Independent Blind Child

Independent Blind Child

Denise Mackenstadt]

Independence and the Blind

Child in a Mainstreamed Education Program

by Denise Mackenstadt

From the Editor: Denise Mackenstadt works with a

blind child as an instructional aide in a public school in the state of Washington. She is

a longtime Federationist and a leader in the National Organization of Parents of Blind

Children. Recently she sent me this thoughtful little article about the problem of helping

blind children become truly independent. This is what she says:

As I was considering this article, I tried to

think of a universal theme that would be of interest to families with blind children. The

one element in the daily interaction I have with blind children is working to make the

student an independent blind person. Many times I have wondered if one can really teach

independence. Blind people live with this dilemma on an ongoing basis. As parents we have

a long-term goal to teach our children the skills to enable them to leave our sides

eventually and go out into the world. We hope that we have been successful since as adults

we are aware that the world is not always a friendly place and is full of dangers that

threaten the welfare of our adult children.

As a parent of two adolescent children, one of

whom has a child of her own, I am aware every day of this challenge. For parents or

educators of blind children, teaching independence can be complicated. We receive double

messages from society. On the one hand we know that in this culture the worth of an

individual is based on how well she maintains an independent and self-sufficient

lifestyle. This means maintaining her own residence, holding a worthwhile job, and perhaps

supporting a family. On the other hand our society is not certain whether blind people can

achieve this lifestyle. As we work with blind children, we have to recognize that they too

are confused by these messages.

In her school the blind child is probably the

only student who is blind or visually handicapped. All children want to fit in, so the

blind child's minority status makes it vitally important that she have the skills needed

to develop self-worth and a good self-image. This is a gradual process that evolves

throughout the lifetime of the blind person.

The blind student is exposed every day to a host

of circumstances that challenge her self-confidence as a blind person. Getting to school

requires making a decision between traveling the way non-disabled students do or taking

special transportation. Upon arriving at school how will she get to her classroom, on her

own or with assistance? She cannot choose independence if she does not have good travel

skills. The question comes down to this: can the student make meaningful choices? The

regular school day is not conducive to taking the time to give adequate attention to

learning blindness skills. The blind student is required to take time out of her recess or

other play times to learn these techniques. This is not fair, as many students say, but it

is necessary.

The classroom is not set up to accommodate all of

the equipment and materials that the blind student needs to get through a school day. The

student must be organized. When instructions are given to look up a page in a book, the

blind student must be more alert because finding the right volume and page will take more

time than the other students need. The student must learn to anticipate instructions. The

teacher gives instructions with the idea that the students can quickly scan a page using

all of the visual cues such as bold-faced titles and illustrations. The blind student

cannot do this as quickly or use the same cues. The student must decide to be assertive

enough to question the instructor or a classmate about how to apply the directions to the

use of Braille materials.

The student may need to question the teacher's

language in mathematics instruction. For example, when fractions are written in print, the

terms upper and lower are used to describe the two numbers that make up the simple

fraction. In Braille the fraction is written with a number, slash, number; the digits

appear in a single line. When the teacher refers to the 2 in the fraction 2/5 as "on

top," the student does not necessarily know to which digit he is referring. These

issues are easily resolved, but it is a learning process for the blind child. In the end

it comes down to the student's ability to communicate her unique needs to a sighted world

effectively. This is doubly hard when the personality of the child is shy or reserved.

However, questioning others articulately is a skill that all blind people must learn.

Not only must the blind student learn to ask for

help, but she must also learn how to reject unwanted assistance. This can often be done

with grace and without hurting anyone's feelings. But sometimes the situation is more

delicate, particularly when the relationship is child-to-adult. Children are told to

follow directions given to them by adults, not to argue, particularly in a school setting.

But suppose the adult's understanding of the blind person's capabilities is incorrect.

Sometimes the student has to accept that the instructions should be followed even though

the adult's belief is wrong. This is a difficult notion for the child to understand and

accept. Blind adults may also face situations in which it may be advisable not to argue a

point of blindness—for example, a disagreement with an employer. Learning to deal

with such issues is part of education and growing up.

The social life in an average public school would

challenge the skills of the most sophisticated socialite. Blind children are viewed with a

mixture of fear and awe. In physical education classes including a blind student can be

difficult. Most PE programs are not equipped to provide the opportunities for physical

activity that the blind student needs. Blind people are capable of being active and

athletic. Judgements must be made about whether the experience is constructive or merely

an exercise in frustration. When a good PE program works well, the blind student has

wonderful opportunities to build respect and understanding with her classmates.

Extracurricular and play activities are essential

if the blind student is to feel a part of the school community. Disabled children are so

involved with adults from the very beginning that often they do not develop the skills to

communicate well with their peers. These skills can be learned and modeled effectively.

The expert use of blindness techniques gives the blind child the opportunity to

participate in the life of the school community.

In the final analysis, can independence be taught

to a blind child? I believe the answer is no. Independence cannot be taught. Only by

providing good training in the skills that the blind child will need to compete in an

essentially sighted world will the child be able to choose independence over dependence.

As educators and parents we need to reflect upon our expectations. When competence and

independence are expected, children will strive to meet those expectations. Even though

society may give mixed messages about the blind achieving true independence, the blind

person knows that to be successful in society one must live a life with meaningful

choices. The basic tenet of Federation philosophy is the belief that, with equal

opportunity and proper training in the alternative techniques of blindness, blind people

can make good choices about the lives they lead.

We need to expose our blind children to adult

blind people who can act as heroes and role models. Other blind people can help the blind

child deal with the feelings that often come when one lives in a world that does not cater

to the needs of blind people. Only by teaching life skills to our blind children to the

same degree that we teach them to our sighted children, can we hope that they will be able

to make their own life choices successfully.