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

Thu Mar 28 19:00:37 UTC 2013

Maybe the instructors are contracted or something.  
-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Arielle
Silverman
Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2013 2:30 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] VR thoughts/what do you all think?

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
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>>
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/justin.williams2%4
> 0g
> mail
>> .com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>>
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/mistydbradley%40gm
> ai
> l.co
> m
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/justin.williams2%4
> 0g
> mail
> .com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/zunaira.wasif%40dbs.
> fldoe.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/arielle71%40gmail.
> com
>

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/zunaira.wasif%40dbs.
fldoe.org