[nfb-db] My thoughts on training centers blind, and deaf blind.

Tue Nov 5 21:52:21 UTC 2013

Hi Marsha, did you receive the HKNC student handbook?  I don't know if they 
provide consumers, or what ever they call people who come there, but I think 
they provide some kind of vibra call system, but I didn't get that part very 
clearily, I'll have to go back and read that, perhaps Scott can clear that 
up for sure.  But if you need the handbook, I can email you off list and 
atatch it to the message.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Marsha Drenth
Sent: Monday, November 04, 2013 8:26 PM
To: NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-db] My thoughts on training centers blind, and deaf blind.

Maurice,
I think hands down that no one will argue with you that if someone is in 
need of blindness skills training, and if they are just blind with no 
additional disablity, then going to a NFB training center is the best. With 
that said, I am not just blind, but severely hard of hearing. I have chosen 
to go to HKNC because of two main reasons, I do not need blindness skills. I 
was blind before I lost my hearing. But I do need the skills in order to 
live as a deafblind person. I have traveled with a cane, with a guide dog, 
read braille, and am able to use technology. The problem lays in that I also 
can't hear. There is only one center in this country that can train a person 
who is both blind and hard of hearing. With that said, most persons who go 
to HKNC, are in need of a audiologist who has worked with the dual sensory 
loss. An in house audiologist who understand the needs of blind persons, 
visually impaired persons, and those who also who are deaf, hard of hearing 
and or hearing impaired; is something that an NFB center does not have. Just 
because I have made this desicion, doesn't not mean that I am less of a 
person, less of an NFB member, or think less of the philosophy.

Its awesome that you had a successful experience at the CCB. And I am also 
not sure, of your hearing issues. But if I am reading your message 
correctly, your saying those persons who go to an NFB center, are better. 
This is the sort of attitude that divides a group. The NFB centers are no 
less better than HK, nor is HK better than an NFB center. Its just 
different, serves different disabilities, different needs.

I have heard of both good and bad experiences at the HK center, jsut as I 
have heard of persons going through an NFB center. I just know that for me, 
with my hearing loss, it would not be successful to go to a NFB center. For 
them to ask me to listen to traffic in order to indicate when its safe to 
cross. I can't hear traffic. It would not be viable for me to have an NFB 
center to tell me, listen for the water boiling, I can't hear it boil. The 
techniques are different, similar but different.

Granted I haven't been there yet to begin my training. My desicion was one I 
made for me. But with that said, I can understand why other deafblind 
persons make the same desicion.

Its unfair to say that HK is not what blind, or deafblind people should be 
going to for training, especially if you haven't been there yourself. I 
would say that all blind persons should be tolerant of those of us who have 
different needs, are in need of different skills than just those you learn 
as a blind person.

Marsha drenth
Sent with my IPhone

> On Nov 4, 2013, at 6:19 PM, maurice mines <kd0iko at icloud.com> wrote:
>
> Good afternoon, I have been thinking for quite some time as I’ve read 
> emails on this list recently, that it might be of some benefit to talk 
> about the benefits of attending an NFB training center. Of course the 
> question that many on this list will ask why are you even discussing this? 
> Because I’ve heard a lot recently a.k.a. read a lot recently that the 
> feeling seems to be that HK in C is apparently be only game in town. But I 
> believe that if my past experience at the Colorado Center for the blind is 
> any indication of how and if the training centers handle death blindness, 
> one need not have very much worry about. Remember that the training is 
> very individualized. So what may work for you and what level of deaf 
> blindness you have, it may not reflect how they deal with your neighbor at 
> all. Also as far as I understand the training centers do reach out to 
> resources to help that training happen appropriately. So you’re not going 
> into the great void of the unknown. Also it is good to know that based on 
> my experience we found alternative techniques not only to blindness but 
> the issues surrounding the lack of hearing. And of course we discuss the 
> options should one’s hearing get worse. I guess one getting at here is 
> that if you are considering going to a training center I think that’s the 
> first part, the second part is actually figuring out which one you should 
> go to and the reasons why you want to go to it? I think that based on 
> everything I’ve read and people I’ve talked to that all three of our 
> centers can handle this well. I think a comment by a current staff member 
> made when I was a student at the Colorado Center for the blind came out of 
> it conversation regarding the disabilities that is neither deaf blindness 
> were just great blindness. It surrounds my at that time anyway great fear 
> of writing anything. The staff member said quote you can’t just not right. 
> The translation that I took away from that and have come to realize in the 
> years since I graduated from the Colorado Center for the blind, you can’t 
> just not live life because you can’t hear ordered their blindness 
> involved. And depending on what you have to do, in many respects you have 
> to get out there and just plain live one’s life. Another thought of course 
> comes to mind in many of the writings and things that are second national 
> president Dr. Jernigan when he spoke about not throwing the nickel. I 
> guess it kind of blows down to accept help when you need it and of course 
> find ways of not accepting it if you don’t. And last but not least he 
> believed in blind people and I extend this adept line people blending into 
> society when in wherever it is possible. Just some food for thought on a 
> rainy Monday afternoon. I’d certainly would like to read some of the 
> thoughts that you all may add to this. But I’ll just leave it at this I 
> have an abiding belief in all of the training centers and what they can do 
> in the fact that the NFB difference is that they care not just there for a 
> paycheck. But because they care and believe in turning out capable and 
> competent people.
>
> Sincerely Maurice mines. Phone 360-524-0791, work/school email address, 
> Maurice.mines at PCC.edu.
> _______________________________________________
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> nfb-db at nfbnet.org
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