[blindkid] blindkid Digest, Vol 68, Issue 14
Brad/Jill Weatherd
snowedin at union-tel.com
Tue Dec 15 22:45:45 UTC 2009
Dear Kim,
I am so sorry to hear about what you and Kayleigh have been going through.
I can just feel your understandable frustration and anger. I only have two
suggestions. I think you should print out the emails or any other records
of conversations you've had trying to get help for Kayleigh and attach them
to the letter. Also, I think at the end you should very specifically tell
them what you want them to do to solve the problem (if it isn't already too
late). Even if you have done this many times, it would be good to make it
very clear what you want. I understand how frustrating it can be when you
feel like the school is just waiting for your child to graduate and get out
of their hair. I hope this situation can end happily with Kayleigh's
successful participation in this activity. God bless! Jill Weatherd
-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of blindkid-request at nfbnet.org
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 11:00 AM
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Subject: blindkid Digest, Vol 68, Issue 14
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Today's Topics:
1. teacher gifts? (Carly B)
2. Re: teacher gifts? (Colleen Davis)
3. question re shopping assistance (Underwood, Melinda)
4. Re: question re shopping assistance (Albert J Rizzi)
5. Need help (Kim Cunningham)
6. Re: question re shopping assistance (Peter Donahue)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:05:07 -0600
From: Carly B <barnesraiser at gmail.com>
Subject: [blindkid] teacher gifts?
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Message-ID:
<ec5b13200912141105t2f7d12ccr5949a8a1afd61feb at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>There are a couple of books that may be helpful, too--Guidelines and
>Games for Efficient Braille Reading (an oldie but goodie) and
>Beginning with Braille (both AFB Press) and the Bridge to Braille (NFB).
This got me thinking: would any of these make good gifts for my son's
Braille teacher? Or does anyone have any other ideas? I always like to give
a smallish gift to my sons' teachers about this time. Sometimes it's just a
gift card to the local teacher store, sometimes it's to a local nursery
(though that makes a nicer gift at the end of school). Any suggestions
greatly appreciated! :)
And thanks, Carol, for the book ideas above. I have the last two but had not
heard of the first and am ordering it for myself for Christmas! :) (I found
it for about $29 at Amazon and $25 directly from AFB... just a word to the
wise! :)
Merry Christmas all!
:) Carolynn Barnes
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:22:00 -0800 (PST)
From: Colleen Davis <bldhnds52 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] teacher gifts?
To: " \(for parents of blind children\)NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Cc: barnsrainer at gmail.com
Message-ID: <189501.37764.qm at web65415.mail.ac4.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Dear Carly,
First of all, how nice of you to think of your child's teacher! Those
teachers/therapists outside of the classroom often are overlooked.
Amazon.com gift certificates are good--you can buy music, books, just about
anything from them.
One of my students made a desk name plate for me in "Braille". The dots were
made with puff paint and were not true to size but I love it and people
always ask about it when they see it. I think that almost any homemade gift
would be treasured, just as you treasure those that your child made for you.
It has been front and center of my desk for 12 years now.
I have seen plastic molds for chocolate or homemade soap on ebay that have
messages in Braille. They aren't very expensive and can be used over and
over.
There is a type of candy that you may have seen that are colored dots stuck
to a roll of paper. The dots are just like a Braille cell. You can carefully
remove the dots to make a message. One year, my kids removed the dots to
spell "For You" and gave them to classmates (clean hands, please!).
Make bookmarks brailled with inspirational quotes, especially by people with
visual impairments. I used old calendars (the APH calendars are great)
because the paper is stiff enough to braille and to be an efficient
bookmark.
Another year we made "eye pillows", used to relieve stress, headaches, etc..
I sewed the satin material almost all the way around, just leaving enough
room for a funnel to be inserted. The kids mixed dry rice (cheapest brand)
with lavender and camomile essential oils (I got gloves from the nurse for
them to wear), then filled the pillows using the funnel. I stitched up the
rest of the opening. The dimensions were about 9" X 4". The pillows can be
microwaved or put in the freezer, depending on what kind of compress the
recipient needs. :-) That year, all the ladies in my family got one and
everyone liked them. I still have mine 5 years later and put it to regular
use!
I hope that helps give you some ideas. I like to make things a shands-on as
possible, even if takes a little longer. Multisensory activities are good,
too. Anything that comes from the child's heart is by far the best.
Good luck with your gifts. I would love to get some more ideas from other
TVIs and parents.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday.
Colleen
TVI in TX
--- On Mon, 12/14/09, Carly B <barnesraiser at gmail.com> wrote:
From: Carly B <barnesraiser at gmail.com>
Subject: [blindkid] teacher gifts?
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Date: Monday, December 14, 2009, 1:05 PM
>There are a couple of books that may be helpful, too--Guidelines and
>Games for Efficient Braille Reading (an oldie but goodie) and
>Beginning with Braille (both AFB Press) and the Bridge to Braille (NFB).
This got me thinking: would any of these make good gifts for my son's
Braille teacher? Or does anyone have any other ideas? I always like to give
a smallish gift to my sons' teachers about this time. Sometimes it's just a
gift card to the local teacher store, sometimes it's to a local nursery
(though that makes a nicer gift at the end of school). Any suggestions
greatly appreciated! :)
And thanks, Carol, for the book ideas above. I have the last two but had not
heard of the first and am ordering it for myself for Christmas! :) (I found
it for about $29 at Amazon and $25 directly from AFB... just a word to the
wise! :)
Merry Christmas all!
:) Carolynn Barnes
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------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:30:10 -0500
From: "Underwood, Melinda" <munderwood at vabvi.org>
Subject: [blindkid] question re shopping assistance
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <B01FAFC499FD904CA0C987247312EC8E93E244 at vabvi02.vabvi.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
I'm not an O&M specialist, but I agree that the first best option is for
the student to know as much as he or she can about the store before even
asking for assistance. If the student decides that having a shopping
assistant really makes sense in the situation, calling the store in
advance to set up a time to meet with a store rep would probably create
better odds for success. I wonder if even Sears, if given time to
prepare, would come through.
Melinda
Melinda Underwood, M.Ed.
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
VABVI
38 Park Place
Brattleboro, VT 05301
802-254-8761
On Wed, Dec 9, 2009 at 8:58 AM, SUSAN POLANSKY
<sepolansky at verizon.net>wrote:
> This week my son's O&M lesson was at the mall where he was going to do
his
> Christmas shopping. He has his list and his money and off he went with
his
> O&M teacher. In each store he was to ask for assistance to look for
the
> desired item. This went well in until they got to Sears. He went to
customer
> service and requested someone to assist him to shop and was told
> that they did not have anyone to do that. When I asked what the
> O&M teacher said about that he stated he was told that there was
nothing
> they could do about it as there is no law that says the store has to
provide
> him with assistance. Now I am 99% sure that this is not correct. Can
someone
> cite the law to me? Thanks.
>
> Susan
>
> _______________________________________________
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> blindkid at nfbnet.org
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>
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:06:16 -0500
From: "Albert J Rizzi" <albert at myblindspot.org>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] question re shopping assistance
To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind
children\)'" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <36A99563575742FB886600D24E9196C0 at JkTC4D1>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
My experiences have been great for the most part. If as you suggest,
arrangements are made in advance accommodations are usually afforded
willingly.
Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
CEO/Founder
My Blind Spot, Inc.
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York 10004
www.myblindspot.org
PH: 917-553-0347
Fax: 212-858-5759
"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it."
-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Underwood, Melinda
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 9:30 AM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
Subject: [blindkid] question re shopping assistance
I'm not an O&M specialist, but I agree that the first best option is for
the student to know as much as he or she can about the store before even
asking for assistance. If the student decides that having a shopping
assistant really makes sense in the situation, calling the store in
advance to set up a time to meet with a store rep would probably create
better odds for success. I wonder if even Sears, if given time to
prepare, would come through.
Melinda
Melinda Underwood, M.Ed.
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
VABVI
38 Park Place
Brattleboro, VT 05301
802-254-8761
On Wed, Dec 9, 2009 at 8:58 AM, SUSAN POLANSKY
<sepolansky at verizon.net>wrote:
> This week my son's O&M lesson was at the mall where he was going to do
his
> Christmas shopping. He has his list and his money and off he went with
his
> O&M teacher. In each store he was to ask for assistance to look for
the
> desired item. This went well in until they got to Sears. He went to
customer
> service and requested someone to assist him to shop and was told
> that they did not have anyone to do that. When I asked what the
> O&M teacher said about that he stated he was told that there was
nothing
> they could do about it as there is no law that says the store has to
provide
> him with assistance. Now I am 99% sure that this is not correct. Can
someone
> cite the law to me? Thanks.
>
> Susan
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
>
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/sueharper%40fi
rstchurchgriswold.org
>
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------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:04:08 -0800 (PST)
From: Kim Cunningham <kim at gulfimagesphoto.com>
Subject: [blindkid] Need help
To: Blindkid <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <901601.33357.qm at web607.biz.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
I am having a problem with my daughter's school and I need your help. I have
composed the letter?below to send to all the school board members as all of
my other pleas for help have fell on deaf ears. I would appreciate your
opinions on how I should handle this matter. I have done nothing but fight
for a equal education all my daughter's life. She is a senior now and I am
at the point where I just want to throw the towel in and say "whatever - I'm
too tired to continue this!". I'm sorry the letter is long, but I needed to
state all the facts. My daughter actually gave a speech to the school board
two years ago about the problems she has had in receiving an education as a
blind student. Of course, this only led to bickering within the board
members and the school lawyer. Not much came of the ordeal....
Please give me your feedback...I will not send the letter to the board until
I calm down.
Regards,
Kim Cunningham
?
Dear All,
?
I am so upset right now that I pray I can write a civilized email to
everyone. There has been an issue for the past 3 months or so, concerning my
daughter, Kayleigh receiving extra help to learn the dance routines for the
upcoming PHS school musical. Kayleigh tried out and won a part as a member
of a singing and dancing group. Kayleigh was very aware that her dancing
part of the audition didn?t go very well, but she was chosen nonetheless.
Kayleigh knew from previous small routines done within the choir that she
was going to have a hard time "visually" learning the routines?since she is
partially blind. Kayleigh is very capable of learning the routines, but she
needs someone to give her more than visual instruction.
We all know that Kayleigh is considered "special education" due to her
blindness and has IEP's as part of the ARD process. One of Kayleigh's IEP's
has been to advocate her needs.??Kayleigh has done this?repeatedly with
regard to?looking for?someone who could give her extra instruction to learn
her part. Kayleigh has asked for help from her case manager, Mrs. Harris
(numerous emails and conversations), and her choir teacher, Mr. Bready.
There have been four or five rehearsals so far and NO ONE has been
designated yet to help Kayleigh before, during, or after rehearsals!
Kayleigh says she feels "foolish" because she knows she isn't dancing and
moving like everyone else. Last week, Kayleigh asked Mr. Bready again for
help and was told by Mr. Bready to ask Shannon (a student and
choreographer/helper with the musical)?to help her. The girls?decided to
meet on Monday, Dec. 14 prior to the evening?s rehearsal for one on one
help. Of course, Shannon was
not there after school?yesterday?and Kayleigh again received no help during
rehearsal; however?she continued to try to do the best she could.
I requested two weeks ago in an email to Mrs. Harris, to have an ARD to
discuss how we were going to assist Kayleigh with this problem as everyone
was ignoring both our requests for assistance. I emailed Mr. Bready asking
about Kayleigh getting help, and I also email Mr. Berger (school principal)
requesting assistance with this matter. NO ONE CONTACTED ME ON ANY ACTION!
NO ONE CALLED ME! NO ONE EMAILED ME!
Now......now, I find out that the choir director, Mr. Bready had the
audacity to say during last night's rehearsal to Charles (the main
choreographer). "When are we going to start removing some of the bad
dancer's and specifically stated Kayleigh as being?a bad dancer. This was
told to me by someone who heard this discussion. She is a trusted student
who knows my daughter and knows of Kayleigh's troubles?in finding
help.?Thank God, the main?choreographer said that he?didn't want
to?pull?Kayleigh as he could see she was trying to learn the routine.
Ultimately, I don?t know who will have the final say ? the choreographer or
the choir director. How can?Mr. Bready?call himself a teacher? Kayleigh
asked him for help and now he wants to punish her for not learning what she
asked help for? This must have crushed Kayleigh as she learned of this as I
was dropping her off to school. What kind of school is Pearland High School?
What kind of message are
you sending to my daughter? I am hurt and deeply angered that Kayleigh
heard this. She is already self-conscious about her dancing ability. I am
sure her spirit is deeply wounded.
Kayleigh designed her whole schedule this year around the fact that she
wanted an opportunity to be in a musical. This was a goal of hers for the
year. She told the entire ARD committee last year of her plans. She tried
out for musical?and made it. We were so proud of her. Kayleigh is so
distraught over the situation that I wished she would have never even tried.
It breaks my heart to see my daughter hurting.
I'm not sure what my next step is concerning this matter. I do expect that a
dialog should happen with Kayleigh and let her know if she is a valued part
of the musical cast or if she is going to be removed. I don't want her
anguish to continue....
Mr. Bready has been mainly non-compliant with Kayleigh's accommodations. He
often forgets to have her work enlarged and gives her no considerations for
her blindness. I enlarge many pieces of music (at my own cost) so she will
be sure to have it. I also paid to have the script printed in large format
and bound, again, so she was sure to have it. Kayleigh's accommodations are
meant for ALL classes. Kayleigh has not wanted me to say anything to?Mr.
Bready about these issues?because she wanted to try on her own and is afraid
that he will hold it against her if?I complain. This has moved out of her
hands now and into mine as I won't take it any longer.
I don?t know if this problem warrants a complaint against Kayleigh?s right
to participate as a student, or if this is a discrimination issue because of
her blindness, or simply a moral issue about attitudes of differently abled
people.
I just thought that you should know how my daughter has been treated. If
this can happen to my daughter, how many others is this happening to??You
are?the society that deems her as "disabled" when she is perfectly
able......
Regards,
Kim Cunningham
?
?
?
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:56:04 -0600
From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] question re shopping assistance
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <00b301ca7da7$7e009be0$4001a8c0 at yourfsyly0jtwn>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hello Melinda and everyone,
If the blind person knows the store lay-out, particularly in grocery
stores, he/she can create a shopping list keeping the store lay-out in mind.
For example in our HEB Stores if one begins shopping in the delli they'll
proceed to the baked goods section, the produce section, the meat department
etc. one can add items to their shopping list based on where they are
located in the store. Hence if Mary wants her swiss cheese it's the first
thing on the list since I begin shopping in the delli. If we want cookies,
pies, cakes or other baked items they'll appear on the list following delli
items. The produce items follow the bakery items and meat and fish products
follow the produce items.
The same can be done with groceries in the various store aisles. In our
case bottled and canned sodas are located near the fish counter. Pasta and
soups are across from the meat department. The frozen food aisle is at the
very far end of the store near the dairy products.
If the blind shopper keeps the store's lay-out in mind he/she can use
shopping and store employee time efficiently. Less time is taken up by the
store employee to help the blind person shop. Jack-rabbitting all over the
store to find this or that merchandise can be reduced if not eliminated.
Then there's good old shopping online. We've sometimes found that one
can get better deals on certain products by buying them online rather than
at the local store. For example we normally buy a 12-pack of bath tissue at
HEB but can purchess a case of 24 roles for the same price if we buy it
online plus it will get delivered to us.
I must credit my mother for insisting that itwas my responsibility to
develop multiple strategies for handling life's chores and necessities such
as going shopping. When I was younger she always insisted that it wasn't the
responsibility of the store to provide assistance and that I should bring
someone to help me shop. That was one of her strictest rules. However the
times changed my outlook of such an extreme practice. We use assistance when
we feel it's necessary to do so. None the less mom's basic philossophy still
sticks and motivates us to explore new ways of handling all aspects of home
and personal management including shopping. It is with sadness that I wrote
the above as mom passed away the day before this year's Thanksgiving. Mary
lost her dad last Sunday evening to cancer. Please keep us in your prayers
and thoughts. All the best.
Peter Donahue
----- Original Message -----
From: "Underwood, Melinda" <munderwood at vabvi.org>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 8:30 AM
Subject: [blindkid] question re shopping assistance
I'm not an O&M specialist, but I agree that the first best option is for
the student to know as much as he or she can about the store before even
asking for assistance. If the student decides that having a shopping
assistant really makes sense in the situation, calling the store in
advance to set up a time to meet with a store rep would probably create
better odds for success. I wonder if even Sears, if given time to
prepare, would come through.
Melinda
Melinda Underwood, M.Ed.
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
VABVI
38 Park Place
Brattleboro, VT 05301
802-254-8761
On Wed, Dec 9, 2009 at 8:58 AM, SUSAN POLANSKY
<sepolansky at verizon.net>wrote:
> This week my son's O&M lesson was at the mall where he was going to do
his
> Christmas shopping. He has his list and his money and off he went with
his
> O&M teacher. In each store he was to ask for assistance to look for
the
> desired item. This went well in until they got to Sears. He went to
customer
> service and requested someone to assist him to shop and was told
> that they did not have anyone to do that. When I asked what the
> O&M teacher said about that he stated he was told that there was
nothing
> they could do about it as there is no law that says the store has to
provide
> him with assistance. Now I am 99% sure that this is not correct. Can
someone
> cite the law to me? Thanks.
>
> Susan
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
>
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/sueharper%40fi
rstchurchgriswold.org
>
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intended recipient(s) and may include privileged or otherwise confidential
information. Any unauthorized review, forwarding, printing, copying, use,
disclosure or distribution is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If
you received this message in error, or have reason to believe you are not
the intended recipient, please return the e-mail to the sender, or call
802-863-1358 and delete any copies of this message immediately. Any
inadvertent disclosure of this communication shall not compromise the
confidential nature of the communication.
_______________________________________________
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bal.net
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