[nabs-l] questions and assistance needed forstartingonlinecollege

Sat Aug 4 22:10:57 UTC 2012

Rania, thank you for the site and I will check it out to see what I can 
purchase.

I still desire to be a Holistic Practitioner but, I will also would like to 
be certified in some specific fields so I can work more closely with a 
client and help them further and massage therapist may be something I will 
do in the future but, as I had mentioned in a message just before this one, 
the massage therapy schools in my area are all closed now and it is just too 
far to travel each day for the closest one to me so, we will see what the 
future holds for me. However, if I do have specific questions about massage 
therapy I will contact you off list as you requested.

Melissa

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rania Ismail CMT" <raniaismail04 at gmail.com>
To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 7:16 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] questions and assistance needed 
forstartingonlinecollege

> Yes if she goes for massage therapy it would be in her best interest to go
> to a school so she can get the hands on experience needed in order for a
> blind person to really understand ware the bones and muscles are on the 
> body
> because as a massage therapist I work on the muscles but the bones serve 
> as
> landmarks for the muscles.
> I have a Tiny Tim skeleton. I got it and used it when I was learning the
> bones. It helped me because I was able to use it to practice finding the
> bones when I didn't have an actual person to practice on. I got the 
> skeleton
> from www.anatomywarehouse.com
> Rania,
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of Ashley Bramlett
> Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 9:03 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] questions and assistance needed for
> startingonlinecollege
>
> Rania,
> How nice of you to add advice. You had access to skeletons and other 
> models
> because you were on campus. Maybe Melissa will
> be able to find a campus to go to as I think that would offer benefits an
> online school does not. Some schools have satelite campuses, especially i 
> f
> you reside in the northern Virginia or DC area.
>
> If you go the online route, you could probably access such models and
> skeletons at a university orcommunity college. A blind friend of mine took
> biology at the Annandale community college campus, Nova. She got to
> tactially explore many models there.
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Rania Ismail CMT
> Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 6:40 PM
> To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] questions and assistance needed for starting
> onlinecollege
>
> Hi Welcome to the list.
> My name is Rania and I am a Certified massage therapist in the state of 
> New
> Jersey. I had to take anatomy and physiology. I used play doe so I could 
> get
> a better understand of some things.
> When it came to learning the bones and muscles we the class and I touched 
> a
> skeleton and found the bones and muscles on our selvs and each other.
> Feel free to email me off list with more questions about massage therapy.
> I also serve as a mentor for students who are in school for massage and
> those who are interested in the field. I have had quite a few mentee's
> graduate as well!
> My email address is raniaismail04 at gmail.com
> I look forward to answering any questions you have.
> Rania,
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of Mystical Charm
> Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 7:11 PM
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nabs-l] questions and assistance needed for starting online
> college
>
> 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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