[nabs-l] Training centers and their structure

[bookwormahb at earthlink.net]

Humberto,
Curious which country? Also, why  can't your state agency help?  I think you 
have to be a US citizen; maybe that is why you can't get services.
Many states have a lighthouse for the blind.  Its not nfb philosophy or 
expectations.  But services from them would teach you some skills like 
laundry.
Another idea is if you have blind friends from NFB or other affiliations, 
maybe they can teach you some; get together and learn some things.  Your 
parents may not expect anything.  Do you have siblings? Maybe they would 
have more faith and belief in you.  Get them to show you things.
Cleaning is done a lot like the sighted people do it. In fact that would be 
a great discussion here.
Have someone take your hand and show you the cleaning motion. Take a 
cleaning tool such as a sponge and go in a systematic pattern such as top to 
bottom; over lap the strokes as you clean.  To clean you use the same tools 
and matterials as everyone else would.
For laundry, if you read braille, have someone help you label the buttons in 
braille. Use initials such as M for medium and for temperatures: C for Cold, 
H for hot. Then measure out detergent; you can feel the amount in the cup. 
Then after clothes are in, just wash.
Do not use bleach except for white clothes.  Generally to keep clothes from 
fading, wash in cold water.
Another tip is before drying your clothes, clean out the lent filter!
Clothes generally dry for an hour. If not dried after that, put them in for 
another 15 minutes and then check them.
Also if you have socks of different colors, you have to feel them to match 
them in pairs.  If you cannot feel them to match say a blue with its 
coresponding blue sock, then you need another way.  Safety pins will keep 
your socks hooked together in pairs.
Also before washing pants, check the pockets to ensure you don't have 
tissues or other objects in them such as coins.
Its easy to take off clothes and forget to remove little items such as 
these.

Of the skills you mentioned, laundry is probably the easiest to learn.
I learned some about cleaning at our state center and we reviewed laundry 
but I already knew most of that.
While a center may be the best solution, if you cannot get the financial 
funding it may not be possible. So meanwhile seek out other sources.
Good luck.

Ashley
-----Original Message----- 
From: humberto
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 9:30 PM
To: jsorozco at gmail.com ; National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers and their structure

Hello all:

First of all, I think I, personally, would be benefitted from
going to a training center. I think the reasons why are:
1.  Although my parents are proud for the hard work I've put into
by going to school and getting great grades, and they support me
quite into the same matter, their blindness philosophy is not
mine, and it's not what I want out of my life. My Mom, as I grew
up, did not teach me any skills of independence, like washing my
own clothes, not being afraid of the stove, cleaning, and even
she thought, that using a knife to cut apples was not possible
for me. Then again, this is when I was little, and you know, the
belief system really sets in when you are a kid. (If you know
what I mean, anyways). Not until I came into this wonderful
country that stands for freedom for all, I discovered the NFB.
And, due to my parents' quite low expectations, I am now 20 years
old, and still don't know how to do those things I have mentioned
above.
2.  I really want to go to college. So, college experience
require a lot of independent experiences, So, I want to attend a
training center. And with the fact, that I cannot get help from
my state agency for the blind, it is quite a challenge to qualify
for a training center. But anyways, just my 40 cents.

> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com
>To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 14:31:02 -0500
>Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers and their structure

>Bridgit,

>This is one of the best cases I've seen laid out for pursuing
training at a
>Center.  You're not preaching to the choir, because there are
some of us
>with a slightly dissenting view.

>I initially rejected the NFB training for two reasons.  First, I
was more
>interested in continuing college, and second, I was not at all
interested in
>being forced into what other people felt was the right path to
independence.
>Now that I'm a little older, I can appreciate the stupidity of my
first
>reason.  If you want something bad enough, you make it a
priority, but the
>second reason, to me, still holds a little water.

>I was not interested in condescending people looking down on me
for choosing
>not to take 6 to 9 months out of my life to fit someone else's
model of
>training.  There is a very distinct culture among Center alumni
that makes
>people not part of it feel a little left out.  Now, I am always
first in
>line to preach the line about doing what you need to do and never
mind what
>anyone else says, but from a marketing perspective, it makes very
little
>sense to make it appear as though NFB training is a cornerstone
to NFB
>philosophy.  Yes, the NFB centers feature phenomenal
expectations, but no,
>these centers will never be able to reach everyone who needs or
wants
>training.  A flexible plan ought to be exercised to catch
professionals who
>would like NFB-style training without the unreasonable
expectation of
>stopping employment for an extended period of time, especially in
uncertain
>economies.

>After all that babble, my point is this:  I did not pursue
training and am
>positive I would benefit from a training program.  I think people
like me
>who chose not to enroll in a program should be prepared to
achieve the same
>levels of proficiency with the disadvantage of doing it on your
own across a
>longer period of time.  You have to commit to pushing yourself
across
>multiple fronts to maintain confidence.  I feel I've done that,
though I
>have not found someone to teach me a thing or three about
woodwork.  Maybe
>later when I have the sufficient income to pitch the idea, I'll
convince a
>Center to let me train for a summer at one of their facilities.
Success is
>possible whether you go to a Center or not.  If you go to a
Center, you'll
>have to work hard.  If you go at it on your own, you'll have to
work even
>harder, but, make the decision that is truly most beneficial for
you and
>commit to it 100% after you've chosen.  I personally think I
would have been
>a little more swayed in favor of the training center route had I
read
>something like the post below when I graduated from high school.

>Best,

>Joe

>"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
sleeves,
>some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam
Ewing

>-----Original Message-----
>From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
>[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bridgit Pollpeter
>Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 1:41 PM
>To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>Subject: [nabs-l] Training centers and their structure

>Dear List,

>I know I will be preaching to the choir here so forgive me, but I
feel
>it is important to stress the importance of choosing a good
training
>center to attend.

>As a blind person-- whether blind from birth, later in life or in
the
>process of losing vision-- one of the most important things you
can do
>is attend the best training center you can find.  The reason NFB
centers
>and other progressive centers follow similar methods is because,
for
>years now, they have proven to be the best methods for instilling
>independence along with a strong functionality with the skills.

>We all learn at different paces and with different styles, but
these
>centers are structured to meet individual needs.  This is why
people
>train anywhere from 6 months to a year.  If you think you can
learn the
>skills in less than 6 months and use them effectively, you are
mistaken.
>Time and time again, I have seen people choose to not complete a
>training course and they lack the confidence and ability that
most gain
>after at least a six month stint.

>As for sleep shades, I have always failed to understand why
people are
>against this.  I initially learned with sleep shades and it made
sense
>to me.  How better to gain that confidence than to know you can
do
>things in non-visual ways?  Now that I can no longer use my
vision at
>all, it makes me feel like I must be less capable when people say
sleep
>shade training is wrong or not necessary.  The way this comes
across is
>that vision is still vital to be truly independent, and that when
you
>have no useable vision, you can not effectively accomplish
things.

>Do not sell yourself short.  We all have the ability to gain that
>freedom and independence we hear so much about.  If you have
never tried
>something, how do you know you can't do it?  I don't say all this
>because I have been brain washed, and I am one of those hard core
blind
>people; I say all this because I have experienced it and know the
>benefits.

>We will struggle, we will need to learn, we will not always do
>everything perfectly, but if we have been handed the tools and
methods
>to give us independence and confidence, we will find a way to
prove
>ourselves to the world.

>I agree that placing an untrained student into an apartment
scenerio may
>not work for everyone.  I understand the reasoning behind this,
but I
>also know that before you learn skills and the confidence to use
those
>skills, living on your own may not be the best situation right
away.
>Not all training centers, good ones that is, follow this style of
>training.  You can find centers, like the Iowa Department for the
Blind,
>where there structure is similar to the NFB centers, but housing
is on
>campus, not apartments.  Regardless, challenge yourself and find
out
>what you really are able to do.

>Many of us can a test to the positive influence of a good
training
>center that teaches Structured Discovery.  Sleep shades and
completing
>six to nine months is essential to these programs.  Do we choose
>universities that truncate their programs because we don't want
to spend
>time completing a degree?  No, we know we have to work for four
years,
>or longer, so we can receive the best education possible.  Why do
we
>view training centers for the blind differently?

>I urge us all to take a good look inside and figure out who we
are and
>what we are capable of.  We will all encounter situations in life
that
>make us nervous or scared, but does that mean we limit our lives?
Do we
>not reach our full potential because of nerves?  No, of course
not.  We
>should not follow an opposite line of thinking, then, when it
comes to
>choosing a training center.

>Centers that do not offer this kind of training only send a
message that
>blindness is limiting, and one is better off with some vision.
Yes, I
>have visited centers like this and it is sad to see blind people
not
>reaching their full potential or not understanding how
independent they
>can be.  The reason NFB centers were created was because most
other
>agencies were not teaching and instilling this sense of
independence,
>and they were not willing to open their minds to a new way.  Like
many
>other situations, we were not going to accept this so we opened
our own
>training centers.  Not everyone graduating from these centers
leaves
>ready to make their mark on the world, bbut this is life.  Many,
though,
>leave these centers knowing they can do anything, and they are
ready to
>face the world.

>I am one of these people.  I never understood the fear of
training or
>the insistance that it was not important.  When I started losing
my
>vision, I couldn't wait to train.  I knew I could still do
things, I
>just had to figure out how to do them.  I did not accept what
people
>told me, that I was limited and would not be able to do a lot of
things.
>I felt this way long before I trained, long before I knew of the
NFB or
>any other group.  I was nervous, and at 23, leaving for training,
in a
>whole other state, was the first time I truly lived away from
home.  I
>have not been back since.

>I live on my own (wel, with my husband, who, by the way, is blind
too).
>I take the bus, I go to school, I work.  I do everything, and
more, and
>I owe this to a positive training center.

>I will stop.  I apologize, but I feel so strongly about this
topic.  As
>blind people-- as people-- I know we can do anything we put our
minds
>too.  I simply don't want to see anyone stifle their own
potential.

>Bridgit


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