[Nfbf-l] State School

Wed Apr 6 14:55:18 UTC 2011

Sherri, I went blind at 42, so I spent  most of my adult life as a sighted 
person. Since losing my sight I have experienced totally blind individuals 
that are competent and mature persons that have created great successes for 
themselves, while I have also observed others that are immature, needy, and 
with extremely poor  social skills such as the annoying habits of swaying, 
rocking, or hand movements, as well as poor table  manners without 
considering whether their movements are an annoyance to others around them 
or not, etc. I believe the difference to all of this is how they were 
brought up and the coddling of parents and other family memberssince they 
were very young, not so much whether how or where they  were taught! I am 
not saying that schools can't and don't contribute to some of their life 
developments, but I believe more importantly, the lack of discipline and 
family attitude towards the blind daughter or son is a major cause to most 
of their immaturity and dysfunctional social skills that we have been 
discussing with this issue! All I can say is that while being a sighted 
individual for so long I have witnessed these poor habits and realized that 
these poor habits are one of the most negative influences to the sighted 
community as they give the appearance to the sighted that we are  not like 
them, therefore considered to be different in a negative way! Just one mans 
opinion that has lived on both sides of the  fence!

 Your friend, Kirk
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 10:10 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] State School

I feel I had an excellent education at the Utah School For the Blind. I
attended until I was in 10th grade. I consider myself quite well-educated
and socially mature and able to compete with any other sighted people. I had
the advantage of being able to stay home and travel back and forth each day
to school, which allowed me to grow up in my neighborhood. I also had the
advantage of learning excellent blindness skills, particularly Braille,
math, etc., which gave me a nearly 4.0 grade point average upon attending
public high school. I see so many mainstreamed people today who were totally
isolated in their public school experience, made no friends, did not develop
good blindness skills, don't read braille well or at all. I do not at all
consider myself socially immature or incapable because I went to a school
for the blind.

Sherri
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kirk" <kvharmon54 at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2011 12:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] State School

> Joann, I so agree with you on this topic! I, too, have seen many blind
> individuals that act so childlike compared to others and have wondered
> why.
> Why some are always figitting, and others are not. I was told it was due
> to
> their parents allowing them to do what they wished without letting them
> know it is not polite to rock or figit all the time in their seets,etc. I
> was also told it was because they were placed in their playpens for hours
> to
> keep them safe and they would get extremely bored so they developed habits
> that were very distracting to others in a room and such. These behaviors
> are
> what the majority of our population (sighted) see and assume we are not
> prepared to be on an even  keel with them and until we try and feel
> comfortable about talking about these foibles with some of usletting them
> know this behavior is not acceptable and quite rude as well, we will have
> diminished and negative attention brought our way. Just one man's opinion
> is
> all! Kirk
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Joanne" <jdking09 at earthlink.net>
> To: <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2011 12:21 PM
> Subject: [Nfbf-l] State School
>
>
> I know first hand what a shambles the Daytona School became after it was
> influenced by NFB's  theory of teaching independents to the blind.   If I
> were
> in charge  I would first have every student believe in their dignity.
> Then
> I
> would teach them to believe  that they can achieve anything if they really
> want
> to.  and the other important thing is to join society without thinking
> that
> they
> need  special treatment.  You can't burn the candle at both ends.  And
> that
> is
> what they had done at the center.  That's why the school is not on track.
> The people that I have known before NFB's influence had a better chance of
> learning all this.  After that forget it.
> I personally grew up in public and private schools and learned my own
> independents because I wanted to.  I agree that one can always pick out a
> blind
> student who was educated at a school for the blind including one like
> Daytona.
> They act like a child..
> So whether it is NFB or ACB or anything else.  A blind person can be so
> called
> Normal if treated like they are normal.
> We are a very small percentage of society.  Therefore, it is us, who needs
> to
> comply with the majority.
> Please pass this on to the NFB and the ACB and any other Organizations who
> feel
> that special privileges is the only way to go.  I guess what I am trying
> to
> say
> is stop degrading us.
>
>
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