[nabs-l] LWSB Little Rock Employment Training Programs

[David Andrews]

ATI is a for-profit company -- so there is a charge.

Dave

At 09:31 AM 7/18/2012, you wrote:
>Access Technology Institute  Amber is this free 
>of charge, or is their a fee? RJ ----- Original 
>Message ----- From: "Herrin, Amber R." 
><herrinar at muohio.edu> To: "'National Association 
>of Blind Students mailing list'" 
><nabs-l at nfbnet.org> Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 
>9:38 PM Subject: Re: [nabs-l] LWSB Little Rock 
>Employment Training Programs > Ashley, > > I 
>attended BLIND Inc., in 2010.  I was coming here 
>for the assistive > technology instructor 
>program offered.  I have found, since I have 
>decided > to leave, a much better option that I 
>would recommend to anyone looking > for any kind 
>of certification for assistive technology. > > 
>Access Technology Institute is an online school 
>that offers an 11 month > course in assistive 
>technology. > > As to them staying open: I think 
>it is because a lot of the people who > come 
>here do come for the IRS program, which does, if 
>you are accepted > into the program after 
>interviews, guarantee you a job once finished. > 
>Others feel they have no actual proof, or not in 
>a way that they can > gather and present to 
>anyone who would do anything. > > I spoke to the 
>C O O Tony Wodell, and though he did physically 
>sit through > my reports of conditions, he was 
>not really listening, as evidenced by the > lie 
>that my state counselor caught him in. > > 
>Basically, he told her on a particular day that 
>something had been taken > care of, though it 
>was not taken care of for another two 
>days.  This was > not discovered, of course, 
>until after the fact whenever I mentioned it 
>in > passing while on the phone with her, but 
>the point is that he didn't say > that he would 
>check to be sure it had been taken care of, or 
>that he had > sent out requests for it to be 
>taken care of, but he assured her that it > 
>absolutely had already, past tense, been taken 
>care of. > > Obviously, it was a lie, since it 
>wasn't taken care of until two days > later, but 
>anyway, all of that to say that I don't believe 
>things change > here because not enough people 
>at one time makes a big enough deal about > the 
>problems.  One or two people complain, they 
>leave, they choose not to > come back, it all 
>gets swept under the rug. > > Wash, rinse, 
>repeat. > > Best, > > Amber R. Herrin > ATI 
>Student in Training 2012 > World Services for 
>the Blind > Mobile: (513) 593-5855 > E-mail: 
>herrinar at muohio.edu > 2811 Fair Park Boulevard > 
>Little Rock, AR 72204 > "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" > > > -----Original 
>Message----- > From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org 
>[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf 
>Of Ashley Bramlett > Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 
>11:34 PM > To: National Association of Blind 
>Students mailing list > Subject: Re: [nabs-l] 
>LWSB Little Rock Employment Training 
>Programs > > Amber, > Well, my goodness. I'd 
>have to say first that I commend your efforts 
>in > sticking to the facts or trying to. I think 
>you did a good job for someone > who did not 
>have a good experience.  I've also heard bad 
>rumors about it. > Second, with all this 
>publicity, I'm real surprised that LWSB 
>continues to > stay open and attracting the 
>clients it does. > Which program were you in? 
>Independent living? or a job program? > > About 
>rules, personally signing in and out doesn't 
>bother me. You are in a > training setting and 
>with this litigious society, they need to 
>account for > everyone. What if there was an 
>emergency? They need to know where everyone > 
>is. People go missing everyday and are never 
>found. Youwouldn't want your > parents or 
>friends or family calling and them saying, oh, 
>we do not know > where your son is;  he may be 
>on campus or not. > The other thing about the no 
>microwave or fridge would bother me. As a > 
>college student, I enjoyed having my own fridge 
>in my room. > It gave me some freedom to have a 
>cold drink or cold snack when I wanted > to. > 
>Since the cafeteria closed early at 7:30, this 
>was definitely nice. > That seems early to me 
>given the fact that I eat late at home; between 
>7 > and 8pm. > > Anyway, Amber you are making a 
>good personal decision to leave. So I wish > you 
>luck in your next decision to find decent 
>training or whatever you > need. > I don't 
>remember your intro to us, so I'm not sure if 
>you are a current > college student or recent 
>grad. > If you haven't finished school, I hope 
>you can as it opens up more doors > to you. > > 
>Ashley > -----Original Message----- > From: 
>Herrin, Amber R. > Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 
>10:36 PM > To: 'National Association of Blind 
>Students mailing list' > Subject: Re: [nabs-l] 
>LWSB Little Rock Employment Training 
>Programs > > Ian, > > I am currently at WSB, but 
>am planning to leave on Friday.  Here is what 
>I > have experienced.  I will do my best to give 
>only facts and not color > those facts with my 
>opinion, though before I begin, I will clearly 
>state > that if you are asking for an opinion as 
>to whether or not one should > attend this 
>program in order to obtain a job, I would have 
>to say no.  But > I am not you or anyone else 
>for that matter, and what I have experienced > 
>here has colored my opinion, and may not be very 
>reliable. > > The facts: > > *Several students 
>(including myself) have had valuables go 
>missing. > *The food does not seem to meet 
>health and safety codes. (just one > 
>example-there are many-one evening we had 
>chicken wings, and though the > outside was hot, 
>the inside was not.  I would not mention this, 
>except > this is not an isolated incident.) *The 
>showers have light bulbs  (not > protected by 
>any kind of panels) inside the actual stall 
>where water could > be accidentally splashed.  I 
>brought this up as a concern, so they put a > 
>cover over mine, but mine is not the only one 
>that this is the case with > (as confirmed by 
>other clients.) *Despite several complaints from 
>many > clients, the building is full of bugs. > 
>They say that someone comes regularly to spray, 
>but bugs were found even > in my room, and I am 
>a very clean person. (read as, do not leave food 
>in > uncealed containers or dishes with food 
>still on them etc.) *Clients are > unable to 
>have microwaves or refrigerators in their rooms, 
>and so are > reduced to coolers full of ice or 
>nothing at all except cafeteria food. > There 
>are microwaves that physically exist, but they 
>do not work very > well. > > Now I can say that 
>there are other things I could talk about, but 
>they > probably come down to personal preference 
>and really are just normal > inconveniences that 
>one would encounter on any college dorm, except 
>they > are exaggerated because of the fact that 
>everything is scaled down hugely. > So while, 
>for example, on most college campuses, you could 
>go to a dining > hall at almost any time of day, 
>if you do not come to meals at the times > 
>specified, you don't eat meals.  I am sure that 
>anyone can argue that when > in school, you have 
>to work with a particular schedule, and while 
>this is > true to some extent, I do take issue 
>with the fact that we can't even have > 
>microwaves or refrigerators in our rooms so that 
>we may maintain the > schedules that are most 
>comfortable for us. > > The last thing I mention 
>is a large thing and may not affect anyone, but 
>I > feel I must mention it, because if I did 
>not, I would be doing a great > disservice to 
>anyone considering attending this center. > > 
>Two weeks ago this Friday, I was groped by an 
>authority figure.  He was > picking me up from 
>the airport, and I was approaching the baggage 
>claim > with a female passenger from my 
>flight.  This authority figure approached > me 
>without announcing himself, put his arm around 
>my waist, hugged me to > himself in a tight, 
>possessive manner, and told the female passenger 
>who > had offered to walk with me that he "had 
>it under control from there, but > 
>thanks."  After which, he looked down at me and 
>said, "How was your trip, > Punkin?  We've 
>missed you!  We're so glad you're home!" > > 
>This man did not announce himself to me in the 
>beginning, should have been > treating me 
>professionally, is old enough to be my father, 
>and possibly > even my grandfather, has only 
>interacted with me minimally since my > arrival 
>at the center, I'm 24, etc etc etc.  Basically, 
>it was wayyy > wayyyy beyond what one would call 
>professional or even acceptable > regardless of 
>setting. > > I cannot tell you whether to attend 
>this center; only you can decide that > for 
>yourself.  What I can tell you is that the man 
>who did this to me was > reported by me, and, I 
>have discovered, has been reported multiple 
>times > by other females that he has violated in 
>one way or another, and still > holds a job 
>here.  I believe there is something big going on 
>here that I > am unaware of, and am only glad to 
>be leaving. > > I have met some truly wonderful 
>people here, but regardless of that, I > could 
>never suggest that someone attend here. > > I 
>hope this helps you make your decision.  If it 
>does not, please know > that I wish you all the 
>best. > > Amber R. Herrin > 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" > > > 
>-----Original Message----- > From: 
>nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org 
>[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf 
>Of Anmol Bhatia > Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 
>4:49 PM > To: National Association of Blind 
>Students mailing list > Subject: Re: [nabs-l] 
>LWSB Little Rock Employment Training 
>Programs > > Ian, > I have never attended LWSB 
>as a trainny, but I used to go there on to 
>stay > during weekends in the 1990s. The only 
>thing I can say is that LWSB has > made alot of 
>changes last couple of years and I would think 
>about visiting > there before deciding one way 
>or the other. They do have an option to live > 
>off campus and as far as I am aware that there 
>is not a sign in and sign > out policy  after 
>class time. Now they may have sign in and sign 
>out > policy during class time to keep count of 
>attendance, however, this is > know different 
>signing in and signing out of work which 
>everyone blind and > sighted has to do. > The 
>IRS program is one of the best programs there 
>and frankly since you > have to be excepted for 
>a job at one of the IRS offices, it is a > 
>guarantied employment after completing the 
>program and they start at > 45,000 or more. > 
>The food was not the greatest, however, as I 
>said above LWSB now known as > World Services 
>for the Blind has made alot of changes under the 
>new > director and frankly I can not tell you 
>how the food is now. As I said > earlier, I 
>would make a visit there before making any kind 
>of decision. > > Anmol > I seldom think about my 
>limitations, and they never make me sad. 
>Perhaps > there is just a touch of yearning at 
>times; but it is vague, like a breeze > among 
>flowers. > Hellen Keller > > > --- On Mon, 
>7/16/12, Ian Perrault <iperrault at hotmail.com> 
>wrote: > >> From: Ian Perrault 
><iperrault at hotmail.com> >> Subject: [nabs-l] 
>LWSB Little Rock Employment Training Programs >> 
>To: "National Association of Blind Students" 
><nabs-l at nfbnet.org> >> Date: Monday, July 16, 
>2012, 4:14 PM >> Hi >> I’m wondering if any of 
>you have attended LWSB for one of their >> 
>employment training programs, or LWSB in 
>general? >> I’m looking into one of the IRS 
>programs, and was reading the manual, >> and it 
>seems like a very strict and structured 
>environment, even >> though most of the 
>participants are adults. For instance, you have 
>to >> sign out if you want to go somewhere and 
>things like that. Have any of >> you attended 
>LWSB? I’d love to hear what your experiences 
>were. Since >> I’ve been to college, it sounds 
>like it’s not as independent of an >> environment. >> Ian >>