
> Arianna's Art Inc. Paintings for the Blind and Sighted!!!
>
> Like us on Facebook! Search for Arianna Lipka Art for the Blind!
>
> Visit the I C.A.N. Foundation online at: www.icanfoundation.info for
> information on our foundation and how it helps blind and visually
> impaired children in MD say "I can!"
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
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