[nabs-l] Schools For The Blind vs Public Schools

Shawn Abraham shawnabraham21 at gmail.com
Sun Feb 7 23:17:11 UTC 2016


I forgot all about aids, because I stopped having one my freshmen 
year.  And I do agree that though we can make generalizations 
that public school is better, ultimately its about your personal 
situation.
Out of curiosity, what kinds of things do your aids help you 
with, since I see so many high schoolers with them?

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Kayla James via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sun, 7 Feb 2016 12:33:14 -0600
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Schools For The Blind vs Public Schools

Yes, Loren, aides can be a downfall, but they are in such short 
supply
with all of the overflow in my state, that you are out there on 
your
own.  Which is what happened my senior year.
Plus, there's a lot of itinerant work.  And very little time, but
you're right about the aides.  And with blind schools (at least 
mine)
I've gone to prom at least three times.:)

On 2/7/16, Loren Wakefield via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
 So is that why a blind student must be accompanied by an aide in 
the public
 schools?  I received a damn good education at Iowa Braille and 
Sight Saving
 School.  At the time, it was far superior to what I would have 
received in
 my own town.

 So in my humble opinion, it comes down to what works best for 
the
 individual
 student.  Since leaving IBSSS, I have acquired a college 
education, a Wife,
 kids, and grandkids, along with many other things that has made 
life
 extremely interesting.

 I have yet to see kids coming out of public schools that are any 
closer to
 being prepared for life than I was.

 Having said this, I do believe it should be a choice.  One 
should not be
 forced to attend one or the other.  If the public school setting 
works
 better for you, than get in there and kick butt and get all you 
can.  If
 the
 state school works better for you, then do the same.  Just 
remember, no
 school system is perfect.

 Loren



 -----Original Message-----
 From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
Angela via
 nabs-l
 Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2016 8:32 AM
 To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
 Cc: angelaroberts10886 at gmail.com
 Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Schools For The Blind vs Public Schools

 I honestly think that Blind Schools shelter students, and don't 
prepare
 them
 for the real world.  I went to public school until my 11th grade 
year of
 school, and I'm regretting even going to a blind school.
 The academics is way behind for high school.  Like some have 
said, I feel
 like blind schools baby and give students everything without 
questions
 asked, therefore they expect tmhe sighted world to do the same.  
How can
 one
 develop self advocacy skills when they are handed everything 
without having
 to fight for it?


 Sent from my iPhone

 On Feb 6, 2016, at 11:11 PM, Kayla James via nabs-l 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
 wrote:

 Lol.  I'm not the only one who gets irritated? Boss awesome!

 On 2/6/16, Doug Oliver via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
 Danielle I agree with you I have had people do the "your so 
amazing"
 comments too and it irritated me too I know what that's like.

 ----- Original Message -----
 From: "Danielle Sykora via nabs-l" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
 To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
 <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
 Cc: "Danielle Sykora" <dsykora29 at gmail.com
 Sent: Saturday, February 6, 2016 9:59 PM
 Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Schools For The Blind vs Public Schools


 As someone who has only been to public school, I am extremely
 greatful that my education was in this setting.  Although it was
 challenging at times, I'm glad I was in "the real world" from 
the
 beginning.  Though most of my work was available, accessibility
 challenges were always an unfortunate but unavoidable part of 
life I
 learned to deal with long ago.  Most people viewed me as "that 
blind
 girl", but honestly, this is how it usually is as a minority.  A
 similar hierarchy exists among blind people as it does in your
 average school environment.  I'm not an overly social person, so 
it
 doesn't make a huge difference to me--I don't deal with people 
who
 have a superiority complex and I'm perfectly happy with just a 
few
 close
 friends.  The "your so amazing"
 comments irritate me to no end and I actually tend to discredit
 compliments as products of low expectations, so I'm not sure the
 sense of entitlement happens all that often.  Most importantly
 though, I needed to be in an academically challenging 
environment
 that I'm not sure is always available in a residential school 
for
 the blind.  For example, how many AP science classes would be
 available in one of these schools?

 Danielle

 On 2/6/16, Vejas Vasiliauskas via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> 
wrote:
 I feel like as a public school student and you are blind, lots 
of
 people are amazed by you and you may get a false sense of
 entitlement.  Particularly in elementary school 'I'm sure a lot 
of
 people can relate to th', you get paired with friends who are 
there
 to help you at lunch and recess--as you get older this of course
 doesn't happen, and it can be a shock to some people.
 I can say now that as a student at LCB I am not "The Blind Kid",
 and there are groups here, but friends choose each other based 
on
 much more meaningful reasons.
 Vejas
 ----- Original Message -----
 From: Kayla James via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
 To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
 <nabs-l at nfbnet.org Date sent: Sat, 6 Feb 2016 21:12:47 -0600
 Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Schools For The Blind vs Public Schools

 From someone who has done both, there isn't a whole lot of
 difference.
 In public school, you will be the "blind" kid, new, and people 
will
 be scared of you, but it helps you deal more with the real world
 where you are a minority in a sense.  Residential blind schools 
are
 like public schools, you'll be the "blind" kid there, too, and
 depending on the hierarchy, because let's face it there is one,
 that can be good or bad.
 The popular kids are usually visually impaired, athletic, 
pretty,
 you name it.  Totals are in on it, too.  The pros: you are 
around
 your own set, if you will.

 On 2/6/16, Christina Moore via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
 I believe both settings have thier benefits and disadvantages.
 I attended a school for the blind from 2-4 grade and was a
 residental student.  I did not mind in any not being at home and
 being at the school for the blind allowed me to be around other
 kids, advance my braille skills, learn some other necessary 
skills
 and gain self-confidence I would not otherwise have had.
 Once I entered public school in fifth grade it waws a hurtle for 
me
 to do math and to accept being in a public school because my 
whole
 world was different.  My school was learning how to help me as 
they
 were going and that was challenging at time.  It was not thier
 fault, but it was still challenging.  I did well though and am 
in
 college now.
 I believe both experiences have their advantages and 
disadvantages.
 For instance, there is more self-advocacy, need to prove 
yourself
 to classmates Etc.  in a school that is public versus a school 
that
 catters to blindness.  Everyone in my opinion should have an
 experience of starting out in a school for the blind in some way
 and then they should be transitioned into a public school where
 they finish thier education.
 Just my thoughts.

 On 2/6/16, jessica hodges via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
 I believe schools for the blind can have some benefits.  If you 
go
 there as a residential student, depending on the school, and the
 quality of education, you can get a lot of skills that can serve
 you very well in life after graduation, if you keep practicing
 them.  However, I believe that a student should also have some
 public school exposure, to teach self advicasy, as well as how 
to
 cope when things when all materials and experiences are not
 accessible, and optimized for blindness.
 The issue
 that I find with blind schools is that they basically hand the
 students the world on a silver platter.  They don't have to 
fight
 for anything, make due with anything that isn't perfectly
 accessible, and so have no exposure in how to deal with things 
in
 the "real world," outside the sphere of the blind school.  I 
went
 to a blind school from my third to sixth grade year, and was 
home
 schooled through seventh grade, so I struggled integrating back
 into the school system, particularly in math, trying to adapt to 
a
 visually taught class and things.  I also didn't stay at the
 school, so I did not learn half of the skills that I could have.
       In conclusion, I believe it is good to give students
 experience in both public, and blind school settings.
 Hope this helps.
 Jessica

 On 2/6/2016 4:42 PM, Roanna Bacchus via nabs-l wrote:
 Good evening Students,

 I have a question for all of you.  What are the advantages and
 disadvantages of attending a residential school for the blind vs 
a
 public school? I could not handle being away from my family 
during
 the week.  As a toddler I attended the Early Intervention 
program
 at the Perkins School For The Blind.  I'd like to hear your
 thoughts on this topic.

 _______________________________________________
 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/jlhodges4%40g
 mail.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/christina.moo
 re16%40houghton.edu


 _______________________________________________
 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/christgirl813
 %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/alpineimagina
 tion%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/dsykora29%40g
ma
 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/oliver.doug1%
40g
 mail.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/christgirl813
%40g
 mail.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/angelaroberts
10886
 %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/theweird1%40m
ediacombb.n
 et


 -----
 No virus found in this message.
 Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
 Version: 2015.0.6176 / Virus Database: 4522/11573 - Release 
Date: 02/07/16

 -----
 No virus found in this message.
 Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
 Version: 2015.0.6176 / Virus Database: 4522/11573 - Release 
Date: 02/07/16


 _______________________________________________
 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/christgirl813
%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/shawnabraham2
1%40gmail.com




More information about the NABS-L mailing list