[nabs-l] questions and assistance needed for starting online college

Thu Aug 2 22:35:36 UTC 2012

Can you email me off list? My email address Is as follows:
kobycox at gmail.com
Koby
Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 2, 2012, at 5:11 PM, "Mystical Charm" <mysticalcharm at comcast.net> wrote:

> I have copied and pasted below an email that I sent to the VABS (Virginia Association of Blind Students) moderator but, I have not received any response so, I am writing here in hopes I can receive some assistance of some kind so that I can begin my studies.
> 
> ------------------------- 
> 
> Greetings to you Angie Matney,
> 
> I wanted to write you in hopes that you may be of some assistance to me. I was unsure if I would correctly qualify to join the list or not for the Virginia Association of Blind Students or not so, I wanted to write you directly and find out if you can give me any information or a direction to go.
> 
> Now to tell you a little bit about me and my situation.
> 
> My name is Melissa, I am 32 years old and I am blind; I was born with a visual impairment, Glaucoma. Over the years I did have the normal treatments; the usage of multiple eye drops and in hospital surgery as well as laser surgery but, none of these were effective so, my vision declined over time and I am left with no usable vision. 
> 
> I truly believe I belong in the health field however, the particular area in health is viewed by some as absurd, while others try out different methods and can take it or leave it and others still like having the option to incorporate in methods in their life's and others truly believe in the benefits. What I am talking about is natural medicine. This covers complementary methods as well as alternative therapies. It includes anything from holistic dentistry and Chiropractics to Acupuncture to Homeopathy and Massage therapy and goes into the subjects of Vitamins and Minerals and exercise/fitness to energy work and meditation and so many more other topics. 
> 
> The average university/College may only have a course or two in a subject named above or something similar if they offer them at all. The only colleges that I know of that deal specifically with these subjects are Naturopathy Colleges and there are only perhaps 3-5 of them in the United States. I don't desire to move to one of these states in which one of these Naturopathy Colleges are located, the only alternative I have is searching the internet for legitimate schools online so that I can do the schoolwork from home. I have found a couple of Colleges that are of interest to me with what they offer and I have checked to see if their accreditation is legitimate or not and they do seem to be so. 
> 
> I do know that being a doctor is possible for a person who is blind; I once went to a lecture/discussion at my local hospital and the man that was speaking had been a doctor for a number of years and he was blind. At the time, I wasn't interested in being in the health field, I was a young teenager and was still trying to have fun and be me. Later, as I explored the internet and searched for doctors, I found these articles:
> 
> blind doctor sees patients in a different way
> 
> http://nfb.org/legacy/bm/bm01/bm0105/bm010514.htm
> 
> blind medical student earns his me.d.
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7318398/ns/health-health_care/
> 
> This next article is about a woman who went to one of the Naturopathy schools I had briefly mentioned above:
> 
> PAC Mate User Story: Chris Cooke, Medical Student
> http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/PAC_Mate_HQ_ChrisCooke.asp
> 
> This woman does have her own practice, which I hope to have one day, and she also does have a website:
> 
> http://www.healing4you.net/
> 
> I believe that Holistic Practitioner is what I am aiming for because again, the Naturopathic Colleges are just not possible for me to attend. I would eventually do what others would need to do by becoming board certified and then having a license to practice.
> 
> One of the biggest challenges is the tuition for these programs/courses online and I am not sure how to go about finding out if there may be any possible scholarships I could apply for or not. Both of the Colleges that I would like to study from does not participate in any federal or state financial aid programs at this time, therefore, no federal grants are applicable (including Stafford and Pell). I would like to mention here some of the possibilities that the Admissions had told me about from one of the Colleges-- 
> 
> -I was told that a private loan or alternative loan is possible, most big lenders (e.g. SunTrust, Wells Fargo, Citibank) will offer such options. However, I would like to stay away from loans if possible.
> 
> -Other suggestions that were mentioned to me either do not apply or that are not possible for me. One of the Colleges does have a scholarship available to students however, with the requirements to be able to apply, I do not qualify. Also, an employer tuition grant does not apply to me.
> 
> -Local Community Service Organizations such as Masonic Organizations,
> 
> Eastern Star(OES), Moose and Elks Lodges, or Chambers of Commerce may provide grants. 
> 
> 
> 
> I was possibly thinking about contacting one of these but, didn't know how successful I would be. What came to mind was the Lions Club since they assist with people who are blind. I am not sure if they would have a grant/scholarship or what they may be able to provide. I did notice in the list of mailing lists the NFB has available to the public is the NFB Lions so, I would like to know if you recommend me writing to that list and providing this same information that I am sending to you?
> 
> 
> 
> -Another suggestion that was mentioned was 
> 
> Vocational Rehabilitation Programs
> 
> for assistance. What came to mind was the Virginia Department for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I know I would need to deal with the one located in Fairfax since that is the closest to me and I have also dealt with them in the past. I am apprehensive about contacting the Virginia Department for the Blind and Visually Impaired because my experiences with them in the past were quite unpleasant and some were even unprofessional. I don't know if the Virginia Department of the Blind and Visually Impaired can be of help in assisting with expenses or  what they may be able to do in my situation or if it would be willing to assist me in making my desire to help others come true.
> 
> 
> 
> -Other suggestions were for women who have been harmed violently and again, this does not apply to me.
> 
> 
> 
> I am willing to do what is required to earn a scholarship of some kind so that I may be able to proceed with taking these programs/courses if a scholarship's requirements apply to me. 
> 
> 
> 
> The only other thing that concerns me is, when I am enrolled into certain programs/courses, how to have certain materials more accessible or even in an alternative method like having something tactile. The doctors who are blind have had to have alternative and/or tactile materials of some kind. Whether in the Allopathic field or the Holistic field of health care, you need to study Anatomy/Physiology and reading the text book is good and all but, having something tactile to possibly go over the different areas of the body would be wonderful and also knowing where to get something like this is a question of mine as well that I need some assistance with how to find. In Holistic health care, you also have to identify the different types of herbs and the woman I had mentioned above, would have had to do so when she was going through her schooling and I would like to find out ways to be able to do this. I don't know if she had sighted assistance and someone did a very thorough job of explaining the look while she may have had the chance to examine the herbs tactily or not. 
> 
> 
> 
> So, what i would like to know is: 
> 
> 
> 
> -if the Virginia Association of Blind Students mailing list would apply to me or be of benefit.
> 
> -if you have any suggestions of other lists or people I can contact to find out more about how to proceed with scholarships or finding out about certain alternative materials I will need and where to locate it so that I can have them as I move through the programs/courses.
> 
> -If the Lions Club would be of help.
> 
> -any other suggestions you may have for me.
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you for your time and any help would be appreciated. Helping others in a more natural, holistic way has been a passion of mine for quite some time but, I really never knew where to begin and the more I looked into it, the more questions I had about beginning the process because of the finances as well as the materials I may need because of my disability.
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Melissa Hambleton
> 
> mysticalcharm at comcast.net    
> 
> 
> 
> 
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