[nabs-l] Training centers not the real world

[RJ Sandefur]

I could be wrong here, but I don't really see where rehabilitation centers
are teaching both social and job skills. RJ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, November 11, 2013 11:50 AM
Subject: [nabs-l] Training centers not the real world


> Minh,
>
> You seem to have had a very fortunate experience. I lost my sight as an
> adult, but in my experience, most blind people, especially children,
> don't have an experience like yours. If more families adopted an
> attitude like yours, we may not be having this discussion.
>
> And on a side note, I notice few people have analytical reasoning skills
> and the ability to be self-taught regardless of disability. Some people,
> for whatever reason, don't possess the ability to learn this way,
> therefore requiring a more formal teaching process.
>
> And life skills, these can easily be taught to blind people without
> shipping off to a specialized training center. But skills like Braille,
> adaptive technology, cane travel, etc., these are specialized skills
> that are not always easily picked up. It's for these skills that
> training centers are necessary.
>
> I think how we comport ourselves has a lot to do with how the world
> perceives us and our abilities. Right or wrong, when you present
> yourself to an employer, they are immediately judging you based on
> physical appearance. If you walk in well-groomed, confident and polite,
> this goes a long way, sighted or blind. If you enter a room appearing to
> not be confident and not looking polished physically and mentally, an
> employer will automatically have red flags. This is just human nature.
>
> So, sadly, few blind people are provided the experience afforded you in
> this department. They don't naturally possess confidence, and
> regretfully, many people in their lives do not foster a spirit of
> confidence. So without training centers, I do think fewer people would
> be employed. This isn't to say that getting a job will be easy as a
> blind person because you received training or carry yourself with
> confidence, but your chances certainly are better.
>
> And yes, a few studies have been conducted pointing to the advantage of
> attending a training center for the blind. Those with this background,
> especially those not taught nonvisual skills beforehand, do better in
> school, employment and life in general.
>
> Bridgit
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 00:33:06 -0500
> From: minh ha <minh.ha927 at gmail.com>
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers not the real world
> Message-ID:
>
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>
> All the proponents of training centers, NFB or otherwise keep saying how
> going to one will give blind individuals the skills they need to gain
> employment or to be successful. I'm just wondering how these success
> stories are measured? Do the majority of graduates gain employment
> afterwards because of their new found independence skills and are these
> numbers higher than those that do not attend training centers? Maybe
> it's different for me because I had vision for the first few years of my
> life, but all the skills that I've acquired over the years, I learned
> from my family and friends. I remember growing up, cooking was one of
> the activities that my best friend and I experimented together; she
> didn't know cooking skills either so we played around in the kitchen and
> taught ourselves how to use a stove, etc. I think we place too much
> responsibility on others--if I want to learn something, I teach myself
> or I ask someone who knows it to teach me. Furthermore, I can't see
> myself taking 6-9 months to essentially remove myself from society to
> focus on blindness skills so I can gain employment. I have had many
> internships and opportunities in college because I actually go out there
> and network and present myself to potential employers. My point is
> experience is the best teacher--I can learn all the independence skills
> I need at a center, but it's not going to do me any good without the
> experience.
>
> Minh
>
>
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