[NFBOH-Cleveland] I am sharing my article on BELL

[Suzanne Turner]

It's a Small World; The BELL Perspective

by Suzanne Turner <>

Editor's note: Suzanne Turner is a member of the Ohio Board of Directors and
president of the NFB of Cleveland. This year she served for the first time
as a volunteer aide at the Ohio BELL Academy. Here are her reflections on
the experience:

 

As I walked across the campus of the Ohio State School for the Blind for the
first time, I remembered my arrival at a residential school for the blind as
a child embarking on a new adventure. This July was my first time at a
residential setting as an adult volunteering to help those who looked like
me. I wondered how our little ones and teenagers would feel stepping on the
campus, not knowing what to expect during the coming week, just as I did, I
assumed, back at the school for the blind in Mississippi after my parents
pulled off in a blue GMC pickup truck.

 

My first thought back then was, "Did they really leave me?" But, to my
surprise, the girl who would become my best friend appeared out of nowhere
and made me feel right at home. I also witnessed this special friendship
between two eight-year-old girls at the BELL Program. They were inseparable.
They were as different as night and day. However, they enjoyed one another
just as I and my friend did. Although we weren't roommates, our spirits
became entwined. I will not disclose the two little ones' names, I can tell
you that they were unforgettable, and I look forward to seeing them both, I
hope, at our State of Ohio Convention. I do believe that the two will have a
lasting friendship with one another.

 

When arriving on the campus of OSSB, I was excited and ready to work. After
all, these kids must have been anxious, confused, and wondering why they
were here. My mind set was maternal, and I was sure that the children would
need a lot of attention. I was so completely off base that I felt foolish. I
couldn't believe that I had fallen into the way the world sees the blind by
stereotyping the children who were selected into the program. It was my
perception, my emotions, and my conceited notion that BELL was created just
to provide a role model for blind children. Yet the program is so much more!

 

A few of the children attended the BELL Program either just last year or for
several years. These kids were independent, confident, and very comical as
well. Their socialization skills were pretty awesome. The coolest thing was
that they became mentors to "the new kids on the block." Moreover, the
program had twelve children from the ages of eight to seventeen, all with
different personalities, abilities, and talents. But their similarity was
blindness, which was a common thread that binds all of us into the fabric of
the NFB. Certainly a few of the children needed more instructions than
others, but the overall content of the instruction met the students where
they were within that specialized curriculum.

 

The OSSB campus brought back memories of my childhood; from the piano that
was in the hall of the school to the dormitory room with three beds, three
desks, and three closets that will be assigned to students during the
2019-2020 school year. Additionally, gathering outside to walk over to the
main school building as a group was another memory that I enjoyed. Every day
we would line up with our canes in hand, singing an Ohio version of Meghan
Trainer's song: "It's all about that Braille." But then my greatest memory
came when we took the children shopping to Target. The difference was that
in Mississippi there were no adults providing us with the necessary tools
and understanding of how self-esteem, self-confidence, self-advocacy, and
even independence are essential for learning self-sufficiency. Unlike the
BELL program we were taught no socialization skills. After I graduated from
high school, I was confused and afraid of people. It wasn't until my late
twenties that I realized that I needed someone to articulate what I was
missing. It was a wise blind woman who became my best friend. She determined
that I didn't know how to advocate for myself or personalize my thoughts.
This will not happen to the children who have an opportunity to attend the
BELL program.

 

There were several learning and fun activities this year, such as
introducing the children to the buffet line, where they chose their
preferred foods independently and quite successfully. Sure, there were a few
accidents. However, these accidents were mostly made by the NFB of Ohio
adult BELL volunteers. Also these children showed great cognitive abilities
when learning new classroom assignments. This was apparent when writing in
their daily journals about their experiences and gratitude for teachers and
the volunteers. They all displayed such caring dispositions and were a
pleasure to work with.

 

BELL is a wonderful program in which I saw children change within a few
days. In about three days those who were reluctant to participate in music
activities, dissecting a shark in the science lab, or ringing bells did so
with enthusiasm. The teachers of BELL were patient, encouraging, and right
on point with their instruction and learning activities. Even I was exposed
to things that I had never given any thought to. For example, our BELL
coordinator arranged for us to tour the airport, which was a routine event
that I have done for decades. We went through the metal detector, descended
the escalator, and walked over to the baggage claim area. Again I have done
this a number of times, but I have never retrieved my own luggage. So I had
little to no awareness of what the luggage carousel looked like. Mind you, I
did not fly until I was forced to by the federal government, and by then I
had lost all of my vision. Sure, I've ridden carousels either at fairs or at
amusement parks. Nevertheless, I just never gave any thought to retrieving
luggage. After all, this is what Skycaps are for, and listening to it go
around and around made it sound big and dangerous. Once again I was wrong.

 

However, I was assigned to one of the BELL teenagers who was a first-timer.
She and I bonded while we patiently waited our turn to explore the carousel.
We exchanged thoughts on traveling through the airport and visiting
Starbucks. Even though this was exciting for her, it was an education for
me. I was speechless and felt privileged and honored to have an opportunity
to touch the carousel, not only for her, but for me as well. Had I not
applied to be a volunteer, I would still be blind, as a blind unaware and
clueless individual of the discovery of the luggage carousel. The two of us
learned together.

 

This taught me that there is significant impact from linking mentorship with
consciousness.

 

The definition of the word "mentor" is "someone who teaches or gives help."
The definition of the word "consciousness" is "the state of being aware."
When you put the two together, you get the NFB Louisiana Center for the
Blind, the Colorado Center for the Blind, and BLIND Inc. You also get the
Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning Academy (BELL). No one
understands the blind better than the blind. Certainly there are many
professionals who are educated in blind rehabilitation services. Do they
really understand our way of life? I have often heard Barbara Pierce
communicate the effectiveness of simply identifying and carrying out an
action. She has independently retrieved her luggage while the carousel is in
motion. I have not. However, the next time I fly, I will.

 

Another learning episode that I encountered was when one of the
eight-year-old students dropped her cane and ordered me to pick it up. I
quietly refused and asked her to do it herself. She said that she could not.
Then I encouraged her to try. So we both stood for two minutes. At that
point she ordered me for a second time to recover the cane. Once again, I
quietly refused. One of the methods that the BELL instructors use to gain
the students' attention is rhythmic hand claps by the teacher, which are
repeated by the students. This tool is distinctive and powerful. When
hearing the command, everything immediately stops. Therefore, I gave it a
try. Then I made it clear that we could stand all night until she picked up
her own cane. She picked it up.

 

Again, BELL is an empowering program for our blind children. The linkage of
Braille instruction, daily living skills, and socialization is a
well-rounded curriculum. This is why the scope of blindness instruction is
not as broad as some assume, just like the Disney song "It's a Small World
after All." If you are familiar with the war, the battle is clear. We must
prepare our blind children for the future and provide them with the
necessary knowledge to advocate for themselves, such as simply picking up
their own white canes. No one is going to give them anything. They will have
to fight for a piece of the American dream. The world is narrow-minded,
selfish, and stingy. Thus, people have tunnel vision and a closed mind about
the possibilities for our children. This is why the NFB says, "The NFB
provides encouragement and support to families with blind children." So
"It's a world of laughter, a world of tears, it's a world of hope, a world
of fears, it's so much that we share, it's time we're aware, it's a small
world after all. Though the mountains divide, and the oceans are wide. It's
a small world after all, it's a small, small world."

 

What I have taken from the song is that the National Federation of the Blind
takes care of its own. Our world is small, but our dreams are endless. There
will be fears and tears for our BELL students. Then, with the help of the
National Federation of the Blind, we will ensure and work hard to make their
world hopeful, and then laughter will follow. This is also why we share and
provide awareness so that when our BELL students stand on the mountain, it
will not divide, and their scope of possibilities will become as wide as the
ocean. "it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a
small, small world."

 

 

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