[nfb-db] How are you?
Marsha Drenth
marsha.drenth at gmail.com
Tue Aug 14 16:02:50 UTC 2012
Janice,
I saw a few days ago, that you were retiring Destiny. Is this true? I am sorry that you are forced to retire her. I am sure your crushed. If you need to talk please do let me know.
I have a class date for GDF, sept 24 to oct 19, but it right in the middle of my semester. I need and want to go, but can I handle getting a dog, and all my school work.
When does your semester start? And have you talked to GDF about getting another pup?
*hugs*
Talk soon,
Marsha drenthSent from my iPhone
On Jul 30, 2012, at 6:23 PM, Janice Toothman <janice.toothman at verizon.net> wrote:
> Marsha,
> I have found many deaf-blind groups on the internet and belong to two others through google. There are at leastt least 16 different deaf-blind internet groups. Some are more "chatty" and high volume than others. For instance, dbtc: db-talkcity at googlegroups.com I have found to be high volume. where as DBL : deafblind at googlegroups.com is not. There are others that are topic oriented, such as the creative writing (DBCN:db-cnet at googlegroups.com). I hope this helps.
> Janice
> On 7/30/2012 4:31 PM, Marsha Drenth wrote:
>> List,
>>
>> I am about a month away from starting my semester. I was down at the campus
>> this morning, and I can already tell its going to be an interesting
>> semester. There is A LOT of construction going on the campus. So this is
>> going to make for a difficult travel situation. In the past I have preferred
>> to use my hearing aids while traveling. But with all the construction, its
>> so noisy, I just take them out. And take my chances on just not hearing. I
>> am beyond frustrated at this point with my ears.
>>
>> My question, Catherine mentioned below, there are other email lists of DB
>> people on the internet. I am interested in learning to navigate this
>> challenge I have ahead of me with no vision and very bad hearing. I have
>> asked my university to help me secure funding to have an guide from the
>> train to my building and back on a daily bases. And I have even taken the
>> leap to ask my BVS counselor if they can pay for ASL training. So I would
>> like to meet other people like me. This list has been great. I am just
>> curious of what other people are out there.
>>
>> Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
>>
>> Marsha
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfb-db-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-db-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>> Of Catherine Miller
>> Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 3:24 PM
>> To: nfb-db at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: Re: [nfb-db] nfb-db Digest, Vol 42, Issue 41
>>
>> Carrie: Folks here have given you some good advice. I agree with them that
>> LCB is an excellent facility. Although I did not attend the center for the
>> entire six months training, I have participated in other programs there.
>> The executive director, Pam Allen, is a friend and mentor to me. Pam and I
>> regularly consult on matters pertaining to deaf-blindness. Based on years
>> of experience with Pam and the Center, I my hunch is that you are not
>> required to cross the streets with your unique combination of hearing loss
>> and vision loss. Rather, I think that, in typical fashion, LCB's staff is
>> pushing you to find your own limits, allowing you to tell them when enough
>> is enough. Our search for independence is a powerful motivator. We can
>> surpass our limits, often very successfully, with the right motivation.
>> It's unbelievable what we are willing to risk to earn our freedom. But
>> ultimately, you call the shots yourself. Talk to your O&M instructor; talk
>> to your rehab counselor. If you are determined to attain a higher level of
>> mobility than is possible in six to nine months, then think about requesting
>> an extension of your length of stay at CB. I don't want to see you crossing
>> the street in uncertainty out of frustration.
>>
>> Make an appointment with Pam Allen; tell her that I suggested it. She needs
>> to know about the doubts you feel, in order to make adjustments to the
>> curriculum if that's what is required.
>>
>> I congratulate you on your strength of character and your unrelenting desire
>> to achieve all that is possible, despite your unique combination of sensory
>> disabilities.
>>
>> It seems to me that a very important question to answer is whether your
>> hearing is perfectly stable. Perhaps it is possible for you to learn to
>> determine the directionality of traffice. But if your hearing, like mine,
>> is unstable, whatever you learn will be lost when your hearing changes.
>> Likewise, if your hearing aid features adjustments that allow you to turn
>> off rear microphones to block out background noise, be sure the settings are
>> always in the same position every time you stop to listen for traffic.
>>
>> You strike me as someone who does not find it easy to ask for help. But
>> please consider whether an SSP might allow you to reach a higher level of
>> achievement. If the answer is "possibly," then help us to organize
>> ourselves and a plan that will result in the education of the Federation
>> about why we need SSPs.
>>
>> Carrie, I'm glad you've found the division list. There are other list with
>> other DB people on the Internet. With your input, we can claim our place
>> alongside our blind brothers and sisters. With the Federation's help, there
>> is no limit to what we can accompish.
>>
>> With best regards,
>>
>> Cathy Miller
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Jul 29, 2012, at 10:11 PM, nfb-db-request at nfbnet.org wrote:
>>
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>>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>>> than "Re: Contents of nfb-db digest..."
>>>
>>>
>>> Today's Topics:
>>>
>>> 1. Re: Crossing Streets? (Marsha Drenth)
>>> 2. Re: Crossing Streets? (Alicia Richards)
>>> 3. Re: Crossing Streets? (Scott Davert)
>>>
>>>
>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> Message: 1
>>> Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2012 22:18:45 -0400
>>> From: "Marsha Drenth" <marsha.drenth at gmail.com>
>>> To: "'NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List'" <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-db] Crossing Streets?
>>> Message-ID: <1FB9E1719C3849B0A200F7A2D9288C92 at Cptr233>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>>
>>> Carrie,
>>>
>>> Your not the first with a hearing impairment to go to a NFB center. How
>>> those other students did I am not sure. From what I have heard, the travel
>>> was the hardest of all. I don't have any suggestions on how you would
>> cross
>>> the streets better. But as a person with a hearing impairment myself, no
>>> normally hearing person, can know what we hear, the fear and uncertainty
>>> that goes along with that, or can walk in our shoes. Its hard. If anyone
>>> here has any good ideas please do share them. Please don't get me wrong,
>>> when I say this next part. The NFB centers are awesome in their training.
>>> The problem comes when a person, with a hearing impairment attends, they
>> are
>>> very not well equipped to train a person with both blindness and hearing
>>> difficulties. From another friend of mine who attended LCB quite a few
>>> years ago, there was a young lady who had a severe hearing loss. But again
>>> had trouble with travel. She left and I think was suppose to go to the
>> HKC.
>>> I might be wrong here. But when it comes to an NFB center it's the coined
>>> training and that is it, any deviation from that causes problems. At one
>>> point I looked into going to a training center, specifically an NFB
>> center,
>>> but because of my hearing impairment. I was not guaranteed that
>>> accommodations could be made for that. I am a very independent person, who
>>> uses a guide dog too, my cane skills are not what I would be going there
>>> for. The program is to be there for all of the training, including cane
>>> travel. I spoke to Al spooner, regarding this matter. Its really sad when
>> a
>>> person with a hearing impairment goes to an NFB center, and who can't have
>>> accommodations made for that. Again I might be wrong, so I would like for
>>> someone to prove me wrong.
>>>
>>> Carrie, I do hope you find the information your looking for. Good luck!
>>>
>>> Marsha
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nfb-db-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-db-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>>> Of Kerri Kosten
>>> Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2012 8:22 PM
>>> To: NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List; Ed McDonald; Charlene Smith;
>>> Arielle Silverman; Paul Migliorelli (+1 303-552-6970)
>>> Subject: [nfb-db] Crossing Streets?
>>>
>>> Hi Everyone:
>>>
>>> Though I have been on this list for a long time now, I don't post much.
>>> But, I am having a problem I don't really know what to do about and I
>>> need to find a solution rather soon.
>>> I am a current student at the Louisiana Center for The Blind, the NFB
>>> training center. I did very extensive research before choosing this
>>> center, and I chose this one because I knew it was the best of the
>>> best and I could learn to become independent to the point where I
>>> would have the confidence to be able to go anywhere, have the
>>> confidence to do anything I wanted, and be able to travel in
>>> new/unfamiliar environments without needing to be orientated by a
>>> mobility instructor everytime I moved somewhere.
>>> Besides this, I much prefer the structured discovery method of
>>> learning over the ttraditional route travel method.
>>> In addition to being totally blind, I have hearing loss. I basically
>>> only have hearing in my left ear. My right ear is completely deaf.
>>> This means that I hear sounds pretty well but I have trouble with
>>> localization and knowing which direction sounds are coming from.
>>> I am at the point in my training where I am having to cross
>>> intersections with stoplights. In order to cross these intersections,
>>> I am supposed to cross when the parallel traffic is moving. The
>>> parallel street is the street that is beside me. When the parallel
>>> traffic is moving, the perpendicular traffic (traffic on the street in
>>> front of me) can not go.
>>> I am having two problems that do not seem to be getting better. First,
>>> I am having a lot of trouble telling which street is going. I can hear
>>> the traffic. I can hear when it is stopped/idaling. But, I am having
>>> trouble telling which street is moving, the one in front of me or the
>>> one beside me.
>>> At first, my instructor would ask me questions such as "What is
>>> moving?" and I would try to tell him/her and then cross at the
>>> appropriate time. However, now, since I have been in training for a
>>> couple of months, my instructor does not say anything because he/she
>>> wants me to make the decision on my own and trust myself.
>>> So, what happens is we approach the street. I admit I am terrified
>>> because there is so much traffic and I know I have to cross the street
>>> on my own. I attempt to listen. I get somewhat of an idea of what
>>> street is going. I then become even more scared though and don't
>>> cross. We end up just standing at the particular intersection for 20
>>> minutes or more and my instructor gets onto me.
>>> I don't know whether my issues are with hearing or my fear. My
>>> instructor avidly believes I am just letting my fear stop me and does
>>> not understand why I am not gaining confidence and beginning to trust
>>> myself more. My instructor believes I can do this even with one ear.
>>> I guess I am both afraid and unsure. I can sort of tell which street
>>> is moving because it seems at times (I don't know if this is accurate
>>> or not) but it seems that the perpendicular street (the street that is
>>> in front of me) sounds a bit louder and when the parallel street is
>>> moving (the one beside me) it sounds sort of quieter/a bit further
>>> away from my left ear. Sometimes though, on different streets, for
>>> some reason I don't hear this slight sound difference and all the
>>> traffic sounds the same to me. I can hear it, it just all sounds the
>>> same so I can't tell which street is going. However, I am still afraid
>>> to go, so end up just standing there for much longer than I should. I
>>> guess I am afraid that it will be the wrong time and if I go it will
>>> be the wrong time. So, I don't go, and we end up standing at one
>>> intersection for forever.
>>> The problem is that I have already been in training for a few months,
>>> and students are only in training for up to nine months. I want to do
>>> as well as I can here. I do not want to be one of those students who
>>> is here for nine months but barely learns anything. That is not why I
>>> came here.
>>> Also, these particular streets are only about four blocks from the
>>> center which is a very short distance. If I can not figure out how to
>>> cross these streets, I will never be able to advance very far in
>>> travel, and this will really cause me a lot of problems in the rest of
>>> my life when I have completed training.
>>> How do you all handle street crossings? How do you know which street
>>> is moving when you only have hearing in one ear?
>>> Is there something else I can listen for? Is there a certain pattern I
>>> can listen for or something to help me?
>>> Is it possible that I am becoming so terrified/anxious that my fear is
>>> affecting my hearing?
>>> Is it accurate/true that the perpendicular street sounds louder than
>>> the parallel one? Could I use this slight difference in sound to
>>> properly judge which street is moving?
>>> Could my attitude have something to do with this? Instead of going
>>> about this with an excited, positive, can-do attitude, maybe I am
>>> being too negative/scared? Could my approach/attitude possibly be
>>> affecting things?
>>> I should point out that I have not made a bad decision yet when
>>> crossing. My instructor has never had to actually stop me. He/she
>>> keeps telling me this, but I still feel as if each street crossing I
>>> manage is kind of like pulling teeth so to speak because I am so
>>> scared and then I end up standing at the intersection for so long.
>>> Because of this, rather than gaining confidence with each street
>>> crossing, I am instead still terrified.
>>> Are there any federationists who have hearing in only one ear or a
>>> similar situation that may not be on this list that could possibly
>>> help?
>>> Is there anyone else I could contact?
>>>
>>> Thanks so much!
>>> Kerri
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nfb-db mailing list
>>> nfb-db at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-db_nfbnet.org
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>> Message: 2
>>> Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2012 21:29:52 -0500
>>> From: Alicia Richards <alicianfb at gmail.com>
>>> To: "NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List" <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-db] Crossing Streets?
>>> Message-ID: <B4AA2A3FF6F0425AAD135A7B94D49B66 at aliciab5324f6e>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>>> reply-type=original
>>>
>>> Hello, all. I rarely post to this list, as I am blind, but hearing.
>>> However, I'd like to respond to Kerri's message. Please forgive the
>>> upcoming lengthy message.
>>>
>>> Kerri, I'm not quite sure what to suggest here. I will continue to think
>>> about it. I personally feel that the LCB, like most blindness centers
>> I've
>>> known, has no idea how to handle a client who has a hearing impairment as
>>> well as blindness. I'm not saying LCB is a bad center. I know it's our
>>> best one, actually. You're right about that. I agree with them nine times
>>> out of ten. But I think they are wrong on this issue: that your travel
>>> instructor is wrong in this case. Seriously, your message makes me want
>> to
>>> take our Center's sleepshade policy, and apply it to hearing. I'd love to
>>> put an earplug in one of your instructor's ears, and see how well he/she
>>> could distinguish traffic patterns.
>>>
>>> First, I truly do not believe this is an issue of your having a negative
>>> attitude, or being too afraid. Your message clearly shows you have a very
>>> positive attitude, and I admire it. You're ready and more than willing to
>>> learn, and want to get the best out of your program. Not all students do.
>>> I don't think you're afraid of independent travel, but simply of street
>>> crossings. And I don't think it's you not trusting yourself. I truly
>>> believe it's about your hearing impairment, and you very naturally wanting
>>> to be safe. Your fear, in my opinion, is nothing more than inteligent
>>> self-preservation, which any normal human would have. I'm glad you've
>>> consistently made the right decision about when to cross thus far, but it
>>> sounds as if your hearing is not trustworthy enough to be counted on all
>> the
>>> time, and personally, that's a gamble I would not want to take. Whether
>>> parallel or perpendicular traffic is quiet or loud doesn't seem to be
>>> relevant, if you're not able to tell which direction it is moving, through
>>> no fault of your own, by the way. From my bits of experience with those
>> who
>>> are hearing impaired and blind, it seems like the biggest mistake hearing
>>> people make is to assume that hearing has to do with loud and quiet only.
>>> We often don't factor in things like directionality. I know I certainly
>>> didn't until I started meeting people who were in situations similar to
>>> yours.
>>>
>>> I'm pretty sure this is not at all what you want to hear, but I'll say it
>>> anyway. Most blind and hearing impaired people I know use street-crossing
>>> cards if they can't distinguish between perpendicular and parallel
>> traffic.
>>> It's a card that has writing on it that says you are blind and hearing
>>> impaired, and need assistance to cross the street. Yes, I know, on the
>>> surface this would seem to go against our philosophy of independence, as
>>> well as your desire to be so. But, if you listen to Dr. Jernigan's
>> speech,
>>> "The Nature of Independence," he basically says that the most independence
>>> is obtained by employing whatever alternative techniques you need to in
>>> order to live and travel safely and effectively. To me, you using your
>>> limited hearing to try and distinguish between perpendicular and parallel
>>> traffic is neither safe or effective, as your email shows. I view a
>> street
>>> crossing card the same way I do a blind person using a white cane. Many
>> are
>>> resistent at first. But a white cane is needed for blind people to travel
>>> safely and effectively. For some blind and hearing impaired people, so is
>> a
>>> street crossing card. It's simply another alternative technique. Again, I
>>> say, I don't think you have a negative attitude or are too afraid.
>>>
>>> This is where I think the deaf-blind division needs to help educate
>> places,
>>> especially our own training centers, in regards to people with both
>>> blindness and hearing issues. LCB is most likely to listen to fellow
>>> Federationists, people they know share their positive philosophy of
>>> blindness. Cathy and Rox, if I remember correctly, you both live in
>>> Louisiana, and I know you both have great attitudes and philosophy of
>>> blindness. Do either of you know anyone or have any connection to LCB?
>>> Since you guys live in that state, do you think there's anything you could
>>> do here?
>>>
>>> Kerri, I will continue to think about this, but I really wanted to respond
>>> and say that I don't think your problems here have anything to do with
>> your
>>> attitude or lack of self-confidence.
>>>
>>> Alicia
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>> Message: 3
>>> Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2012 23:11:04 -0400
>>> From: Scott Davert <scottdavert at gmail.com>
>>> To: Alicia Richards <AliciaNFB at gmail.com>, NFB Deaf-Blind Division
>>> Mailing List <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-db] Crossing Streets?
>>> Message-ID:
>>> <CAOHXxEaCGtahNLUhGkSs_nP19UKNHqKRCDPRw7uLUkhNt+8ing at mail.gmail.com>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
>>>
>>> Hello Kerri.
>>> First, I'm glad you have decided to post and I hope others will offer
>>> their perspective as well. As I'm only one person and am not an o and
>>> m specialist, I may not be the best person to ask, though I am a
>>> person who has gone through some of what you're dealing with now when
>>> I was receiving training.
>>> Your fear is not what is holding you back, in my opinion. I had the
>>> same fear, and I had that fear for a good reason, though the
>>> instructors I were working with at the time kept trying to get me to
>>> cross a street using my hearing. I am almost totally deaf in my right
>>> ear and severe loss in my left. I tell you all of this before I say
>>> what I have to say so that you know where I'm coming from. I'm not
>>> you, and I am not walking in your shoes, no pun intended, but my
>>> experiences are similar. I had most of my struggles in blindness
>>> training centers with respect to mobility for the same reason.
>>> Only hearing out of one ear is going to make it almost impossible to
>>> localize traffic in such a way that you can use the information. Sure,
>>> you can try to turn your head to determine what's going on, but with
>>> traffic moving fast, by time you've figured out where it may be coming
>>> from, it's gone. And while you may be able to detect more quiet or
>>> more noisy traffic surges, that will not help you reliably determine
>>> where the surge is coming from. Some traffic surges are louder than
>>> others, no matter whether they're perpendicular or parallel to you.
>>> Think about it this way: if there is a bus that takes off
>>> perpendicular to you when the light changes, that's going to be more
>>> noisy if only a few quiet vehicles were at that same crossing. You
>>> could very easily have the same results if the bus or any other noisy
>>> vehicle were parallel to you. I tried to do this as well. I even went
>>> so far as to take this theory in to practice and cross against a
>>> light. Because, like you, I had the fear and was told by others that I
>>> had to get over it. What I learned though is that there is that fear
>>> is sometimes there for a very good reason. In the case of analyzing
>>> traffic patterns with one ear, I am hear to tell you from both a
>>> logical and personal standpoint that there is no safe way to do so. In
>>> the words of my friend and an O and M specialist Gene Bourquin, who
>>> has over 20 years of experience in working with people who have both
>>> vision and hearing loss, with regard to this type of crossing told me
>>> the following. "what you're trying to do is both biologically and
>>> physically impossible". Audiologists I have been to who are educated
>>> on the effects of both vision loss concur.
>>> SO what is there to do in this situation? With your hearing, which is
>>> much like mine, nothing. Alternative methods of doing this must be
>>> looked in to and perhaps an O and M instructor who has experience in
>>> working with people who have a combined vision and hearing loss needs
>>> to be consulted.
>>> For me, the solution was to use a street crossing card. Essentially,
>>> the card has a graphic of someone holding someone else?s' elbow and
>>> assisting the person with a cane across the street. It also says in
>>> text something to the effect that I'm blind and hard of hearing.
>>> Please tap me on the shoulder if you can help me cross.
>>> Also, if you're with friends who do have normal hearing, you can
>>> always walk with them, and just grab an elbow to get across the
>>> street. Or, have them verbally tell you when they're crossing. If it's
>>> too noisy, have them tap you on the shoulder when they're crossing. A
>>> true friend never minds such a minor thing.
>>> Is that independence you may be asking? Well, I decide which streets I
>>> cross, work a full time job, navigate around my local area I've
>>> relocated to without too much difficulty, and have a fairly active
>>> life. I had trouble getting used to the idea of someone I don't know
>>> helping me across the street, but I've gotten used to it over the
>>> years. This is what has worked for me. That doesn't mean it's the best
>>> solution for you, and I'm certainly not going to sit here and say
>>> that's what you have to do. The only thing I would say is that you
>>> must work with your O and M instructor to find an alternative
>>> solution. If this individual isn't educated in working with people
>>> with both these losses, it's time for that person to reach out to
>>> professional resources who do have the experience to garner the
>>> knowledge necessary to help you succeed. If he/she cannot do this,
>>> perhaps they should stick to working with people who are blind only,
>>> as it's a different world for those of us who have a hearing loss to
>>> go along with it. You cannot get accurate information from something
>>> that isn't able to take in that information accurately. That's so
>>> basic I would think most people with any sort of disability education
>>> should understand.
>>> Finally, I can tell from your writing that you're a very motivated
>>> person in your training and that you have the strong urge to succeed.
>>> Remember that just because you do not do things the same way as your
>>> classmates, as long as you make your own choices and can get from
>>> point a to point b, that's all that matters. I'm sorry that this may
>>> not be the exact solution you wanted, but I hope you will at least
>>> take my idea into consideration. Again, you can't gain confidence on
>>> something that you cannot reliably detect due to your ears. Blaming
>>> you for this is much like blaming a person who is mainly blind in one
>>> eye but has site in the other for not seeing stairs and tripping on
>>> them. You can't make them do what their body will not allow them to.
>>> Finally, I?d pass these 2 article references on to your instructor. I
>>> find it rather unprofessional that he/she didn?t bother to do a bit of
>>> research on their own, but that?s another message for another day.
>>> While these articles have the word deaf-blind in them, they apply to
>>> anyone who has trouble localizing traffic patterns that is blind. This
>>> would include you and I.
>>> I sincerely wish you the best of luck on your quest for your
>>> independence. Remember, just because you?re not always doing things
>>> the same exact way as your peers, it does not make you any less of a
>>> person. You can still do everything they do and mostly in the same
>>> way.
>>>
>>> Scott
>>> References:
>>> Bourquin, E., Hogan, S., & Sauerburger, D. (2010). Street Crossing
>>> Signs: Travelers Who are Deaf-Blind Obtaining Assistance when
>>> Pedestrians are not Present. AER Journal, 3(4), 139-145.
>>> Bourquin, E., & Moon, J. (2008). Studies on Obtaining Assistance by
>>> Travelers Who are Deaf-Blind. Journal of Visual Impairment &
>>> Blindness, 102(6), 352-361.
>>>
>>>
>>> On 7/29/12, Alicia Richards <alicianfb at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Hello, all. I rarely post to this list, as I am blind, but hearing.
>>>> However, I'd like to respond to Kerri's message. Please forgive the
>>>> upcoming lengthy message.
>>>>
>>>> Kerri, I'm not quite sure what to suggest here. I will continue to think
>>>> about it. I personally feel that the LCB, like most blindness centers
>> I've
>>>> known, has no idea how to handle a client who has a hearing impairment as
>>>> well as blindness. I'm not saying LCB is a bad center. I know it's our
>>>> best one, actually. You're right about that. I agree with them nine times
>>>> out of ten. But I think they are wrong on this issue: that your travel
>>>> instructor is wrong in this case. Seriously, your message makes me want
>> to
>>>> take our Center's sleepshade policy, and apply it to hearing. I'd love
>> to
>>>> put an earplug in one of your instructor's ears, and see how well he/she
>>>> could distinguish traffic patterns.
>>>>
>>>> First, I truly do not believe this is an issue of your having a negative
>>>> attitude, or being too afraid. Your message clearly shows you have a
>> very
>>>> positive attitude, and I admire it. You're ready and more than willing
>> to
>>>> learn, and want to get the best out of your program. Not all students
>> do.
>>>> I don't think you're afraid of independent travel, but simply of street
>>>> crossings. And I don't think it's you not trusting yourself. I truly
>>>> believe it's about your hearing impairment, and you very naturally
>> wanting
>>>> to be safe. Your fear, in my opinion, is nothing more than inteligent
>>>> self-preservation, which any normal human would have. I'm glad you've
>>>> consistently made the right decision about when to cross thus far, but it
>>>> sounds as if your hearing is not trustworthy enough to be counted on all
>> the
>>>> time, and personally, that's a gamble I would not want to take. Whether
>>>> parallel or perpendicular traffic is quiet or loud doesn't seem to be
>>>> relevant, if you're not able to tell which direction it is moving,
>> through
>>>> no fault of your own, by the way. From my bits of experience with those
>> who
>>>> are hearing impaired and blind, it seems like the biggest mistake hearing
>>>> people make is to assume that hearing has to do with loud and quiet only.
>>>> We often don't factor in things like directionality. I know I certainly
>>>> didn't until I started meeting people who were in situations similar to
>>>> yours.
>>>>
>>>> I'm pretty sure this is not at all what you want to hear, but I'll say it
>>>> anyway. Most blind and hearing impaired people I know use
>> street-crossing
>>>> cards if they can't distinguish between perpendicular and parallel
>> traffic.
>>>> It's a card that has writing on it that says you are blind and hearing
>>>> impaired, and need assistance to cross the street. Yes, I know, on the
>>>> surface this would seem to go against our philosophy of independence, as
>>>> well as your desire to be so. But, if you listen to Dr. Jernigan's
>> speech,
>>>> "The Nature of Independence," he basically says that the most
>> independence
>>>> is obtained by employing whatever alternative techniques you need to in
>>>> order to live and travel safely and effectively. To me, you using your
>>>> limited hearing to try and distinguish between perpendicular and parallel
>>>> traffic is neither safe or effective, as your email shows. I view a
>> street
>>>> crossing card the same way I do a blind person using a white cane. Many
>> are
>>>> resistent at first. But a white cane is needed for blind people to
>> travel
>>>> safely and effectively. For some blind and hearing impaired people, so
>> is a
>>>> street crossing card. It's simply another alternative technique. Again,
>> I
>>>> say, I don't think you have a negative attitude or are too afraid.
>>>>
>>>> This is where I think the deaf-blind division needs to help educate
>> places,
>>>> especially our own training centers, in regards to people with both
>>>> blindness and hearing issues. LCB is most likely to listen to fellow
>>>> Federationists, people they know share their positive philosophy of
>>>> blindness. Cathy and Rox, if I remember correctly, you both live in
>>>> Louisiana, and I know you both have great attitudes and philosophy of
>>>> blindness. Do either of you know anyone or have any connection to LCB?
>>>> Since you guys live in that state, do you think there's anything you
>> could
>>>> do here?
>>>>
>>>> Kerri, I will continue to think about this, but I really wanted to
>> respond
>>>> and say that I don't think your problems here have anything to do with
>> your
>>>> attitude or lack of self-confidence.
>>>>
>>>> Alicia
>>>>
>>>>
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>>> End of nfb-db Digest, Vol 42, Issue 41
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