[nabs-l] Training Centers

Tue May 21 04:37:26 UTC 2013

It sounds like now you have a better understanding of your needs than
you did in 1997. It'd be worth discussing with Pam. If you just need
medication reminders, they do have a residential manager on-site who
could perhaps help with that.
I'm discussing this on-list because I suspect that many folks
attending NFB centers have mental health conditions (as do many people
in the general population) and there may be others here who are
concerned about going to a center because of having a mental health
condition. I believe the centers will make every attempt to work with
your particular situation, so I would encourage you to talk to their
directors about your particular needs. There is a myth that NFB
centers don't accept students who have disabilities other than
blindness and that is simply not true. I've met several students who
had very obvious other disabilities and I am sure there are also
students with less visible ones. It's just a matter of seeing how the
center can help you get the most out of their program with whatever
particular needs you have.

Best,
Arielle

On 5/20/13, Dave Webster <dwebster125 at gmail.com> wrote:
> yea thanks
> .  I've lived on my own before and did ok but I'd get too depressed.  I have
>
> bipolar so at times I do ok but at other times I don't do so well.  when I
> lived in an apartment by myself I'd be fine for a few months and then go
> into like a mantic episode.  then all kinds of things would happen.  I'm ok
>
> with taking my meds but I just need reminders.  I guess you could say I
> pretty much live on my own right now.  I actually live in a board and care
> facility.  This isn't a facility for those who have mental illnesses its
> just the run of the mill small group facility.  I do pretty much everything
>
> on my own such as travel and all of the other stuff.  Of course our meals
> are included with the services we get here so.  Basically I'm there because
>
> I can get the extra help I need when it comes to my meds.  it helps living
> with people as well.  We can come and go as we please and all of that which
>
> is good.  It helps because they give meds at a certain time so.  this way if
>
> I forget they just come in and say hey here's your meds or your meds are on
>
> the table or something like that.  they're nice people.  If I wre to go back
>
> to Lcb which I haven't really decided yet I'm just thinking about it and if
>
> I did how I'd manage my illness being that I'd pretty much be in an
> apartment with a roommate but pretty much be managing stuff myself and in
> the past I hadn't done well with that aspect of it.  I'd always mess
> something up when it came to my meds.  I mean not deliberately but.  Two of
>
> the same things would accidently get put into one slot and I'd end up taking
>
> more or les of something but I wouldn't realize it until like after.  so.
> it was                                             hard.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Arielle Silverman
> Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 8:48 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: [nabs-l] Training Centers
>
> Hi Dave,
> Students drop out of NFB centers for many different reasons. I know
> that some students have successfully re-trained and graduated from an
> NFB center after dropping out once. I am sorry Joanne had such a
> negative reaction but it would be worth discussing with Pam. She
> should understand how mental health conditions work and that
> medications can make a huge difference. Center training can trigger
> occasional temporary depression among the best of us, so it is not
> surprising that it was so difficult for you if you had a mental health
> condition that wasn't being treated. I know some students have also
> received counseling while in training. The center staff do not expect
> anyone to agree with all the NFB philosophy; they merely expect
> students to make a commitment to training and to work hard. If you
> feel you have gotten the help you need to put your all into the
> training experience then I'd encourage you to reach out to LCB again.
> Best,
> Arielle
>
> On 5/20/13, Dave Webster <dwebster125 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi.  Its Dave.  I went to lcb in 97 and if I remember correctly I didn't
>> test out of braille or any class for that matter.  I just up and left
>> after
>>
>> 6 months because I couldn't take it anymore.  I did ok with the classes
>> but
>>
>> at that time I didn't realize that these were nfb centers and wasn't too
>> familiar with the nfb philosophy and did what I could for about 6 months
>> and
>>
>> just said I can't take this anymore.  I was having problems with
>> depression
>>
>> at that time too and wasn't on any meds so.  I now know what they wre
>> trying
>>
>> to do and I know the nfb philosophy now and if I could may think about
>> going
>>
>> back to lcb but I haven't talked to Pam yet and I know she remembers me
>> because I was on that conference call that we did and when I asked her if
>> she remembered me she said she did.  I have a feeling she'd probably say
>> well you fought against us once when you were here and pretty much
>> denounced
>>
>> us once so.  Now 15 20 years later you want to come back?  How do I know
>> you're not gonna denounce us and fight against us again.  this was when
>> Joanne was director and a few years later I tried to go back and that's
>> pretty much what Joanne told me.  I mean she just said no.  I mean flat
>> out
>>
>> N O.  so.  In fact when we had that call the other night that was the
>> first
>>
>> time I had talked to anyone from the center in probably 6 or 7 years.  I
>> even tried to talk to Jd in 2006 in Dalas about me ever coming back and
>> he
>> pretty much said well you may have a hard time convincing pam that you're
>> not gonna go and do the same thing so.  but be my guest if you want to
>> try.
>>
>> In their eyes I've always been the one who had a lot of potential but
>> didn't
>>
>> quite make it.  wen I got there I didn't believe in the nfb and didn't
>> believe any of it was true for that whole 6 months I was there but now I
>> do
>>
>> so.  Who knows?
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Sophie Trist
>> Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 2:19 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] two questions that are completely
>> unrelatedtooneanother
>>
>> Are the centers open all year round, or do they have start and
>> end times like school? If possible, I'd like to go to LCB
>> directly after graduating high school and train during the
>> summer.
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Mon, 20 May 2013 15:04:56 -0600
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] two questions that are completely unrelated
>> tooneanother
>>
>> Yes you can test out of a class. It depends on the center exactly
>> how
>> you arrange that, but they do try to address students' individual
>> needs. In my case, I tested out of Braille at LCB after I had
>> been in
>> Braille class for a month and had proven to Mr. Whittle that I
>> didn't
>> need extra Braille reading practice. Also, part of the reason the
>> teachers supported my decision to test out was because I really
>> needed
>> more time for home management/cooking class. I had that class
>> first
>> thing in the morning and was chronically running late from that
>> class
>> which messed up the rest of the morning's schedule. So I asked to
>> replace the Braille with an extra hour of cooking and they
>> agreed. I
>> still went to Braille class once a week because I wanted to
>> practice
>> slating, but if you are good at that too, you may be able to test
>> out
>> completely. Now that I can successfully cook for myself and my
>> fiancee
>> in a timely fashion, I am very grateful that they were flexible
>> enough
>> to allow me the extra training in that area. Another way to test
>> out
>> of other classes, like cooking and shop, is to finish the
>> required
>> projects quickly. I know some students who have come with
>> excellent
>> cooking skills or woodworking experience have been able to finish
>> those classes in just a few months and be able to spend the rest
>> of
>> their training on the other classes.
>> Best,
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 5/20/13, Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Sorry, I just noticed the typo.  I meant to say infrared.
>> Basically
>> all you do is when you set up the printer connection it should
>> be in
>> the list, and then you line up the little infrared scanner on
>> the
>> BrailleNote, (should be on the far right side of the back of the
>> unit,
>> assuming that you have it with the keyboard side facing up,)
>> with the
>> infrared scanner on the printer.  On the printers I've used it
>> with
>> the scanner was on the front of the printer on the right side as
>> well
>> so if your printer has it it should be pretty easy to find.
>> Then the
>> printer and BrailleNote can talk via the scanners verses through
>> the
>> wires and cables and you just follow all the regular printing
>> commands
>> from there.
>> Hope this helps.  I don't know why bluetooth didn't occur to me,
>> but
>> that might be an option worth exploring too.  Either that or
>> infrared
>> will probably be your best options for printing wirelessly.
>>
>> On 5/20/13, Sophie Trist <sweetpeareader at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Kaiti, thanks for the reply. What is inferred printing? I've
>> never heard of it but it sounds super interesting. Could you
>> explain that to me please?
>>
>>   ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Mon, 20 May 2013 12:22:09 -0400
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] two questions that are completely
>> unrelated
>> to oneanother
>>
>> Hi Sophie,
>>
>> As far as I am aware the BrailleNote cannot connect to a
>> wireless
>> printer, but it can go off of inferred which is really nice.  I
>> used
>> it for a few years and although I still needed to be right by
>> the
>> printer cutting out the cords saved me a lot of hassle.  Hope
>> that
>> answers your question.
>>
>> Absolutely.  I know a number of people who have tested out of
>> Braille
>> courses at the centers.  My understanding from being on calls
>> with Pam
>> Allen recently is that the centers try to meet the individual
>> trainee
>> where they are in each of the class areas and build on those
>> skills.
>> So, if you're braille is great they won't make you do a bunch of
>> unnecessary training and will instead spend that time on
>> building
>> up
>> other skills.
>>
>> HTH!
>>
>> On 5/20/13, Koby Cox <kobycox at gmail.com> wrote:
>>   Sophie,
>>   I don't believe that you can test out of a class at a NFB
>> training
>>   center however, I'm not sure about that. I would recommend that
>> you talk
>>   to the director of which ever training center that you are
>> planning on
>>   attending either Julie Deden at CCB or Pam Alan at LCB. I
>> attended CCB
>>   so If I'm missing something would some one please correct me?
>>   Koby.
>>
>>   -----Original Message-----
>>   From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>> Sophie
>>   Trist
>>   Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 9:25 AM
>>   To: nabs
>>   Subject: [nabs-l] two questions that are completely unrelated
>> to
>> one
>>   another
>>
>>   dear List,
>>
>>   As my subject implies, I have 2 questions that are not related,
>>   but I thought I'd put them in the same thread. I'm 99% sure I
>>   know the answer to this first question, but I thought I'd check
>>   anyway. Can the braillenote connect to a wireless printer? I
>>   don't think so, but it would make my life a lot more convenient
>>   if it could and I want to verify. My second question concerns
>> NFB
>>   training centers. I'll be going to one in a couple of years,
>> and
>>   I know that the standard classes are braille, home ec, O&M,
>>   technology, and shop. I've had braille education since I was 3
>>   and can fluently read grades 1 and 2 as well as nemeth. I was
>>   wondering if you can test out of a class at an NFB training
>>   center. Any answer will be appreciated.
>>
>>   Best,
>>   Sophie Trist
>>
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>>
>> --
>> Kaiti
>>
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>> --
>> Kaiti
>>
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