[stylist] Blind and segragation

[Barbara Hammel]

I would agree with you.  I attended a school for the blind.  When I got to 
college I found out that I was miles ahead of my blind public school 
counterparts on blindness skills.  However, I was miles behind them in 
social skills for my first year or so.  I would say social skills are 
infinitely easier to learn than blindness skills.
The school also didn't see me as shy so did not force me out of my shell 
early.  I was very outgoing in that setting where I knew everyone and where 
everything was.  Sometimes I do wish my parents had made me go to public 
high school instead of letting me choose.  But that's just water under the 
bridge now and I've two autistic blind kids I have to look out for now.  I'm 
trying to get them to swim in the public school and they're doing everything 
they can to sink.
Barbara

--------------------------------------------------
From: "The Crowd" <the_crowd at cox.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 9:43 PM
To: "NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [stylist] Blind and segragation

> Here is a big ol can of worms!
>
> I have the opinion that blind children, at least for several years in 
> their schooling should go to schools with other blind children. There they 
> can learn their blind skills.
>
> Braille literacy would go back up, there would be confidence in mobility 
> from the very beginning, home economics, typing, research, it would be a 
> whole balanced thing, rather then trying to learn blind skills in a school 
> for sighted people.
>
> yeah, yeah, I know, main stream makes them like everyone else, which is a 
> load full, if you ask me. I've been in the public schools and I went to a 
> school for the blind and it gave me the chance to do things I wouldn't do 
> in public  schools. I was on the track team, cheer leading, swimming, 
> bowling teams. I learned how to cook, cut wood, shop, read Braille, type, 
> we did plays, competed against other blind schools and sighted schools in 
> pros and chorus. Instead they teach you a few fundimental things in public 
> school, so you don't accidently kill yourself out in the parking lot, so 
> you can do school work, but the skills that kids learned in those schools 
> for the blind are lost.
>
> I find it sad that there are no more track teams, little five, wrestling 
> and cheer leading multi school competitions.
>
> Blind children are not sighted children. They need to  be with their 
> peers, learn from one another, experience things among themselves. Then 
> after they have those things in place, go check out the public schools. 
> That is my opinion.
>
> I know many people think that blindness is just a nucience, but it is a 
> lot more then that when you don't have the skills in place or the 
> comarodery you need to understand it. I went many years being ashamed of 
> being blind and it hurts people.
>
> Atty
>
> Life is short ...forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly,
> laugh uncontrollably...
> and never regret anything that made you smile
>
> "Qui docet, discit."
> "He who teaches, learns"
>
> I have learned that people will forget what you said,
> people will forget what you did,
> but people will never forget how you made them feel.
> Maya Angelou
>
>
>
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