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

Thu Mar 28 18:30:05 UTC 2013

Sometimes state agencies will hire instructors to work with blind
people in the state even if they don't have VR cases. Arizona did that
for me. I just had to call someone and request O&M help and they gave
it to me. The instructor I was assigned also worked with VR clients,
but I wasn't a client yet. I think all his salary came from the same
pool, though.
Arielle

On 3/28/13, Wasif, Zunaira <Zunaira.Wasif at dbs.fldoe.org> wrote:
> How can the mobility instructor see clients who do not have open cases
> with VR?  How can the instructor be paid if the client isn't opened with
> VR?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of justin
> williams
> Sent: Monday, March 25, 2013 7:29 PM
> To: 'Misty Dawn Bradley'; 'National Association of Blind Students
> mailing list'
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] VR thoughts/what do you all think?
>
> Okay.  Outstanding.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Misty Dawn
> Bradley
> Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 7:04 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] VR thoughts/what do you all think?
>
> Hi,
> In some states, such as North Carolina, DSS helps you get in contact
> with a mobility instructor, and you don't have to have an open VR case
> to use the instructor. DSS in NC also offers a social worker for the
> blind in each county that will come to your house and label things, such
> as appliances and
>
> give you daily living items, such as marking supplies and talking
> watches.
> The social worker for the blind here got me in touch with the mobility
> instructor, and now I have her number, so whenever I need mobility I can
> call and set up an appointment, so I don't have to go through VR,
> although if you do have an open case with VR you can get more, such as
> better canes or whatever you need.
> Hth,
> Misty
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "justin williams" <justin.williams2 at gmail.com>
> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, March 25, 2013 6:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] VR thoughts/what do you all think?
>
>
>>I didn't no that dss would nelp you with mobility.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mike
> Freeman
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 4:27 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] VR thoughts/what do you all think?
>>
>> 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
>>
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