[nabs-l] Extensive Cane Travel During the Summer

Sun Jan 26 00:52:14 UTC 2014

Hi.  My name is Dave.  I wanted to chime in a bit on this.  Right now, by 
the way I'm in California but I am in a program at Junior Blind called the 
davidson program for independence.  Its an ok program but it s very very 
traditional.  I'm just there to bursh up on some cane travel skills and 
house keeping and cooking and stuff.  I actually don't really like the 
program because I'm getting bored with it.  The Hatlin center is good.  Its 
out here in California up in San Pablo.  I was gonna go but they have a year 
long waiting list so unfortunately dpi was the only one available.  After I 
get done with that I'm gonna be doing a customer service training progrma 
out there that they have.  its only 5 weeks.  I'll be glad when I'm done 
with dpi.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Ashley Bramlett
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2014 4:26 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Extensive Cane Travel During the Summer

Hi,
that's a tough question! The difficulties you have are common I've noticed
from my interactions with young blind and vi adults. We get good braille and
tech skills in school, but vision teachers do not teach daily life skills to
us.
I commend you for seeking resources to rectify these deficits.
The research I did involved transition camps for college students or teens;
these programs involve the whole range of skills like braille, technology,
daily living, travel skills and
sometimes medical care instruction.

I know what you mean; in college, I sought the same program since my
technology and braille skills were good; I just wanted the housekeeping
skills and cane travel.
But now out of college, I realize I need to update my computer and other
tech skills.
I would think a local agency like a lighthouse for the blind might provide
weekly private training; I mean they come to your home and
give you this training and even label appliances and tools so you can use
them. If you get O&M, they will instruct you in your neighborhood provided
you have sidewalks and drive you to sites locally to teach you.
I want to use their services at columbia lighthouse, but it would get so
darn expensive. ah, maybe if I have a part time job, I can use some of this
money to hire instructors.
Is there a lighthouse in your area?

I might know of something; which state are you in, might I ask?
I had O&M growing up, but the teacher focussed so much on giving me routes
to follow that she did not teach generalized skills and I feel her
expectations were low; as an adult, I was fortunate to get more o&M by our
dept for the blind. But they can only serve you a few times a month. I would
have gone further and learned more if they provided training every week.

You know, in this free wealthy country, it is sad we do not have more
community resources to address skills for blind and vision impaired people.
Nfb might just say come to our centers, but the reality is people do not!
want to leave their environment for months. They would rather stay at home
to integrate skills in their own lives and homes. They have family  to care
for or school to attend or other commitments. If we could provide more
community services, I think people with vision loss may be more inclined to
partake in services. Some people just want to use  a computer as they lose
vision or learn how they can read again with magnifiers or braille; they do
not want the whole package of skills that NFB centers, and to much extent
regular centers offer. They just want some part of it, and I think this
should be respected, not have them shipped off to some centers telling them
they have to learn braille when  they might read fine with a CCTV or other
magnifier or more lighting, telling them they have to use a cane when they
hate it and are not ready for a cane emotionally or maybe their vision is
sufficient to get around but not sufficient to say read a magazine, or
telling clients they have to take cooking for like five months when they
already knew how to cook as a sighted person and simply need some lessons in
adaptive techniques of cooking which in this case they would be fine.

I hope you find a sollution! Are you seeking some regular instruction or
structured discovery? The latter basically is based on problem solving and
you figure out a lot on your own where as traditional instruction involves a
variety of techniques such as using maps, working on mental mapping,
teaching you traffic patterns by listening to traffic, sensory awareness,
and sometimes use of electronic devices like GPS systems.
Structured discovery is taught at NFB centers and nfb like centers which are
centers run by federationists but are often state funded.

Are you completely blind?

I would suggest  these resources.
1. Call hadley school for the blind; they may have ideas. they are a
distance ed school; their O&M teacher who teaches intro to O&M may be able
to recommend an instructor; her name is Ginger Irwin. She is a traditionally
certified instructor.
but this might involve you paying for it; or your parents paying I mean.

2. Carroll center in newton MA, may have a summer program to fit your needs.
You are too old for the youth in transition program, but maybe they have one
for college students.

3. Cleveland sight center in Ohio has a six week program for young adults in
the summer. You live in apartments and get to have a job which is a good
resume builder. I know they individualize instruction, so if you do not want
classes in braille or technology, they might honor that. I do not know how
ridgid the young adult program is, but when I called to inquire about their
adult program, they assured me that if you know a skill, and do not wish to
go further in it, you do not take that class. I might add though, I do
recommend you take computer classes because technology changes, and you
might benefit from more pc instruction. For instance, I see many powerpoint
questions here which means students do not know how to use that. I also
think basic excel skills are good to learn budgeting or simply storing
information. Sometimes people say their tech skills are great, but really
they don't know the whole office suite, and this is needed for many office
jobs.
The website is www.clevelandsightcenter.org.

4. The hatlen center might have summer offerings. you also live in
apartments there, so lots of practice cooking and cleaning.

5. Have you checked into your state rehab center? they might let you take
certain classes. I don't know if your state has one or not.

HTH,
Ashley

-----Original Message----- 
From: Andy
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2014 6:26 PM
To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nabs-l] Extensive Cane Travel During the Summer

All,
I'm a college student (freshman) and I've been blind since birth.
Unfortunately throughout the years, my mobility/cane travel
instruction has been sporadic, at best.  I'm finding that I lack a lot
of skills: I have a lot of difficulty crossing streets, for example,
and don't really even know basic traffic patterns.  I find that I get
lost a lot, and in general I just really need a great deal of
instruction for mobility.  To get around now, as much as it pains me
to say it, I get a lot of help.

I'm looking to rectify this situation.  As I'm in college, I really
would prefer to not take a semester off, so some sort of summer
training program would be enormously helpful.  I already know braille,
computers, etc – really all I need is mobility, and if possible, basic
cooking, housekeeping, etc.  I did some research, but all I could find
were camps, college prep programs, etc, which isn't what I'm looking
for.

If anyone has any suggestions on what might be out there during the
summer for training, please let me know.
Thanks.

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