[nabs-l] Training centers

Fri Feb 11 03:05:40 UTC 2011

I was their in the Spring of 08!
----- 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 5:19 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers


> 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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>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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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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>>>
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>>
>>
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