[nabs-l] Easy way to create PowerPoint slideshows
Shreyas N Reddy
n.shreyas.reddy at gmail.com
Sat Oct 19 06:02:00 UTC 2013
Hi people!
I am unable to understand how to do the formatting, also understand
what is the meaning how to do this format the slide titles as heading
1 and all bullet lines as heading
>Please could u people help me?
On 10/18/13, Robert Miller <rmiller at osb.k12.ok.us> wrote:
> Hi to all! I'm not sure if someone has mentioned it or not, but there is a
> easy way to create a PowerPoint slideshow, starting in Microsoft Word. You
> type the text of your slides, line by line, in Word, with no blank lines.
> Then format the slide titles as heading 1 and all bullet lines as heading
> 2.
> Formatting the text as heading 1 or heading 2 is easy. Then, save and
> close
> the Word file and open it up in PowerPoint and the slides will
> automatically
> be created with whatever theme you have as your default theme. The hard
> part
> is done. Then if you want, you can go and select the desired theme, slide
> transitions and sounds. You can Google how to do this or if you want I can
> send out the simple instructions.
> Robert
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: <nabs-l-request at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, October 18, 2013 7:00 AM
> To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: nabs-l Digest, Vol 84, Issue 21
>
>> Send nabs-l mailing list submissions to
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>
>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>> nabs-l-request at nfbnet.org
>>
>> You can reach the person managing the list at
>> nabs-l-owner at nfbnet.org
>>
>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>> than "Re: Contents of nabs-l digest..."
>>
>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>> 1. Re: PowerPoint (Cindy Bennett)
>> 2. Re: PowerPoint (Misty Dawn Bradley)
>> 3. iPhone (justin williams)
>> 4. Re: iPhone (Misty Dawn Bradley)
>> 5. Re: iPhone (justin williams)
>> 6. Fwd: Met a person in Las Vegas who worked for Dr. Jernigan
>> (David Andrews)
>> 7. Re: iPhone (Sophie Trist)
>> 8. Re: Blindness is scary-how to teach otherwise while
>> stillbeing compassionate (Arielle Silverman)
>> 9. Re: Blindness is scary-how to teach otherwise while still
>> being compassionate (Jedi Moerke)
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 13:30:26 -0700
>> From: Cindy Bennett <clb5590 at gmail.com>
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] PowerPoint
>> Message-ID:
>> <CACUFQdw=+rHPWaCobLhYirSDiSCPj+7Kx400Je+wtBf06UsaEg at mail.gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>>
>> Thanks Misty!
>>
>> I would add that although you can make a PowerPoint, it is always a
>> good idea to have a sighted person look over it. If you can combine
>> this work with other reader work, then you will save time with the
>> reader. For example, one semester, I had to make 4 presentations. I
>> made all of them and then had the reader edit them all at once which
>> took about an hour instead of having to meet up with him 4 separate
>> times. I paid for this person out of pocket because it was sporadic
>> work. However, I was able to get a reader funded for my statistics
>> courses through the disability office, so if this is going to be more
>> than a one-time thing, or if you anticipate needing readers in the
>> future, asking this office or your division of services for the blind
>> may be a way to get readers funded.
>>
>> Cindy
>>
>> On 10/17/13, Misty Dawn Bradley <mistydbradley at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi Juanita,
>>> Freedom Scientific also has a free training tutorial with practice files.
>>>
>>> I
>>>
>>> don't have the link to it, but I am attaching the downloaded copy in
>>> .zip
>>> format as an attachment to this email, as Freedom Scientific says in the
>>> bottom of the document that it can be shared as long as Freedom
>>> Scientific
>>> is acknowledged as the copyright holder. I found this very helpful in
>>> learning Powerpoint, and it has instructions for both Powerpoint 2003
>>> and
>>> Powerpoint 2007, although the commands for 2007 will probably work with
>>> Powerpoint 2010 as well, as both are similar. I hope this helps.
>>> Misty
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: justin williams
>>> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 12:00 PM
>>> To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] PowerPoint
>>>
>>> Freedom scientific has a powerpoint tutorial you can take; it costs 30
>>> bucks.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Juanita
>>> Herrera
>>> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 11:33 AM
>>> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] PowerPoint
>>>
>>> Hello all,
>>> I am currently taking a public speaking class where I will need to use a
>>> PowerPoint as a visual aid. Previously when I had to use PowerPoints in
>>> high
>>> school, I would have somebody help me, but now I don't have that help.
>>> Is
>>> it
>>> possible for a blind person to put together a PowerPoint? If so, how
>>> does
>>> one go about doing this? I know nothing about power points whatsoever.
>>> Juanita
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nabs-l:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/justin.williams2%40gmail
>>> .com
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nabs-l:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/mistydbradley%40gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Cindy Bennett
>> Secretary: National Association of Blind Students
>>
>> B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
>> clb5590 at gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 16:43:51 -0400
>> From: Misty Dawn Bradley <mistydbradley at gmail.com>
>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] PowerPoint
>> Message-ID: <9BD3B923B509438EBD901E5C4847C841 at MistyBradleyPC>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> Hi Cindy,
>> Those are good points. Also, if you are going to use any audio or video
>> media in your presentation, it is best to set the Powerpoint slide up to
>> play it automatically when you get to that slide, as there is no way to
>> click on the play video button in the slide independently when presenting
>> it. I have come across this a lot in Powerpoints that professors have
>> made
>> for the students to study. Usually, I cannot listen to the videos or
>> audios
>> in the presentation, because there is no way to click the play button
>> with
>> JAWS as far as I know.
>> Misty
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Cindy Bennett
>> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 4:30 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] PowerPoint
>>
>> Thanks Misty!
>>
>> I would add that although you can make a PowerPoint, it is always a
>> good idea to have a sighted person look over it. If you can combine
>> this work with other reader work, then you will save time with the
>> reader. For example, one semester, I had to make 4 presentations. I
>> made all of them and then had the reader edit them all at once which
>> took about an hour instead of having to meet up with him 4 separate
>> times. I paid for this person out of pocket because it was sporadic
>> work. However, I was able to get a reader funded for my statistics
>> courses through the disability office, so if this is going to be more
>> than a one-time thing, or if you anticipate needing readers in the
>> future, asking this office or your division of services for the blind
>> may be a way to get readers funded.
>>
>> Cindy
>>
>> On 10/17/13, Misty Dawn Bradley <mistydbradley at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi Juanita,
>>> Freedom Scientific also has a free training tutorial with practice
>>> files.
>>> I
>>>
>>> don't have the link to it, but I am attaching the downloaded copy in
>>> .zip
>>> format as an attachment to this email, as Freedom Scientific says in the
>>> bottom of the document that it can be shared as long as Freedom
>>> Scientific
>>> is acknowledged as the copyright holder. I found this very helpful in
>>> learning Powerpoint, and it has instructions for both Powerpoint 2003
>>> and
>>> Powerpoint 2007, although the commands for 2007 will probably work with
>>> Powerpoint 2010 as well, as both are similar. I hope this helps.
>>> Misty
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: justin williams
>>> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 12:00 PM
>>> To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] PowerPoint
>>>
>>> Freedom scientific has a powerpoint tutorial you can take; it costs 30
>>> bucks.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Juanita
>>> Herrera
>>> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 11:33 AM
>>> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] PowerPoint
>>>
>>> Hello all,
>>> I am currently taking a public speaking class where I will need to use a
>>> PowerPoint as a visual aid. Previously when I had to use PowerPoints in
>>> high
>>> school, I would have somebody help me, but now I don't have that help.
>>> Is
>>> it
>>> possible for a blind person to put together a PowerPoint? If so, how
>>> does
>>> one go about doing this? I know nothing about power points whatsoever.
>>> Juanita
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nabs-l:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/justin.williams2%40gmail
>>> .com
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nabs-l:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/mistydbradley%40gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Cindy Bennett
>> Secretary: National Association of Blind Students
>>
>> B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
>> clb5590 at gmail.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/mistydbradley%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 3
>> Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 20:47:23 -0400
>> From: "justin williams" <justin.williams2 at gmail.com>
>> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [nabs-l] iPhone
>> Message-ID: <000f01cecb9b$9c2ae7b0$d480b710$@gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Is there a good Iphone list serve?
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 4
>> Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 20:53:55 -0400
>> From: Misty Dawn Bradley <mistydbradley at gmail.com>
>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] iPhone
>> Message-ID: <9EB9D0EB5A76420EA86E6D773DD9D7BD at MistyBradleyPC>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>> reply-type=original
>>
>> Hi,
>> There is a list called the IDevices list. You can subscribe at:
>> IDevices-join at GatewayForTheBlind.Com
>> The website is:
>> http://www.gatewayfortheblind.com
>> Hth,
>> Misty
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: justin williams
>> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 8:47 PM
>> To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
>> Subject: [nabs-l] iPhone
>>
>> Is there a good Iphone list serve?
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/mistydbradley%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 5
>> Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 20:57:31 -0400
>> From: "justin williams" <justin.williams2 at gmail.com>
>> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] iPhone
>> Message-ID: <001d01cecb9d$06cf0e60$146d2b20$@gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Thank you; much appreciated.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Misty Dawn
>> Bradley
>> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 8:54 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] iPhone
>>
>> Hi,
>> There is a list called the IDevices list. You can subscribe at:
>> IDevices-join at GatewayForTheBlind.Com
>> The website is:
>> http://www.gatewayfortheblind.com
>> Hth,
>> Misty
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: justin williams
>> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 8:47 PM
>> To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
>> Subject: [nabs-l] iPhone
>>
>> Is there a good Iphone list serve?
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/mistydbradley%40gmail.co
>> m
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/justin.williams2%40gmail
>> .com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 6
>> Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:24:05 -0500
>> From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
>> To: nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nabs-l] Fwd: Met a person in Las Vegas who worked for Dr.
>> Jernigan
>> Message-ID: <auto-000128343859 at mailfront4.g2host.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>>
>> Some of you might find this to be interesting.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>From: cheryl echevarria <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
>>>To: reiff lund <dandrews at visi.com>, reiff lund <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
>>>Subject: Met a person in Las Vegas who worked for Dr. Jernigan
>>>Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 09:10:23 -0400
>>>
>>>David:
>>>
>>>We found this very interesting on our trip.
>>>
>>>Would you please pass around.
>>>
>>>Thank you.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>As you all may have read during the last few months, is that the NFB
>>>Travel & Tourism Division, a proud division of the National
>>>Federation of the Blind. Is that we had our very 1st Fundraiser
>>>Trip, which was a complete success and learning experience for all
>>>involved including to the people we met along the way of our trip to
>>>Las Vegas and Utah, and yes the parks were opened. The state of Utah
>>>opened its National Parks while we were there, even though the
>>>country was on shutdown.
>>>
>>>A few stories and descriptions of our experiences will be posting
>>>for meet the blind month, and I am also hoping in the braille
>>>monitor, but it will definitely be on the
>>><http://www.nfbtravel.org>www.nfbtravel.org website.
>>>
>>>Below is one of the experiences that Deana and John Bates members of
>>>the NFB of Orange County, CA, had at the Riviera Hotel where we
>>>stayed the first night and the last night of our trip, about meeting
>>>a man who works at the Riviera Hotel, who worked for Dr. Jernigan in
>>>the 1960's at the Iowa Commission. Please read the story below.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>John and I wanted to tell you about a very unusual experience we had
>>>at the Riviera on Monday the day we left to come home. We ordered
>>>room service from Wicked Vicky's. The guy who brought our food was
>>>78 years old and his name is Eugene Plaid. Not sure if that name
>>>means anything to Ramona or not, but he worked for Dr Jernigan at
>>>the Iowa Commission in the 1960's teaching cane travel. He told us
>>>he came to Las Vegas to work with blind persons and had walked all
>>>over Las Vegas under sleep shades before he started teaching his
>>>students. He said he worked for the Riviera for 43 years his wife
>>>was a medical Transcriptionist and they put five kids through
>>>college. Apparently he worked two jobs one teaching cane travel as
>>>well as working at the Riviera. We loved meeting him and talking
>>>about his experiences. He has been to our National Conventions. It
>>>just seemed so odd to us that someone who would deliver our food
>>>worked at the Iowa Commission with Dr Jernigan.
>>>
>>>Also John and I had a big laugh about Wicked Vicky what an
>>>appropriate name rofl
>>>Deanna
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Cheryl Echevarria, President
>>>NFB Travel & Tourism Division
>>>National Federation of the Blind
>>>631-236-5138
>>><http://www.nfbtravel.org>www.nfbtravel.org
>>><mailto:info at nfbtravel.org>info at nfbtravel.org
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 7
>> Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:29:05 -0500
>> From: Sophie Trist <sweetpeareader at gmail.com>
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing
>> list<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] iPhone
>> Message-ID: <52609cf5.886fec0a.310d.ffffcda6 at mx.google.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Justin, there's also a list called Accessible-IOS that only deals
>> with I devices. I don't know the subscription address, but I've
>> found it very useful.
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "justin williams" <justin.williams2 at gmail.com
>> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 20:57:31 -0400
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] iPhone
>>
>> Thank you; much appreciated.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>> Misty Dawn
>> Bradley
>> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 8:54 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] iPhone
>>
>> Hi,
>> There is a list called the IDevices list. You can subscribe at:
>> IDevices-join at GatewayForTheBlind.Com
>> The website is:
>> http://www.gatewayfortheblind.com
>> Hth,
>> Misty
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: justin williams
>> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 8:47 PM
>> To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
>> Subject: [nabs-l] iPhone
>>
>> Is there a good Iphone list serve?
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for
>> nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/mistydbradley
>> %40gmail.co
>> m
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for
>> nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/justin.willia
>> ms2%40gmail
>> .com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sweetpeareade
>> r%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 8
>> Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:36:26 -0600
>> From: Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com>
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Blindness is scary-how to teach otherwise while
>> stillbeing compassionate
>> Message-ID:
>> <CALAYQJB7sjUZhsd0QvouKHus3=Vo7huC6nnYG0+XDF038yCXCQ at mail.gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>>
>> Hi Kaiti,
>>
>> Self-affirmation happens to be one of my research areas, so I'd like
>> to offer a few suggestions that your friend might find helpful.
>> Basically, the research has shown that writing about your important
>> values can be a helpful thing for people experiencing many kinds of
>> challenges and life transitions. In your friend's case, she may be
>> worried that losing vision will cause her to have to give up things
>> she enjoys doing or sources of meaning in her life. It might be good
>> for her to write or at least think about what her important values are
>> and the kinds of things in her life that will remain intact whether
>> she loses vision or not; for example, her friendships and family
>> relationships, her political values, her sense of humor, music if she
>> enjoys that, etc. Writing about religious values might also help
>> although as you mentioned it sounds like her religious beliefs may be
>> contributing to the negativity about blindness. Research suggests that
>> it is better to self-affirm by thinking about alternate sources of
>> meaning than it is to try to affirm the thing that's the problem, so
>> writing about her sight loss might not be such a good idea. Though
>> there has been less research on this, it is logical that doing things
>> to uphold your values is also self-affirming. So encourage her to keep
>> pursuing hobbies and relationships, church involvement, etc. that
>> aren't affected by her health or vision issues. Over time this should
>> help her to see the vision problem as just one of many things going on
>> in her life.
>>
>> Best,
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 10/17/13, Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Justin,
>>>
>>> Your suggestion sounds interesting, but could you elaborate?
>>>
>>> So far I'm reading it as try to get her to realize she still has
>>> vision (correct me if I'm not understanding propperly). I think this
>>> could potentially be good, but also could have negative effects. I
>>> don't want to make her think I'm belittling her diagnosis by stressing
>>> that she hasn't lost much. (she's lost some peripheral vision, but
>>> not enough to even keep her from driving). But, she sees this as a
>>> major issue at least right now, so I'm worried that if I put emphasis
>>> on the fact that she still has the majority of her vision that she'll
>>> 1, lash out and take me as not being supportive, and 2, really get
>>> confused on how to feel about things, more than she already seems to
>>> be. She's not very open to talking about how she feels about it now,
>>> other than saying it sucks. Emphasis is still being placed on the
>>> vision issue rather than the other neurological symptoms.
>>>
>>> But, I think after the initial shock and/or self-pitty has worn off,
>>> this could be something that really works along witth showing her that
>>> blindness isn't really crippling or something to be pittied. We'll
>>> have to see what happens.
>>>
>>> Thanks for your suggestion, and if you could clarify, if I'm reading
>>> it wrong, I would appreciate it.
>>>
>>> On 10/16/13, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> See if you can get her to write positive affirmations which will
>>>> affirm
>>>> her
>>>> in having sight. Try to get her to focus on those and read them
>>>> everyday.
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti
>>>> Shelton
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 9:23 AM
>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Blindness is scary-how to teach otherwise while
>>>> stillbeing compassionate
>>>>
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> The religious differences may be playing a role in my feelings of
>>>> awkwardness too. Like her family members, my friend said in a sense
>>>> that
>>>> her vision was being attacked by the devel. I found this to be really
>>>> interesting because it demonstrated a couple of things; although she
>>>> knows
>>>> this is all a brain issue rather than an eye issue, and she has other
>>>> neurological symptoms including really bad headaches, she is focusing
>>>> on
>>>> the
>>>> vision thing rather than the brain, which is actually the part of her
>>>> body
>>>> receiving the treatment. It also showed me how different religions
>>>> impact
>>>> perceptions of disabilities. I am Christian as well, but I do not
>>>> think
>>>> disabilities are influenced by religious things like that. Perhaps I
>>>> am
>>>> a
>>>> little more scientific, but I see them as being genetic, accidental, or
>>>> medically acquired such as through a virus or infection. She's deeply
>>>> rooted in her faith though, and the belief that all good events are
>>>> blessings and all bad ones are attacks is a part of that sect of
>>>> Christianity. So, religion is playing a pretty big role too, and I
>>>> failed
>>>> to recognize that until yesterday. I'm learning that this is far more
>>>> complicated for her than I even imagined, which really substantiates
>>>> what
>>>> Arielle said about it being very different from the experience of
>>>> someone
>>>> who has always had limitted vision in some capacity or another, and
>>>> knows
>>>> that they are either blind or will probably be blind in the future.
>>>>
>>>> I'm just trying to wrap my head around all of this, because if I failed
>>>> to
>>>> consider the importance of religion in this I'm wondering what else I
>>>> may
>>>> be
>>>> missing. Any thoughts on that? I want to be a little more aware of
>>>> this
>>>> issue not just for my friend, but also for other people should I come
>>>> across
>>>> this situation in the future.
>>>>
>>>> On 10/15/13, Elizabeth Mohnke <lizmohnke at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> Hello Kaiti,
>>>>>
>>>>> It sounds to me like your friend is working her way through the normal
>>>>> grieving process that would occur for any type of loss in life. For
>>>>> those who are not born blind, losing one's eyesight is definitely a
>>>>> loss that needs to be grieved during the process of coming to terms
>>>>> with blindness. I
>>>>>
>>>>> see this as no different as coming to terms with any other medical
>>>>> condition
>>>>>
>>>>> that would significantly alter someone's life.
>>>>>
>>>>> I think you are being a good friend by simply trying to be there for
>>>>> her.
>>>>> Although, you may want to try to talk about her feelings regarding
>>>>> this situation if she is willing to discuss them with you. Perhaps you
>>>>> could reassure her that having these feelings are normal for what she
>>>>> is going through in her life right now. This suggestion comes from
>>>>> what I wish other
>>>>>
>>>>> people could have given to me when I was first told that I had an eye
>>>>> condition that would most likely cause me to become blind someday in
>>>>> the distant future.
>>>>>
>>>>> Elizabeth
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>>>> From: "Kaiti Shelton" <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com>
>>>>> Sent: Monday, October 14, 2013 12:33 AM
>>>>> To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Subject: [nabs-l] Blindness is scary-how to teach otherwise while
>>>>> stillbeing
>>>>>
>>>>> compassionate
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I am confronted with an interesting situation. A very close friend
>>>>>> of mine may/may not have a neurological proglem which, if left
>>>>>> untreated, could cause damage to the optic nerve and therefore
>>>>>> blindness. I'm trying to be a good friend and be supportive, because
>>>>>> what she's going through is definitely not comfortable or easy by any
>>>>>> means, but she doesn't even have the test results or know of a
>>>>>> treatment plan and she's already thinking about the what ifs
>>>>>> associated
>>>> with going blind.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It's really difficult, because I realize that it is scary to think
>>>>>> about; I probably would not be a happy camper if my vision
>>>>>> drastically changed, and that's even with the knowledge that it could
>>>>>> do so in a way that would further limit the sight I have/make me
>>>>>> totally blind at any time if the right thing were to go wrong having
>>>>>> been drilled into me since childhood. I would imagine that
>>>>>> discomfort/annoyance would be at least ten-fold for a person who has
>>>>>> spent nearly two decades as a sighted person, with little to no
>>>>>> contact with a blind person until they met me in college. Yet, I
>>>>>> feel somewhat awkward because I know that blindness is not the worst
>>>>>> thing that could happen to a person by far, and that I've shown her
>>>>>> by example that one does not need sight to do well in school, to cook
>>>>>> and clean around an apartment, to have a job, or to be successful in
>>>>>> general. I realize that seeing someone else do things differently
>>>>>> and imagining yourself have to do them a different way is terrifying
>>>>>> too, if I had to suddenly switch to using a foreign language or sign
>>>>>> language to speak I'd definitely be freaking about the ramifications
>>>>>> of being out of the loop, and perhaps that is what this is like a
>>>>>> bit.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm just trying to think of ways that I can be supportive while still
>>>>>> showing her that even if the worst does happen, things can be
>>>>>> done---just differently. I feel like that is one of the best ways I
>>>>>> can be supportive, because I have the knowledge about the subject
>>>>>> that others around her do not, and since blindness has such a bad
>>>>>> connotation, it is possible that those who don't know much about it
>>>>>> are not helping the situation by panicking themselves. I'm trying to
>>>>>> be empathetic as well, because although I have lost vision in chunks,
>>>>>> I am probably the only person she knows who has experienced any form
>>>>>> of vision loss, and there was a time in my younger teen years when I
>>>>>> was terrified of losing all of my vision in which I had to put
>>>>>> blindness into perspective and realize that much worse could happen
>>>>>> to a person, too.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So far I've been telling her to not freak about it is she doesn't
>>>>>> even have test results yet, which I realize is much easier said than
>>>>>> done but I thought it was the best I could do. I've also reminded
>>>>>> her that even if she does have this condition there are treatment
>>>>>> plans which could prevent vision loss, so even if she were to receive
>>>>>> the diagnosis it is not a death sentence for her sight. I do not
>>>>>> know what else I could do at this point but remind her of those
>>>>>> things, since the rationalization seems to help for a while once she
>>>>>> thinks through it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I would love to hear from people who have had similar experiences
>>>>>> and/or lost sight later in life. If you are the latter and you knew
>>>>>> there was a possibility of blindness before it happened what specific
>>>>>> aspects about blindness bothered you the most? What, if anything,
>>>>>> did others do that made you feel a little better about the situation?
>>>>>> What do you wish others would have done to help you? What would you
>>>>>> suggest I do to help my friend? Did contact with other blind people
>>>>>> help you durring that time? (The thing I'm worried about is her
>>>>>> saying, "Well you can't empathize because you don't know what it's
>>>>>> like," because in terms of having the sudden shock I do not, but
>>>>>> everything else I do). Any thoughts?
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Kaiti
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>>> nabs-l:
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/lizmohnke%40hotma
>>>>>> il.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>> nabs-l:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/crazy4clarinet104%
>>>>> 40gmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Kaiti
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> nabs-l:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/justin.williams2%40gmail
>>>> .com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> nabs-l:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/crazy4clarinet104%40gmail.com
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Kaiti
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nabs-l:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/arielle71%40gmail.com
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 9
>> Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 02:07:23 -0500
>> From: Jedi Moerke <loneblindjedi at samobile.net>
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Blindness is scary-how to teach otherwise while
>> still being compassionate
>> Message-ID: <243DD75C-618A-4191-834A-AA642A1CC421 at samobile.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>>
>> Katie,
>>
>> I think that we as blind people sometimes get in the mode of educating
>> rather than dialoguing. We try to educate people like your friend by
>> saying that blindness only requires a few adjustments and so on. By the
>> end of our education efforts, we wonder if we have been helpful and
>> supportive at all. Meanwhile, we are stuck with this rather uncomfortable
>>
>> dialectic between wanting to be supportive versus not wanting to be
>> labeled as pitiful or helpless like your psychologist friend describes.
>> Dialogue might be an interesting way to resolve some of these issues.
>> Since dialogue implies two sides of an issue, you may want to consider
>> telling your friend what it's like to experience her worries about
>> something that you consider absolutely normal. At the very least, this
>> approach raises your Friends consciousness about how you are dealing with
>>
>> her situation from the outside. At best, talking about blindness as a sort
>>
>> of normal might help alleviate some of her fears on a visceral level. If
>> you think about it, that is ultimately was sighted people are worried
>> about. Can I lead a normal life? Also, describing your blindness journey
>> may help her realize that attitudes and misperceptions about blindness are
>>
>> typically the culprit behind negative feelings on the subject. Meanwhile,
>>
>> your story may also demonstrate your ability to empathize even if you
>> can't no exactly what she's going through. Maybe that will be enough. I
>> tried this approach with a friend once. He was extremely negative about
>> going blind almost all of the time to the extent that I actually needed to
>>
>> spend some time away from him for a while. When I came back, I explained
>> why I felt so frustrated. He kept talking about blind people and blindness
>>
>> in such a negative way that it was difficult to psychologically separate
>> his feelings about his own blindness from the negativity that I found
>> myself absorbing. To my surprise, it actually worked! Yes, he continued to
>>
>> talk about his experience going blind. But, he did so realizing that The
>> experience of being blind is a valid one. From then on, he was considerate
>>
>> enough to recognize that blindness is my normal and discussed his feelings
>>
>> from his perspective rather than using absolute statements about blindness
>>
>> and blind people. Does any of this make sense? For my part, I found that I
>>
>> was able to empathize to a greater degree because my own issues and
>> dealing with his blindness had been dealt with properly. Up until that
>> point, they were simmering quietly in the back of my mind making it
>> difficult for me to really hear where he was coming from.
>>
>> "The honor of one is the honor of all. " -Swil Kanim
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On Oct 15, 2013, at 3:00 PM, Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com>
>>>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> These ideas are very interesting, and I really appreciate the feedback.
>>>
>>> As Sandra identified, it was kind of shocking for me too-even though I
>>> didn't think of it in that way till after I read her email and thought
>>> about it. No one likes to hear their friend has any significant
>>> health issue, but the fact that blindness is involved really stands
>>> out to me. I think Arielle and Julie were spot on; I tried to
>>> empathize but now I'm not totally sure I can really. I mean, I did
>>> have a really bad fear of blindness/going totally blind when I was
>>> about 12 or 13, but I think that was because as a child I didn't quite
>>> understand my circumstances. I think that understanding that a risk
>>> of losing vision did not mean I would lose vision, and even if I did I
>>> could continue what I usually do with some more modifications. Once I
>>> began hanging out with other blind people my age and met positive role
>>> models, I was able to adjust and know that if I were to go blind the
>>> next day I would have the skills and knowledge to help me continue
>>> with life, even though I would have to make some adjustments.
>>>
>>> I was thinking of comparing vision loss to other senses and what I
>>> would feel like if I lost functioning of a limb or something. Having
>>> not learned adaptive techniques as a child, I can see how a sighted
>>> person would have no clue how to pick up and move on after going
>>> blind. Even simple questions like, "How will I feed myself?" can seem
>>> like mountains rather than molehills to them. Things like cooking,
>>> sorting laundry, and traveling around a college campus could seem even
>>> more difficult or frustrating.
>>>
>>> I talked to a psychologist I know about it today, and he brought up
>>> some very good points that I as a person with a congenital condition
>>> did not think of, even though I sort of went through it as a teenager.
>>> He said that the unfair position people with disabilities are placed
>>> in is that their lives are seen as tragic, and their disability is
>>> something to be mourned. Obviously those with disabilities know they
>>> can lead productive lies in spite of the stereotypes, but a person who
>>> acquires a disability has a much harder time adjusting because they
>>> have grown up seeing people with disabilities as those who should be
>>> pittied. Even if they meet a few people with disabilities who are
>>> really independent, they might not change their stereotypical view.
>>> E.G, my friend/roommate describes me as "High functioning" because I
>>> am the first blind person she's met, and although she does not have a
>>> blind person who is less independent to really compare me to or bass
>>> that assumption off of, she perceives me that way because of the
>>> stereotypical, helpless/bumbling blind person. Really, I just use
>>> alternative techniques to do the same things she and my other roommate
>>> do. I also told him about a comment she made that bothered me a bit;
>>> she was saying how happy she was that she probably wouldn't go blind,
>>> and there was a comment from a family member of her's on facebook that
>>> said something like, "The devel will not win this," so I was kind of
>>> taken aback. He said he could see how that, as her friend, I might
>>> think "Does that make a statement of what she thinks of me/my life?,"
>>> but the reality of it is that things are just going to seem a lot
>>> scarrier to her, and even more so to her family members who have not
>>> met me or another blind person because they just don't know. I know
>>> she doesn't mean to come across that way, but she did not grow up with
>>> the same perceptions of people with disabilities as I or any of us on
>>> this list did. So, it does seem weird to me that I am called
>>> "High-functioning" rather than independent, or that I would see a
>>> comment that condemns blindness so strongly, but that is because I had
>>> a supportive family, the NFB, and friends who were either interested
>>> in things like braille and my technology or didn't say anything about
>>> my blindness at all. I mentioned that I felt bad for being caught off
>>> guard by these things, but the guy I spoke to said that as someone who
>>> has lived their life in a given way, hearing that your life is bad
>>> when you don't feel it is can naturally be a little perturbing.
>>> Changing perceptions of people with disabilities is what consumer
>>> organizations like the NFB are trying to do, and I've done that at
>>> least a little by showing her by example that blindness does not
>>> indefinitely mean helplessness or dependence.
>>>
>>> Someone off-list suggested I should see about taking her to an NFB
>>> function. I am not going to try this avenue for a while, as right now
>>> she is not ready for that kind of thing, and even afterwards I don't
>>> know if going to a meeting full of blind people would make her feel
>>> awkward. She knows I go to chapter meetings, so if the time and
>>> conditions are right, and she wants to go some time in the future,
>>> then taking her with me to a chapter meeting might be good. I have a
>>> feeling that it will be a pretty good period of time before I can even
>>> bring that subject up to her, and even then I'll just have to play it
>>> by ear and see what she wants to do and how the treatment is going.
>>>
>>> The good news is that this is treatable. (She found out she does have
>>> it but she's already on a treatment plan), so hopefully no further
>>> damage will occur. And if it does then my other roommate and I will
>>> be there for her. On the plus, she took an interest in braille last
>>> night which she has never done before, so we were able to geek out
>>> over it for a while and she seemed to like it.
>>>
>>> P.S: Julie, I have heard of that documentary. Rest assured I will
>>> not let her get ahold of it. :)
>>>
>>>> On 10/15/13, Bobbi Pompey <pompey2010 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>> Hello, I've had low vision my whole life but it's progressively getting
>>>> worse, so I can relate a little bit. I honestly don't think there is
>>>> much
>>>> that can be said to "cheer her up". I am well aware of the countless
>>>> abilities of blind people. But, I still sit up crying sometimes at the
>>>> thought that I could be blind one day.
>>>>
>>>> My advice would be to support her and realize blindness is a hard thing
>>>>
>>>> to
>>>> wrap your head around, and if you are religious, pray for her.
>>>>
>>>> Best of luck
>>>>
>>>> Bobbi A. L. Pompey
>>>> (336) 988-6375
>>>> pompey2010 at yahoo.com
>>>> http://pompey2050.wix.com/bobbi-pompey
>>>>
>>>>> On Oct 14, 2013, at 11:44 PM, Julie McGinnity <kaybaycar at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi Kaiti and all,
>>>>>
>>>>> This is very interesting. I have been thinking about this lately due
>>>>> to a film that was shown here last week on this very topic. I don't
>>>>> know how many of you have seen the film Going Blind, a documentary
>>>>> about how people deal with losing their sight, but I would not
>>>>> recommend it for someone who might be losing vision. I won't go into
>>>>> all the details(I could fill pages with my opinions on the film), but
>>>>> it got me thinking about the level of panic sighted people must
>>>>> experience when they are losing their vision.
>>>>>
>>>>> Yes, we know that they can do just about anything they've done before
>>>>> losing their sight, but sight is a part of them, a strong part of
>>>>> them. Many of us who have grown up not seeing or with limited vision
>>>>> are used to being unable to see pictures, facial expressions, and
>>>>> films--and let's not even talk about driving. Imagine losing your
>>>>> hearing or your sense of touch in your fingers. On a smaller scale,
>>>>> think about what would happen if you broke your hand or wrist.
>>>>> Reading braille, writing, and using a cane/dog would be extremely
>>>>> difficult for a long period of time. Many of us rely on our hearing
>>>>> for navigation and getting information. Losing that would be
>>>>> devastating to us, even though we know we could manage. Knowing
>>>>> something mentally and truly understanding it are two different
>>>>> things.
>>>>>
>>>>> I would be very interested to hear from someone who lost their sight
>>>>> later in life but then embraced NFB philosophy. How would this change
>>>>> the grieving process? How can we(those of us who have always been
>>>>> blind) better understand what it's like to lose sight as an adult?
>>>>>
>>>>> Kaiti, I think the best thing you can do is be there for her and
>>>>> answer any questions she may have. I could be wrong about this, but I
>>>>> think it's difficult for those of us who have lived with blindness all
>>>>> our lives to understand and empathize with those who are full of fear
>>>>> at the prospect of losing their vision. After all, we've lived very
>>>>> productive lives without vision. But I think that these two
>>>>> experiences represent two sides of the same coin.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 10/14/13, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Hi Kaiti and all,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I think this is an excellent question and an issue we all deal with
>>>>>> as
>>>>>> NFB members. We often meet folks who are losing vision and try to
>>>>>> offer them support and resources. Sometimes it can be hard for us
>>>>>> who
>>>>>> are used to blindness to understand what they are experiencing. I
>>>>>> know
>>>>>> that I have offered information and resources to people who contact
>>>>>> me
>>>>>> about their moms or dads losing sight, and they tell me that their
>>>>>> parent does not want the information because he/she is too depressed
>>>>>> or scared to deal with it yet. This is a little hard for me to
>>>>>> empathize with, as someone who has been totally blind my whole life.
>>>>>> Usually what I try to do is work with the person and answer whatever
>>>>>> questions they ask me, but don't preach to them or tell them about
>>>>>> things unless they want to know. For example, sometimes I come across
>>>>>> folks who don't want to use canes but are losing vision and would
>>>>>> clearly benefit from using a cane. I don't nag them about using a
>>>>>> cane
>>>>>> unless they specifically say that they are having trouble getting
>>>>>> around or identifying their blindness to others, at which point I
>>>>>> casually suggest that a cane might help with those difficulties they
>>>>>> are having. I want to give them information and feedback but also
>>>>>> respect their choices and their feelings about the situation.
>>>>>> I would suggest that you can just be a supportive friend and listen
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> her concerns and emotional expressions. If she asks you how you do
>>>>>> things, you can share techniques with her and point her to other
>>>>>> blind
>>>>>> role models, but that may not be something she is interested in yet.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>> Arielle
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 10/14/13, Sandra Gayer <sandragayer7 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> Hello Kaiti,
>>>>>>> It sounds as though you're having a tough time emotionally yourself.
>>>>>>> Your friend won't be thinking rationally at this stage because of
>>>>>>> her
>>>>>>> fear of the unknown ahead of her. It doesn't matter that the chances
>>>>>>> of her losing her sight are remote, the fact is, there's still a
>>>>>>> chance and she's trying to prepare herself mentally for that. The
>>>>>>> best
>>>>>>> thing you can do is be there for her, listen to her worries and
>>>>>>> fears
>>>>>>> and try and comfort her. In short, what you're already doing.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> It would do you no harm to clear your mind of all this sometimes,
>>>>>>> take
>>>>>>> a mental break from it.
>>>>>>> Very best wishes,
>>>>>>> Sandra.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 10/14/13, Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I am confronted with an interesting situation. A very close friend
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>> mine may/may not have a neurological proglem which, if left
>>>>>>>> untreated,
>>>>>>>> could cause damage to the optic nerve and therefore blindness. I'm
>>>>>>>> trying to be a good friend and be supportive, because what she's
>>>>>>>> going
>>>>>>>> through is definitely not comfortable or easy by any means, but she
>>>>>>>> doesn't even have the test results or know of a treatment plan and
>>>>>>>> she's already thinking about the what ifs associated with going
>>>>>>>> blind.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> It's really difficult, because I realize that it is scary to think
>>>>>>>> about; I probably would not be a happy camper if my vision
>>>>>>>> drastically
>>>>>>>> changed, and that's even with the knowledge that it could do so in
>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>> way that would further limit the sight I have/make me totally blind
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> at
>>>>>>>> any time if the right thing were to go wrong having been drilled
>>>>>>>> into
>>>>>>>> me since childhood. I would imagine that discomfort/annoyance
>>>>>>>> would
>>>>>>>> be at least ten-fold for a person who has spent nearly two decades
>>>>>>>> as
>>>>>>>> a sighted person, with little to no contact with a blind person
>>>>>>>> until
>>>>>>>> they met me in college. Yet, I feel somewhat awkward because I
>>>>>>>> know
>>>>>>>> that blindness is not the worst thing that could happen to a person
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> by
>>>>>>>> far, and that I've shown her by example that one does not need
>>>>>>>> sight
>>>>>>>> to do well in school, to cook and clean around an apartment, to have
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>> job, or to be successful in general. I realize that seeing someone
>>>>>>>> else do things differently and imagining yourself have to do them a
>>>>>>>> different way is terrifying too, if I had to suddenly switch to
>>>>>>>> using
>>>>>>>> a foreign language or sign language to speak I'd definitely be
>>>>>>>> freaking about the ramifications of being out of the loop, and
>>>>>>>> perhaps
>>>>>>>> that is what this is like a bit.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm just trying to think of ways that I can be supportive while
>>>>>>>> still
>>>>>>>> showing her that even if the worst does happen, things can be
>>>>>>>> done---just differently. I feel like that is one of the best ways
>>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>>> can be supportive, because I have the knowledge about the subject
>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>> others around her do not, and since blindness has such a bad
>>>>>>>> connotation, it is possible that those who don't know much about it
>>>>>>>> are not helping the situation by panicking themselves. I'm trying
>>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>>> be empathetic as well, because although I have lost vision in
>>>>>>>> chunks,
>>>>>>>> I am probably the only person she knows who has experienced any
>>>>>>>> form
>>>>>>>> of vision loss, and there was a time in my younger teen years when
>>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>>> was terrified of losing all of my vision in which I had to put
>>>>>>>> blindness into perspective and realize that much worse could happen
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>>> a person, too.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So far I've been telling her to not freak about it is she doesn't
>>>>>>>> even
>>>>>>>> have test results yet, which I realize is much easier said than
>>>>>>>> done
>>>>>>>> but I thought it was the best I could do. I've also reminded her
>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>> even if she does have this condition there are treatment plans
>>>>>>>> which
>>>>>>>> could prevent vision loss, so even if she were to receive the
>>>>>>>> diagnosis it is not a death sentence for her sight. I do not know
>>>>>>>> what else I could do at this point but remind her of those things,
>>>>>>>> since the rationalization seems to help for a while once she thinks
>>>>>>>> through it.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I would love to hear from people who have had similar experiences
>>>>>>>> and/or lost sight later in life. If you are the latter and you
>>>>>>>> knew
>>>>>>>> there was a possibility of blindness before it happened what
>>>>>>>> specific
>>>>>>>> aspects about blindness bothered you the most? What, if anything,
>>>>>>>> did
>>>>>>>> others do that made you feel a little better about the situation?
>>>>>>>> What do you wish others would have done to help you? What would
>>>>>>>> you
>>>>>>>> suggest I do to help my friend? Did contact with other blind
>>>>>>>> people
>>>>>>>> help you durring that time? (The thing I'm worried about is her
>>>>>>>> saying, "Well you can't empathize because you don't know what it's
>>>>>>>> like," because in terms of having the sudden shock I do not, but
>>>>>>>> everything else I do). Any thoughts?
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Kaiti
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>> nabs-l:
>>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sandragayer7%40gmail.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Soprano Singer
>>>>>>> www.sandragayer.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Broadcast Presenter
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> www.insightradio.co.uk/music-box.html
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>> nabs-l:
>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/arielle71%40gmail.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>>> nabs-l:
>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kaybaycar%40gmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Julie McG
>>>>> National Association of Guide dog Users board member, National
>>>>> Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
>>>>> Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
>>>>> and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
>>>>> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
>>>>> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
>>>>> life."
>>>>> John 3:16
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>> nabs-l:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/pompey2010%40yahoo.com
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> nabs-l:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/crazy4clarinet104%40gmail.com
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Kaiti
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nabs-l:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/loneblindjedi%40samobile.net
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Subject: Digest Footer
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> End of nabs-l Digest, Vol 84, Issue 21
>> **************************************
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/n.shreyas.reddy%40gmail.com
>
--
in regards
Shreyas Nagaraj Reddy
More information about the NABS-L
mailing list