[nabs-l] Training centers not the real world

[Darian Smith]

Hi all,
 good points thus far, and great discussion.
  The idea of schools for the blind (at least as I understand them) is that students in these  schools may get  the proper instruction in skills that would allow them to be  as successful in the classroom as their classmates. They may also benefit from gaining access to sports that are adapted for the blind where in the public school setting these things are not always readily available .
  In the training center environment, you are learning skills that will help you   become confident and competent enough to  compete and  succeed  in the world.  in our NFB training centers, we learn the skills  that enable us  to   be successful and  gain the attitude and belief  that not only can we  lead  productive  successful, and meaningful lives,  but that  this should be the exact expectation we should have for ourselves. 
 So, while the implication one might get is that such learning environments shelter  people  from the “real world”, it is my view that generally speaking they can serve to help you be prepared  for that “real world” in a way that matriculating through mainstream schooling might leave  you otherwise ill equipped to do.
   Darian