[nfbmi-talk] interpreters/ asl

Georgia Kitchen ghkitchen at comcast.net
Sun Aug 5 04:32:29 UTC 2012


Hi Pauline and all,

That was great your Mother could go with you to the crocheting class. Mother 
and I used to do things together. I remember her going with me to see 
Garrison Keiler when he was in Lansing back in the early 1980's. I wasn't in 
the nfb then and probably would not have gone without her.

Knitting and crocheting are real big now at least here in 'Flint. I believe 
I would need some help in figuring those crafts out. I  taught myself from a 
print book and I noticed that NLS has some easy to understand crocheting 
books. I would feel better to have someone look at my work. I know we have 
here a few groups where someone would probably be willing to help. I go to 
Lutheran Outreach program for the Blind and one woman attends a church 
sponsored knitting group. Even though she doesn't go to that church they 
have been real welcoming  to her. That is good to hear.

Hope your work is going well. Please let folks know about the convention. 
That is, is your boss cool with that?

I lost a great many emails when my computer broke.  That is why many haven't 
heard from me.

I will have to tell y you that I have a reader/assistant. This woman who 
teaches at the community college finds them for me. Since they are usually 
young, I do  pay them because they need the money and that way I can 
supervise them easier.

I did get a volunteer last year for a bit. She was middle aged and easy to 
work with.

I have been lucky to meet some of the youth from my church and sometimes I 
obtain a reader that way. When I am at a church function like a pot luck 
alone, I ask someone in charge to find a youth that could help me through 
the food line. That way, I get to meet them. One young lady that I met, 
later, came up and volunteered to  help me at the  pot lucks after that.

I think it is good for the youth to have the reader job to put on their 
resume. I am not trhying to brag but so far all the youth and adults who 
have worked with me have went on to  do interesting jobs.

I wonder if blind youth get a chance to go to these alternative Middle 
schools where they  get a chance to be in different school groups like 
organic gardening, mindfulness, etc. The main advantage is that the school 
upholds high  standards and you get 2 years of college free. My reader now 
has just got accepted  by Mott Middle
school here in
 Flint. She already is in college classes this summer as an upcoming senior 
in high school. Many of  the students have been to drug or alcohol rehab or 
come from single parent homes. They also have rules of conduct, requirement 
for 2 fine arts classes. I am not sure about stem classes. I would bet they 
do have requirements like other public high schools. This school would be a 
good place to show the Science device Fred has been describing. Boy, that 
technology is certainly well overdue! I know you can take over classes that 
you did not pass in your regular high school. The u of M flint has a program 
for high school students like Mott's. I would bet that U of M in Dearborn 
and other colleges will have programs like this.

I know we all do the best we can. I have areas where I certainly could be s 
stronger in. I do not do well with this heat. When we walk, we usually go 
down the blocks with  the most trees so we have some shade.

I am working out so I will be better able to attend Leader Dog. I finally 
got accepted to go for 3 weeks of training at the school and then one week 
at home. My last dog retired in early 2007. Guide Dogs was a big help in 
getting Sammy back to California, checked him out and did a needed surgery 
and then he retired at his puppy raisers. i am bringing  this up so folks 
know how great they have been--at least that has been my experience.

I tried out one day of home training with a real smart  black lab. Briefly, 
it  did not work out.

I do not have a date  when I am  going for training yet but it is supposed 
to be before the end of the year.

Thanks for your post.

Georgia
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pauline Smith" <zim1993 at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2012 8:47 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] interpreters/ asl


> Way to go Georgia. Keep on getting involve in the community. Christine, 
> let us know how your trip the local fitness center go. I still seem to be 
> coward about doing these kinds of things unless I'm with someone and the 
> two of us take on the same challenge. I did take a crochet class years ago 
> as a teenager. My mother was with me and she felt me interpret the 
> explanations that the teacher was giving. I'm not sure how the teacher 
> would have reacted if I would have been in that class by myself, who 
> knows.
>
> Pauline Smith sent you this voice-to-text generated email using Voice on 
> the Go.
> To listen, click on the voice message link or open the attachment.
> http://vemail2.whitelabelapp.net:8080/enterprise/Recordings/m4oBlmSx-20120804-2040.wav
>
>
>> Original Message:
>> ---------------------------------
>>
>> From: Christine _boone <christine_boone at comcast.net>
>> Sent: August 4, 2012 6:29:16 PM
>> To: NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] interpreters/ asl
>>
>> Georgia, your involvement in the community by going to a fitness place 
>> and taking clay classes is really great.  I know that it sometimes takes 
>> some courage to get involved like that, because we never know how the 
>> public will react to us, whether someone will help with those darned flat 
>> screened machines and so forth.  You are doing something wonderful each 
>> time you set foot in the gym or the pottery class...you are changing 
>> people's attitudes about blindness in a positive way!  I know that you 
>> know this, I just want to thank you for stepping out there and making a 
>> difference right where you live.  We should all take a page from 
>> Georgia's book!
>>
>> I am actually going to our fitness club tonight for the first time--oh 
>> man, hope I can stick to it!
>>
>> Christine
>>
>>
>> Boone Christine Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Aug 4, 2012, at 3:10 AM, "Georgia Kitchen" <ghkitchen at comcast.net> 
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Hi,
>> >
>> > The NFB in the past has utilized both volunteer and paid interpreters.
>> >
>> > Many  years ago in Flint, thanks to a prof at MCC LindaLee Masoud, we 
>> > had   volunteer interpreters at the  local chapter meetings.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > The policy of the colleges has changed and  any volunteers  must be 
>> > supervised by a certified asl interpreter.
>> >
>> > It was very expensive for the NFB of MI to provide this service at 
>> > convention. I cannot remember the cost but it is very high.
>> > I cannot speak for the board on this issue. I am only relating what 
>> > went on in the past.
>> > If the deaf  blind person can use a braille device many of our own 
>> > memberrs can volunteer.
>> >
>> > That is my 2  cents.
>> >
>> > I feel bad about this young child not having a Girl Scout Troop. I 
>> > believe it was perhaps something the local office should have assisted 
>> > with.
>> >
>> > I have been taking a clay class for quite  a while now. i do get some 
>> > help. However, the teacher cannot spend all her time with me.
>> >
>> > An art  teacher in the class worked with me on making these tiles with 
>> > raised figure of a cat you could feel. She had made the plaster of 
>> > paris molds ahead of time and had to hand carve out from the plaster 
>> > what she wanted raised on the clay.  It is not the easiest thing 
>> > getting the tiles to come out correctly. If you are not careful you 
>> > will get these double images. They tell me they don't look that cool 
>> > like that.
>> >
>> > I have thought to  ask the director for someone to help me with the 
>> > wheel. However, I am not real crazy about doing that. i just don't have 
>> > the patience. I have 4 pots I have made by hand. They arre the kind for 
>> > plants. I meant to do a little gardening. So far, the only living thing 
>> > that has been in 3 of them has been my cat.
>> > I also have made some bowls out of slabs. My work is not juried quality 
>> > I  am afraid. I do have a good ime in the class. I learned that I like 
>> > working with clay when I was down at MCBTC. I waited about 15 years 
>> > before I got up the courage to take these classes.
>> >
>> > Speaking of accomodations, I have just joined fitness Planet.  I am 
>> > still going. Every once in a while, I  get  some employee that offfers 
>> > to help me and then they ask where my care giver is. I think next time, 
>> > I will just tell them I don't need any help.
>> >
>> > Actually, the only help I need is setting the cardio machines because 
>> > the machines have flat panels.
>> >
>> > I think such a big chain would be a task for the  recreational 
>> > division to take on if they were ever interested.  They will eventually 
>> > replace these machines and it would be helpful if they talked etc.
>> > I noticed that when the manager is there,  employees are walking about 
>> > and will offer to help. Otherwise, it is my observation that I hear 
>> > them all talking up in front.
>> >
>> > The machines there are ok. We have other fitness places here that are 
>> > great but they are much more  expensive.
>> >
>> > Georgia
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > nfbmi-talk mailing list
>> > nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
>> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
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>>
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>
>


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