Is This a Twenty?

Is This a Twenty?

The Braille Monitor

July 2003

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Is

This a Twenty?

by

Mary Ellen Halverson

Mary

Ellen Halverson

From

the Editor: Mary Ellen Halverson is a longtime leader of the NFB of Idaho. She

is a mother and grandmother, and she is also a thoughtful and competent blind

woman. Here is her story:

We

have all heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. In the event

I am about to describe, a brief question revealed a whole history and painted

a clear picture of what individuals and society believe about blindness.

One

summer several years ago I was working in the Summer Youth Program at the Idaho

Commission for the Blind. We had ten lively students between the ages of fourteen

and sixteen who were attending a four-week program to learn or brush up on the

skills of blindness and to receive a healthy dose of positive philosophy about

blindness. The teens took orientation classes from 8:00 in the morning until

midafternoon, when they left to take part in other activities. We soon discovered

that most of the kids had poor Braille reading and writing skills, very poor

spelling, and inadequate cane-travel skills. Despite all this, they were typical

active and fun-loving teenagers. As the days went by, we learned many things

about their real beliefs about blindness and about themselves as blind people.

The following is an example of what I mean. What appeared to be a simple question

revealed much about one young woman's perception of blindness.

As

the Summer Youth kids arrived on the first morning of training, we all gathered

in the rec room for an introductory meeting and to hand out class schedules.

I was the Braille instructor and had been assigned to run this first meeting

and distribute schedules. Of course I had them all written out in Braille so

that I could tell each student his schedule. We also discussed housekeeping

items, our expectations of the students, and the way the day would unfold.

All

the students and teachers introduced ourselves that morning before beginning

our day. After addressing questions from the students, we were off to class.

All staff members helped show students where their first classes were located,

since most of them had never been in the building before. Each would then get

a thorough introduction to all classrooms in his or her first cane-travel class.

Two

or three days later one of the girls, Amanda, came into Braille class and asked,

"Is this a twenty?" At first I wasn't sure what she meant, then it

dawned on me. She thought I could see. She was holding up a bill across the

room. I am totally blind and had been using my cane and Braille notes all week.

I said to her, "Amanda, I can't see it either."

She

responded, "Oh, I thought you could see." At first I wondered how

she could have missed the fact that I was using a cane and reading the class

schedules in Braille. She and I had also discussed some personal grooming questions,

and I had given her some new ideas and suggestions.

As

I pondered why she had thought I could see, a clear picture began to take shape

in my mind. There were several reasons why Amanda thought I was sighted. First

of all, and I think most important, I had been in charge of the meeting the

first morning. These young people were definitely used to sighted people being

in charge. I had read them their class schedules fluently and easily from my

Braille notes. They had never had the opportunity or experience of observing

blind people reading Braille quickly and efficiently. Also I had been moving

around the room easily, without stumbling over furniture or kids. I had shown

several of them where their first class was or shown them to the travel classroom

to pick up their new canes.

I

think the truth is that Amanda just didn't expect a blind person to be in charge

or to operate efficiently and responsibly. Her personal experience had taught

her otherwise. She had accepted the ideas and beliefs of her family, friends,

teachers, and society in general that blind people will never quite meet the

standards of those who can see. This kind of thinking is subtle and sneaks into

our minds as we go through life. It clouds our perception of the truth about

blindness. This is exactly why we who are blind need intensive training programs

based on the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind. We need to

be awakened and jolted out of old beliefs and stereotypes about blindness.

Who

would have thought that the simple question, "Is this a twenty?" could

be so revealing and significant? I am deeply thankful for the founders, leaders,

and members of the National Federation of the Blind who continue to teach the

truth about blindness.

Pooled

Income Gifts

In

this plan money donated to the National Federation of the Blind by a number

of individuals is invested by the NFB. Each donor and the NFB sign an agreement

that income from the funds will be paid to the donor quarterly or annually.

Each donor receives a tax deduction for the gift; the NFB receives a useful

donation; and the donor receives income of a specified amount for the rest of

his or her life. For more information about the NFB pooled income fund, contact

the National Federation of the Blind, Special Gifts, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore,

Maryland 21230-4998, phone (410) 659-9314, fax (410) 685-5653.

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