[Nfbf-l] State School

Thu Apr 7 18:23:42 UTC 2011

I agree with you there. It is important to know how people carry themselves 
and function in society. There are probably many abnormal acting and looking 
sighted people out there too, but anything that deviates from the norm is 
much more noticed if one is blind. That was also pointed out when I attended 
the 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: Thursday, April 07, 2011 6:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] State School

> Sherri, this is true, but we can try and minimize our negative behavior 
> from
> some of us that distract from our blindness but is, however, considered 
> part
> of it from many that see some of us that act like that in  public! There 
> is
> nothing at all wrong with being blind but that doesn't give us the right 
> to
> be acting poorly in social environments, no? If we can't even act properly
> socially while were out, then how do we plan on changing minds in our 
> favor
> about us being just as normal as the ones we are trying to have learn and
> accept us as their peers?  Would yo ulike a secretary in your office that 
> is
> usually the first one a person sees once their inside to be rocking and/or
> swaying constantly when your talking to them or while your sitting in the
> lobby waiting room waiting to see the professional? I think not, so, this
> would be a factor in that person not being hired. It wouldn't be because 
> of
> their blindness, but their poor social skills, however they, the blind
> individual,  would most likely blame it on blindness!KH
>
> ----- 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 10:37 PM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] State School
>
>
> Kirk, we will always be blind. Those of us who were born that way probably
> have the characteristics of not normal eye movements or the way our eyes
> look. Yes, we can minimize these things by avoiding habits such as 
> rocking,
> eye-poking, etc., but there is no way we can "appear" sighted. We will
> always be blind even if we hide our canes, don't use guide dogs and walk
> with sighted people everywhere we go. We will always be blind. People will
> always see us as blind. There is no avoiding that.
>
> Sherri
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Kirk" <kvharmon54 at gmail.com>
> To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 10:55 AM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] State School
>
>
>> 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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>>
>>
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>>
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>
>
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