[nabs-l] Good vs. Not-so-good Training Centers

[Arielle Silverman]

Hi all,
I have not been to WSB and so cannot comment on its quality as a
center for specific job training (i.e. the IRS program), but I have
heard lots of negative rumors about it, though none as disturbing as
what Amber related. I  will, however, comment on the fact that WSB
apparently houses students in dormitories and does not give students
any opportunities to prepare their own meals or, presumably, to travel
very far between home and campus. I am a proud graduate of LCB and I
would recommend NFB centers for many reasons, but one of the biggest
differences I can see between good and bad training centers is whether
or not students live on or off campus. This is simply because, in my
experience, at least half of what I gained from attending a center
were things I learned off campus by cooking, cleaning and traveling on
my own. When you make the commitment to go to a residential center,
you really need to get the most bang for your buck, so to speak, and I
think dorm-style accommodations really limit what you are able to
learn from the experience. As just one example, a skill I acquired at
LCB that I still use on a daily basis is knowing how to safely and
confidently cross the street at an uncontrolled intersection. I
practiced this a few times in travel class, but nearly all the safety
and confidence I acquired in crossing uncontrolled intersections came
from needing to cross Bonner and Mississippi twice each day to get to
and from the LCB from my off-campus apartment. Similarly, many of us
decide to attend centers to improve nonvisual cooking and cleaning
skills and I don't even understand how you can really practice those
things if you live in a dorm. Laundry maybe, but that's about it.
Training isn't about just trying something out once or twice, but
instead it's about practice and repetition, which is best gotten when
you are doing things like cooking, cleaning and street travel on a
regular basis and out of necessity. Not to mention that having to sign
in and out must really make people less motivated to venture out on
their own--but that's a whole other issue.
So if you are struggling between center options, I'd urge you to
consider whether the living situation is on or off campus as a major
factor in your decision.
BTW, I think someone might have posted recently with questions about
LCB, but I don't recall who it was. If you still have questions, you
can give me a call at
602-502-2255
There's a lot I could say about my LCB experience and a live  phone
conversation will probably be more helpful than email.
Best,
Arielle