[nabs-l] Sex Education Curriculum

Deb Mendelsohn deb.mendelsohn at gmail.com
Fri Jul 13 04:04:27 UTC 2012


How about braille & large print sex ed books?
What about 1 of those anatomy dummies so people who can't see could feel
the organs?
I took a regular sex ed class doing  it just fine.
Haven took the sociology of sexuality getting an A.
I don't see how or why the class would have to be modified for blind & low
vision.
Braille  large print and audio material should be enough for a blind/low
vision individual.
Deb
On Jul 12, 2012 5:45 PM, "Anjelina" <anjelinac26 at gmail.com> wrote:

> While Brandon's descriptions were vivid, I believe it's best to call body
> parts by their proper names and his points are quite realistic.
> I'm not sure if this discussion is appropriate for the list, but it is
> most certainly something which should be further explored.
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Humberto Avila
> Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 8:20 PM
> To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Sex Education Curriculum
>
> Dear Brandon,
>
> Thank you for your contributions to this topic and I agree about 70% of the
> things you've said. However, with this one, I think you went so, so
> explicit. Not even books on Web Braille have the specific description like
> that, even if it says, "Explicit descriptions of sex." I'm not sure this
> explicit language is ever appropriate for any NFBNet list serve what so
> ever. I'm not stopping you, but please be a little extra careful when you
> post these things. I understand the P word on male and the v word on
> females, so why use it here?
>
> Sincerely,
> Humberto
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.**org<nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org>]
> On Behalf
> Of Brandon Keith Biggs
> Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 5:07 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Sex Education Curriculum
>
> Is talking enough though? I know I would benefit from hearing someone talk
> about their romantic and sexual experiences, but what about actually seeing
> a naked woman or man? It's kind of nasty to have your first glimpse of a
> man's peaness right before he's ready to stick it in you... Same with a
> guy,
>
> it's kind of nasty to see a vagina for the first time before you're
> supposed
>
> to stick your peaness into it...
> We were told lots about date rape and whatnot in school. I had a blind
> girlfriend who knew nothing about the hymen and she had no idea that having
> sex for a virgin woman could be painful and bloody. What if her first
> sexual
>
> encounter was a guy who didn't know about the hymen either? Either he'd get
> scared and turned off because of all the blood, or she screams and he's
> like
>
> a quarter in and she says that it hurts to go any farther.
> (New advertisement for birth control!)
> Thanks,
>
> Brandon Keith Biggs
> -----Original Message----- From: Desiree Oudinot
> Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 4:46 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Sex Education Curriculum
>
> Ok, now I can understand where you're coming from. But the kind of
> thing you speak of where blind people just grab on someone's boobs
> sounds like perhaps they have another disability as well. That's a
> whole other can of worms. But I still stand by what I said that a
> separate curriculum doesn't need to be made just for the blind. What I
> do believe, however, is that perhaps in summer workshops about job
> searching and resume building and things like that, these topics
> should be discussed. Social norms and sexual expression are important
> topics, and maybe if everyone in the room was blind, it would make it
> more beneficial. Maybe the class could even be taught by a blind
> psychologist or social worker, if one is available, for some
> first-hand experience and knowledge.
>
> On 7/12/12, Brandon Keith Biggs <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>> Again, we're assuming that a blind person knows what a kiss is in the
>> first
>>
>> place, we're assuming that they know that you're supposed to touch the
>> other
>>
>> person when they kiss and we're also asuming that they know that kissing
>> can
>>
>> be more than a brush of the lips.
>> I didn't realize the last 2 till I started reading books. The first time I
>> read a graphical description of a French kiss I about through down my PDA
>> I
>>
>> was like, That's gross!!!
>> I wasn't able to feel the passion and emotion put into the kiss and how
>> was
>>
>> I supposed to know that the tongue played a role in much of kissing?
>> It reminds me of another book I read where a robot was going through a
>> love
>>
>> scene and he was doing what seemed to please the woman till the woman
>> stuck
>>
>> her tongue in his ear. He jumped up and started screaming because that was
>> just so unexpected.
>> Blind kids who don't read are at a total disadvantage when it comes to
>> kissing for the first time, because they don't really know what entails.
>> Of
>>
>> course they can learn through experience, but I know for me personally,
>> learning through experience has really turned me off of kissing and
>> romantic
>>
>> encounters altogether. I had to get used to the fact that, yes, this is
>> what
>>
>> people do and yes, that's a way to show affection.
>> On another note, when I first felt what a naked woman looked like, I
>> thought
>>
>> it was pretty gross as well! Who knew they were that harry? I thought
>> women
>>
>> didn't grow hair on their body? It's only been through time that I've come
>> to realize the beauty in mail and female bodies and it has been my active
>> exploration of romance that I've found the beauty in many of the nasty
>> things that are a part of romance.
>> It's an uncomfortable subject that most people aren't really willing to
>> talk
>>
>> about, let alone teach and I think much of us blind folks are really
>> delayed
>>
>> when it comes to these romantic encounters. (Making out for the first time
>> at 22? I'm 20 and still haven't ever had a good kiss, not seeing a naked
>> woman till I was 17, not knowing where the umbilical chord is located?
>> I've
>>
>> never looked at porn and goodness knows I've tried, not knowing that
>> breasts
>>
>> are private on a woman...)
>> Yes I talked to a TVI who had to tell her student to stop feeling women's
>> boobs, because no one would stop him. "He's blind and he can't see me,
>> plus
>>
>> it feels good, so I'll playfully bat him away..."
>> Ladies does that sound very attractive, having a blind guy touch your
>> breasts in greeting? And if you got into a relationship he wouldn't just
>> touch yours, he'd touch everyone's?
>> Parents often have a hard time with teaching their blind kids how to play,
>>
>
>  I
>>
>> don't think there's going to be much teaching about love or sex in that
>> household.
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Brandon Keith Biggs
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Desiree Oudinot
>> Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 3:32 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Sex Education Curriculum
>>
>> Hi Brandon,
>> Again, you're making a lot of valid points, but I have to question one
>> statement you made concerning seeing couples making out and all that.
>> Sighted people don't just watch what's being done and then
>> automatically do it right 100% of the time, either. In fact, with sex
>> there is no right or wrong, just what turns each individual on.
>> Learning what that is in each new relationship is like driving a new
>> car. You may know the rules of the road, but depending on the size of
>> the car, the speed you're going, how much traffic is on the road, and
>> other factors, you're going to have to navigate with more or less
>> caution each time. Only by mastering each route as you become more
>> comfortable with it can you fall into a pattern and stick with it. But
>> if you're used to driving on quiet country roads, and then all of a
>> sudden you move to New York City, you have to completely change your
>> approach. Do you see where my analogy is heading? It's not sight or
>> lack thereof that determines how much pleasure one can receive
>> intimately. It's the individuals in question, their level of
>> attraction, and how well they can communicate with each other to say
>> what feels good and what doesn't. Because let's face it, there's a lot
>> of feeling. If we spent all our time studying and copying others, we
>> would all enjoy the same things done the exact same way. And, as I was
>> starting to say in the beginning of my message, practice makes
>> perfect. No one knows for sure what works and what doesn't the first
>> few times, or the first few times in each successive relationship.
>> Also, I forgot to address something you said in your first message
>> concerning buying condoms. Honestly, sighted people have anonnymity
>> when they do this. Whether a blind person knows what kind they want or
>> not, they have to face the embarrassment of going up to the counter,
>> asking for assistance, and then having to tell the clerk what they
>> want. Unfortunately, there's just no way around that, so either way we
>> lose on that scale. Maybe ordering them online could be an option if
>> people don't want to take that route. Frankly, when I was a teenager,
>> I wouldn't have felt comfortable with that either.
>>
>> On 7/12/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Joshua,
>>> Nope; we are at a disadvantage in learning about sex. I think this
>>> survey
>>> is a good idea.
>>> Without any vision, perhaps you don't realize how visual stuff is and
>>> what
>>> you are missing. Sex is portrayed in videos and pictures. Sighted kids
>>> learn
>>>
>>> from tv, movies, books and magazines. We do not see those pictures.
>>> I remember this  sex stuff as part of health class. We did not discuss
>>> anything controversial. We just learned about the body parts and
>>> functions;
>>>
>>> however, it was  kind of confusing without the visual pictures.
>>> Come on, even if you wait til marriage, do you really want your wife
>>> teaching you basic stuff about this activity?
>>> Also, books do not mean much without a reference explaining the act. I
>>> know
>>>
>>> from experience. When a book says a certain term, I had no clue what it
>>> meant without looking it up! I won't get into details other than to say I
>>> know less about sex than my peers my age.
>>>
>>> Ashley
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Joshua Lester
>>> Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 12:10 PM
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Sex Education Curriculum
>>>
>>> Hi, Amber!
>>> You're right!
>>> BTW, I like the lyrics in your signature!
>>> That's one of my favorite songs!
>>> Welcome to the list!
>>> Blessings, Joshua
>>>
>>> On 7/12/12, Herrin, Amber R. <herrinar at muohio.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dear Joshua,
>>>>
>>>> I have to agree with you here!  For me, the idea of knowing about sex,
>>>> before I'm sharing it with my husband, is kind of...unnecessary, I
>>>> guess?
>>>> Maybe the wrong answer, and I understand that not everyone believes you
>>>> should wait until marriage as I do, but I think that being blind doesn't
>>>> prevent us from finding out about it the same way sighted people
>>>> do-experiment (isn't that what most people do anyway?) or read books
>>>> written
>>>> on the topic (how confusing can text be?)
>>>>
>>>> Amber R. Herrin
>>>> Assistive Technology Trainer in Training: 2012
>>>> Mobile: (513) 593-5855
>>>> E-mail: herrinar at muohio.edu
>>>> "It doesn't matter what you've heard
>>>> Impossible is not a word
>>>> It's just a reason
>>>> For someone not to try
>>>>
>>>> Everybody's scared to death
>>>> When they decide to take that step
>>>> Out on the water
>>>> It'll be alright
>>>>
>>>> Life is so much more
>>>> Than what your eyes are seeing
>>>> You will find your way
>>>> If you keep believing"
>>>> -Kutless "What Faith Can Do"
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.**org<nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org>]
>>>> on
>>>> Behalf
>>>> Of Joshua Lester
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 9:35 PM
>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Sex Education Curriculum
>>>>
>>>> I personally did fine, in those courses, in school, without the new
>>>> proposed
>>>> curriculum, that they're wanting.
>>>> I don't see the need for one, because who really wants to know, what's
>>>> being
>>>> shown, in those slides?
>>>> Good grief!
>>>> Blessings, Joshua
>>>>
>>>> On 7/11/12, David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>  I have been asked to circulate the following:
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Dave
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Dear NFB Member,
>>>>>> The National Federation of the Blind has been gracious enough to help
>>>>>> us with a current project.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We are currently seeking your opinion in a survey that will help us
>>>>>> write a curriculum for students with low vision and blindness in the
>>>>>> area of sex education.  Currently no curriculum exists for students
>>>>>> with low vision and blindness that reflect current education
>>>>>> standards.  Young people, educators, and professionals have all
>>>>>> indicated that there is a desperate need for such a curriculum.
>>>>>> We want your voice to impact our work!
>>>>>> Please take the time to fill out the survey at the link found below:
>>>>>> <https://www.surveymonkey.com/**s/sexeducationsurvey<https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/sexeducationsurvey>
>>>>>> >https://**www.surveym <https://www.surveym>
>>>>>> onkey.com/s/sexeducationsurvey
>>>>>>
>>>>>> <https://maverick.hec.ohio-**state.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.**
>>>>>> asp?URL=https:/<https://maverick.hec.ohio-state.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https:/>
>>>>>> /www.surveymonkey.com/s/**sexeducationsurvey<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/sexeducationsurvey>
>>>>>> >
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thank you for your time and consideration of this project!
>>>>>> Tiffany Wild, Mollie Blackburn, Stacy Kelly, and Caitlin Ryan
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thank you,
>>>>>> Mika Baugh
>>>>>> National Federation of the Blind
>>>>>> 200 East Wells Street
>>>>>>      at Jernigan Place
>>>>>> Baltimore, MD 21230
>>>>>> P: (410) 659 9314 ext. 2371
>>>>>> E: <mailto:mbaugh at nfb.org>mbaugh@**nfb.org <mbaugh at nfb.org>
>>>>>> W: <http://www.nfb.org>www.nfb.**org <http://www.nfb.org>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  ______________________________**_________________
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>>>>>
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