[nabs-l] Training Center Questions

[Joe]

Hello,

I have never attended a training center and do not regret it. For the sake
of specificity, I'll put out there that I'm referring to the NFB training
centers.

First, there is a certain rigidity to the traditional timeframe of six to
nine months. Yes, this speaks to a person's inability to put their life on
hold the older you get, but it also touches on the program's refusal to
offer flexibility. It's a zero sum arrangement of offering the entire
curriculum as opposed to breaking it down to specific areas where the
individual wants the most concentration. Is it feasible for someone to take
just one class all day? Probably not, but then the training center could
offer a minimum threshold where the student agrees to take a reduced course
load, making it profitable for the center and practical for the student. In
doing so one would hope the time commitment would naturally be reduced.

Second, for the working adult, it's not economically feasible. Unless the
training center student is simultaneously doing something else for
professional development, time at the training center creates a resume gap.
For a hiring manager it's interesting to read about a candidate who took
time off to better themselves, but a story of how you spent time building
your independence sounds more like a reflective college admissions essay. In
the job market, the candidate who took the same length of time to educate
themselves or hold down a relevant job will present a stronger case for
employment. The training could work while simultaneously building
professional development. There are students at LCB, for example, and
probably the other two centers who enroll in college courses, courses which
have to be paid for, but then it becomes a matter of priorities. Are you
taking college courses for the sake of taking courses? Is your NFB training
likely to suffer if you simultaneously take on the demands of another
obligation? To a degree one could argue the NFB training experience is a
total emersion for a reason.

Of course there is the matter of paying for the NFB training itself. I would
venture to guess the vast majority of training is paid for with government
funds. If a person is between jobs, perhaps it makes sense to seek training
since one need not worry about the income requirements to be eligible for
certain services. If an adult is gainfully employed, are they making enough
to afford training? More to the point, is the employer likely to extend that
much leave for the employee to receive independent living skills? If so,
that is one heck of an employer we should all be wanting to work for. :)

Next, for me there was never a uniqueness factor. The biggest selling point
for an NFB training center is the level of confidence cultivated by
confident, and competent, blind instructors, but does one necessarily have
to attend an NFB training center to find this confidence? I could teach, and
actually have taught, people different skills in my local area completely
free of charge. There are means to learn technology and cooking from any
number of community resources, meetups and the like, and one could argue
these training scenarios would be preferable because one would presumably
learn these skills from fellow sighted teachers. That seems like a dual
teaching opportunity, but if blindness-specific training is what is being
sought, the number of instructional podcasts by blind hosts for blind
audiences is off the charts. Braille could be learned and improved upon
through Hadley courses, pen pals and consistent practice.

The only possible exception is travel instruction. Yet, it's only a possible
exception, because NFB training centers could employ field travel
instructors who could be deployed to specific areas to provide individual
instruction similar to what guide dog schools offer as follow-up service.
Again, this is an innovative strategy I wish modern NFB training programs
incorporated into their curriculums. Nevertheless, most state agencies offer
instructors on contract who could fulfill travel instruction needs, many of
whom have graduated from the Louisiana Tech program.

Putting all that aside, what a wonderful outreach opportunity for local NFB
chapters. It would kind of be like putting your money where your mouth is. I
learned how to confidently navigate the DC Metro system with the help of a
local chapter member and became loyal to that chapter for that reason alone.

Finally, I never bought into the marketing tactics. Guide dog schools do
something similar where they try to sell you on independence if you get one
of their canines. Likewise, I personally felt like NFB training centers
worked hard at peddling their own special independence product. With certain
exceptions, you will get out of a training program, any training program,
whatever you put into it. If the NFB training centers were selling something
ground-shaking, one could argue the unemployment rate among the blind would
have seen a persistent trend downward, but either the centers with the
scores of graduates each year aren't actually independent enough to reverse
the statistics or the NFB is following suspicious statistics to start.

Having said that, the committed person should attend a training center if
that is their heart's passion. There is a difference between taking online
college courses and living the campus life. Perhaps the person feels they
need the total emersion to gain something valuable, and no one should get in
the way of that desire. But, do it for yourself and not because someone else
said you should do it. The reasons I've outlined here stem from my own
cynicism and sheer stubbornness. I fell into the hands of terrible
recruiters who were vocal about their value of the cane over the dog, of
their belief that the NFB way was the only way, and of their views that
without training I would have difficulty finding a job. Well, I'm on my
second guide dog, did not rely on the NFB to chart my success, and my salary
says my marketability is doing just fine. Some of the crazier independent
blind people I know never had anything to do with the organization. I
include this bit not to give those friendly center ambassadors the virtual
finger. Some of those ambassadors are some of my current friends, but the
point is everyone needs something to spur them onto picking up and
developing the skills needed to navigate life. Attending a training center
is going to build that motivation right into the experience. If the person
can find the motivation to go at it alone, they're going to be just fine.
After all, there is NFB philosophy at work outside of the centers. If they
need an extra boost, there's absolutely nothing wrong with taking time off.
If you're reading this and thinking you may want to go to a training center,
do it early. The year after high school seems like the most ideal time in
your life to knock it out. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to
accommodate the training, and then people run into the difficult but
understandable dilemma of weighing the pros and cons of going for training
versus the inevitable reality of looking for a job. That's letting life
control you. You need to control it.

Alright, that's my twenty dollar's worth. This was in no way a personal bash
against centers or the awesome people who have posted favorable reviews of
their experience, just a different perspective to consider in making
decisions.

Joe