[stylist] The National Center for the Blind described

[LoriStay at aol.com]

NFB does PR regularly, producing tapes and or CDs about blindness.   One of 
the best is So the Blind may Read.   Bring your handkerchief.   National 
Representatives visit state conventions to talk about blindness, and inspire blind 
people to achieve more than they think they can.

One day you ought to hop a train and go down to Baltimore to tour the Center 
and the Jernigan Institute.

Let me describe it.   And be aware I may not do it justice.

Originally, the building housing the national Center for the Blind at 1800 
Johnson street was a big, open warehouse.   Downstairs was a factory.   Upstairs 
was the Center.   Nowadays all three floors are used   for the Center, as 
well as an additional, new building for the Jernigan Institute.   They are 
connected, though you need a guide to get from one to the other till you are used to 
the corridors.

The National Center housed a "materials center" at one time containing just 
about anything you might want to order if you were blind. This has been shifted 
to the "Independence Market" and though the storage is just as big, only a 
small room is available with the items for sale, such as needle threaders, 
braille and talking watches, cooking aides, cookbooks in Braille, and all sorts of 
necessities.   We bought a tape recorder last time we were there, which has 
devolved to a tape player, as it malfunctioned.   We don't do many tapes any 
more anyway.   It's useful.   If you need one, you can get a catalog on tape or 
maybe even CD from the center, or you can check the website.

When you enter the third floor, there is a large reception area with chairs, 
a front desk containing the switchboard, and various glass fronted offices, 
including Dr. Maurer's.   turn right, and then left, and you walk down the hall 
of proclamations, and at the end turn right again and you approach the 
cafeteria.   

At one seminar, we participated in various activities including baking 
brownies under sleepshades, and using a barbecue and a chain saw.   Guess which I 
did?

There is a piano in the cafeteria, or at least it was there when I visited.   
It was donated by a vendor, so no one's money was spent on it.

If when you enter the reception area and pass the front desk, you turn left, 
you pass several meeting rooms, pass a small lunchroom, go through double 
doors on the right side (Please!), and you find yourself passing sleeping rooms, 
built so that seminars could be held at the center.   After the double doors 
you find a stairway off to the left to the fourth floor.   (More sleeping rooms, 
I presume.   Haven't been up there)   If you proceed straight ahead, down the 
end you find the Harbor room, a big room with a kitchenette, and a fireplace, 
perfect also for seminars.

If it's still there, there is a gymnasium near the harbor room for those 
wishing to work the treadmill and various other equipment on their lunch hour.

And that's just the third floor of the center.

I think the Technology Center is on the second floor (Don't quote me).   In 
this room, you find one of every piece of equipment manufactured for blind 
people.   Computer equipment, Braille Printers, note takers, and so on.   If it's 
made, the Center has purchased one to show, though it may or may not be sold 
through the Federation.

Somewhere in the building is a recording studio.   Newsline for the Blind 
operates out of the Center.

Dr. Maurer has an apartment for his family off the Harbor room, so he can be 
readily available.

In the Jernigan Center, which fronts on a street parallel to Johson Street, 
and is an impressive building, you will find an auditorium, the Jernigan 
library, vastly expanded from its original home in one of the meeting rooms of the 
center, and a huge room that has been used for balls and receptions.   I think 
maybe the Youth slam might be held there (a summer program for blind youth).

The staff of the center and the institute are dedicated people who tend to 
work far more than eight hours a day, though they might be reachable by phone 
only the usual eight.

The halls of the center and the institute are long enough so that you 
definitely get your exercise in!

I know I've left things out.   Please feel free to supplement what i've 
described.
Lori

In a message dated 12/31/08 4:41:17 PM, jbron at optonline.net writes:


> Perhaps our focus should be a PR campaign to show, in
> articles, with speakers, audio visual demonstrations etc. exactly what is
> possible with children who are educated  properly even if they are blind.
> 




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