[nagdu] presentation about blindness

[Julie J]

I think it's a fear of the unknown.  Doing normal everyday things while 
being blind is outside of the scope of most folks knowledge or ability to 
imagine.

When I've talked to third graders about blindness I demonstrate the use of 
the cane.  Each time I touch something with it, I say, AhHa! I found a chair 
or whatever. I want them to know it's okay and necessary that I touch things 
with my cane.  Somehow they get the idea that if I tap something with my 
cane I must be lost.  I want them to know that touching things with my cane 
is exactly how I figure out where I am.

Anyway it worked very well with the classes I talked to.

Best of luck,
Julie


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark J. Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 8:11 PM
Subject: [nagdu] presentation about blindness


> Does anyone recognize a difference in the way people act towards you when 
> you have a cane verses a dog? What about when you have no blindness 
> mobility devices with you? I have to give a presentation about blindness 
> to a class of 5th graders, and I was wondering how to make them understand 
> that someone with a mobility device is no different than anyone else. I 
> think they are more afraid of the fact that I carry a cane, than the fact 
> that I am blind.
>
> PS why are people so afraid of blindness?
>
>
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