Blind Children: Problems, Opportunities, and Tomorrow

Blind Children: Problems, Opportunities, and Tomorrow

Future Reflections Winter 1989, Vol. 8 No. 1
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BLIND CHILDREN:
PROBLEMS, OPPORTUNITIES,
AND TOMORROW
by Debbie Hamm
Editor's Note: Mrs. Debbie Hamm gave this
presentation as part of a panel discussion at the
1987 National Federation of the Blind National
Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.
I am Debbie Hamm from the beautiful timber
capital of Roseburg, Oregon. I am President of
the Northwest Parents of Blind Children of
Oregon and Washington and am serving my
second year as Secretary of the National Division
of the Parents of Blind Children.
My Husband I own and operate our own private
dental practice. I am his personnel and business
manager. I am also a student pursuing a degree
in Elementary Education and very fortunate to
be the mother of three happy, healthy, different
sons. Jonathan, our youngest, is blind. He will be
two on July 18. He was blind at birth, and he has
some partial vision in his right eye.
When we got married we had a fantasy about
being parents. We would be ideal parents with
ideal children, but of course, the reality is very
different. However, Jon's blindness wasn't the
first thing that brought the reality of parenthood
to our attention. Our two older boys took care of
that. They had been breaking us in for seven
years.
Jon's blindness did make us sit up and pay attention,
and at first it was a hard adjustment. We
didn't know any blind people and suddenly our
cultural prejudices (that until then we hadn't
recognized) flooded in!
Here are some of the problems that we faced: In
Oregon there is an Early Intervention Program,
so we had an itinerant teacher in our home when
Jonathan was approximately three weeks old.
However, we were told that if we didn't stimulate
his residual vision and do that job right, we would
further be responsible for his becoming "totally"
blind.
It was implied that being partially sighted was
more respectable than being totally blind. And
we believed it. Our itinerant teacher was the only
person we knew who had exposure to blind
people, and we expected him to be "the"expert.
The "ideal" parents our itinerant teacher suggested
we contact were parents who deny their
children's blindness and refuse to ask for or utilize
alternative techniques.
Only common sense kept us looking for an organization
that promoted and reinforced our
hope for a positive future for Jonathan versus his
standing on the street selling pencils or being in
our custody his entire life.
Our search lead to a call from Denise Mackenstadt
inviting us to a Parent Seminar where we
might meet competent blind adults, students and
other parents. The call was important to me. It
was not another envelope full of "expert
opinions" about how to "cope with the tragedy of
parenting a blind child". The National Federation
of the Blind Parents of Blind Children
Division brought to us tangible blind people who
understood our confusion, initial grief, and who
were willing to share their life experience so that
we might better be able to prepare Jonathan for
a life of independence and success.
We didn't know about the IEP (Individualized
Education Program) process and our rights
under 94-142 (the Education of All Handicapped
Children Act), and involvement in the National
Federation of the Blind Parents Division brought
to our attention the issues of the future: like
dating, job opportunities and civil rights issues.
Now, our main focus is to obtain literacy through
the use of Braille and independent travel skills.
Opportunity: how do we get it? First, cane travel.
Jonathan was introduced to his first cane at 18
months old. We got that cane for him at our last
parents seminar. Primarily, we got it for him at
18 months old (which many people think is
ridiculous) because he began to tell us when he
couldn't see, and it was reasonable to us that if he
could articulate he couldn't see, it was reasonable
that he was old enough to tell us that he needed
a cane.
The orientation and mobility teacher said it was
a mistake. Jonathan wasn't old enough or
responsible enough to understand what a cane is
for and in fact, he might use it as a weapon. If we
accept that theory, I wonder when any child would be responsible enough to begin cane traveL Kids fight My boys do; my sisters and I
did well into our teens -- sometimes resorting to
physical violence.
However, by giving Jonathan a cane at an early
age we have the opportunity to make his cane a
tool so that later he can concentrate on things important
to teens: acceptance by his peers, education,
independence and girls. He will have always
had his cane, and his friends will have always
seen him with it
Braille: how soon and how much? I say today and
one step at a time. Jonathan is beginning to say
ABC's and count. Any other preschooler
watches Sesame Street and begins to associate
the concept of letters and numbers with symbols.
So, I ask, isn't it important that our blind children
do the same? Without a symbol to represent the
letter or number, can our children go beyond
reciting?
The realization that preschool children associate
letter symbols was driven home by our older
children who at two and three could recognize in
the newspaper a J.C. Penney or Pepsi-Cola ad.
How long do we wait for blind children to begin
this process? Kindergarten, first grade, never?
No. Start with Braille books. Label common objects
around your home with a Braille dymo
labeler.
Mostly, if you you believe your child can learn,
can travel, and become a Braille reader at an
early age, your child will believe it too. Believe
this; when other parents of blind children see
your child as capable and independent, they will
want the same for their child. Little by little the
dominoes in education will fall.
Early on we felt there was a need for support and
encouragement for parents of blind children.
Remember parents, good intentions aren't
enough as George Roche, President of Hillsdale
College in Michigan wrote in U.S. News & World Report, May 4 of this year, on a different subject.
Think about this when you ask your school districts
for what you believe to be an "appropriate"
education for your child. This is what he said:
"It's tough being an innovator. Social pioneers
are always being put on the spot. Even when injustice
and social need clearly exist, the good intentions
of people trying to address them will be
called into question."
And parent, if you don't think that's going to happen,
you are fooling yourselves. So, that's why
you're here, to get the strength to go on.
Finally, Mr. President, may I take a minute to
thank the Oregon and Washington affiliates for
their love and support in the past two years. To
the National Center for the Blind, thanks for a
wonderful and educational three-day visit in
March and the confidence in me to speak to this
general session. Thanks to the NFB of Minnesota
for giving me the opportunity to speak at
their seminar at the Fairibault School this spring.
And thanks to all of you across the country who
have welcomed me into your hearts and homes
and who assisted me in my effort to have a successful
registration at the POBC Seminar here in
Phoenix.
And finally, to the general membership: Two
years ago when Jonathan was born I felt like a
starving peasant watching the nobility eat.
Through my membership in the National
Federation of the Blind, I suddenly find myself at
the table, feasting on a future with no limits full
of happiness and opportunity. And for that, I am
eternally grateful! Thank you!
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