[nabs-l] VR thoughts/what do you all think?

[Mike Freeman]

kaiti: 
First, it is obvious that you live in a state that has a general rehab agency rather than one dealing specifically with blindness. This is unfortunate as you have discovered. However, knowing what you need and want and being able to cogently articulate your needs will go a long way toward fulfilling them. You've seem this in the case of the Perkins braillewriter. 
Second, why do you need an O&M specialist to show you around campus? Could not a friend or family member do the job? When you graduate and enter the world of work, you won't have O&M instructors at your beck and call. It is definitely helpful to develop the skill of learning new routes and places with minimal assistance. This is the essence of structured discovery learning. Could your DSS office help? This way, you wouldn't have to worry about rehab at all. 

Mike Freeman
sent from my iPhone

On Mar 26, 2013, at 12:49, Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> Okay, so I'll confess that part of the reason I'm writing this email
> is to vent about my current circumstances, but more importantly than
> that I am interested in seeing how other states or parts of the
> country run their voc rehab services.  I apologize if this email
> sounds venty, as in order to explain what I'm talking about I'll need
> to give specific examples, but I am really interested in hearing your
> thoughts on the matter based on your own experiences.
> 
> The thing that makes me the most uncomfortable with the voc rehab
> system in my state is that the councelors don't necessarily know much
> about blindness, let alone what a blind student truly needs to be
> successful.  My councelor fills her job capacity in terms of knowing
> how to do the paperwork, but my own mother has told me that when they
> chat as I'm signing papers and my mom brings up something relatively
> fundamental like a conversation about navigating campus or something,
> she'll notice that what she says goes over my councelor's head.  This
> has caused a few concerning events in terms of the authorizations that
> have been made for me.  In December for example I requested
> orientation and mobility training so I could go through my second
> semester schedule, as there were a few buildings I would need to use
> that I had not been to yet.  I got in touch with my O&M guy and we
> planned to set up a time in January.  I emailed my councelor and told
> her this, but then my O&M specialist emailed me back and asked if I
> would be on campus after the first semester ended in December, because
> that was when training was authorized.  I had to email my councelor
> and tell her that the reason for going with January was that campus
> closed the last day of finals week, and a few days prior to the start
> of the second term I would be back on campus and most of the academic
> buildings would be reopened.  Another time for this same semester I
> requested a Perkins Brailler, specifically specifying that the
> traditional braillers were much sturdier and more reliable than the
> plastic ones and justifying my request.  When I got a call from my
> vendor she first informed me that the braillers were out of stock
> until February, half way through my semester, and then asked me what
> color I wanted.  I told her that the new brailler was not what I
> thought I was getting and she got in touch with the councelor.  I
> ended up getting a traditional anyway on the grounds that although the
> new generations were out of stock, there were plenty traditionals