[nabs-l] Training centers and their structure

[humberto]

Hello all:

First of all, I think I, personally, would be benefitted from 
going to a training center. I think the reasons why are:
1.  Although my parents are proud for the hard work I've put into  
by going to school and getting great grades, and they support me 
quite into the same matter, their blindness philosophy is not 
mine, and it's not what I want out of my life. My Mom, as I grew 
up, did not teach me any skills of independence, like washing my 
own clothes, not being afraid of the stove, cleaning, and even 
she thought, that using a knife to cut apples was not possible 
for me. Then again, this is when I was little, and you know, the 
belief system really sets in when you are a kid. (If you know 
what I mean, anyways). Not until I came into this wonderful 
country that stands for freedom for all, I discovered the NFB. 
And, due to my parents' quite low expectations, I am now 20 years 
old, and still don't know how to do those things I have mentioned 
above.
2.  I really want to go to college. So, college experience 
require a lot of independent experiences, So, I want to attend a 
training center. And with the fact, that I cannot get help from 
my state agency for the blind, it is quite a challenge to qualify 
for a training center. But anyways, just my 40 cents.

> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com
>To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 14:31:02 -0500
>Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers and their structure

>Bridgit,

>This is one of the best cases I've seen laid out for pursuing 
training at a
>Center.  You're not preaching to the choir, because there are 
some of us
>with a slightly dissenting view.

>I initially rejected the NFB training for two reasons.  First, I 
was more
>interested in continuing college, and second, I was not at all 
interested in
>being forced into what other people felt was the right path to 
independence.
>Now that I'm a little older, I can appreciate the stupidity of my 
first
>reason.  If you want something bad enough, you make it a 
priority, but the
>second reason, to me, still holds a little water.

>I was not interested in condescending people looking down on me 
for choosing
>not to take 6 to 9 months out of my life to fit someone else's 
model of
>training.  There is a very distinct culture among Center alumni 
that makes
>people not part of it feel a little left out.  Now, I am always 
first in
>line to preach the line about doing what you need to do and never 
mind what
>anyone else says, but from a marketing perspective, it makes very 
little
>sense to make it appear as though NFB training is a cornerstone 
to NFB
>philosophy.  Yes, the NFB centers feature phenomenal 
expectations, but no,
>these centers will never be able to reach everyone who needs or 
wants
>training.  A flexible plan ought to be exercised to catch 
professionals who
>would like NFB-style training without the unreasonable 
expectation of
>stopping employment for an extended period of time, especially in 
uncertain
>economies.

>After all that babble, my point is this:  I did not pursue 
training and am
>positive I would benefit from a training program.  I think people 
like me
>who chose not to enroll in a program should be prepared to 
achieve the same
>levels of proficiency with the disadvantage of doing it on your 
own across a
>longer period of time.  You have to commit to pushing yourself 
across
>multiple fronts to maintain confidence.  I feel I've done that, 
though I
>have not found someone to teach me a thing or three about 
woodwork.  Maybe
>later when I have the sufficient income to pitch the idea, I'll 
convince a
>Center to let me train for a summer at one of their facilities.  
Success is
>possible whether you go to a Center or not.  If you go to a 
Center, you'll
>have to work hard.  If you go at it on your own, you'll have to 
work even
>harder, but, make the decision that is truly most beneficial for 
you and
>commit to it 100% after you've chosen.  I personally think I 
would have been
>a little more swayed in favor of the training center route had I 
read
>something like the post below when I graduated from high school.

>Best,

>Joe

>"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their 
sleeves,
>some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam 
Ewing

>-----Original Message-----
>From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
>[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bridgit Pollpeter
>Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 1:41 PM
>To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>Subject: [nabs-l] Training centers and their structure

>Dear List,

>I know I will be preaching to the choir here so forgive me, but I 
feel
>it is important to stress the importance of choosing a good 
training
>center to attend.

>As a blind person-- whether blind from birth, later in life or in 
the
>process of losing vision-- one of the most important things you 
can do
>is attend the best training center you can find.  The reason NFB 
centers
>and other progressive centers follow similar methods is because, 
for
>years now, they have proven to be the best methods for instilling
>independence along with a strong functionality with the skills.

>We all learn at different paces and with different styles, but 
these
>centers are structured to meet individual needs.  This is why 
people
>train anywhere from 6 months to a year.  If you think you can 
learn the
>skills in less than 6 months and use them effectively, you are 
mistaken.
>Time and time again, I have seen people choose to not complete a
>training course and they lack the confidence and ability that 
most gain
>after at least a six month stint.

>As for sleep shades, I have always failed to understand why 
people are
>against this.  I initially learned with sleep shades and it made 
sense
>to me.  How better to gain that confidence than to know you can 
do
>things in non-visual ways?  Now that I can no longer use my 
vision at
>all, it makes me feel like I must be less capable when people say 
sleep
>shade training is wrong or not necessary.  The way this comes 
across is
>that vision is still vital to be truly independent, and that when 
you
>have no useable vision, you can not effectively accomplish 
things.

>Do not sell yourself short.  We all have the ability to gain that
>freedom and independence we hear so much about.  If you have 
never tried
>something, how do you know you can't do it?  I don't say all this
>because I have been brain washed, and I am one of those hard core 
blind
>people; I say all this because I have experienced it and know the
>benefits.

>We will struggle, we will need to learn, we will not always do
>everything perfectly, but if we have been handed the tools and 
methods
>to give us independence and confidence, we will find a way to 
prove
>ourselves to the world.

>I agree that placing an untrained student into an apartment 
scenerio may
>not work for everyone.  I understand the reasoning behind this, 
but I
>also know that before you learn skills and the confidence to use 
those
>skills, living on your own may not be the best situation right 
away.
>Not all training centers, good ones that is, follow this style of
>training.  You can find centers, like the Iowa Department for the 
Blind,
>where there structure is similar to the NFB centers, but housing 
is on
>campus, not apartments.  Regardless, challenge yourself and find 
out
>what you really are able to do.

>Many of us can a test to the positive influence of a good 
training
>center that teaches Structured Discovery.  Sleep shades and 
completing
>six to nine months is essential to these programs.  Do we choose
>universities that truncate their programs because we don't want 
to spend
>time completing a degree?  No, we know we have to work for four 
years,
>or longer, so we can receive the best education possible.  Why do 
we
>view training centers for the blind differently?

>I urge us all to take a good look inside and figure out who we 
are and
>what we are capable of.  We will all encounter situations in life 
that
>make us nervous or scared, but does that mean we limit our lives?  
Do we
>not reach our full potential because of nerves?  No, of course 
not.  We
>should not follow an opposite line of thinking, then, when it 
comes to
>choosing a training center.

>Centers that do not offer this kind of training only send a 
message that
>blindness is limiting, and one is better off with some vision.  
Yes, I
>have visited centers like this and it is sad to see blind people 
not
>reaching their full potential or not understanding how 
independent they
>can be.  The reason NFB centers were created was because most 
other
>agencies were not teaching and instilling this sense of 
independence,
>and they were not willing to open their minds to a new way.  Like 
many
>other situations, we were not going to accept this so we opened 
our own
>training centers.  Not everyone graduating from these centers 
leaves
>ready to make their mark on the world, bbut this is life.  Many, 
though,
>leave these centers knowing they can do anything, and they are 
ready to
>face the world.

>I am one of these people.  I never understood the fear of 
training or
>the insistance that it was not important.  When I started losing 
my
>vision, I couldn't wait to train.  I knew I could still do 
things, I
>just had to figure out how to do them.  I did not accept what 
people
>told me, that I was limited and would not be able to do a lot of 
things.
>I felt this way long before I trained, long before I knew of the 
NFB or
>any other group.  I was nervous, and at 23, leaving for training, 
in a
>whole other state, was the first time I truly lived away from 
home.  I
>have not been back since.

>I live on my own (wel, with my husband, who, by the way, is blind 
too).
>I take the bus, I go to school, I work.  I do everything, and 
more, and
>I owe this to a positive training center.

>I will stop.  I apologize, but I feel so strongly about this 
topic.  As
>blind people-- as people-- I know we can do anything we put our 
minds
>too.  I simply don't want to see anyone stifle their own 
potential.

>Bridgit


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