[Pibe-division] frustrated blind field

[Sara Rooz]

Hi fellow educators of the blind and visually impaired:

 Denise has brought up  many valid points about paras working with blind students as well as many teachers of the blind having a heavy case load of students to deal with. I am also a blind certified teacher of the blind and visually impaired and teach  students who have additional disabilities. I did teach a blind child the braille alphabet and some contractions two years ago which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

 

. I would just like to share my own observations as a blind student and now a blind teacher certified to teach blind and visually impaired students regarding the use of a para for a child who is blind and has no additional disabilities. 

 

 When I was attending school in the mid 1980's and early 1990's as the only blind student in my grade and at the school, I did not have a para from elementary through high school. I received instruction in both the literary braille code and the nemeth code from a certified teacher of the blind and visually impaired who was visually impaired herself. I received orientation and mobility training from phenominal orientation and mobility instructors from educational vision services in high school and mastered the skills of walking down a block, crossing intersections. learning how to get to particular destinations in my neighborhood and being exposed to public transportation during my high school years. I did get all textbooks in braille but test were usually given to me orally. 

 

One critical skill i learned from an early age was the necessity to advocate for myself to ensure that I was given enough time to take a test and requesting the testing accommodation that suited the particular test. In high school, many teachers recorded their test and I typed my answers on a typewriter.

 

 I was only introduced to assistive technology in high school and learned assistive technology while attending college.

 

 Another skill I learned on my own was the importance of organization in order to study for tests. I brailled notes using a brailler and when I finished a particular subject, I slipped the braille notes into a folder. When I arrived home from school, I took the brailled notes of every subject and filed  them in a looseleaf that had tabs that I brailled with the subjects I was studying. I put each set of notes into its correct subject area.

 

 I personally feel that the use of a para for a blind child may hinder the child in learning how to learn organizational skills, advocacy skills and how to take notes with sighted peers in the class she/he may be attending. It is critical that a blind child master both the literarybraille code and nemeth code.  This is the responsibility of the teacher of the blind and visually impaired to teach these codes and prepare materials. Braille production is much easier nowadays with software such as duxbury and braille embossers. Printed texts can be scanned via a kurzweill 1000 or open book and translated into braille using duxbury and embossed into braille with a braille embosser. Ultimately, when a blind child finishes high school, the blind student should be taught how to do the above skills and also learn the use of a computer with a screen reader and the use of a note taker.

 

 Prior to me entering this field, I was fortunate to teachanother blind child with a para. The teacher of the visually impaired provided braille instruction and the para was assisting the child with getting around the school and brailling materials. The first para that worked with the child was open to understanding to learn the braille code. I actually supplemented the braille instruction in reading and math instruction under the guidance of the child's teacher of the blind. I was always open to this teacher of the blind  suggestions  when I worked with the child. 

 

The following year, since I was in graduate school, to become a certified teacher of the blind I was unable to work with this child. Nevertheless this child's teacher of the blind did teach the  child more of the literary Braille  and a new para helped with braille instruction. This para was not open to learning the braille code and confused the child when the child was mastering the contractions of the literary braille code. The child was dependent on the para to help her in the school and put her materials together.

 

 What I am trying to stress is that if a blind child does not learn how to function in the classroom on his/her own and depends on the para for assisting the child around the school, transcribing notes into braille, has the para find all needed materials for heher/himself and allows the para to organize the work environment and materials, the child becomes ddependent on the para and the cycle of learned helplessness occurs.

 

 I do think educators of the blind should reconsider what the responsibility of a para is for a blind child with no additional disabilities;Certified teachers of the blind and visually impaired  should ensure that the child learns how to function on hhis/her own in the classroom. These skills will be needed when a student decides to attend a university to pursue a degree and to gain employment. After finishing school, the student will be thrown into the real world and if the student is dependent on a para to advocate for his/her and organize materials for his/her. The student will be unable to go to college or gain employment. 

 

 

 I personally would not feel comfortable having the para braille materials for a blind student. I feel it is the responsibility of the teacher of the blind and visually impaired to braille all materials including a student's exams.

 

However, Students with additional disabilities may benefit from paras to teach skills such as communication skills or reinforce a particular skill that the  teacher of the blind is teaching. Yet the teacher of the blind and visually impaired should show the para of a student who is visually impaired or blind with additional disabilities how to reinforce a particular skill. 

 I hope it is ok that I have shared my own experience. I am eternally greatful that I never depended on a para while in school. 

Sara Rooz

Certified Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired in New York

Independent Related Service Provider Vision Education Services in New York CityCity

 
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