[stylist] Training blind children

Fri Oct 24 03:10:19 UTC 2008

I was always main streamed. During my pre school year I was taken out of 
class for about an hour a day to develop my senses, feeling raised lines and 
such to get ready to learn braille the next school year. I've always just 
had some allotted time during the day for VI stuff. I learned social skills 
by simply being around other children my own age, wether it was sighted or 
blind, that didn't matter. At least, not in my case.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Angela fowler" <fowlers at syix.com>
To: "'NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 8:25 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] Training blind children


>I was mainstreme part of the time for those years, 3 days a week. The other
> 2 days I went to a little school where I learned Braille and other things. 
> I
> think it was a good compromise. The only thing I lacked was training in
> social skills. I guess sighted kids learn social skills through insidental
> learning, watching other kids play, but blind kids ... Well, I've been
> trying to figure that one out. How do you go about teaching social skills 
> to
> a blind child?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of helene ryles
> Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 6:00 PM
> To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] Training blind children
>
> That sounds interesting. I don't think that just sticking a blind kid in a
> mainstream classromm is the right way to go unless they get taught the
> neccessary skills.
>
> What do people here think of teaching blind kids in segregated 
> kindergarten
> and primary schools then moving them on to mainstream schooling AFTER
> learning neccessary blind skills?
>
> On 06/10/2008, Angela fowler <fowlers at syix.com> wrote:
>> Judith I would love to see that day!
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist-bounces+fowlers=syix.com at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:stylist-bounces+fowlers=syix.com at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>> Judith Bron
>> Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2008 9:04 PM
>> To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Training blind children
>>
>> Good points Angela.  Maybe we can get the Education departments of the
>> various states to see this necessity in educating their blind students.
>> Judith
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Angela fowler" <fowlers at syix.com>
>> To: "'NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2008 11:35 PM
>> Subject: [stylist] Training blind children
>>
>>
>>> The following is the material I have on a page which I will
>>> eventually post to my web site, but as you can see its nowhere near
>>> ready to post now. I'd like to know what you guys think, in
>>> particular about the last question, what's a parent to do?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The earlier you can introduce blind children to positive blind role
>>> models and teach them good blindness skills the better. In fact, it
>>> is essential, that legally blind children learn how to read Braille
>>> and use a long white cane. Many school districts discourage blind
>>> children from learning these things, and are in the process doing an
>>> them an egregious disservice, denying them essentially the
>>> opportunity for literacy and independence which is supposed to be the
>>> right of all children in this country. Think I'm being a bit harsh? I'm 
>>> a
> parent.
>>> If my sighted son were denied in the way many blind children are, I
>>> would never stand for it!
>>>
>>> I learned to read Braille at a very early age, and I had a cane in my
>>> hand when I was 5. Because I acquired these skills early, I was far
>>> more prepared for the challenges of life as a blind person than many
>>> of my friends who weren't so fortunate. With that in mind, I've put
>>> together a few resources to help parents best advocate for their
>>> blind children, ensuring that they get the education they disserve.
>>>
>>>
>>> To mainstream or not to mainstream?
>>>
>>>
>>> In a perfect world, all blind children would go to mainstream
>>> schools, working and learning side by side with their sighted peers.
>>> They would have classroom teachers who were positive about blindness,
>>> had high expectations for blind children, and went out of their way
>>> to work with them. They would have cool teachers of the visually
>>> impaired, with equally positive attitudes about blindness, who taught
>>> them Braille, cane travel, adaptive technology, and basic home
>>> economics skills. While we're going down this road, each blind
>>> student would get to go to at least one NFB national convention
>>> before they graduate 8th grade, and have positive blind role models
>>> who are only a phone call or bus ride away.
>>>
>>> Now we're all people of the world, and we know that doesn't happen
>>> very often, so what's a parent to do?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Thank you
>>>
>>> Angela Fowler
>>>
>>> fowlers at syix.com
>>>
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>>
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>
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