[nabs-l] Training centers

[Kirt Manwaring]

Dear Beth, Tara and all,
  Is it hard to get involved with the community outside the center?
Let me clarify the question, as it maybe doesn't make sense.
  I know a lot of blind people (and please keep in mind I'm not
calling anyone out or judging), who graduated from the training
centers and now spend their lives mostly with other blind people.
There's nothing wrong with that, it's just not for me.  I'm probably
not going to marry a blind person or seriously date a blind
person...simply because most of my friends aren't blind.  So, with
that in mind, I'm going to want to find ways to get involved in the
community at large, at whichever center I decide is right for me.
So...do you think I'll be discouraged or austricized if I choose to
spend lots of my free time with church groups, volunteer programs,
other friends I might find outside the center, etc?  Because I think
the worst thing that could happen to me is to get caught in a "blind
bubble" where I learn all the skills I need, hang out with center
people all the time, and miss out on whatever other opportunities I
might find living away from home for such a long time.  Don't get me
wrong, I hope to make friends at the center and have a great time.
But I don't want that to be my whole life while I'm out on my own like
this.  Thoughts, anyone?
  Kirt

On 2/9/11, Beth <thebluesisloose at gmail.com> wrote:
> Training centers are a good way for blind people to learn the
> skills, but the CCB staff being blind makes it easier.  Tara, I
> agree with you on all points.  At a center in Daytona Beach,
> Florida, there were nurses, old creeps,, and lots of rules such
> as the lights out rule.  Sexes were separated by wing, and there
> was no question about dating.  At CCB, blind people are treated
> like people.
> Beth
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tara Annis <TAnnis at afb.net
> To: "nabs-l at nfbnet.org" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Wed, 9 Feb 2011 14:38:09 -0500
> Subject: [nabs-l] Training centers
>
> I attended the Colorado Center program between semesters at
> college.    I attended the school for the blind and also took
> some classes at a local association of the blind, so would like
> to provide some insight.
> I do agree that blind people can be successful and have above
> average skills, even though they do  not go to the NFB center,
> but this is really rare from my observations.
> Before I went to CCB, I did not know that blind people could walk
> long distances using a cane, as in m five or ten miles.  I
> thought people could only walk routes that the O&M instructor had
> taught them, and the route would be a mile or less.  I thought
> blind  people needed sighted  guide for any new place they
> visited, and couldn't use the cane to follow someone.
> I didn't know that blind people could use a charcoal grill.
> Some observations:
> 1. There were no nurses at CCB that had control of the medication
> you took.  If you are supposed to be living in the real world,
> why have someone keep track of your meds?
>
> 2. There were no lights out at CCB.  As long as you showed up to
> class on time, who cares what you do at night, as long as you
> aren't breaking the law.  You're adults, so you should be treated
> like them.
> Go to bed when you feel like it.
>
> 3. There was no hassle at CCB when you wanted to go for lunch.
> You just  walked out the door.  You didn't need to make sure
> people had a sighted guide before beginning.  You didn't need to
> have a sighted person to come along to help out.
>
>
> 4. Instructors were blind at CCB, and not ashamed of it. At other
> training centers, the instructors would never be caught using a
> cane or reading braille.  Sighted people wore dark glasses when
> traveling with blind people, so the public couldn't look into
> their eyes.  They did  not like being stared at by the  public.
> Yet, they never told blind people this fact.
>
> 5. Colorado staff did not hide the fact that the public can
> sometimes be cruel, and many do not understand blindness.  I have
> witnessed at  other centers staff outright lying to blind people
> telling them that no one can tell they are blind and that they
> don't need a cane, since they get around  so well.  Yet, the
> people they tell this to have disfigured eyes, and run into
> obstacles.  The instructors do not want the blind person to feel
> bad so that is why they make up these lies.
>
>
> 6. I hate how at other centers they always assume a blind person
> has low self  esteem, and needs counseling.
> CCB  knew that some of their students are at an intermediate
> level, already past the adjustment phase of blidnness, and just
> came to CCB for advanced skills training.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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