[nabs-l] Kerri & Encouragement & Your Post

[Robin via nabs-l]

Greetings

Ms. - Miss - Mrs.

Cindy B.

GREAT Post!!

But, I am CURIOUS about whether or not you are TOTALLY BLIND like 
Kerri K., who identified herself as TOTALLY BLIND?

I am SO SORRY to be REPLYING so LATE  to this EMAIL THREAD, but I've 
been quite BUSY, and haven't had the TIME or OPPORTUNITY to go 
through My EMAIL until now.

Sent From Berkeley,CA
At 02:34 PM 11/26/2013, you wrote:
>Hi Kerri,
>
>It is completely normal to be frustrated after training. I don't think
>anyone finishes and never has trouble again. I have a lot of issues
>with my family understanding my sudden not only independence, but
>persistence on being independent. A lot of students face this.
>
>I cannot relate to your situation as I live in a big city and I do not
>have a hearing loss, but rest assured, I do have to ask for help
>sometimes, and I sometimes get a friend to show me some things. For
>example, I recently had a job interview in a giant store. So I asked a
>friend to show me around the store and explain the layout so when I
>went in for the interview, I knew where to go.
>
>The goal of structure discovery training is to choose your travel path
>and to give you more freedom, and to travel like a sighted person who
>is taught to read maps and not to be intimidated by alternate routes.
>However, when I moved to Seattle, I did ask for our rehab agency to
>have an O&M instructor show me some things on the campus that I work.
>I agree that I could have asked a friend, but at this time, I was very
>new to town and did not know anyone. Also, I had the opportunity to
>have someone show me around and the agency picked up the bill whereas,
>I would have taken the risk of asking a sighted person and not being
>sure of their ability to describe things and paid them for their time.
>In saying this though, I was assertive to the O&M instructor of what I
>wanted to learn. I noticed that she immediately mapped a route for me,
>but I kind of detracted during the lesson and asked questions and
>walked around several other places so I could learn alternatives.
>Similarly, there was one route that was more convenient but through
>large open spaces and I had to tell her that I wanted to learn that
>route. I may have not even known that was there if I had just gone
>with her plan and not asked questions about my surroundings. So I
>think that taking advantage of agency-sponsored O&M can really help
>one to get some initial orientation, but if you want to use structure
>discovery, you might have to be more assertive during the lesson and
>tell the instructor how and what you want to learn.
>
>All that being said, I think that forming routes is pretty typical. I
>go to work the same way each day. I think the problem arises when you
>are not equipped with the skills to take an alternate route if
>necessary or if your skills are such that the only route you know is
>out of the way and takes significantly more time. There are definitely
>times when I avoid a busy intersection by going to the next block, but
>if there was no other option for a few blocks, I would just cross the
>street at the busy intersection. So it is all a balance, and
>independence is a continuum that is different for each person and even
>fluctuates with each person.
>
>Training gives you a foundation of skills, and I certainly understand
>why you are frustrated, but I know that you are not the only one.
>
>I really appreciate that you have the courage to ask such questions
>and to be open to such frustrations. It seems like a healthy way of
>dealing with them.
>
>I hope that you find ways to get more opportunities to travel, because
>it seems that it really makes you happy. I am not sure of your
>situation and feel that it would be ignorant to say things like, why
>don't you move to a big city, or something, but I think that if you
>are not satisfied with your current ability to use the skills that you
>learned at LCB, brainstorm some possibilities of how you could improve
>that situation and what is preventing you from improving the
>situation. This might help you figure out if there are things you can
>change in your current living situation or what needs to happen for
>you to change your living situation, or if that is something you can
>do at all.
>
>Cindy
>
>On 11/26/13, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
> > Kerri,
> >
> > Calm down. I have fine hearing, but  I can identify with the mental mapping
> >
> > issue.
> > I'm hoping to work on skills at  some center, but I think I might 
> be a route
> >
> > traveler for the most part. What happens with me is that when I 
> turn around,
> >
> > for instance 3/4 turn, I have trouble relating where one thing is to
> > another. My mental mapping skills are terrible too!
> > I also have a tough time reversing directions, and I cannot describe how
> > frustrating that can be.
> > I got good service from the department for the blind for mobility; my
> > teacher as I grew up was so so traditional and just went through routes; no
> >
> > transferable skills such as intersection analysis or how to read a map were
> >
> > covered.
> > She did not encourage exploration either; just walk the route she told me
> > and find a location was all we did.
> > As an adult, my O&M teacher was more progressive  and she believed in blind
> >
> > people. She encouraged discovery learning and exploration; she was not
> > structured discovery though, just that she used elements of discovery
> > learning and guided learning.
> > She encouraged me to ask directions from the public and taught me how to
> > plan routes; she taught me general skills about using the metro system.
> > Well, I got confident from this style of training. Well, here is 
> my point. I
> >
> > also got frustrated about not using my new skills outside  of training.
> > I live and still do live with protective parents.
> > Like you, I go travel indoors like the mall, but not outside on city
> > blocks.
> >
> > Do you live with family? if so, its very understandable that you cannot use
> >
> > your skills enough.
> > All I can say is just have people show you routes and then you can go
> > through that yourself.
> > How is the public transit? Why not take the bus to  a  strip mall area if
> > possible? Then you're working on finding stores from the outside.
> > Can you walk to any neighborhoods where friends live? If so, try this.
> >
> >
> > I think if people show you routes you'll be okay as long as they're
> > descriptive enough.
> > For the parking lot, why not just get help crossing it as you would a
> > street?
> > I sure hope they taught you how to communicate with  the public. One way is
> >
> > with cards that inform people what you need.
> > Just practice with friends and then go on your own; also get a home based
> > O&M instructor from your rehab agency.
> >
> >
> > Make the most of what you have.
> >
> > Ashley
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Kerri Kosten
> > Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 3:26 PM
> > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> > Subject: [nabs-l] Need Some Encouragement/Some Travel Questions...
> >
> > Hi Everyone:
> >
> > I hope it's okay for me to post this. I have debated for a long time
> > whether to post about this but I feel like everyone else is allowed to
> > post on topics such as family issues and other things so I figured I'd
> > post my frustrations.
> > I really just want some encouragement, and to know whether I am the
> > only one going through this.
> > I am totally blind, and in addition to my blindness I have severe
> > hearing loss. I can hear sounds and can communicate with people and
> > such, but I can't tell which direction sounds are coming from.
> > Basically, my hearing really affects my travel.
> > Last year, I graduated from the Louisiana Center for The Blind. I
> > really enjoyed it, and I really enjoyed cane travel class. I enjoy
> > using my cane and traveling.
> > Anyway, because of my hearing loss, and the fact I am not that great
> > at mental mapping, I did a lot of routes in training. My instructor
> > told me when I returned home if someone (anyone) showed me where to go
> > around my area I'd be okay.
> > To make a long story short, I returned home and things didn't happen
> > as they were supposed to.
> > I guess I just feel frustrated because I don't feel like I get to use
> > my cane that much. Sure, I can go to the mall, or a game or somewhere
> > indoors and to get directions from people but where I am not getting
> > much practice is outdoors like walking from city block to block and
> > crossing streets.
> > Another thing that frustrates me is when I do finally get someone to
> > show me something I love it because I get to really use my cane and
> > then I have to wait a week or more to be able to go out there again.
> > For example, there is a Dollar General store located across the street
> > from me. The problem is first though that this particular street is
> > extremely busy. I am unable to cross busy streets or lighted
> > intersections without assistance because of my hearing loss. I
> > arranged for someone to help me cross the street. However, I forgot
> > one thing. This dollar general has a huge parking lot that is open and
> > has no landmarks and I can't hear the echos from the building.
> > I had a friend on Saturday walk with me to the dollar General just to
> > try to map it out and see how big the parking lot was. With this
> > friend, I was able to use my braille compass, and work on mental
> > mapping and such just like I was taught in training. Well, my friend
> > can't help me again for another week or so.
> > I just wish I got to work on the things such as using my braille
> > compass, and mental mapping, and really using my cane like I was in
> > training more often. It really brings me down when I get to do this
> > type of thing for a day, and then I can't do it for another week or
> > more.
> > I guess I just wondered am I the only one in this situation?
> > I know on this list nobody else likely has hearing loss but is there
> > anyone else who doesn't get to go out and travel much?
> > Have any of you been to training and then afterwords not really been
> > able to do as much afterwords?
> > Is anybody else on this list also a route traveler or who has to stick
> > primarily to someone showing them where something is first?
> > Does anyone on here have to use a local mobility instructor to show
> > them where things are? If so, what was your experience?
> > As I said, I hope it's okay for me to post this. I usually try not to
> > post rants, or negative threads, but I just feel
> > frustrated/discouraged sometimes because I feel like I am the only
> > one. It seems like everyone else who graduates from NFB centers are
> > able to get right out there and travel completely independently
> > without having to depend on anyone to show them anything. Everyone
> > around here is sighted, and so drives, and I guess sometimes I just
> > feel like I am the only one who struggles with travel. I feel like
> > with sighted people they don't have to be shown anything, or are
> > limited in where they can drive. It seems like everyone else who
> > graduates from NFB centers are able to just use their hearing to
> > travel everywhere. I guess sometimes I just feel
> > frustrated/discouraged because I feel like I am the only one and so
> > wondered if others were also in a similar situation where you struggle
> > with travel or don't get to get out there and use your cane that much.
> > Thanks, and this is the only negative post from me I promise!,
> > Kerri
> >
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>
>--
>Cindy Bennett
>Secretary: National Association of Blind Students
>
>B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
>clb5590 at gmail.com
>
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