[stylist] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #150- Virtual Blindness, Training The Trainers

Thu Oct 22 03:09:02 UTC 2009

well,
I must also observe that the federation's efforts to get blind people 
into those training positions is extremely important.
having a blind O&M instructor sends a lot of subtle messages along 
with the obvious can-do message.
subtly it says that being blind is really okay.  being blind cannot 
prevent you from a position of teaching or authority.  being blind 
might have strengths as well as weakness, and the live human as 
teacher and as model shows that.
just a few thoughts.
jc
Jim Canaday M.A.
Lawrence, KS

At 08:08 PM 10/21/2009, you wrote:
>Yea it really does help to have a sighted instructor train under sleep
>shades as for them to to take seriously that they art training blind people
>who can't see.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of James H. "Jim" Canaday M.A. N6YR
>Sent: Monday, October 12, 2009 11:29 PM
>To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [stylist] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #150- Virtual Blindness,
>Training The Trainers
>
>Robert,
>this is one of your best provokers!.  I am sending it to several
>people I know.
>well written, engaging, presents the issues effectively.
>the scene in the class is quite believable.
>jc
>Jim Canaday M.A.
>Lawrence, KS
>
>At 11:31 AM 10/12/2009, you wrote:
> >Fellow writers
> >RE:  Virtual Blindness, Training The trainers
> >
> >Here is my #150th THOUGHT PROVOKER. It asks the question, is there a
>benefit
> >to have sighted professionals in the field of blindness to go through
> >sleep-shade training? If you have not read the PROVOKER, it follows.
>Recall
> >that I collect responses and post them upon my web site for all the WWW to
> >read and learn from and that URL is- Http://thoughtprovoker.info
> ><http://thoughtprovoker.info/>   If you wish to receive THOUGHT PROVOKERS
> >sent directly to you, just write me and ask, at-  newmanrl at cox.net
> >
> >
> >THOUGHT PROVOKER 150
> >Virtual Blindness, Training The trainers
> >
> >The stress lines on the man's face visible beyond where the dark cloth of
> >the sleep-shade covered, told the story of his first travel lesson with the
> >long white cane. Probing, tapping, he strove to interpret the information
> >provided by the cane. "Is this a drop-off --- and this metal thing ---
>could
> >be the upright for a handrail?"
> >
> >The nearby instructor, cane standing vertical at his side, responded, "What
> >do you think?"
> >
> >  "I got it!" The woman's finger read the Braille label on the brightly
> >colored tube in her hand. "F, M --- face moisturizer. Wahoo! I made and
>read
> >my own label." The woman was one of four sleep-shaded adults working at a
> >round table. In the center of the table, were Braille slates, sticky-backed
> >labels and other materials. In front of each student were bottles, tubes
>and
> >other personal items.
> >
> >"I'm not getting this as fast as you, Marilyn." Spoke up one of her table
> >mates. "And, you guys, I'm going to need to take my meds, so how else can I
> >tell them apart, until I get Braille?"
> >
> >"What do you think you might do?" A third woman responded. "That is what I
> >think the instructor would say. I know you'll figure out something for
>today
> >and you'll get your alphabet tomorrow."
> >
> >The only man at the table held a green pair of pants over his lap, tying
>the
> >finishing knot to a sewing project. "There we go." Finger reading the small
> >plastic tag he had just sewn into the waist band. "G, R --- green. I like
> >these tags. And who would ever think you could thread a needle, blind."
> >
> >Carrying their canes, all 30 sleep-shaded students met at lunch. "Attention
> >please. This is your first meal you will handle being virtually blind. It
> >will be a learning time --- think, experiment, discover and if necessary
>ask
> >for instruction. When you look back at the end of two weeks, it will be
> >interesting to see the contrast between now and then. So line up, get your
> >own tray, utensils, go through the line, then find your place at table."
> >
> >"Ah--- need to cut this piece smaller." Spoke up the first person at the
> >table of six.
> >
> >"Yeah, cutting takes some concentration, but hey ---" responded a
>tablemate,
> >"I suppose I struggled with it back when I was five with my vision and got
> >it then, so I'll get it now."
> >
> >A third person said, "I came into this knowing the first part of this
> >training was going to be stressful. But I know it will smooth out."
> >
> >A fourth tablemate volunteered, "Giving up your sight for a full two weeks,
> >from wakeup to lights-out, no peeking, and proving to myself that I can
> >function non-visually, is going to give me some insights that I'd never
>have
> >without this opportunity."
> >
> >"You know," contributed a fifth tablemate, "I tried talking my rehab agency
> >into requiring new staff go through 3 to 6 months of sleep-shade training
> >like some services for the blind do, but to no avail. And so when I heard
>of
> >this two-week training for rehab professionals, I jumped on it."
> >
> >"It's the method of training, the structuring of the learning situation and
> >the insistence on self-discovery, making you work and work at it until you
> >make it yours, that is the part I'm soaking up. These instructors are tough
> >on it --- but hey, guess the results will be in the expectations."
>concluded
> >the sixth.
> >
> >On screen the leader of the workshop spoke to a camera team from a local
> >television station. "We have 30 professionals in the field of blindness
> >participating in this first Virtual Blindness Training in our Train the
> >Trainers series. They are evenly divided between rehabilitation teachers
>and
> >vocational counselors, all working with adult blind persons in their jobs.
> >The purpose of this training is to provide the student with an experience
>of
> >virtual blindness, of being newly blind, needing to learn basic survival
> >skills. It is 24-7, for 2 weeks. And I underscore: it is not to experience
> >the reality of what it is to be blind, nor will the blindness skills being
> >learned be fully perfected. However, the participant will come out of here
> >knowing that in his guts, with true conviction, and not just
>intellectually,
> >that  he or she and others can function competently non-visually. Finally,
> >we are using the most effective teaching method for this type of learning,
> >the Structured Discovery Method."
> >
> >
> >Robert Leslie Newman
> >Email- newmanrl at cox.net
> >THOUGHT PROVOKER Website-
> >Http://www.thoughtprovoker.info
> >
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