[stylist] Training blind children

[Judith Bron]

I have a dear friend in Nebraska who is blind from birth.  She is over sixty 
now but her parents sent her to a regular school while getting her braille 
and mobility training after school.  She went through college, got a degree 
and a teacher's license and has been a successful teacher for about forty 
years.  I think it depends on the child.  I personally, to this day, hav a 
difficult time learning brand new material.  Once I get the tutorinfg or 
training I am as good as the next person.  Every kid is different as is 
every person.  If a child is of normal intelligence, has displayed the 
ability to interact with mainstream kids or has alreacdy shown a keen 
interest in learning, the parents have to evaluate the situation with the 
school board or whoever to make sure that their child is not cheated out of 
a good education because he or she happens to be blind.  Judith
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "helene ryles" <dreamavdb at googlemail.com>
To: "NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 9:00 PM
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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