[nabs-l] Training centers not real world

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

First, at least in my experience, attending a training center is not
akin to walling yourself away from society for 6 to 9 months. I had more
interaction with the world while in training than I did the
year-and-a-half I spent losing my sight and subsequent dealing with the
situation. I had to travel independently constantly interacting with
people. We attended several community events where social interaction
was necessary. Every class was designed to incorporate social
interaction with the "sighted world." The goal is to learn nonvisual
skills in a real-world setting so you can adapt  the skills to fit your
personal needs and the immediate need of a given situation. A practical
application of the skills is allowed through very much living within the
real-world while in training. So to say that attending a training center
cuts you off from the real world, this is an inaccurate statement.

Having said that, I do agree that if confidence building is not
essential for you, fewer time could be spent focusing on the nonvisual
skills alone. I was fortunate and already had confidence when I attended
a training center. After four months, I had learned Braille, JAWS and
cane travel, but I was expected to spend at least three more months at
the center. I don't think this is the norm, but for those who truly need
the skills alone, I think they should be able to go through an
accelerated course of sorts focusing on the skills alone. This may make
training more amendable to some. I still whole-heartedly support
sleep-shade training, and I wouldn't make this optional, but based on my
own experience, I think it's possible to learn nonvisual skills
sufficiently in less than 9 months. The majority of this time-frame is
spent building confidence, and honestly, a handful of us are lucky
enough to not require this step.

Bridgit