[stylist] Just Read a Very Interesting Book

Sun Dec 27 02:59:50 UTC 2015

Vejas,

I have not read the book in question, but to play Devil's Advocate, the
author probably had no, or little, experience with blindness, so they simply
wrote from one perspective. Is the book fiction or nonfiction? Up until very
recently, what you found when researching blindness wasn't always as
progressive as some of us would like. So when researching this book, the
author would really only write what information they found, and as you have
already pointed out, not all blind people hold the same view of
independence.

Congrats for attending LCB. I did not train there but it's a fantastic
center, and you will have a great experience. I trained at a state agency
that has a high standard of training and teaches complete independence and
full integration of the blind in society. I'm well aware of training centers
and schools for the blind that have more watered-down concepts of blindness.
I visited a training center once that had an awful philosophy of blindness.
Most instructors were sighted, and no totally blind people were allowed to
teach classes like travel or cooking. They did not believe a blind person
should travel anywhere they have not been to with a sighted person first and
know well. They had students who had been in training four and five months
and had no clue how to get around the center. The home ec. . room was
filthy, and the staff was appalled at the thought of totally blind people
cooking on the stove or oven or using sharp utensils without supervision.
Sleep shades were discouraged, and you get the picture. They did not believe
or trust in the capabilities of the blind, but many of know and live
everyday as capable, independent, active blind people. It's sad when others,
sighted and blind alike, don't believe this, perpetuating centuries-old
ideals about blindness. This is how negative perceptions and stereotypes
continue to thrive and exist.

I've only been blind for 12 years, but I continue to deal with blind and
sighted people who doubt what I can do simply because I'm blind. I'm
questioned constantly about how independent I can be; about how capable I am
in doing certain things. That's why, for me, it's been so important to be
involved with the Federation and work to end these perceptions.

While in training, they want you to learn how to do things as independently
as possible because in life, sometimes we don't have an eye, so to speak, to
help us out. While having a pair of eyes around can be convenient, it's
usually not necessary, so LCB is preparing you for real life and dealing
with any situation where you have to figure out and complete various things
without assistance. Of course, all people, disabled or not, require
assistance at times, and the truth is that sight can be convenient at times-
not necessary, but convenient-- and LCB and the NFB are not against this at
all. But as blind people, we need to learn to be self-reliant and trust the
nonvisual skills to help us as much as sight could, so no matter the
situation, you're prepared, armed and able to accomplish anything.

There's nothing wrong with taking sighted guide, and many blind people do,
including very independent ones. Often I do it when with a person just so I
stay with them if in a crowd or if talking while moving, but I never take
sighted guide without my cane. Plus, if I went somewhere without my cane and
only used a sighted guide, what would I do about things like the bathroom?
Not something I'm willing to do with assistance, LOL! But you need to
realize that a cane is just as trust-worthy and capable of getting you
around as a pair of eyes. When you learn to pay attention to the cane and
master the technique of nonvisual travel, you learn how possible, and
efficient, it is. You also won't always be able to have a sighted guide, so
it's good to be prepared for any situation. And honestly, I see a lot of
blind people take sighted guide when, quite frankly, they could have done it
just as easily with a cane. People have this idea that sight is better or
more efficient than nonvisual skills, but 99.9% of the time, they are equal-
it's a matter of learning, adjusting, using and believing in yourself and
the skills.

Good luck in training, it's really going to be beneficial. And you will make
a lot of wonderful connections and have great experiences. Enjoy this time,
even though it's also hard work, but your future will be brighter for it.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Vejas
Vasiliauskas via stylist
Sent: Saturday, December 26, 2015 8:01 PM
To: stylist at nfbnet.org
Cc: Vejas Vasiliauskas <alpineimagination at gmail.com>
Subject: [stylist] Just Read a Very Interesting Book

Hi,
I'm still on this list, I just haven't posted much lately with getting
adjusted to going to LCB.  I will try to contribute more often and get some
writing done in this New Year.
Anyway...
I just read a very interesting book, called Blindsided by Priscilla
Cummings.  It is about a girl named Natalie, who started to lose her vision
when she was 8 and finally, as a sophomore in high school, had to go to a
school for the Blind in Maryland.  As a student who is currently attending
LCB, I find the differing expectations very interesting.  At the school in
Baltimore, students would walk sighted guide (which is hugely discouraged
here), and, if they had food on their clothes, nobody would tell them (we
are told by the sighted staff if we have something on our clothes).  Cooking
was nonexistent, since in the book there is a dining hall for all three
meals.  Many of the former graduates of the school in the book seem to have
ended up in a sheltered workshop-type environment.  They still did learn
cane travel, Braille and technology.  The author is not blind, and I wonder
if she had known more about what NFB centers are like, if she would have
written the book differently.  It really just gave me some things to think
about and re-iterated to me that some schools and centers just don't teach
to a pupil's full potential.
Just some food for thought.
Vejas

_______________________________________________
Writers Division web site
http://writers.nfb.org/
stylist mailing list
stylist at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
stylist:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/bkpollpeter%40gmail.com