[nagdu] a blind consumer's Right to Choose rehab training (federalregs)

[Tami Kinney]

Bibi,

Based on results, I think I can safely say that our agency would fit in 
the category of "dismal." And that's on a good day. Sigh. The chances of 
getting to an NFB center from here seem to be nil to none. There are are 
couple of Oregonians who went a few years ago, but if there are more 
lately, I haven't heard of it.

I'm one who ended up just teaching myself on the fly. I'm still doing 
it. As I network more and more here in Oregon, that is one thing I'm 
attempting to communicate to others: If you want to learn it, then 
you're going to have to learn it for yourself. Somehow. I'm also 
gradually refining my own resource lists and need to make them available 
to others. Braille literacy curricula, stuff like that. Information 
about basic braille tools and how they work and where to get them... 
This is when I'm talking to people who have been through our 12-week 
program. They have never heard of a lot of this before in their lives.

Cane travel? I'm not sure what to do there I can't bring myself to go 
around randomly telling people to just go out and take that one on 
themselves. I am bringing up the idea that crossing the street the 
instant you hear the audible signal without further reference is a bad 
idea. So I can discuss how I listen for traffic and stuff. Maybe mention 
this or that danger of a randomly shifting environment. Stuff like that.

I do know people from other states who have done what I did and just got 
themselves a cane and started using it to learn on the go and hope for 
the best. I am not about to recommend that people start doing this, 
though. That is way too dangerous. But if people are coming through the 
agency's training program knowing how to go around the block slowly and 
carefully and to say, "The Blind can't do that," when it comes to goin 
to the mall or the store... Except for knowing how to walk into traffic 
at the beep of an audible signal...

There are some good travelers around here, so the agency must have done 
better back in the day... Still, I find that in gatherings of blind 
people, they're always talking about how to use the buss for the sake of 
those who don't know how. Stuff like that. Okay, I'll admit. I get a 
little annoyed by the assumption of the others that I must not know how 
to do that either because I just showed up and seem to be blind... But I 
kinda understand why they assume that about people in Oregon... I worry 
every time I meet another blind person around here that I need to get 
right to educating them because I know that they haven't gotten it from 
the agency... I try not to get in the habit of doing that, though. /lol/ 
It is really offensive if you happen to already know how to cross the 
street and ride the bus to have everyone you meet leap on you to make 
sure you know how to do it. Good grief!

Still... Whaddaya do? I dunno.

Tami

On 11/10/2011 09:07 AM, Criminal Justice Major Extraordinaire wrote:
> Hi, Lorraine,
> Lots of times, it also depends on an individual trying to make the best
> out of things for themselves.
> Many people may think that the training centers are bad, but truth falls
> on each individual toward the end of whether they choose to try to take
> things seriously or if they don't show that initiative.
> A friend of mine who I was in the summer program here at the Colorado
> Center for the Blind.
> A friend of hers ended up going blind because of something careless him
> and the roommate did to one another.
> The individual is only getting a certificate, more due to the fact he
> doesn't have a good outcome and hasn't show he's taking things seriously
> in life.
> The individual desplays that "know it all" attitude, but he won't try to
> do things for himself and show the poor blind me problem.
> I stressed a lot while attending the training center, but made it through.
> I wanted a guide dog, but waited everything out until I had completely
> finished up with training.
> At the Denver Vocational Rehabilitation office, I had a great mobility
> instructor who took her time with me and always seemed impressed with
> how well Odie and I communicated as a guide dog team.
> This same instructor always took her time explaining things to me and
> wanted me to do things step by step to avoid frustration.
> I'm now having to do refresher with O&M again, but my hopes are I end up
> having the instructor I had during my brush up before.
> Now that the hurdle I've dealt with for a couple of months has been
> dealt with, I can look into getting my next successor guide dog.
> Just my thoughts here.
> Bibi and Odie
> the happy spirited bounty labra wolf
>
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