[nabs-l] Training centers

Thu Feb 10 22:19:12 UTC 2011

Hi,

I was there from September of 2008 until January of 2009. I have to say it 
was great there and lots of fun!

I don't remember seeing you there though. Perhaps you were there in the 
spring...

Jen
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shop my store for the latest and greatest in beauty and wellness products!
www.youravon.com/jaberdeen

Jennifer Aberdeen, AVON Independent Sales Representative
freespirit328 at gmail.com
401-644-5607

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Hatgelakas" <brian.hatgelakas at verizon.net>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 4:57 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers

> @Jen were you at the center in 08 when I was their?  Its Brian Hatgelakas!
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jennifer Aberdeen" <freespirit328 at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 4:32 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers
>
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I met my boyfriend when I was at the Carrol Center. They had issues with 
>> touching etc over there, but we didn't actually start dating until after 
>> we were both finished our programs, so it wasn't a big deal for me.
>>
>> Jen
>> ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
>> Shop my store for the latest and greatest in beauty and wellness 
>> products!
>> www.youravon.com/jaberdeen
>>
>> Jennifer Aberdeen, AVON Independent Sales Representative
>> freespirit328 at gmail.com
>> 401-644-5607
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Beth" <thebluesisloose at gmail.com>
>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 11:21 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers
>>
>>
>> As far as dating at Centers, I am still dating my current bf and
>> he's amazing.  I met him here at CCB, and he welcomed me with
>> open arms.  HE's an amazing traveler, but snow is his weakness.
>> lol
>> Beth
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Arielle Silverman <nabs.president at gmail.com
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Wed, 9 Feb 2011 21:41:15 -0700
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers
>>
>> Hi again,
>>
>> Humberto, yes, people who are born blind are just as welcome at
>> NFB
>> centers as people who just went blind. I think when I was at LCB,
>> it
>> was about half and half, or maybe even more people who grew up
>> blind
>> than people who are newly blind. Some students also attend who
>> have
>> been "legally blind" for most or all of their lives, but who are
>> recently losing more vision.
>>
>> Brian: It's sad, but also funny to hear about other centers
>> discouraging students from dating, because to my knowledge dating
>> between students at NFB centers is actually quite common, and not
>> discouraged (sometimes teasingly encouraged by staff who like to
>> play
>> "matchmaker"). I believe that several blind married couples who
>> are
>> active in the NFB first met at training centers (Dr. Maurer and
>> Mrs.
>> Maurer met at the Iowa training center, the one that the three
>> NFB
>> centers are modeled after). That said, there is certainly no
>> expectation to get romantically involved with a fellow center
>> student
>> and many students intentionally avoid it because the time at the
>> center is relatively short, or because they don't want to be
>> distracted during their training by such things. Either way is
>> perfectly acceptable, in my opinion.
>>
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 2/9/11, Arielle Silverman <nabs.president at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> As you know, there is no magical number of days you must stay at
>> a
>> training center in order to emerge as an "enlightened" blind
>> person.
>> Nor is the center itself magical, or absolutely necessary for
>> everyone
>> to achieve their optimal amount of self-sufficiency and
>> integration in
>> the world. If you attend a center (NFB or not), you will
>> hopefully
>> gain skills you can combine with your prior skills so you have
>> as many
>> "tools in your toolbox" as possible. Having attended the
>> Louisiana
>> Center for the Blind, and knowing many people who have gone to
>> the
>> other two NFB centers, I believe that our centers are unique,
>> and
>> anybody can gain something from attending one of them at least
>> for a
>> short time, whether you "need" it or not. However, I also don't
>> think
>> attending a center is essential for success. Unfortunately,
>> center
>> training often must serve to fill in the gaps in one's childhood
>> blindness skills training, so if you already have a solid
>> foundation
>> in Braille, Computers, cane travel, and home management and feel
>> appropriately confident in your skills in all four of these
>> areas,
>> then going to a center may not be as important to you as other
>> goals,
>> like college attendance. However, if you feel deficient in one
>> or more
>> of these skills or feel your independence is limited because of
>> these
>> issues, then a center is an excellent way to fill in that
>> knowledge
>> gap.
>>
>> In answer to a couple questions that were raised, at least in
>> Louisiana, the evenings and weekends are, for the most part,
>> your
>> time. There are occasional trips like rafting and rock climbing,
>> and
>> sometimes optional weekend activities, but the rest of the free
>> time
>> is yours. I know at LCB many students attended local churches
>> and some
>> exercised at the local fitness center. You are more than welcome
>> to
>> sign up for community activities, as long as they don't take up
>> time
>> during the week (Monday-Friday from 8:00-5:00, or 8:00-4:30 for
>> CCB;
>> I'm not sure about BLIND, Inc.'s exact schedule).
>>
>> As someone mentioned, contrary to some people's stereotypes
>> about NFB
>> centers, they really do make an effort to treat every student as
>> an
>> individual. There are graduation requirements, but if you are
>> struggling to meet them, the teachers will work with you to
>> develop a
>> plan so that you can graduate and be challenged without being
>> overwhelmed. When I was at LCB I saw lots of students with a
>> great
>> range of prior skills and some who had additional disabilities
>> and I
>> thought that for the most part, the staff did an exceptionally
>> good
>> job of adjusting to each person's specific needs and abilities.
>> And,
>> you can negotiate the length of your stay. If you stay for less
>> than
>> six months you might not officially graduate or get a "freedom
>> bell"
>> but if you say you only can attend for a few months because of
>> school,
>> work or other reasons, they're not going to turn you away. I
>> think the
>> more time, the better, but even a one-month stay is better than
>> none
>> at all.
>>
>> There are a lot of things that make NFB centers stand out but I
>> think
>> the high expectations and belief the instructors have in their
>> students is the most important. A few of the instructors are
>> sighted,
>> but I was struck by the difference in basic approach between the
>> sighted teachers at LCB and the other sighted instructors I had
>> growing up. It was clear that the teachers all believed in and
>> respected the students' capacity to learn and become independent
>> in
>> completing the assignments. They were both patient and firm,
>> challenging us to go beyond what we thought we could do while
>> also
>> being willing to invest the time and attention we needed to
>> learn the
>> skills correctly. Even with little things, like having us
>> independently find the pots we needed for cooking or the tools
>> we
>> needed for woodshop, they conveyed that they expected us to
>> employ
>> alternative techniques in every step of the process. It was also
>> clear
>> to me that it wasn't just a "day job" for the staff. They really
>> care
>> about the students and their progress even after graduation.
>>
>> The main reason I decided to attend the center was because of
>> travel.
>> Like many of us I grew up with very traditional travel/O&M
>> instruction
>> where I learned that I could only go to places if I had
>> memorized the
>> route first. My parents were also very protective and I lived in
>> a
>> suburban neighborhood so I had few opportunities to walk around
>> on my
>> own or deal with busy streets, shopping centers, etc. without a
>> sighted guide. In college when I did get to travel on my own, I
>> frequently got lost, and I had learned from my traditional
>> travel
>> instruction that getting lost was a "messup" or a failure. So, I
>> hated
>> getting lost. I also wasn't very good at identifying when I was
>> going
>> the wrong way because I had never really been taught to pay much
>> attention to environmental cues. And, I was afraid of most
>> intersections. It would literally take me fifteen minutes to
>> cross a
>> lighted intersection that didn't have an audible signal because
>> I
>> couldn't reliably tell the difference between parallel and
>> perpendicular traffic. I knew when not to cross, but couldn't
>> tell
>> when it was safe to cross until it was too late. At LCB we spent
>> time
>> working on these issues. I also spent many days going out
>> finding
>> addresses, often to places I had never been before. My
>> instructor
>> would tell me the address of the business, so I knew what block
>> it was
>> on, but of course I didn't know the set route to get to the
>> place. I
>> really had to pay attention to where I was going using cardinal
>> directions and carefully tuning in to traffic sounds. We also
>> worked
>> on parking lots. When I was growing up I was taught to never
>> ever walk
>> in a parking lot. I was taught routes to get to places where I
>> had to
>> go around the block or cross over gravel to get to the entrance
>> of a
>> business without using the parking lot. At LCB I regularly had
>> to
>> traverse parking lots, sometimes big ones, and I learned that
>> there
>> was nothing to be so worried about.
>>
>> I attended the center for just under seven months, graduating in
>> August 2008. I will not say that today I am a great traveler, or
>> even
>> an above-average cane traveler. I still get turned around a fair
>> amount (actually did today). But, since leaving the center, I
>> don't
>> get nearly as frustrated when I do get lost or turned around.
>> More
>> importantly, I can recognize when I am turned around much more
>> quickly, and correct it much more accurately, than I did before
>> training. I can reliably detect parallel and turning traffic at
>> intersections and I can cross uncontrolled intersections (no
>> light or
>> stop sign) like the one by my house without problems (something
>> else I
>> was told to avoid as a child). And, I cut across the driveway
>> for my
>> condominium complex or the big parking lot by my grocery store
>> without
>> a second thought. Had I stuck with my traditional training, I
>> think I
>> would have had artificial limits on where I could live, and my
>> mobility on the bus would have been limited by my inability to
>> cross
>> streets or negotiate parking lots. I find it unlikely that I
>> would
>> have gained this confidence and safety in cane travel at a
>> non-NFB
>> training center, because I think the reason these benefits stay
>> with
>> me today is because the NFB center assignments are so rigorous
>> and I
>> spent so much time practicing these basic skills, both with
>> instructors and by myself.
>>
>> Of course this is just one person's story, and everyone has a
>> different story to bring to the table. I do think all of us can
>> experience heightened confidence and skills by attending an NFB
>> center
>> for any length of time, but of course, there are trade-offs in
>> life
>> between center training and other priorities. I do think, as Joe
>> alluded, that it would be great if we can figure out how to
>> bring
>> NFB-style training to the one-on-one/home setting so blind
>> people can
>> receive this quality of instruction without having to leave
>> their
>> homes or their communities for several months. Until that
>> happens,
>> though, the NFB centers all have an excellent track record for
>> turning
>> out competent, self-reliant graduates.
>>
>> Arielle
>>
>> 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.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Arielle Silverman
>> President, National Association of Blind Students
>> Phone:  602-502-2255
>> Email:
>> nabs.president at gmail.com
>> Website:
>> www.nabslink.org
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Arielle Silverman
>> President, National Association of Blind Students
>> Phone:  602-502-2255
>> Email:
>> nabs.president at gmail.com
>> Website:
>> www.nabslink.org
>>
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