[Tall-Corn] Final Call: Questions for IDB DIrector Cervenka

[iceje89 at gmail.com]

Helen:

 

My main question would be about what the NFB training centers (Louisiana, Colorado) and Nebraska are doing these days with regard to learning shades.  My experience has been that NFB centers (and possibly Nebraska) demanded more from their students, and as a result had better results.  Do those centers still require use of learning shades, or have they also revised their policies?  If the latter, in what ways?

 

I’m a “high partial” and seriously doubt that I could have acquired the kind of confidence I learned with blindness skills without using sleep shades.  BLIND, Inc. was strict in its requirement of sleep shades while I was there and I will thank them forever for what I learned under their instruction, which I found to be much more rigorous than what I observed at IDB’s Orientation Center when I arrived here in 1996.

 

I think there can be exceptions to requiring learning shades, but students should be fully aware of what they are losing if they choose the easier route.

 

Jonahan Ice

 

From: Tall-Corn <tall-corn-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Helen Mejia via Tall-Corn
Sent: Saturday, August 9, 2025 6:57 AM
To: NFB of Iowa Internet Mailing List <tall-corn at nfbnet.org>; NFB of Iowa Des Moines Chapter List <dsm-iowa at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Helen Mejia <hmejia at nfbi.org>
Subject: [Tall-Corn] Final Call: Questions for IDB DIrector Cervenka

 

Good morning NFBI,

 

First, I have been having some email difficulties, and it looks like some of the emails I sent this week did not actually make it out, so sorry if either you’ve actually seen this info multiple times, or it’s the first time you’re seeing it. 

 

Director Cervenka has begun proposing significant changes to some of the Iowa Department for the Blind’s programming. For example, she wants sleepshades to be optional for all orientation center training. I have attached a PowerPoint and word document below that IDB distributed for a different event where they attempt to explain the reasoning for this change. At Monday’s call we will be hearing from Director Cervenka and ask questions regarding her plans for the agency. This is an opportunity to hear directly from her about her vision, goals, etc.

 

As a reminder, if you have questions you would like to ask director Cervenka, please send them to me today so that I have time to compile them in a manner that allows us to use our time as efficiently as possible. Thank you to everyone who has already sent questions.

 

Helen

 

Helen Mejia, President

National Federation of the Blind of Iowa
hmejia at nfbi.org <mailto:hmejia at nfbi.org> 
(570) 983-7867

 

 

National Federation of the Blind of Iowa is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

 

Join Zoom Meeting  <https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/98254628861?pwd=DrrtEuEf7kbYfDlLAm6DaGuB8nGNVW.1> https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/98254628861?pwd=DrrtEuEf7kbYfDlLAm6DaGuB8nGNVW.1

Meeting ID: 982 5462 8861

Passcode: 1234

 

One tap mobile

+13052241968,,98254628861# US

+13092053325,,98254628861# US

 

Dial by your location

• +1 305 224 1968 US

• +1 309 205 3325 US

• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

• +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)

• +1 646 931 3860 US

• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

• +1 564 217 2000 US

• +1 669 444 9171 US

• +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

• +1 689 278 1000 US

• +1 719 359 4580 US

• +1 253 205 0468 US

• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

• +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

• +1 360 209 5623 US

• +1 386 347 5053 US

• +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)

• +1 507 473 4847 US

 

Meeting ID: 982 5462 8861

Find your local number: https://nfb-org.zoom.us/u/acP1CmZgx1

 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/tall-corn_nfbnet.org/attachments/20250810/430711ed/attachment.htm>