[nabs-l] STEP Program offered by Junior Blind of America

Thu Mar 14 00:54:51 UTC 2013

The Colorado center, from what I understand, will let you tailor your
schedule.  If you don't need braille, you should be able to skip it.

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Joshua Lester
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 4:20 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] STEP Program offered by Junior Blind of America

My Voc Rehab counselor loves the NFB, but she said that they couldn't afford
to send me to LCB, and that LCB wouldn't be my best bet, because she said,
(and Pam Allen agreed,) that I didn't need to go to the Braille classes,
which are required.
What the NFB centers need to do, is to offer a test.
If someone is already proficient in Braille, they shouldn't have to be
required to take the Braille courses.
Then, they could just focus on the independence training.
Blessings, Joshua
________________________________________
From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Kaiti Shelton
[crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 3:13 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] STEP Program offered by Junior Blind of America

Hi Miso,

Overall, your councelor should offer you consumer choice.  I know that's a
hot topic now as we talked about it at the Ohio state convention last
November.  Talk to the CCB staff and get justification.  Get specifics on
their program as well as the junior blind program and outline what you could
get in Colorado that isn't available in California.  Also draw on your past
experiences with Junior Blind since you have them and use those to explain
why Colorado would be a better opportunity.  Ultimately they should have
given you this option since it's not like you're asking for them to fund you
flying to Baltimore for a Journigan center program, or even Louisiana which
would bring up higher plane costs, but hopefully once they have some
justification they'll see what you're treally trying to get out of going to
a center.

Josh, I agree with Mike here.  Voc Rehab councelors are not always very fond
of the NFB, and also it takes a little pushing and prodding to get what you
really need out of them.  Look into the center, call and find out if it
would really be a "waste of your time" or if it would be something truly
beneficial for you.  Don't just take the word of your councelor, who is
sighted and probably has no idea what the centers really do anyway.

On 3/14/13, Mike Freeman <k7uij at panix.com> wrote:
> Joshua:
>
> Did you check out LCB for yourself? Might not your VR counselor be 
> prejudiced against NFB centers?
>
> Just a thought.
>
> Mike
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Joshua 
> Lester
> Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 7:05 AM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] STEP Program offered by Junior Blind of America
>
> Hi Miso.
> If you're proficient in Braille, the NFB trainig center wouldn't be 
> your best bet.
> Although they do independence training, you have to attend Braille 
> classes, every day.
> If you need independence training, you'd be better off getting the 
> skills from a VR rep.
> That's what I'm doing, since my VR said that LCB would be a waste of 
> my time.
> Blessings, Joshua
> ________________________________________
> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Miso Kwak 
> [kwakmiso at aol.com]
> Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 1:20 AM
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] STEP Program offered by Junior Blind of America
>
> Thank you everyone for helpful answers.
> To clarify, I was referring to the STEP not Davidson.
> I lived in California barely 4 years, so I experienced JBA only twice.
> I personally didn't like the atmosphere and philosophy very much 
> although not unbearable...
> I think at this point, after reading feedbacks, I would prefer one of 
> the NFB centers over JBA. I think then the task to do is to get my 
> request to attend CCB justified.
> I will contact staff at the CCB and see what I can do.
> Thank you again.
> Miso Kwak
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hannah Chadwick <sparklylicious at gmail.com>
> To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wed, Mar 13, 2013 10:29 pm
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] STEP Program offered by Junior Blind of America
>
> Hi all,
> So I just wanted to clarify since I've been to the STEP programs at 
> Junior Blind of America. There is STEP 1 and STEP 2, and they are both 
> summer programs that focus on helping young adults with job 
> interviewing skills, career research, and during STEP 2, the students 
> are placed on a work site.
> They are expected to travel to and from work using public 
> transportation.
> STEP 1 is 3 weeks and provides students with various info on the 
> topics mentioned above. STEP 2 is 7 weeks and students have the 
> opportunity to do an internship.
>   I would be glad to provide more info on the STEP programs, however, 
> I think that Miso is referring to the Independent living program that 
> Junior Blind also offers.
> The Davidson Program for Independence, DPI is a residential program 
> for blind individuals who wish to learn skills such as orientation and 
> mobility, technology, cooking, Braille, and of course independent 
> living skills.
> I did
> not attend DPI so I don't know specifically what they do and how they 
> run. I did have friends who attended both the STEP programs as well as 
> DPI.
> They
> told me they learned a lot and they found it very helpful. I'm sure 
> there are pros and cons to attending any residential program. Please 
> don't hesitate to contact me off list if you have further questions.
> All the best, Hannah
> -----Original Message-----
>  From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Brandon 
> Keith Biggs
> Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 9:48 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] STEP Program offered by Junior Blind of America
>
> Hello,
> It depends where you are at in your living skills. I had been living 
> on my own for a few months before I went to the Step 2 program and I 
> found it only good for the few hours of work experience they provided. 
> They aren't very inventive when it comes to giving each person a 
> unique work environment, but you do get to do an internship. I did not 
> like however, the step 1 folks were mentored by the step 2 people for 
> both sessions and the step 2 people had to sit through classes the 
> step 1 participant's were taking.
> Step 1 is a ton of classes on how to give an interview, talk about 
> yourself and act professionally dressing wise and so on. When I went 
> it was very lecture based and very little real-time experiences, but I 
> could tell some people really needed the learning. I could already 
> cook, clean, do laundry and had had a summer job the year before in a 
> much freer environment, so I found STEP oppressive, but I did learn 
> how to deal with authority in a mature way and even though I won't 
> repeat it, I am glad I went.
> The campus is also very oddly situated, so it takes for ever to go 
> anywhere and they expect people to work around the schedule they set 
> up, so for example, I had a 2 hour commute on Para transit to and from 
> work and I had work to do at home. They were not very accommodating 
> for those of us who wanted to become work junkies, working till 10, 
> grabbing food, then waking up at 6 and leaving. They wanted you to 
> actually be around with other people and do tasks like instruct the 
> other students on how to use the computer for example.
> Personally, the YES2 program in Washington state is more my cup of tee 
> than the STEP2 program, but I know plenty of other people who really 
> loved it and or who would really like it.
> You can email me off list if you have any more questions.
> brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com
> Thanks,
>
> Brandon Keith Biggs
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Miso Kwak
> Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 3:55 PM
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nabs-l] STEP Program offered by Junior Blind of America
>
> Hello,
> I would like to know if any of you have participated in the STEP 
> program offered by Junior Blind in California.
> If you have the experience, could you comment on how it was?
> Would you recommend it?
> I am trying to select a summer program that will help me improve my 
> independent living skills (mobility, home management, etc) and realize 
> that there are a few different options available, so I just want to 
> hear from someone if anyone on the list has experience with Junior 
> Blind's STEP program.
> Thank you.
> Miso Kwak
>
>
>
>
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--
Kaiti

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