[Nfbf-l] changing your DBS counselor

Thu May 12 14:05:19 UTC 2011

Thanks David.

Just a clarification, it was not a job fair she wanted me to attend, but Job 
Club something Lighthouse hold some Fridays. Job fair would be much more 
rewarding. I am going to a job fair just now.

Will write more as things progress. Thanks all for your support.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Evans" <drevans at bellsouth.net>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 8:42 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] changing your DBS counselor

> Dear  Tara,
>
> There is a person , in Tallahassee, called "The Consumer Advocate," that 
> you should be able to turn to for help if you feel that DBS has treated 
> you unfairly.  This person's name is Sam Atwood.  I do not know if Sam is 
> still in the same position now, but he was in that position in the past.
> I am sure that if you contact him and tell him the situation, he can give 
> you some guidance.
> I know that you can not just let your DBS Countseller be the "Boss" of 
> everything you do.
> They are there to serve you, the client, not the other way around.
> You do have some responsibility, but it must be tempered with reason by 
> both sides.
> She should be there to help guide you and not boss you.  It is your life 
> and not her's.
>  Certain things need to come in an order.
> Which was the most important, attending classes or a Job fair.  There will 
> always be another job fair, but the classes missed, only come along once .
> If you have been taught to use a cane, in the past, having someone from 
> the Lighthouse  to come and fit you is a waste.  You know already how to 
> use one and the only decision is what type and how long you want it.
> The Lighthouse always measures from the floor up to the top of the Brest 
> bone, which is to short for most use.
> This goes back to the days of the sheltered work shops, where the sighted 
> supervisors did not want the workers tripping them and so ordered the 
> canes shorten to only reach one step ahead.
> Most NFB canes and members use a cane that reaches 2 or 3 steps ahead..  I 
> use 3 canes, depending on where I might go, but mostly I use a cane that 
> comes up to my eye brows.
> I always carry my cane with me, even though I use a guide dog named Jack 
> now too.
> There is nothing wrong with using the free canes from the NFB, but DBS 
> gets funds from the RSA to help them with the purchase of equipment and a 
> good cane is basic equipment for any Blind person.  I use a NFB 
> telescoping cane and love it.
> You can tell your counselor that you want to work with her, but you will 
> make the decisions about your life.  Document everything you do with her 
> and keep them in a file, with dates, times, summaries and such as to what 
> was said and done.    This will protect you.
> I had a countseller like this some years ago and I got rid of her too.  My 
> case is closed now, as I am working, but if I need to it can be reopened. 
> The counselor I have is great and helpful and honest with me.  DBS could 
> use more like her.  There are some in her office that are not worth the 
> gunpowder it would take to blow them to hell.
>
> Anyway, good luck.
>
> David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack.
> MV Transit Consumer Advocate.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
> To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 1:17 AM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] changing your DBS counselor
>
>
>> Tara, there's a program called the Client Assistance Program. I don't 
>> know the number, but I can try to find it out. You can let them know your 
>> situation and then go from there. The only way I have ever changed 
>> counselors is to let the DBS supervisor know.
>>
>> Sherri
>> Have you visited my personal page at
>> http://www.raceforindependence.org/goto/Sherri.Brun
>> If so, Thank you for changing what it means to be blind.
>> If not, please go there now!
>> Thank you.
>> flmom2006 at gmail.com
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "TaraPrakash" <taraprakash at gmail.com>
>> To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 3:58 PM
>> Subject: [Nfbf-l] changing your DBS counselor
>>
>>
>>> Dear all. What is the procedure for having one's dbs rehab counselor 
>>> replaced? This person has made my life hell on account of a cane. This 
>>> person would like me to be measured by a Lighthouse "expert" before 
>>> getting me a cane. Or she would like me to order a free cane from NFB 
>>> because "DBS is not a charity organization."
>>> She threatened that she would close my plan if I didn't attend 
>>> Lighthouse job fair even if I had to skip my classes for it. Well, there 
>>> is so much more.
>>> This person is new to DBS and I don't really want any negative appraisal 
>>> from her supervisor. Is there any other way of getting a different 
>>> counselor without having to complain to her superiors? Anyone can read 
>>> contradictions in her emails if I send all her emails.
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
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