[blindkid] talking to a child about blindness

[Richard Holloway]

I'm not aware of Gary's story-- I'd like to hear that sometime.

We have also run into the seeing "around the corner" concept and the  
"in the next room" situation as well. It must seem odd if not outright  
frustrating for her to not know when she's going to be caught doing  
something she should not be, like destroying a toy and then to try and  
call on that same apparent power of knowledge we have to learn what is  
happening somewhere else only to hear that while we could see she was  
chewing on the toy (etc.) from across the room or even the next room  
through a doorway, we can't tell what the cat is doing behind the sofa  
or the wall in the next room.

Of corse with the mirrors there is also the one-way mirror concept  
too. I'm still trying to grasp the concept of that one's physics  
myself!, LOL.

Richard




On Mar 11, 2010, at 5:13 PM, Carol Castellano wrote:

> I don't know if you've ever heard Gary Wunder's story about how he  
> found out about clear and solid--it's a good one.
>
> I suppose you could get scientific about it and explain about light  
> and the fact that sighted people are pretty light-dependent :-).   
> She'll learn all about that in physics class.  But for more  
> immediate information, I have a feeling it is just one of those  
> things that blind people memorize--most glass is clear, allowing  
> sighted people to see through it.  Some curtains are see-through, as  
> are some shower curtains.  Walls are generally not.  Doors can be,  
> if they have glass sections.  Mirrors are not.  You get the idea.
>
> While we're on the subject, our kids need to learn that sighted  
> people cannot see around corners.
>
> Carol
>
> At 03:46 PM 3/11/2010, you wrote:
>> I like that. I will give it a try. That makes me think back and
>> remember how I used to tell her when she was very young and would  
>> tend
>> to drag her cane around how she didn't need the cane to tell her  
>> where
>> she had been, but rather where she was going...
>>
>> Any suggestions on the whole clear solids issue? She seems to take is
>> as a given now, but I do wish I could explain it better...
>>
>> Richard
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mar 11, 2010, at 12:19 PM, Carol Castellano wrote:
>>
>>> We've explained why sighted people can see out in front and to the
>>> sides by comparing the way eyesight works to the way a cane  
>>> works-- out in front and side to side.  We say that eyesight is  
>>> like a much
>>> longer cane!
>>> Carol
>>>
>>> Carol Castellano, President
>>> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
>>> 973-377-0976
>>> carol_castellano at verizon.net
>>> www.nfb.org/nopbc
>>
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>
> Carol Castellano, President
> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
> 973-377-0976
> carol_castellano at verizon.net
> www.nfb.org/nopbc
>
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