[nabs-l] Training centers not the real world

Mon Nov 11 06:11:14 UTC 2013

Arielle,
I'm really interested in this topic. Is the paper available for
viewing online? I would love to read it.

On 11/11/13, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Min,
>
> I think you make some good points and I agree that experience is the
> best teacher. However, I think part of what the centers do is to
> provide opportunities for that experience. Many of us who were
> sheltered didn't even get the chance to try things out, much less
> learn the proper nonvisual way to do them. For example, one thing I
> did for the first time at LCB was light candles. I had never been
> allowed to do anything with matches before I went to LCB. My teacher
> at LCB taught me a few tricks but mostly it was just me being required
> to swallow my fear and strike a match and put it to the candle.
> Through that experience I learned how to tell when the candle was lit
> and how to put the match out safely. That said, I did have decent
> skills before coming to the center and I think I probably could have
> been reasonably successful without center training. But I had
> specialized blindness training at the preschool and in-home
> instruction in daily living skills because my parents didn't feel
> confident enough to teach me a lot of things themselves at home. I do
> think the center gave me a lot of confidence even if I did have skills
> and even though I know how to learn things on my own.
> Also, I combined my center training with a research internship, so I
> don't feel like I put my life on hold. It was just two mornings a week
> so it didn't interfere with classes, but it really helped my resume. I
> probably would not have gotten the research internship if I hadn't
> gone to the center since it was at Louisiana Tech. I know some center
> students have a brief volunteer stint or take a college class while
> they are at the center as part of their training. So it isn't just
> blindness training the whole time. In addition, I had a lot of amazing
> social experiences while I was there that I probably won't have again
> as a working, married woman.
>
> You also ask how success is measured. Regrettably, I think most of the
> evidence is anecdotal. However, Dr. Bell at Louisiana Tech did
> recently conduct a study which showed that NFB center graduates have
> higher employment rates and earn higher incomes than those who
> attended traditional centers or no center at all. Actually, the rates
> were lower among traditional center grads than among those who
> attended no center, but the rates were highest among those who
> attended NFB centers. I have read his paper and as a researcher I
> think the research was conducted well and with as little bias as
> possible. However, it is impossible to tell if the center training
> actually caused the increase in employment or if people who choose to
> go to NFB centers have other attributes that make them more
> employable. More rigorous research has to be done. Furthermore,
> unemployment was still pretty high even among the NFB center
> graduates, so NFB training doesn't completely fix the unemployment
> problem. But it's a step in the right direction.
>
> Best,
> Arielle
>
> On 11/10/13, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Bridgit,
>> You were lucky your parents taught you just as they taught your sisters.
>> That is how it should be. But my experience was the opposite. I had  a
>> two
>> parent middle class household. My older brothers learned a little bit by
>> observation. We never did have to do chores because my parents would
>> rather
>>
>> do that. But when my brothers were teens, I recall that they did do
>> chores
>> ocasionally. When holidays came or when we had an ocasional party or
>> guests
>>
>> come such as that time my aunt and cousins came, my brothers did help in
>> chores.
>> However, my parents taught me little about housework and personal care.
>> Did they teach me about manners and behavior? Yes.
>> Did they teach me basic play skills? Yes. I remember my dad describing
>> what
>>
>> a tricycle was and how to ride it and then telling me to ride my bike
>> with
>> training wheels once I got that.
>> They also told me about dinner etiquette such as placing a napkin in your
>> lap and chew with mouth  closed.
>> In this regard, I learned about behavior with my brothers. In fact, I've
>> met
>>
>> blind youth who lack this knowledge and its sad to know their parents did
>> not expect this of them.
>>
>> But when it comes to home management skills and personal skills, my
>> parents
>>
>> did not do anything. Only thing is my mom did say black and blue did not
>> go
>>
>> together. Personal skills were taught by my vision teacher.
>> Okay, mom did help me learn to dress myself and very basic stuff but
>> other
>> more advanced dressing skills were taught by my vision teacher.
>> She taught me how to zip a coat and how to button clothes.
>>
>> Many parents just do for their blind kids because its faster and less
>> stressful.
>> So you were quite fortunate your parents taught you.
>>
>> Ashley
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Bridget Walker
>> Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2013 11:57 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers not the real world
>>
>> Here is my take and I warn you it is strong. You talk about Jonny who has
>> autism. Did anyone catch on to the difference in the label. The thread
>> emphasizes this "we as blind people" thing and I know we have had this
>> talk
>>
>> are we really going to put a disability first? This is just me I was born
>> with sight  but lost it very early on in life. I actually don't remember
>> much from when I had bits of vision and I'm not totally blind but pretty
>> close.
>> So how do I know what I do? My parents taught me just as they taught my
>> sisters who are sighted and I understood everything. Did it take me
>> longer?
>>
>> Sometimes yes but, for me I did not have to do anything different.
>> That's not to say I did not go to a training center or a school for the
>> blind.
>> I went to a center for two five week programs when my vision was getting
>> worse in my youth. I needed to gain ONM and tech skills. I also needed to
>> learn to cook. As a college student I still fail lol.
>> Finally I went to a school for the blind for two years of high school.
>> That
>>
>> had nothing to do with my inability to reach expectations  but my public
>> school gave up. I was classified as having a visual processing learning
>> disability rather then being blind.
>> That bit about schools for the blind being for multiple disabled students
>> is
>>
>> not true. I was in a setting where students were working to state
>> standards.
>>
>> I spent two years there and was able to do work back at my public school
>> and
>>
>> graduate with the mainstream students. Lets face it I never really really
>> left.
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>> On Nov 10, 2013, at 9:48 PM, "RJ Sandefur"
>> <joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Why do we send blind people to training centers? Why do we send blind
>>> people to "schools for the blind" We as blind people live in the real
>>> world,Why do we do it? You don't see mom sending Johnny who has autism
>>> to
>>>
>>> aschool for autistic kids!
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