[nabs-l] Rehab Counselors, and ignorance of blindness

Chris Nusbaum dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
Fri Jan 13 18:36:03 UTC 2012


I'd contact your affiliate President.  We in Maryland have the 
advantage of having the advocates from the national center in our 
own backyard, but a lot of states don't have that advangage.  So 
someone from your affiliate would be good for that purpose.

"The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The 
real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that 
exists.  If a blind person has the proper training and 
opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a mere physical 
nuisance."
-- Kenneth Jernigan

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:20:58 -0500
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Rehab Counselors, and ignorance of 
blindness

Joshua,
No one gets everything they want or need.  I recommend getting 
family help to
purchase products or if needed turn to a charity such as lions 
clubs.
Its my experience that the VR system isn't too helpful.  I wanted 
them to
authorize computer training from an outside service provider they 
often use.
Well, months later in january, I still have no training.  Once 
authorization
is submitted, I get only eight hours.  That isn't much, but 
hopefully will
get me started with the applications I need to learn.

As far as people with more experience, there are tons; just ask 
around in
nfb.  Fred Schroeder is one but he is in VA, but he would travel 
over there
as an advocate if something serious happens.  Also, contacting 
any number of
civil right nonprofits to be an advocate may help as well.
Ashley

-----Original Message-----
From: Joshua Lester
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 11:51 AM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Rehab Counselors, and ignorance of 
blindness

It would be helpful, if we had people that had more experience 
with
us, over our DSB, in headquarters.
I take what I can get, and I'm thankful for it, but I was 
surprised,
when that all went down, on Monday.
Blessings, Joshua

On 1/11/12, Nicole B.  Torcolini at Home 
<ntorcolini at wavecable.com> wrote:
 Then you need to critique the process, not the person who is a 
part of it.
 The fact that she did not know what a PacMate was was probably 
beyond her
 control.  No, that is not crazy, especially if she has never 
worked with
 people who are blind before.  The things that are part of our 
every day
 lives--PacMates, BrailleNotes, embossers, screen readers, 
etc--are
 completely new to sighted people, and the training programs for 
councelors
 probably do not have enough information.
     Furthermore, Joshua, you really should consider how you 
state your
 feedback.  I agree that you have many important and valid 
points, but, if
 phrased in the wrong way, certain people may start remembering 
your
 slightly
 harsh comments more than your other qualities.

 Nicole

 ----- Original Message -----
 From: "Joshua Lester" <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu
 To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
 <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
 Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 8:08 AM
 Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Rehab Counselors, and ignorance of 
blindness


I don't know if it was a mistake.
 She's new, and she hasn't dealt with blind people before.
 This is her first time.
 I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, this time, but we need 
to make
 sure people know about the technology, so that Froidian slips 
like
 that don't happen.
 The Department of Social Services has taken over VR, for my 
state,
 which complecates the problem, though.
 Blessings, Joshua

 On 1/11/12, Anjelina <anjelinac26 at gmail.com> wrote:
 Joshua,
 I don't mean any disrespect, but could it have been a mistake by 
your
 rehab
 counselor?
 At times I mix up words or call items by different names; I 
don't think
 this
 is a matter of ignorance.

 -----Original Message-----
 From: Joshua Lester
 Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 10:26 AM
 To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
 Subject: [nabs-l] Rehab Counselors, and ignorance of blindness

 Hi, it's Joshua Lester.
 I'd like to discuss a topic, that has come up, in my life.
 I was telling you, that I might receive a Pac Mate, from my 
Rehab
 office.
 I'm not sure, if I told you, that my Rehab counselor slipped, 
and
 called it a "Packman."
 That's crazy, because I thought rehab counselors should, at 
least,
 have some knowledge of assistive technology, for the blind, that
 they're supposed to be assisting.
 Has anyone had trouble in the past, with Rehab counselors, in 
regards to
 this?
 What can we do, to stop this ignorance from spreading, within 
the
 state VR system?
 Thanks, Joshua

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