[blindkid] Belated Welcome

[SUSAN POLANSKY]

>From the Mom of a Buddy Camp alumni I can not agree more. My son has been to BLIND Inc for the last two summers and we hope will be able to go for 2 more.

Susan




________________________________
From: Carrie Gilmer <carrie.gilmer at gmail.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 11:17:33 AM
Subject: [blindkid] Belated Welcome

Dear Kala,



I wanted to send out a belated welcome to the list as my writing the other
day was fast and furious and from under an avalanche of other matters. So,
welcome to the list! We look forward to hearing of your and Lilly's (love
that name BTW) adventures (please do share triumphs-we can not hear good
things enough) and are here for all the support and resources you may need
as the growing-up continues into the future. I think it is great that you
have gone the route of Lilly viewing herself as a "teacher", indeed she will
be teaching others about blindness and its techniques all her life. 



Our Buddy Camps are great, and when your daughter is between ages 9-13, you
should check out the options. One is in Minnesota at BLIND, Inc., one in
Louisiana at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, and one in Colorado at the
Colorado Center for the Blind. Some children have gone to say Louisiana one
summer and Minnesota the next, for a different flavor. Many come back for
consecutive summers. My son went every summer between 9 and 13. I honestly
do not think there is a better gift you can give your child than the
experience at one of our summer programs (besides attending our convention
too-smile). I say this because for all we do at home and school that may be
"right" mostly as parents we are not blind, and mostly they live as a
minority, and mostly the school year presents big challenges in a 24 hour
day to get all opportunities for learning in. It is one thing to say, oh yes
someday you can have a job and a house and family of your own, and another
for the child to visit a blind person at work and their home, and another
yet to live under their care and direction for 3-4 weeks while visiting a
variety of blind people at work and home and play. And then there is the
chance to find, where everyone is blind and it is truly regular in
everyway-what makes them in particular special.



For ages 14-18 we have the Summer Training and Employment Programs at
Louisiana and Colorado, and Minnesota is exploring the development of the
same. My son also attended this program. He is ready to graduate,fully age
appropriate, and highly skilled in travel, tech, home management, Braille
and full of solidly based confidence this year with very little if any
further formal training ever needed. This I believe is due equally to our
living it as a lifestyle at home and his experiences at our NFB camps and
programs. He should never need "rehab" as they call it, he has been
habilitated in the first place. This is what I hope is true someday for all
our children. Children leaving the nest-ready to fly, with strong wings.



Anyway-welcome to the list.and the family. We are glad to have you and your
experiences and sharing with us!









Carrie Gilmer, President

National Organization of Parents of Blind Children

A Division of the National Federation of the Blind

NFB National Center: 410-659-9314

Home Phone: 763-784-8590

carrie.gilmer at gmail.com

www.nfb.org/nopbc



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