[nabs-l] Training centers

Thu Feb 10 02:53:26 UTC 2011

Kirt, I'm involved in church groups, and am trying to organize a
Southern Gospel quartet. I'm one of 3 blind individuals in my
community. All of my friends in my community are sighted. No, you
won't be discouraged, at all. I'm not. I also agree, that I won't
marry or date a blind person. I don't want to, because of my travel
schedule, I need someone who is able to drive, and can help me in
unfamiliar areas. Blessings, Joshua

On 2/9/11, Anmol Bhatia <anmolpbhatia at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Kirt,
> Would you really need to attend a training center? I do not know you well,
> but having met you a time or two I am not really sure if you need to attend
> a training center. However, if you do attend I would encourage you to get
> involved in the community and find sighted friends and do not fall into
> common blind bubbel of only socializing with other blind people. Like you
> said there is nothing wrong with that, but like you most of my friends  are
> also sighted and I believe that we live in a sight world and will live in a
> sighted world it is important that blind people get out of their comfert
> zone and participate in activities that sighted people do. Just my two
> sense.
> Anmol
> I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps
> there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze
> among flowers.
> Hellen Keller
>
>
> --- On Wed, 2/9/11, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> From: Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers
>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 2:37 PM
>> 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.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > nabs-l mailing list
>> > nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your
>> account info
>> > for nabs-l:
>> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/thebluesi
>> > sloose%40gmail.com
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > nabs-l mailing list
>> > nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your
>> account info for
>> > nabs-l:
>> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kirt.crazydude%40gmail.com
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your
>> account info for nabs-l:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/anmolpbhatia%40yahoo.com
>>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/jlester8462%40students.pccua.edu
>