[nabs-l] Training centers

Thu Feb 10 02:27:22 UTC 2011

Kirt,
Would you really need to attend a training center? I do not know you well, but having met you a time or two I am not really sure if you need to attend a training center. However, if you do attend I would encourage you to get involved in the community and find sighted friends and do not fall into common blind bubbel of only socializing with other blind people. Like you said there is nothing wrong with that, but like you most of my friends  are also sighted and I believe that we live in a sight world and will live in a sighted world it is important that blind people get out of their comfert zone and participate in activities that sighted people do. Just my two sense.
Anmol
I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers.
Hellen Keller

--- On Wed, 2/9/11, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Training centers
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 2:37 PM
> Dear Beth, Tara and all,
>   Is it hard to get involved with the community
> outside the center?
> Let me clarify the question, as it maybe doesn't make
> sense.
>   I know a lot of blind people (and please keep in
> mind I'm not
> calling anyone out or judging), who graduated from the
> training
> centers and now spend their lives mostly with other blind
> people.
> There's nothing wrong with that, it's just not for
> me.  I'm probably
> not going to marry a blind person or seriously date a
> blind
> person...simply because most of my friends aren't
> blind.  So, with
> that in mind, I'm going to want to find ways to get
> involved in the
> community at large, at whichever center I decide is right
> for me.
> So...do you think I'll be discouraged or austricized if I
> choose to
> spend lots of my free time with church groups, volunteer
> programs,
> other friends I might find outside the center, etc? 
> Because I think
> the worst thing that could happen to me is to get caught in
> a "blind
> bubble" where I learn all the skills I need, hang out with
> center
> people all the time, and miss out on whatever other
> opportunities I
> might find living away from home for such a long
> time.  Don't get me
> wrong, I hope to make friends at the center and have a
> great time.
> But I don't want that to be my whole life while I'm out on
> my own like
> this.  Thoughts, anyone?
>   Kirt
> 
> On 2/9/11, Beth <thebluesisloose at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > Training centers are a good way for blind people to
> learn the
> > skills, but the CCB staff being blind makes it
> easier.  Tara, I
> > agree with you on all points.  At a center in
> Daytona Beach,
> > Florida, there were nurses, old creeps,, and lots of
> rules such
> > as the lights out rule.  Sexes were separated by
> wing, and there
> > was no question about dating.  At CCB, blind
> people are treated
> > like people.
> > Beth
> >
> >  ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Tara Annis <TAnnis at afb.net
> > To: "nabs-l at nfbnet.org"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> > Date sent: Wed, 9 Feb 2011 14:38:09 -0500
> > Subject: [nabs-l] Training centers
> >
> > I attended the Colorado Center program between
> semesters at
> > college.    I attended the school for the
> blind and also took
> > some classes at a local association of the blind, so
> would like
> > to provide some insight.
> > I do agree that blind people can be successful and
> have above
> > average skills, even though they do  not go to
> the NFB center,
> > but this is really rare from my observations.
> > Before I went to CCB, I did not know that blind people
> could walk
> > long distances using a cane, as in m five or ten
> miles.  I
> > thought people could only walk routes that the O&M
> instructor had
> > taught them, and the route would be a mile or
> less.  I thought
> > blind  people needed sighted  guide for any
> new place they
> > visited, and couldn't use the cane to follow someone.
> > I didn't know that blind people could use a charcoal
> grill.
> > Some observations:
> > 1. There were no nurses at CCB that had control of the
> medication
> > you took.  If you are supposed to be living in
> the real world,
> > why have someone keep track of your meds?
> >
> > 2. There were no lights out at CCB.  As long as
> you showed up to
> > class on time, who cares what you do at night, as long
> as you
> > aren't breaking the law.  You're adults, so you
> should be treated
> > like them.
> > Go to bed when you feel like it.
> >
> > 3. There was no hassle at CCB when you wanted to go
> for lunch.
> > You just  walked out the door.  You didn't
> need to make sure
> > people had a sighted guide before beginning.  You
> didn't need to
> > have a sighted person to come along to help out.
> >
> >
> > 4. Instructors were blind at CCB, and not ashamed of
> it. At other
> > training centers, the instructors would never be
> caught using a
> > cane or reading braille.  Sighted people wore
> dark glasses when
> > traveling with blind people, so the public couldn't
> look into
> > their eyes.  They did  not like being stared
> at by the  public.
> > Yet, they never told blind people this fact.
> >
> > 5. Colorado staff did not hide the fact that the
> public can
> > sometimes be cruel, and many do not understand
> blindness.  I have
> > witnessed at  other centers staff outright lying
> to blind people
> > telling them that no one can tell they are blind and
> that they
> > don't need a cane, since they get around  so
> well.  Yet, the
> > people they tell this to have disfigured eyes, and run
> into
> > obstacles.  The instructors do not want the blind
> person to feel
> > bad so that is why they make up these lies.
> >
> >
> > 6. I hate how at other centers they always assume a
> blind person
> > has low self  esteem, and needs counseling.
> > CCB  knew that some of their students are at an
> intermediate
> > level, already past the adjustment phase of blidnness,
> and just
> > came to CCB for advanced skills training.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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