[NFBOH-Cleveland] Share

[Suzanne Turner]

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio 
BELL Academy

Dear Parents or Guardian 

	After a one year hiatus the  NFB BELL Academy is back   this summer.
BELLS will be ringing in Columbus again. I am the Coordinator of this
program for the state of Ohio, and will be your primary contact throughout
the program. This program is open to blind and low vision students ages
4-12.  Our one  week residential program begins on Sunday, July 21,  and
ends on Friday,  July 26.  It will be held at the Ohio State School for the
Blind 5220 N. High Street in Columbus We are asking for a $125 participation
fee per child. Anyone who cannot afford this fee may contact me directly to
apply for one of our many scholarships. .

Program Activities:
	Throughout the course of the program, your child will engage in
games and activities that involve Braille (reading and writing), cane
travel, cooking, arts and crafts, self advocacy, and philosophy discussions
about blindness.  All of the lessons and activities in the BELL Academy are
designed to enhance the students' skills in non-visual techniques, presented
in a non-judgmental, supportive environment.  Students will learn from
qualified teachers, competent adult blind role models, and from the other
blind students in the program.  

Learning Shades
	Most blind people have some residual vision.  In order to
effectively teach non-visual techniques, it is essential that we ask the
students to wear blindfolds during some of the lessons and activities.  We
refer to these as "Learning Shades", because they help children learn to use
senses other than their remaining vision.  We find that the use of learning
shades helps the students build confidence as blind people, when they
discover that they can function effectively without the use of their vision.
Instructors and other staff in the program will also be using their Learning
Shades during these activities.

Residential Program
	Because we are operating a residential program your child will
receive intensive instruction in the skills of blindness throughout his or
her stay with us. Our volunteer staff is committed to see that your child is
given opportunities to grow and learn that are not available during the
academic day. 

Field Trips
	We will be taking several field trips during the program. Part of
the experience will be the use of public transportation to get to and from
the destination. This is a great opportunity for our BELL Kids to learn how
to use the city buses and other available transit, which is a skill they
will put to use throughout their lives.


	Plan for your child to attend this skill and character building
program now. For your child's sake don't wait until he or she is shut out
because there is no more available space in the program.  All you need to do
to reserve  space for your child today is to contact me by Email. Please put
BELL Applicant in the subject line. Provide your child's name, your name
email address your street address and the best telephone number at which to
reach you. 


We are excited about working with your child. I look forward to hearing from
you very soon.

Sincerely 
Eric Duffy
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfboh-cleveland_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190225/39d0f977/attachment.html>