Vol. 14, No. 1
Barbara Cheadle, Editor
Winter/Spring, 1995
CONTENTS
Convention 1995: Make Plans for Chicago
by Kenneth Jernigan
Welcome to Chicago
by Steven O. Benson
National Seminar for Parents of Blind Children
**Pre-registration forms: NOPBC Workshops and Children's Field
Trip
My Dream for Macy
by Crystal McClain
Reaching for the Stars
by Julie Hunter
Federation Philosophy and the Education of Blind Children
by Gail Y. Katona
Individualized Education Program (IEP) Checklist
by Jennifer Haber and Leslie Seid Margolis
Reflections of a First-time Cane User
by Angelique Turner
From the Bookshelf: Care and Feeding of the Long White Cane
Some Thoughts about Physical Education and Blind Kids
by John Ross
The Braille Literacy Campaign: You Can Help
Ride Like the Wind
by Margie Watson
Recess Smarts
by Ken Volonte
Stop, Listen, and Observe: Your Blind Multiply Handicapped Child
is Trying to Tell You Something!
by Linda Zani Thomas
Choices and Their Costs
by Peter Grunwald
Serena Can Wait at the Bottom of the Hill
by Carol Castellano
Why Go it Alone?
by Margie Watson
Braille, Blindness, and the Right to Take Risks
An interview with William Raeder by D.C. Denison
Literacy Begins at Home: Family Involvement in the Home Literacy
Experiences for Children with Visual Impairments
by Christopher J. Craig
Print or Braille? I Use Both!
by Charles Brown
Possibilities
by Carol Castellano
Job Opportunities for the Blind
by Lorraine Rovig, Director, JOB
Parent Power
Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
CONVENTION 1995:
MAKE PLANS FOR CHICAGO
by Kenneth Jernigan
Reprinted from the December, 1994, issue of the Braille
Monitor.
The time has come to plan for the 1995 convention of the National
Federation of the Blind. As Federationists know, our recent
National Conventions in New Orleans, Charlotte, Dallas, and Detroit
have been record-breaking in every sense of the wordþexcellent
programs, good food and facilities, and wonderful hospitality. But
Chicago in '95 promises to be the best we have ever had. All you
have to do is to remember our Chicago convention in 1988, and you
will know what a wonderful experience is in store.
We are going to the Hilton and Towers Hotel at 720 South
Michigan Avenue in Chicago. You have to be there to believe it.
Read Steve Benson's article elsewhere in this issue, and you will
know what I mean. This exquisite hotel, built in the 1920's,
originally had over 3,000 rooms. In the 1980's it was remodeled to
have only 1,543 rooms, but the elevators (all fourteen of them) and
the rest of the infrastructure for a 3,000-room hotel were left
intact. Mrs. Jernigan and I have now been to the Hilton and Towers
for several planning meetings, and each time I am more impressed
than the last.
As usual, our hotel rates are good. For the 1995 convention
they are: singles, $47; doubles and twins, $49; triples, $54; and
quads, $57. In addition to the room rates, there will be a tax,
which at present is almost 15 percent. There will be no charge for
children in a room with parents as long as no extra bed is
required.
In recent years we have sometimes taken hotel reservations
through the National Office, but for the 1995 convention you should
write directly to Hilton and Towers Hotel, 720 S. Michigan Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois 60605, Attention: Reservations; or call (312)
922-4400. Hilton has a national toll-free number, but do not (we
emphasize NOT) use it. Reservations made through this national
number will not be valid. They must be made directly with the
Hilton and Towers in Chicago.
Here are the convention dates and schedule;
Saturday, July 1þseminars for parents of blind children, blind job
seekers, and vendors and merchants; several other workshops and
meetings.
Sunday, July 2þconvention registration, first meeting of the
Resolutions Committee, other committees, and some of the divisions.
Monday, July 3þmeeting of the Board of Directors (open to all),
division meetings, committee meetings, continuing registration.
Tuesday, July 4þopening general session, evening gala.
Wednesday, July 5þgeneral sessions, tours.
Thursday, July 6þgeneral sessions, banquet. Friday, July 7þgeneral
sessions, adjournment.
The displays of new technology; the meetings of special interest
groups, committees, and divisions; the exciting tours; the
hospitality and renewed friendships; the solid program items; and
the exhilaration of being where the action is and where the
decisions are being madeþall of these join together to call the
blind of the nation to the Hilton and Towers Hotel in Chicago in
July of 1995. Come and be part of itþand for further information
read the following article from the Illinois affiliate for color
and details.
WELCOME TO CHICAGO
by Stephen O. Benson
Reprinted from the December, 1994, issue of the Braille Monitor.
From the Editor: Steve Benson is not only a member of the Board of
Directors of the National Federation of the Blind but also the
President of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois.
Moreover he is a resident of Chicago, so he knows whereof he speaks
when he talks about the host city for the 1995 convention of the
National Federation of the Blind. This is what he has to say about
the Hilton and Towers and the city that surrounds our convention
hotel:
Chicago was incorporated in 1837. In 1840 little more than 4,000
people called it home. By 1860 it had swelled to more than 112,000.
The city's history, political and economic climate, energy, spirit,
and character are captured in its nicknames: Mudtown, City on the
Lake, City of Big Shoulders, Hogopolis, Hog Butcher for the World,
Railroad Hub of the Nation, Gem of the Prairies, City of Churches,
Financial Capital of the Midwest, Windy City, and Convention
Capital of the World. This latter claim is not made frivolously,
for Chicago is equipped to play host to the worldþand the people
come. Chicago has 25,746 hotel rooms. An additional 41,000 rooms
may be found in the surrounding, collar counties. The largest
convention Chicago hosts, the International Machine Tool
Association, meets every two years and attracts more than 115,000
people. By the end of 1994 more than 3.8 million people will have
attended conventions in the Windy City. The anchor for all this
activity, McCormick Place, offers 1.3 million square feet of
meeting and exhibit space.
Chicago hosted its first convention of the National Federation
of the Blind in 1950. The first political convention to meet here
was the Republican National Convention of 1860, at which Abraham
Lincoln was selected to carry the party's banner to the White
House. Many political conventions have woven strands into the rich
and varied fabric of Chicago's history, but none has made more
impact on the lives of blind Americans than the five NFB
conventions previously held here. So our 1995 national convention
in Chicago, the sixth, makes this city our þSweet Home.þ Taking
nothing at all away from the splendid conventions of recent years,
1995 will be the biggest and best by far. It is fitting, then, that
the site of next year's convention should be one of the most
spectacular hotels in the world.
The Chicago Hilton and Towers, 720 S. Michigan Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois 60605, (312) 922-4400, is a Chicago landmark and
the flagship property of the Hilton chain. To the east of the
hotel, across Michigan Avenue, sprawls Grant Park with its
beautiful formal gardens, its wildflower garden, Buckingham
Fountain, museum campus, the Patrillo Bandshell, Columbia and
Chicago Yacht Clubs, Burnham Harbor and athletic fields. This is a
magnificent and proper setting for a hotel that received the 1994
Mobil Travel Guide's Four Star Award.
When built in 1927 at a cost of thirty million dollars as the
Stevens Hotel, it was the largest in the world with 3,000 guest
rooms. It had a rooftop eighteen-hole golf course with real grass;
a 25,000-volume private library; an art gallery; a five-lane
bowling alley; a swimming pool; and its own hospital, police force,
fire department, and three-story industrial laundry still in
operation. To say that it was roaring-twenties opulent is an
understatement.
In 1945 Conrad Hilton acquired the property, and in 1951 the
hotel was renamed after its owner. In 1984 the hotel was renovated
with major structural changes, including the reduction of guest
rooms to 1,543 at a cost of 185 million dollars. Other changes
included converting two private ballrooms to a 5,000-square-foot
grand luxury suite, which rents for $4,000 per night and which, I'm
sad to say, none of us will occupy. The project not only restored
the hotel to its 1927 grandeur, it surpassed it in many ways and
placed the Hilton and Towers in a more competitive position for
today's business climate.
The Hilton and Towers is a majestic structure that occupies a
full city block north to south and more than half a city block east
to west. The hotel boasts 120,000 square feet of exhibit space,
more than fifty meeting rooms, a 510-car attached garage, a
state-of-the-art fitness center, a full-service business center,
the Stevens Art Gallery, four excellent restaurants, three lounges,
a unisex hair salon, a shopping area, and twenty-four-hour room
serviceþand that doesn't begin to tell the story of this very
special facility.
As you step through the Hilton and Towers front doors on
Michigan Avenue, you enter the spectacular Great Hall with its
restored gold leaf frescoes and elegant, graceful curving
staircases leading to the Grand Ballroom and other meeting space on
the second floor. Immediately to the right is Lake Side Green, a
two-story atrium lounge that features entertainment, billiards, and
light refreshment. Immediately to the left is a corridor leading to
the shopping area and escalators to the lower level exhibit area.
Continuing through the Great Hall, you come to the central (north
to south) corridor. Across this corridor, directly in front of you,
is the elevator lobby with fourteen elevators on the north, west,
and south sides. The east side of the elevator lobby is the open
side. If you turn right (north) in the main corridor, you will find
on the right side the assistant manager's desk, the hotel's
registration desk, and the bell stand. Across the corridor from the
hotel's registration desk is the Pavilion Restaurant. At the end of
the corridor is the Concierge. If you turn left, there are
rest-rooms for men and women on the right side. Straight ahead is
the carport.
The Pavilion is a French country cafe surrounded by a spacious
veranda dotted with colorful flowering plants. Contemporary and
impressionist art adorn the area. The menu features sumptuous
breakfasts and lunch and dinner buffets, plus a wide selection of
burgers, pasta salads, sandwiches, and many daily specials. The
275-seat restaurant is open from 5:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
If you turn left from the Great Hall (south) you will find on the
right side of the corridor Buckingham's, the hotel's fine dining
signature restaurant. This warm, club-like space seats 165 guests.
It is decorated in high-lacquered mahogany woods, gray and white
marble, beveled mirrors, and upholstered walls with brass accents.
Watercolors, line drawings, and paintings of Chicago's Buckingham
Fountain by local artists hang throughout the room. Buckingham's
features steak, chops, and seafood. It is open from 5:30 to 10:00
p.m. and requires reservations. For those interested, Buckinghams
claims the largest selection of single malt scotch whiskeys in the
city, a total of 106.
Continuing south through the main corridor, on the left side
are Ciro's Jewelry; Parnell's Irish Shop; a flower shop; and W.H.
Smith's Store, featuring newspapers, magazines, toiletries, and so
on. On the right side are men's and women's rest-rooms. Kitty
O'Shea's Irish Pub and Restaurant is next on the left side. At the
end of the corridor, straight ahead, is Accent Chicago, featuring
souvenirs and gifts. Make a right turn, and on the right is
Chicago's own world-class Fanny Mae Candy. Here are treats
unequaled anywhere. Next on the right are escalators leading up to
the International Ballroom. Straight ahead and down several steps
is the newly renovated Continental Ballroom.
The southeast corner of the Hilton and Towers is an extraordinary
area. If you pause there for a bit of refreshment, you may hear
echoes of William Butler Yeats, Brendan Behan, Sean O'Casey, James
Joyce; or you may detect just a hint of the little people. You are
certain to hear the cadence and lilt of English as spoken on the
Emerald Isle. The place is Kitty O'Shea's Irish Pub and Restaurant.
The 150-seat pub is an authentic Irish tavern reminiscent of
centuries-old establishments in Ireland.
Hilton sent a design team to Dublin and gave them the dirty,
thankless job of visiting some forty pubs to study floor plans,
decor, menus, and other little touches that could carry the
ambiance of those legendary gathering spots to Chicago. The Hilton
and Towers has done the job just right.
The oak plank flooring and ceramic floor tiles in green, orange,
black, and white; the hand-carved mahogany and marble bar; the
glass shelving; and ceramic mugs are imported from Ireland. The
antique beer taps were donated by the Guiness Brewery in Dublin.
The food is authentic, and the chef, bar men, and wait staff are
Irish natives working here on a culinary hotel exchange program.
Tradition and hospitality abound in this warm and merry place. True
to Irish custom, according to manager Eamon Brady, þLoyal customers
are honored by personalized mugs. You may have a ceramic Guiness
mug registered for your use and hung from the ceiling above the
bar.þ
Distinguished Irishmen of Chicago have added a special touch
to Kitty O'Shea's. Past presidents and officers of the Irish
Fellowship Club have donated shillelaghs that have been carried in
the city's annual St. Patrick's Day parade. The black thorn staffs
hang in Shillelagh Corner.
And then there's the entertainment. Nightly from 9:00 p.m. to
2:00 a.m., you can hear Irish balladeers sing the songs of the Old
Sod. Better than that, there are sing-alongs. You can lift your
voices in the singing of þJohnny McAdoo,þ þWhistling Gypsy,þ þJug
of Punch,þ þJolly Tinker,þ and many more rowdy and sweet aires.
Kitty O'Shea's is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., with
food served until 9:00 p.m. Partake of Irish lamb stew; shepherds
pie; potato and leek soup; and, if you like, Blarney Burgers. Don't
miss Kitty O'Shea's.
For a moment let us revisit the magnificent Continental
Ballroom, which was recently renovated at a cost of two million
dollars. From its stunning 3,700-square-foot foyer to the
state-of-the-art sound system, to the twenty-three glittering
chandeliers and thirty-six wall sconces, this 10,000-square-foot
room, decorated in green, mauve, and violet, is well coordinated
with the decor of the hotel.
The second floor of the hotel features the Versailles-inspired
16,600-square-foot Grand Ballroom with its twenty-two-karat gold
frescoes and crystal chandeliers and the nearly 22,000-square-foot
International Ballroom. In addition, the second floor houses the
Normandy Lounge, site of the Buckinghams-hosted Sunday brunch with
a 120-foot buffet. The elegant Normandy Lounge overlooks Grant Park
and is graced by chairs from the ocean-liner, S. S. Normandy. In
addition, north of the elevator lobby is the Boulevard Room. It is
worth noting that this was once a nightclub that featured a floor
show on ice.
The Hilton and Towers has hosted every President since
Franklin D. Roosevelt and heads of state from Japan, England,
Sweden, Denmark, Greece, and Ireland. In addition, such notables as
Charles Lindbergh; Maria Callas; Frank Sinatra; Richard Burton;
Walter Payton; Michael Jordan; Babe Ruth; Ray Charles; and many,
many more have stayed at this hotel. Next year the Hilton and
Towers will welcome us, the National Federation of the Blind. Large
and elegant as it is, the hotel definitely has the warmth and
feeling of a fine home. Much of the credit for that goes to the
outstanding, well-trained staff. The Chicago Hilton and Towers will
be our home for a week in 1995. As we add a chapter to our history,
so too we will add a chapter to the history of this magnificent
hotel and to the history of Chicago. The Illinois affiliate looks
forward to being your host and to continuing the positive work of
the National Federation of the Blind. Welcome to Chicago!
NATIONAL SEMINAR
for Parents of Blind Children
þYou know, it really is okay to be blind.þ This unexpected
pronouncement from a seven-year-old blind girl startled her family
at their dinner meal last July. This new level of confidence in
herself as a blind person was further demonstrated in the weeks and
months to come as the little girl willingly began to use her white
cane full-timeþnot just to school and for mobility lessons. What
made the difference? Her father, who has been a Future Reflections
reader for several years, took his daughter to the 1994 National
Convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Her dad
recounted the benefit of this experience in our Pennsylvania parent
support group magazine this past Fall. þ[She],þ he wrote, þlearned
at the Convention that the cane provides independence and thereby
makes her the same as everyone else and not different.þ
Of course, as all children, Laura must have new concepts
reinforced again and again. Mom and dad, Sheila and Michael Wolk of
Pennsylvania, will be taking her to many more NFB
activitiesþincluding state and national conventionsþin the years to
come.
If you are among our many readers who have been putting off
coming to NFB National Convention, consider the potential value it
has to your family and don't put it off any longer! Join us in
Chicago July 1 to July 7þor as many days as you canþand discover
þThe Benefits of Growing Up in the National Federation of the
Blindþ for your family.
Here are some of the many exciting events planned especially
for parents and children:
Saturday, July 1, 1995
The Benefits Of Growing Up In The
National Federation Of The Blind
National Seminar for
Parents of Blind Children
Sponsored by the
National Organization of
Parents of Blind Children
Saturday, July 1, 1995
Hilton and Towers Hotel
720 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
8:00 a.m. Registration. Fee: $5.00. (This fee will also cover the
cost of all of the special workshopsþsuch as the Beginning Braille
for Parents workshopþsponsored by the NOPBC during the convention.)
9:00 a.m. þ 11:30 a.m. General Session. Keynote Address:
Blindness: What Does it Mean in the Mind of a Child? by Ramona
Walhof, former preschool teacher, a blind businesswoman, and mother
of two sighted children. Other speakers will zero in on the
subjects of low-vision children, sighted siblings, other relatives
of the blind child, and sighted children of blind parents. Also on
the agenda is a panel of blind and sighted children, youth, and
adults discussing the impact of the NFB in their lives.
11:30 a.m. þ 1:00 p.m. LUNCH (on your own)
1:00 p.m. þ 5:00 p.m.
Concurrent Workshops
SHOW TIME!: A continuous showing of new and classic videos. Among
those to be viewed will be: That the Blind May Read, the new NFB
documentary about Braille literacy; Here I Come, Ready or Not a
video depicting blind first-grader Alex Lesser going through a
typical school day; Kids With Canes, a classic video depicting cane
travel instruction for young children; and It's Not So Different,
a short video portraying the normal life led by a blind couple and
their young child.
BEGINNING BRAILLE FOR
PARENTS: A three-hour beginning Braille course for sighted parents
of blind children or teachers who want to learn Braille and/or
observe the techniques of teaching Braille to sighted parents. The
workshop is limited to 25 participants. The fee is covered by the
$5 registration fee for the parents seminar. Pre-registration is
encouraged. Please see the pre-registration form at the end of this
article.
PARENT POWER: How are parents of blind children making a difference
in their states and communities? This workshop, inspired by our
popular new featureþalso called þParent Powerþþin Future
Reflections, will show you how to organize and conduct effective
seminars, projects, and programs; how to raise funds for your
activities; how to work with and within your local NFB affiliates;
how to organize a parent division in your area; how to prevent
parent burn-out; and so forth. The workshop will be broken down
into four 45-minute sessions. This will allow parents to circulate
to other concurrent workshops.
SPECIAL TOPICS: A very exciting session for parents of deaf-blind
children will be offered as one of three topics in this workshop.
Sally Ruemmler, the mother of a deaf-blind teen-age daughter and
co-chair of our Parents of Deaf-Blind Children Partnership
Committee is putting together an excellent program of support and
information for parents of deaf-blind infants and children. The
other two topics will be announced later. Before we establish the
other two Special Topics workshops we want to hear from you. Please
send your ideas and suggestions for the other two topics to:
Barbara Cheadle, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230;
(work) 410-659-9314 and (home) (410) 747-3472. Some of the current
suggestions under consideration are: Developmental Delays and
Multiple Handicaps in Blind Children; Low Vision and Alternative
Techniques of Blindness; and Social Skills and the Blind
Adolescent.
MOVE IT!: The foundation for independence is mobility. This
workshop will explore ways in which parents of blind and visually
impaired children of all ages can facilitate movement and
independence. Discussion and demonstrations will also focus on the
ways in which the long white cane promotes greater confidence and
independent movement.
TO BE ANNOUNCED: Several exciting initiatives regarding the
creative use of toys and play activities for children are being
developed. We hope to kick these off at convention with some
special demonstrations. Stay tuned! We will announce any
developments as time allows through our state and local parent
divisions and chapters.
***********************
Blind Youth
Convention Orientation Session
3:00 p.m. þ 5:00 p.m. (Saturday, July 1) This session provides
blind youth (grades 6 through 12) a chance to get together early in
the convention. This allows them time to begin forming friendships.
It is also a structured opportunity to meet interesting and
competent blind adults. The adult counselors will take the youth
out in groups to familiarize them with the layout of the hotel and
convention site. The counselors will also lead discussion groups,
organize get-acquainted activities, and familiarize youth with the
NFB and the convention schedule.
Kiddie Land Field Trip
Saturday, July 1: Kiddie Land is a scaled-down, kid-size amusement
park. It is especially designed for younger children. The fee,
which includes admission to Kiddie Land, unlimited rides at the
park, transportation, and lunch, is $15.00 per child. Once again,
Carla McQuillan, President of the NFB of Oregon, has volunteered to
organize and lead the field trip. Carla owns and operates a
Montessori preschool program. She has extensive experience as a
teacher and an administrator, and she is also a parent. Since the
number of children who can be accommodated for this trip is limited
by space available on the bus and by the ratio of volunteer workers
to children, we urge you to use the form at the end of this article
and pre-register your children for the Saturday, July 1, day-trip.
The volunteer workers, by the way, are mostly blind parents,
teachers, and students who are willing to donate some of their
convention time to helping your children enjoy convention, too.
Children under the age of five and older children who choose not to
register for the Kiddie Land trip are invited to register for NFB
Camp for the day.
8:00 a.m. þ 9:00 a.m. $15 per child. Registration or check-in time.
9:00 a.m. þ 3:00 p.m. Field trip. Lunch will be purchased at
Kiddie Land.
3:00 p.m. þ 5:00 p.m. Return to hotel. Special activities, games,
crafts, movies, etc. in the NFB Camp room in the hotel.
5:00 p.m. þ 5:30 p.m. Parents collect children.
Family Hospitality Night
6:30 p.m. þ 9:30 p.m. (Saturday, July 1). Family Hospitality Night
is sponsored by the National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children and the National Association of Blind Students. Bring the
kids, relax, and meet other parents. We will be using the NFB Camp
room, so there will be plenty of toys and space to keep the kids
occupied! Teachers of blind children and blind teachers will be
there, too, to talk informally with parents about educational
concerns.
NFB CAMP
Saturday, July 1, through Friday, July 7, 1995
The following schedule is subject to change according to changes in
the convention schedule, availability of workers, funds, etc. A
schedule will be available at convention when you register your
children for NFB Camp. Remember also to check daily for any changes
to the schedule.
Saturday, July 1: 8:30 a.m. þ 5:00 p.m. On this day and this day
alone, lunch will be provided to the children on site.
Sunday, July 2: Open in the evening only during the Parental
Concerns Committee meeting. See convention agenda for time.
Monday, July 3: Open in the morning and afternoon for those who are
attending the Board meeting in the morning and special division
meetings in the afternoon. Parents MUST pick up children during the
lunch break.
Tuesday, July 4: Open during morning and afternoon convention
general sessions. (Check your agenda for times. You will receive an
agenda when you register for the convention on Sunday.) Camp IS NOT
open during the lunch break. Children MUST be picked up promptly
after adjournment at noon and at the end of the day.
Wednesday, July 5: Camp is open only in the morning. There is no
afternoon convention session and therefore no camp session.
Children must be picked up promptly after the session adjourns.
Thursday, July 6: Open during morning and afternoon sessions.
Closed during the lunch break. Open during the evening banquet. See
agenda for time. Again, children must be picked up promptly after
the banquet adjourns.
Friday, July 7: Open during morning and afternoon sessions. Closed
during the lunch break.
NFB Camp is NOT an ordinary child care service. It is a special
opportunity for children who are blind or who have a blind member
in their family to interact with each other and with blind adults.
Mrs. Willows, the volunteer director of NFB Camp, organizes
activities to maximize this interaction. At the 1994 NFB Camp, for
example, Mrs. Willows arranged for blind artists to come in and
conduct craft and art activities with the children. Other blind
persons, such as a blind horticulturist, also came and did special
projects with the children.
Mary Willows (who is an experienced educator and the blind
mother of two children) and many other members of the Federation
put in many volunteer hours to the NFB Camp so that the convention
can be enjoyable and an enriching experience for every member of
the family.
Parents are asked to make these donations for NFB Camp
activities: $50 for the week (including the banquet) for the first
child and $25 for each additional child; or $10 per child per day
and $10 per child for the banquet night if you do not want to
register for the full week. Parents will also be asked to pay a
fine for late pick-ups. There may also be additional fees for
optional day-trips. Trips and fees will be announced when you
register or check-in your children at the NFB Camp room at the
convention.
Parents who cannot contribute the suggested donation should
contact Mary Willows to discuss the contribution they can make.
Mrs. Willows will also take pre-registration for NFB Camp. Contact
Mrs. Willows at 3934 Kern Court, Pleasanton, California 94566;
(510) 462-8575. She will need your name, address, and phone number;
the names and ages of your child(ren); and a brief description of
any special characteristics or needs of your child(ren).
Regarding teens who want baby-sitting jobs at convention, Mrs.
Willows will not locate or solicit such jobs but she will pass
prepared information on to parents who use the NFB Camp. Contact
Mrs. Willows for more information.
Sunday, July 2, 1995
CONVENTION REGISTRATION: In order to get the fabulous room rates
you must register for the convention. Registration opens on Sunday,
July 2, and the fee is only $10 per person. Thursday night banquet
tickets may be purchased at registration, too. Banquet tickets
usually cost in the neighborhood of $20 to $25. You will get your
convention agendas (print or Braille) when you register.
Pre-convention agendas which cover the activities on Friday, June
30, and Saturday, July 1, will be available free at the Federation
Information Desk. This desk will be located near the hotel
registration and lobby area.
EXHIBIT HALL: Nearly every type of old and new computer technology
and other aids, appliances, toys, games, books, and so forth for
the blind and visually impaired will be on display at the NFB
Convention exhibit hall. The hall is open all day on Sunday, July
2, and various other times throughout the convention. See your
convention agenda for exhibit hall hours.
Monday, July 3, 1995
Annual Meeting of the
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION
OF PARENTS OF BLIND CHILDREN
1:00 p.m. þ 5:00 p.m.
At this meeting we have the exciting opportunity to meet and hear
from parents from all over the country. We discuss local and
national projects (such as our Braille Readers are Leaders
contest), elect officers, listen to a presentation from the 1995
Educator of Blind Children award winner, accept committee reports,
and discuss activities of our state and regional parent divisions
and chapters. This year we also have Mr. Christopher Craig as a
special guest speaker. Mr. Craig, a former NFB scholarship winner
and a doctoral student in special education, has been investigating
how blind and visually impaired children þemergeþ into literacy and
how the family impacts upon that process. Readers may remember the
announcement in Future Reflections about his research and about how
the NOPBC assisted Mr. Craig in locating parents for his survey.
Tuesday, July 4, 1995
IEP Workshop:
HOW TO BE AN IEP ADVOCATE
FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS:
7:00 p.m. þ 10:00 p.m.
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) process continues to be
the key element in planning a good education for a blind or
visually impaired child. That is why, year after year, we conduct
this workshop at convention. And, year after year, we have a
consistently high attendance. This year we are adding a different
twist to the workshop. We will be discussing specific strategies
for Federationists who go to IEP meetings as advocates for others.
Although pre-registration for the workshop is not required, we are
urging you to pre-register this year so we can plan for the number
of handouts we will need in print, large print, Braille, and
recorded formats. Those who pre-register will have first shot at
the prepared handouts in the media of their choice. Please see the
pre-registration form at the end of this article.
******************
OTHER CONVENTION ACTIVITIES
In regard to other activates, there are so many special interest
committees and divisions that you are bound to find something up
your alley. Here is a partial list: Parental Concerns Committee,
Music Division, National Association to Promote the Use of Braille,
Diabetics Division, Writers Division, National Association of Blind
Lawyers, National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science, and
the National Association of Blind Students.
The general convention sessions, which begin Tuesday morning,
always feature speakers of interest to parents. One year we had a
blind sculptor, another year a blind auto mechanic. Other speakers
are people of power and influence in the political, governmental,
special education, and rehabilitation arenas. These people come to
speak and inform, but they also come to listen and learn from the
collective voice of the blind.
Other events and meetings parents are encouraged to attend are
the Monday morning National Board meeting, the Resolutions
Committee meetings, the Thursday evening banquet, and the Friday
business session. The scholarship winners are introduced and asked
to say a few words at the Board meeting on Monday. They are all
introduced again at the banquet when the scholarship amounts they
won are announced.
The Resolutions Committee meeting and the Friday business
session is the Federation in action. Through these forums of
democratic discussion and debate the NFB formulates policies about
the critical issues facing the blind of the nation. More than any
other convention activities these sessions demonstrate that this is
þwhere the action isþ when it comes to blindness.
Come, join us in Chicago in 1995 and discover for yourselves the
excitement and personal satisfaction that comes from participating
in a process that is creating a better and brighter future for our
blind children.
KIDDIE LAND FIELD TRIP
Pre-registration
Saturday, July 1, 1995
Name of Parent or
Responsible Adult:
Address
City State Zip
Home and/or Work
Phone Numbers
As you fill out the following information, please include the
child's last name if it is different from parents' last name. Also
include a description of any characteristics which may require
medical or other considerations on the trip. Please note that
although we will keep the ratio of volunteer adult workers to
children low, we do not have the capacity to assign one adult to
one child. The fee for the trip (including older siblings or
adults) is $15.00 per person. This includes the cost of
transportation, lunch, entrance to the park, and unlimited rides at
the park.
Children:
Name
Age Grade
Blind, sighted,
other characteristics:
Fee: $15 per person. Total enclosed $______
Please make checks payable to National Organization of Parents of
Blind Children or NOPBC
Mail by June 10, 1995, to:
Carla McQuillan
3988 Main Street
Springfield, Oregon 97478
(503) 726-6924
BEGINNING BRAILLE FOR PARENTS
Pre-registration
Saturday, July 1, 1995
Name
Address
City State Zip
Phone Number
I am (circle your selection): Parent Relative Blind Adult
Professional Other_________
Please describe your level, if any, of Braille knowledge. Remember,
this is an introductory workshop designed for beginners.
Fee: $5. Total enclosed: $_________ The $5 fee also includes
registration for the Saturday, July 1, parents seminar. Those who
pre-register for the Beginning Braille for Parents Workshop will be
given proper credit for the parent seminar.
Make checks payable to National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children or NOPBC.
Mail to:
NOPBC Convention Workshops
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
For more information contact
Barbara Cheadle
(410) 659-9314
or evenings at (410) 747-3472.
IEP WORKSHOP
Pre-registration
Tuesday, July 4, 1995
Name
Address
City State Zip
Phone Number
Fee: $5. Total enclosed: $_________ The $5 fee also includes
registration for the Saturday, July 1, parents seminar. Those who
pre-register for the IEP Workshop will be given proper credit for
the parents seminar.
Format(s) I prefer (circle choice[s]):
Braille large print tape regular print
Please make checks payable to National Organization of Parents of
Blind Children (NOPBC).
Mail by June 10, 1995, to:
NOPBC Convention Workshops
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
For more information call Barbara Cheadle at: (410) 659-9314 or
evenings at (410) 747-3472.
MY DREAM FOR MACY
What the NFB Convention
Means to Me
by Crystal McClain
We have made the NFB National Convention a family outing for
the last two years. Our family consists of myself, Crystal McClain,
my husband Mark, and our three daughters, Brianne, age twelve, and
the twins, Macy and Madison, ages four. This past year we also
brought along our neighbor girl, Emily. From this line-up you can
see we had quite a crew at convention!
When we found out over three years ago that Macy was going to
be blind, we were frightened about the future. We didn't know what
type of life Macy could have, where she would go to school, or how
expensive raising a blind child would be. We were basically
ignorant about blindness.
I originally found out about the National Federation of the
Blind through Future Reflections. I can't remember how I got signed
up to receive the magazine, but the important thing is that it
happened. After reading articles such as þIs Your Child
Age-Appropriate?þ by Ruby Ryles, and þAn Appropriate Education for
Codyþ by Marty Grieser, I felt like I was headed down a brighter
path for Macy. Then I read the report about the 1992 NFB convention
in Charlotte, North Carolina. I decided then and there not to miss
another convention. So, I contacted Barbara Pierce, the president
of the NFB of Ohio. I then attended my first local NFB meeting,
which paved the way for our family to go to the 1993 NFB Convention
in Dallas.
I became less ignorant about blindness with each contact with
the NFB. I value the role the NFB plays in our life, and I am
committed to the NFB philosophy. Here are some of the general
things I have learned about blindness from the NFB and from Macy:
1. Blindness doesn't have to be a tragedy (unless you let it be).
2. Independence is a priority.
3. Networking with other parents is a must.
4. Blind adult role models are essential.
5. Parents and teachers must have age-appropriate expectations.
6. A positive attitude is critical.
7. Blind kids MUST USE A CANE.
8. Parents must know the law and their rights.
9. Parents are their child's first and best advocates.
10. þAdaptþ instead of saying þcan't.þ
Another thing about NFB Conventions is that I found out how
parents can miss out on so much if they come and only attend the
Parents Seminar and then leave. I feel I have learned so much by
staying and attending meetings such as the Parental Concerns
Committee meeting (this is for blind parents, but I learned a lot
from them); the meeting of the National Association to Promote the
Use of Braille (NAPUB); technology meetings and workshops; general
convention sessions, which always have such interesting topics and
speakersþI would pay twice the registration fee to hear Fred
Schroeder speak; and the Board of Director's meeting at which the
twenty-six scholarship winners are introduced. I find the
scholarship winners especially impressive. If people in our
children's schools could just see these high-achieving high school
and college students I feel that their expectations and attitudes
would have to change, if only a little.
My knowledge of blindness has increased dramatically since we
became involved with the NFB. My friends and family have also been
educated about blindness, directly by Macy and indirectly by the
NFB. Macy's life, I realize, will have rocky times in it just as
Madison's (her twin sister) life will have rocky times. But I have
learned to maintain high expectations and to carry them through. I
can't wait until the NFB Convention in 2009. My dream is to see
Macy walk across the stage at the Board of Directors meeting and be
introduced as an NFB scholarship winner!
REACHING FOR THE STARS
by Julie Hunter
Fifteen years ago on a warm June morning my husband, Bob, and
I drove to the hospital for our appointment with destiny. Because
of delivery problems with our first child, we had the luxury of
being able to choose the day and time of our second child's
surgical delivery. Later that morning, we were overjoyed to welcome
a baby girl into our familyþfinally, a girl where for generations
(on my husband's side) there had only been boys! She was a perfect
babyþhealthy, dark hair, big blue eyes, and a pretty little face.
We couldn't have been happier! Little did we know that this tiny,
innocent babe in arms would turn our world on its ear.
Our new daughter, Lauren, thrived in her first few months at
home. She was begrudgingly accepted by her two-year-old brother,
Mark, and gradually our family life fell into a happy new routine.
But as she grew, some little concerns tickled the backs of our
minds. She squinted when she was out in the sunlightþtypical of
newborns we were told. She didn't smile when someone came to her
crib, but she would smile when held or spoken to. Finally, a jerky
eye movement that we assumed would pass with her infancy became
more and more obvious. Then came that fateful day when the doctors'
tests concluded that our daughter's retinas were not functioning
properly. She would have visual impairment, but no one knew to what
extent. She might even be able to drive, we were told.
Of course we were optimistic and clung to the best case
scenarioþthat the condition wouldn't worsen, that she would be
mildly visually impaired, but not (God forbid) blind. As the months
passed, it became obvious that this was not a stable condition. Her
visual acuity was gradually fading. We mourned for every lost
dream. We felt guilty that we had unknowingly passed on what we
were told was a recessive genetic defect. We felt depressed about
the future. But it's no fun living in depression, so something had
to give! That something was our first change in attitude about
blindness. This was our child! She was bright and charming, and we
vowed that vision or lack of it would not define her life. We
didn't want to hear any more sympathetic words from well-meaning
neighbors and friends. Give up your dreams? Not on your life!
And so we were inaugurated into a whole new worldþa world
which has caused us to re-examine our values and broaden our
horizonþa world which has brought us support, friendship, and a
cause we believe in. Who would have thought that such a tiny baby
born on a warm June morning would be responsible for all of that?
At what point do we move from seeing the glass as half-empty to
seeing it as half-full? For us it came gradually as we learned,
through the National Federation of the Blind, that the possibility
was there that our dreams for Lauren could be fulfilled. That
foundation was in place for us when we sustained our second
blowþdiscovering that Lauren also has a progressive hearing loss.
As with the vision loss, which is now total, the hearing loss has
been gradual. Lauren is now fifteen years old. She got her first
set of hearing aids when she was eight. Her hearing loss has
progressed from mild to moderate, and now hovers on the line
between moderate and severe. Again, doctors are no help to us. They
don't know why and can't predict what the future holds in store. We
just live our lives and take what comes.
But one thing we have learned over the years is that fear
about the future results from ignorance and failing to take
control. If you do all you can to learn about your nemesis, never
lose sight of your goal (which in our case is to achieve maximum
independence), and stay in charge of your destiny, then the future
is not so frightening. In relation to the deafness, we are still
into the process of learning. The more we learn, the less scary the
future seems. As we meet and talk to other parents with deaf/blind
children and with deaf/blind adults, we are reassured that there
can be a quality life for an individual who is blind and deaf. Our
job is to make sure that Lauren has the adaptive skills necessary
to remain an interactive member of society. There is work to do,
but I feel confident that my daughter will achieve her potential,
and no matter what the future brings, we will never stop reaching
for the stars.
FEDERATION PHILOSOPHY
AND THE EDUCATION OF BLIND CHILDREN
My Personal Experiences
by Gail Y. Katona, 1993 Recipient
Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award
National Federation of the Blind
Editor's Note: The Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award
brings not only honor, national recognition, a trip to the NFB
National Convention, and a substantial amount of cash, but it also
confers certain responsibilities upon the recipients. Because the
recipients become role models for other educators and for parents,
we ask them to give a major presentation at the annual meeting of
the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. In this
presentation they are to outline their philosophy and approach to
education and describe very specific examples of how they go about
putting that philosophy into practice. The following address is the
presentation which was given by our distinguished 1993 Award
recipient, Gail Katona of New Mexico.
Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure and honor to be here
today and to have the opportunity to address you and share with you
some of my thoughts on the education of blind children. I was one
of those kids who always knew what I wanted to be when I grew up
and that, of course, was to be a teacher. I have an uncle who has
Down's Syndrome and my aunt, Karen Mayry, is blind. So I grew up
around people who were, as some folks saw it, þdifferent.þ I
remember when I was little crying and asking my mom why people
laughed at and pointed to my uncle, and wondering why people
thought that I (a child) had to help my aunt (an adult) just
because she was blind. It puzzled me that people found it amazing
and fascinating that my aunt led a normal life. Because I was
around these relatives often as a child, I was exposed to
stereotypical thinking and discrimination towards those who had
exceptionalities at an early age. I spent three summers when I was
a teen-ager living with my Aunt Karen and her husband. From
spending time with her and watching her run a household, go to
work, go waterskiing, play golf, take care of her husband, hand out
discipline to me when I needed itþbasically leading a regular,
average lifeþI quickly learned that many people in our society sure
had the wrong ideas about the capabilities of blind people.
I have been a member of the National Federation of the Blind
(NFB) since I was about 17 years old when I attended my first
National Convention in Minneapolis. Because of the NFB I have met
many capable, confident, and independent blind adults. I know
without a doubt that my young blind students too can and will grow
up, go to college or technical school, get jobs, raise families,
and be whatever they want to be in life (except of course pilots or
brain surgeons). In order for these kids to accomplish their goals
they need to become PROFICIENT in what we call the alternative
techniques of blindness, such as Braille and cane travel, and they
need a positive þI can doþ attitude about being blind. I believe
all children can be successful and grow to their fullest potential
if they are taught with creativity, love, and encouragement; if
their teachers have high expectations of them; and if they get the
tools they need for success.
I entered college in the fall of 1980 at Kutztown University
in Pennsylvania. On my first day of class I wore an NFB T-shirt. I
sat in the front row, right in the middle because that's where kids
who get good grades sit, right?! Well, my professor looked at me
and said, þNFB?þ I replied, þYes, are you familiar with the
organization?þ And he said, þI am. What do you know about it?þ I
answered, þWell, I've been a member for a couple of years.þ He
responded with, þOh NO - you're one of THOSE people?þ I was
surprised and came back with, þYES I AM AND DARN PROUD OF IT, TOO!þ
(Mind you this exchange was taking place in a room full of
students.) He then called us (the NFB) a bunch of rabble-rousing
radicals who liked to get up on their soapboxes. My final response
was þWhatever they are, I'm one of them, and nothing will change
that.þ Needless to say he and I bumped heads over the next four
years, but in May of 1984 I graduated with a dual major receiving
a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Teaching the
Visually Handicapped.
In college I learned many teaching techniques and methods. I
learned Braille (we used the Library of Congress Braille
Transcribers Manual), how to use both the Perkins Braille Writer
and the slate and stylus, basic orientation and mobility skills,
and a little bit about the abacus. But it was through my
association with the NFB that I picked up my philosophy for
teaching blind children. Who better to learn from than those blind
adults who have been through the education system and KNOW
firsthand what is needed to be successful and make it in today's
world?
When I began teaching in Albuquerque nine years ago I had six
students, first through third grades in a classroom in a regular
elementary school. Over the years as our reputation grew and word
got out about our existence, the program continued to grow. We have
even had a few families relocate to Albuquerque so their children
could come to our program. Three years ago we had so many children
that I could no longer handle it by myself so we split into two
classrooms. For the past two years I have been team-teaching with
a lady named Rye Gerry who took over the primary students. Rye does
not have visually impaired certification but has many years of
teaching experience and has a masters in special education. More
importantly she has the skills to teach blind children: she is
proficient in the Braille code and spent many hours under
sleepshade learning cane-travel skills. Rye and I teach all
subjects like any other elementary classroom teacher. The only
difference is we teach using both print and Braille or only
Braille.
The thirteen students we taught this past year are blind, and
that's where the similarities end. More importantly they are
individual kids with a wide variety of strengths and weaknesses,
just as you would find in any classroom. Our students range from
kindergarten to fifth grade. Some students have learning
disabilities, a few have some physical difficulties, but most are
what I call þgenericþ kidsþregular kiddos who happen to be blind.
Our goal is to teach the students the Braille skills and other
alternative techniques of blindness so they can go out into the
mainstream of the school and be able to compete equally with their
sighted classmates. Some of the students spend 90 percent of their
day mainstreamed into regular classrooms, some spend 90 percent of
their day with us, and the rest fall somewhere in between. We take
a very individualized approach with the students because we want
all children to be successful in their school experience. Some
kids, even if they had 20/20 vision, would still need a lot of
special support in school. Those are the students that spend most
of their day with us receiving individual attention.
Our students' vision ranges from totally blind to legally
blind or what some people refer to as visually impaired. No matter
what their visual acuity is, we are a classroom for children who
are blind. We try to instill in the kids, their parents, other
teachers, and other sighted students the belief that being blind is
respectable. Blind is not a negative or þbadþ word. Being blind is
simply a characteristic, and it doesn't define who you are.
Although there are many differences among our students there
are three things they all have in common. The first is they are all
blind. The second is they are all learning to read and write in
Braille no matter how much residual vision they have. The third is
they are learning to be safe and independent cane travelers. Both
of these skills are taught while the child is wearing a sleepshade
(blindfold). We don't make a big deal about wearing a sleepshade,
that's just the way it is. Usually the kids don't fuss about it
either. We use sleepshades so the students will more quickly and
thoroughly learn to use the proper techniques instead of depending
on remaining vision, which oftentimes is ineffective and
misleading.
There are reasons why children who have some vision should be
taught to read and write in Braille. Some of our kids have
degenerative eye conditions and will not be able to efficiently use
print as primary reading and writing medium as they get older. They
are learning Braille at the same time they are learning print so
the skills will be in place as their vision decreases or
fluctuates. Others have such limited vision that they have to stick
their noses on the page to see the print. This obviously is not a
very quick or efficient way to read, and so the children quickly
fall behind other students in their work. Some of our low-vision
students do well with standard large print materials and can keep
up with their sighted classmates. However these kids also
experience eye fatigue and headaches after prolonged reading. They
are learning to use Braille so they will have an alternative to
print material. No, it is not traumatic for a student with vision
to learn Braille. It can be, though, if the teacher has a negative
attitude about it. We are not trying to þmake a child blindþ as
some feel. We are trying to provide students with the skills they
need so they can succeed in life.
Yes, it is possible to learn and use both print and Braille at
the same time; even our youngest students are deciding for
themselves that Braille is often easier and quicker for their
school work. Valene is one of our students who did not have
Braille skills when she started with us in first grade. She is a
child who could see out of one eye and could read large print if
she got really close to it. We started to teach her Braille,
wearing a sleepshade, and continued also with some instruction in
print. Valene picked up Braille very quickly and was really
enjoying reading. During her first year in school, she experienced
two or three hemorrhages which temporarily took away her vision. If
Valene had not been using Braille, her learning would have stopped
at this time. But because she had Braille training and was already
using a white cane for travel, her education couldþand didþcontinue
uninterrupted. After the hemorrhage cleared, we again incorporated
print instruction with her Braille. By the beginning of second
grade Valene said, þBraille sure is quicker and easier than print!þ
Valene has done all of her academic school work in Braille ever
since; she begins fourth grade this August.
People often wonder when Braille should be introduced to a
child. I've heard professionals say, þHe's not ready to learn
Braille.þ And the child is five or six years old! Or professionals
will say, þWhy bother using Twin Visionþ books? A two-year-old
can't read anyway!þ My response to these statements is NONSENSE!
Braille needs to be introduced while a child is small at home or in
preschool. If you think about it, sighted kids are bombarded with
print from the time they are babies. They are learning that these
funny looking lines mean something. Our blind children need to have
Braille exposure at a very young age too. I'm not saying that we
should expect all two-year-olds to be able to read, but they need
to know that Braille exists.
When do sighted children learn to read? Well, it varies
depending on the child. But by the time they are in preschool they
are at least being exposed to their print letters and numbers. And
by the end of kindergarten sighted kids are expected to at least be
able to recognize their letters and numbers and write their names.
Our blind children need to have the same expectations placed on
them. They also need the opportunity to meet these expectations.
Blind children should progress at the same pace as their sighted
classmates through the reading and writing process. Blindness does
not automatically cause a child to fall behind in his school work;
denying a child the opportunity to learn and use Braille may.
Part of literacy is also writing skills. We teach Braille writing
using both a Perkins Braille Writer as well as a slate and stylus.
The slate and stylus is a blind person's equivalent to a pencil and
paper; it is portable, quiet, and a must for taking notes. We also
teach our students how to write using a pencil. At the very least
our blind children need to know how to write their names in
cursive; think of all the situations in life where a person needs
to write his signature! We also teach our students how to type,
using both a standard electric typewriter and a talking computer.
It does not take a fancy adapted keyboard; we simply mark the F key
and the J key so they can easily find home-row. I try to begin
touch-typing instruction when a student is in second or third
grade. Keyboarding skills are really important. It allows the
students independently to turn in print assignments to their
classroom teachers. This really cuts down on the turnaround time it
takes for the Braille teacher to interline the print over the
student's Braille and then return it to the classroom teacher. It
depends on the individual student, but I expect many of my kids to
turn in typed assignments by the time they are in fourth or fifth
grade. Typing skills also give our kids a way to communicate with
their sighted classmates through notes or letters.
The use of a long white cane is not an option, it is a
necessity for our kids. Cane travel skills are an essential part of
a child's education. What child doesn't want the freedom and the
ability to go places by himself, when and where he chooses? Cane
travel skills for young children give them that freedom. Using a
white cane needs to be started at a very young age. I feel that by
the time a child can walk and hold a cane out in front of him, he
should have the opportunity to move about and explore his
environment using a cane. How do you know if a child needs a cane?
Basically, if children cannot safely and by themselves go places
other children their age go, then they need a cane.
When Elisha started kindergarten with us she did not have a
cane. Since she had a LITTLE vision, she was never given a cane.
Well, the first day of school she was running down the hall and
didn't see the wall until she was a few inches from it. She quickly
put on her brakes (meanwhile my heart was in my mouth) and wham!
She went into the wall. Luckily she put her hand up so she really
didn't get hurt. That same day, going out to recess, she tumbled
down three steps and scraped her knees because she didn't see the
steps. I had a cane in her hand the next day and started
instruction immediately. Then I could relax and not constantly
worry about her safety. Now Elisha knows where steps are and where
walls are because her cane gives her the information she needs!
Jennifer is the opposite. While Elisha is a speed demon, Jennifer
is pretty slow-moving. Jen didn't walk alone until she was about
four years old, and she started at Zia Elementary a year later. She
was very tiny for her age, about the size of a three-year-old. And
when she started school she got her first white cane and began
learning how to use it. When the recess bell would ring, Jen would
pick up her cane from next to her chair and head out of the
classroom door. She would go down the hallway and just as she got
to the doors leading outside, the bell would ring ending recess!
So, she would turn around and make her way back to the classroom
and try again the following recess. Needless to say, Jennifer
didn't get much playing done outside.
Were we mean? Some teachers and students thought so. Maybe it
would have been quicker and easier to take her by the hand and get
her outside. But what would Jennifer have learned? The message she
would have gotten is that she was incapable of doing it herself. It
took her a long time to speed up, and she's still no Speedy
Gonzales (except when there is pizza for lunchþthen she flies!),
but Jennifer knows that she can get around all by herself, and we
expect her to do so. (Jennifer goes off to middle school in August
and is nervous but excited.)
When students have a white cane they are expected to use it at
all times: on the playground, in the hallways, in the cafeteria,
going to the bathroom, on field trips, in the classroom, on the
bus, around their neighborhoods, in the store, etc. If they begin
at an early age to use a cane, the cane becomes a part of them. But
kids will be kids, and sometimes they forget and don't use their
canes correctly. I can't tell you how many times I've seen our
students dragging their canes behind, looking to see where they've
been I guess, or just holding the cane but not arcing it or using
it. And when they run into a pole, or fall off a curb, it is hard
for me to stand there and watch it happen. My students have heard
me say countless times, þAre you hurt? No? Good. But if you were
using your cane it wouldn't have happened.þ If we always rescue a
child, they won't learn how to be good, safe, independent
travelers. We need to always encourage independence for our kids
and encourage them always to use their canes. Now I often hear the
other teachers in the school telling our kids to þArc that cane and
use itþdon't just carry it.þ I don't know about you, but I have
better things to do with my time than to walk a kid to the bathroom
twelve times a day or to the drinking fountain or to the
playground. With the training in using a white cane, our children
have the independence to get around just like everyone else.
Teaching is much more than passing on reading, writing, math
skills, and knowledge. Teaching is acceptance, patience,
flexibility, creativity, and having the honesty to admit we don't
have all the answers but will try to find out. It is assuming that
all children have the desire to learn, and then giving them the
tools they need to learn and to succeed. It is challenging students
to think and grow to their fullest potential. This is what I try to
do. It is a wonderful experience to watch my students mature and
learn to be capable, confident young people who just happen to be
blind.
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP) CHECKLIST
Prepared by:
Jennifer Haber and Leslie Seid Margolis*
Maryland Disability Law Center
This checklist contains the federal legal requirements governing
the individualized education program (IEP) process and suggestions
for making the process as productive as possible. Please note that
state laws impose a number of additional requirements on school
systems. Please also note that any time the words þschool systemþ
are used, the reference is also to any public agency that is
responsible for the provision of special education services to
students with disabilities.
IEP PREPARATION
___1. After the initial determination that a student needs special
education, a meeting must be held within 30 days to develop an IEP.
___2. A meeting to review or, if appropriate, revise an IEP must be
held at least one time per year.
___3. The IEP must be in effect at the beginning of each school
year.
___4. The parent(s) must receive notification of the meeting early
enough to ensure that they will have the opportunity to attend.
The meeting must be scheduled at a mutually agreed to time and
place.
The meeting notice must indicate the time, purpose, and location of
the meeting and who will be in attendance.
If the purpose of meeting is to determine transition services, the
meeting notice must also indicate that the purpose of the meeting
is transitional planning; indicate that the student will be
invited; identify any other agencies that will be invited to send
a representative to the meeting.
___5. If neither parent can attend, the school system must use
other methods to ensure participation, including individual or
conference telephone calls.
___6. A meeting may be conducted without a parent in attendance if
the school system is not able to convince the parent(s) that they
should come to the meeting. If the school system proceeds without
the parent, the school system must have a record of its efforts to
arrange a mutually agreed on time and place for the meeting.
___7. When a parent does attend the IEP meeting, either in person
or by other means, the school system must ensure that the parent
understands the proceedings at the meeting. This includes arranging
an interpreter for parents with deafness or parents whose native
language is not English.
___8. The parent has the right to review the student's complete
education file prior to any meeting.
Suggestions
It may be helpful for parents to review school records prior
to an IEP meeting, including assessment results, medical reports,
and records from other agencies with which the student may be
involved. It also may be helpful for parents to talk with the
student's teacher(s) and with the student him- or herself.
Prior to the meeting, it is helpful for parents to think about
the areas in which the student needs special attention, the kind of
attention that would be most successful, long- and short-term goals
for the student, and the kind of education setting the parents
think would be most appropriate for the student.
It is also helpful for parents to think about what
modifications might be needed in order for the student to
participate successfully in the regular education and nonacademic
programs. Modifications might include curriculum changes, testing
procedure changes, a one-to-one or classroom aide, a computer, etc.
After thinking about these issues, the parent(s) should write down
any thoughts, questions, or concerns and organize any documents
they want to bring to the meeting.
The parent(s) may wish to contact an advocacy or parent education
organization for advice, information, or assistance prior to the
meeting.
IEP MEETING
___1. The following participants must be at the meeting:
a representative of the school system who is qualified to
administer the provision of special education;
the student's teacher;
one or both of the student's parents;
the student, if appropriate;
and other individuals at the discretion of the parent or school
systemþfor example, therapists from the school system or outside
agencies.
___2. For a student who has been evaluated for the first time, a
member of the evaluation team must also attend the meeting. The
school system must also ensure that the school system
representative, the teacher, or some other person who is
knowledgeable about the evaluation procedures used and the
evaluation results is present at the meeting.
___3. If the student does not attend the IEP meeting at which a
transition plan is developed, the school system must take other
steps to ensure that the student's preferences and interests are
considered.
___4. If the representative of any other agencies invited to a
meeting at which a transition plan is developed do not attend, the
school system shall take other steps to obtain participation.
Suggestions
Parents are members of the team. They should feel free to ask
questions and participate in the discussion at the IEP meeting. The
discussion should be based on cooperation and mutual concern for
the student.
Parents should ask for an explanation of assessment results,
unfamiliar terminology, and recommendations.
It is helpful to proceed through each item on the IEP, addressing
any areas of disagreement or concern on the parents' part. It may
be helpful to look at each goal and objective and determine if it
has been met, partially met, or not met. Going through this process
will help identify goals and objectives that need to be changed and
goals and objectives that should be carried over to the new IEP.
The meeting participants should discuss the type, amount, and
frequency of any related services the student requires.
The meeting participants should discuss whether the student needs
assistive technology devices and/or services to benefit from
his/her education.
The meeting participants should discuss the amount of
programming the student will receive in regular education and in
nonacademic and extracurricular activities and services. As part of
this discussion, the meeting participants also should discuss any
supportive aids or services or any modifications necessary to
enable the student to benefit from participation in regular
education and activities.
The meeting participants should discuss whether the student
needs extended school day or extended school year services.
IEP CONTENTS
___1. The IEP must be developed at the meeting. It is permissible
for the school system to come to the meeting with a draft IEP, but
the parent(s) must have the opportunity to participate in the
development of the final IEP.
___2. The IEP must be developed before any placement decision is
made.
___3. The IEP must include a statement of the student's current
educational performance.
a statement of annual goals including short-term instructional
objectives;
a statement of the specific special education and related services
to be provided;
the extent to which the student will be able to participate in
regular educational programs;
the projected dates when services will begin and how long they will
last; and
appropriate objective criteria and evaluation procedures and
timetables for determining, at least annually, whether the
short-term instructional objectives are being achieved.
___4. The IEP for each student, beginning at age 16 or younger, if
appropriate, must include a transition plan comprised of:
a statement of the needed transition services based on the
individual student's needs, taking into account the student's
preferences and interests;
needed activities in the areas of instruction, community
experiences, and if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills
and functional vocational evaluation.
If the committee decides that some of these services are not
necessary, the IEP must include a statement to that effect and the
basis upon which the determination was made.
If appropriate, a statement of each agency's responsibilities
should be included on the IEP.
Note: If any other agency fails to provide agreed-upon transitional
services contained in the IEP, the school system must initiate a
meeting as soon as possible to identify alternative strategies.
(This provision does not relieve the other agencies of
responsibility to provide or pay for services.)
___5. The parents shall receive a copy of the IEP if they request
a copy.
Suggestions
The IEP should include all areas in which the student needs
specially designed instruction.
The IEP should be designed to enable the student to attain
knowledge and/or skills and should not be a repetition of subjects
already mastered by the student.
The IEP should include any supportive services or aids or
modifications necessary to enable the student to participate in
regular education or nonacademic or extracurricular activities.
The IEP should include any assistive technology devices or
services necessary to enable the student to benefit from his or her
education.
The IEP should include extended school day or extended school
year services if the committee determines that such services are
appropriate.
The IEP should include any testing modifications that will be
provided to the student.
The IEP should include the type, amount, and frequency of any
related services the student requires.
The IEP should include the persons responsible for
implementing each piece of the IEP.
The parent should always request a copy of the IEP.
IEP IMPLEMENTATION
___1. The IEP must be implemented as soon as possible following the
IEP meeting.
___2. The student's placement must be based on the IEP and must be
the least restrictive environment in which the IEP can be
implemented. Unless the student's IEP requires some other
arrangement, the student's placement must be in the school he or
she would attend if not disabled.
Note: Federal and state special education laws include a number of
procedural safeguards, one of which is the parent's right to
challenge any aspect of a student's special education services or
placement, including the school system's failure to implement the
IEP.
*Jennifer Haber, a law student at the University of Maryland law
School, was an intern at the Maryland Disability Law Center during
the fall of 1994. Leslie Seid Margolis is a managing attorney at
the Maryland Disability Law Center, Maryland's protection and
advocacy agency.
REFLECTIONS OF A FIRST-TIME CANE USER
by Angelique Turner
Editor's Note: This article is reprinted from the Spring, 1994,
issue of the Buckeye Bulletin, the newsletter of the National
Federation of the Blind of Ohio. Angelique (Angel) Turner received
a 1993 National Federation of the Blind of Ohio Scholarship. She is
also President of Ohio's Student Division.
I attended my very first Washington Seminar in February of
this year. While there, I was asked to put my impressions of the
event in writing. This seemed an easy request with which to comply.
After all, I was experiencing a great many firsts. For example, I
purchased my very first long white cane and began using it on the
long trek from the hotel to Capitol Hill. Much to my surprise,
however, when I sat down to write about my many new experiences,
the words simply were not there. So many things had happened that
I could not decide what to write about. But my writer's block was
short-lived. It ended suddenly and dramatically with an incident
that took place shortly after I returned from Washington.
During the weekend immediately following the seminar, I felt
that some time for relaxation was definitely in order. Therefore,
I got together with some friends to attend a student production of
The Pines of Rome, and I decided to take my newly purchased NFB
white cane along for the trip. Since I am a new cane user, this was
not an easy decision to make, but my friends supported me in my
endeavors to explore my blindness more fully and thought the cane
was þcool.þ However, as we started to leave my room, one young
woman, who had evidently missed the whole point of the conversation
leading up to the decision to take my cane, innocently commented,
þYou're not going to carry that thing around with you, are
you?þ
I will omit the initial remark that popped into my head, for
I did not say it to her. However, I feel certain that it was
written all over my face. After a brief recovery, I innocently
replied, þSure. Why not?þ And then with cane in hand and a smile
painted brightly on my face, I walked out the door to enjoy the
show.
That incident combined with others that had occurred during
the Washington Seminar and on the trip home made me think more and
more about the societal attitudes and stereotypes that many people
in the blind community have incorporated into their own thinking.
Many blind people with some residual sight hinder their well-being
and progress by rejecting the alternative techniques of blindness
because of the negative attitudes and stereotypes associated with
being blind. For example, a person who fears that a cane makes him
or her look blind is unlikely to use it. If one feels that Braille
makes one look blind, one will not be eager to learn or use it. Our
attitudes about blindness begin to take shape when we are very
young. I can remember hating the coke-bottle glasses I owned when
I was six because everyone called me þfour-eyesþ and þblind bat,þ
etc. I did not have blind adults to serve as role models for me.
For that matter, there was no one to teach me that it was okay to
be blind. In retrospect I remember how many kids came to school
damning their parents because of the brace-face brand seared into
their little egos. These were usually the kids that picked on the
special ed kids and others like me. Perhaps it is well for all to
recognize that every child gets called names along the way.
But many parents and professionals in the field of work with
the blind keep the negative attitudes and damning stereotypes
alive. We in the blind community know all too well the harmful
effects of sight-saving classes with their emphasis on audio tapes
and their discouragement of independent travel. Yet to many parents
and professionals the fact that a blind child has to be taken to
the bathroom or have her food brought to her or that she must cling
to the corridor wall for direction is not particularly worrying, as
long as she doesn't have to use a cane. It doesn't seem to matter
that, even with large print a half inch from his nose, a bright
college student can read only ten print words a minute or that he
has to stay up all hours of the night reviewing five or six lecture
tapes simply to prepare the notes for the course, let alone study
for the exam he has the next day. And he thinks it is worth all of
that not to look blind.
I am now struggling in college as a result of the so-called
sight-saving class and attitudes I was subjected to when I was a
child. I am still dealing with my blindness in all senses of the
word, and, as a new state student chapter president, I find it
difficult to give guidance to others when I am still searching for
answers. While at the Washington Seminar, however, I received a
great deal of support from other students and leaders in my
Federation family to provide me with a gentle nudge or a swift kick
to keep me going in the right direction. I sincerely hope that the
students of today's NFB will aim more and more to set positive
examples for the youth that are fighting society's stereotypes. I
will certainly try.
FROM THE BOOKSHELF
CARE AND FEEDING OF THE
LONG WHITE CANE:
Instructions in Cane Travel for Blind People
by Thomas Bickford
(c) 1993 National Federation of the Blind, ISBN 0-9624122-7-9
Author Thomas Bickford's faith in the blind traveler to become
independentþwith or without the assistance of a good travel
teacherþis demonstrated over and over in this sensible,
down-to-earth, self-help guide. He draws extensively upon personal
experiences (Mr. Bickford is himself blind and a former mobility
teacher) to demon-strate to the reader that there is no special
difficulty or mystery to traveling independently and safely with a
white cane.
þTo become an independent traveler,þ he tells the reader þyou
must, and I believe you can, learn to take care of yourself. The
best thing this booklet can do for you is to help you come to the
time when you don't need it.þ
Mr. Bickford begins with the basicsþþGetting Yourself Ready,þ
þGetting the Cane Ready,þ þActually Walking Aroundþþand moves on up
to more complex travel situations: þCrossing Big, Busy
Intersections,þ þSubways, Escalators, and Elevators,þ þPicnics,
Hiking, and Rough Country.þ One segment near the end of the book is
especially reassuring, þNo One Has to do Everything Perfectly.þ
Although the book targets adults, parents of blind children
will find the information extremely valuable. It answers many
questions and addresses the fears parents typically have about
independent travel.
PRICE:
$2.00 large print
$4.00 cassette tape
$10.00 Braille
One case of 48, large print: $20
Send check or money order payable to the
National Federation of the Blind to
Materials Center
National Federation of the Blind
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
For more information call (410) 659-9314
EST 12:30 p.m.þ5:00 p.m.
SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND BLIND KIDS
by John Ross
Reprinted from the March-April, 1991 issue of the Feeling Sports
newsletter.
From the Editor: þP.E. class is a joke.þ My sighted son's lament
about his regular physical education class in high school is no
comfort to me when I consider the sad state of physical education
for blind kids in this country. Here's how sad it is: The staff at
a summer program for middle-school blind kids have to reorganize
their program when they realize that many of the kids can't walk a
few city blocks without getting exhausted. These kids have no
medical or physical conditions which should limit them; they're
simply out of shape. A bright, talented teen-ager whose only
physical limitation has been his blindness has never learned how to
run. Throughout the years he has, with his parents' consent, been
exempted from all strenuous P.E. activities. A blind youngster and
her parents go to an amusement park. Her parents request a
wheelchair for her at the park. Again, there is only the blindness,
but the girl has no stamina and her parents have no patience. At
home or in school her only physical activity is to walk from room
to room or from the door to the bus or the car. The real irony of
the situation, however, is that the amusement park was only a side
trip to a Special Olympics event the youngster was attending.
` Why do these things still happen and what can we do about
them? John Ross, the author of the following article, attacks these
questions and offers up some strong opinions. I have never met John
Ross and know nothing about him other than what you are about to
read in the following article. Furthermore, I don't agree with all
his opinions and conclusions. For example, I know many athletic
blind people, including my son, who find no challenge in beeping
baseball or in any beeping-ball sport; and laws already exist
which protect the right of blind youngsters to participate in
school or community-sponsored sports. It's not new laws we need,
but a new understanding of blindness and more parents who are
willing to follow the example of Mr. Ross's father.
Despite our divergent views on how to solve the problem, Mr.
Ross and I share a common concern about the continued neglect of
physical education opportunities for blind kids in our schools.
What he has to say is thought-provoking and challenging.
I've been totally blind since age seven and know firsthand how
the system and society deal with visually impaired people. I give
high marks and ratings to a public system that provided me with an
excellent education. I always had skilled teachers and up-to-date
equipment to aid my learning process. They served me well enough
that I went on to earn two college degrees.
Because of my teachers' skills, dedication, and efforts, I
learned (and continue to extensively use) Braille. I also learned
how to operate a typewriter and a computer. They taught me good
study habits and the importance of competing equally in the
business world. I shudder to think what my life might have been had
it not been for those dedicated and wonderful people. I also
shudder to think what my life might have been if I didn't have the
kind of parents who wanted as much for me as my non-handicapped
brothers and sisters.
I grew up in a sports-oriented environment. My father was a
physical education teacher and my two brothers and two sisters
where involved in different and various sports activities. I, too,
wanted these same opportunities but it wasn't any easy path to
follow. During gym classes, I had to stay out of the action because
of þpotential dangers and injuries.þ If lucky, I could find another
sidelined student and play a game of checkers. This made both my
father and me furious. But, the accepted philosophy of educators
and the school board was adamant: No gym activities for blind
students.
However, my dad and brothers worked with me, and I learned
gymnastic skills, did well in swimming, and performed even better
in wrestling. Neighborhood rules were modified to allow me to
participate in football, basketball, and baseball games. In high
school, however, I was encouraged to substitute gym class
requirements for study hours. And I was refused the opportunity to
try out for any of the athletic teams. My dad fought this issue and
won a minor victory. He had to sign a disclaimer absolving the
school district of any liability in the event of an injury, and he
had to get a special health insurance program for me. But this
allowed me to letter in football, and I won the state high school
wrestling tournament.
Local educators and physical education instructors ridiculed
my dad for subjecting me to physical activities where I could
suffer serious hurts and injuries. Thank God he was willing to take
that risk. I had my share of injuries (which no one welcomes), but
I also greatly benefited from the joys and lessons that are part of
participating in athletics. The learned lessons, lasting
friendships, memories, and pure joy of participating in organized
athletic programs are rich with pluses and benefits. Because of my
father, it was my good fortune to have access to these
opportunities.
But, oh, I hurt to think of the many, many, blind youngsters
who would love to have such opportunities but, because of
circumstances, are denied. And, unless individuals and parents
demand it, the doorways to unique athletic challenges and
opportunities will continue to remain closed.
My college days ended over thirty years ago. Much of my
professional life has been involved with promoting physical fitness
and organized athletic programs for the visually impaired. Times
have certainly changed. Progress over the last twenty years has
been made. The options for blind people to engage in a wide variety
of athletic pursuits continue to grow and multiply. But, sadly
enough, this is not the case for our young blind kids.
Even schools for the blind drag their feet when it comes to
making new opportunities available. They do sponsor regional, and
some national, competitions in such sports as wrestling, bowling,
swimming, track and field; some are getting into gymnastics and
weight-lifting. But none of them have any real or progressive
programs for beep-baseball, golf, or the newly-developed field of
audio-darts.
The schools for the blind in Illinois and California do own
audio dart machines. However, to the best of my knowledge, neither
school has emphasized that activity (and it is the least likely to
pose danger or injuries for participants.) Beep-baseball is the
most interesting and challenging team sport available to the blind.
Golf is a definite skill sport but, with proper equipment and
training, many more blind adults and kids could be enjoying this
activity. The younger they start, the more skilled and proficient
they will become. Counselors, teachers, and school superintendents
who work with the visually impaired fail to take necessary steps
and actions that would make these opportunities available to their
students.
Because of this yoke of hesitancy, parents are virtually
unaware of what their children are missing. The bottom line is
fear: fear that a child may be injured and the parents or guardians
will initiate a costly lawsuit. State and federal legislators have
to be pushed and made aware of this fact so that children with
handicaps have the same opportunities to pursue and enjoy sport and
leisure activities. The main push has to come from parents who
demand that these shackles be removed. Parents have to band
together to form clubs and organizations to face these issues and
to pass laws that will insure that visually impaired children are
no longer excluded from such an important aspect of life and
learning.
A skinned elbow or bloody nose is a small price to pay for the
opportunity to swing a bat and hit a pitched ball, and then, run
like the devil to beat an þoutþ call. Or to throw a dart and score
a bulls eye, or the sheer satisfaction of playing a game of golf
with a sighted or unsighted opponent. Every school district in
America should feel morally and legally obligated to make such
opportunities readily available to their handicapped students.
The following article is also reprinted from the same issue of
Feeling Sports newsletter:
HINTS FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND RECREATION TEACHERS
by Dr. Jim Mastro
A good physical education or recreation program for visually
impaired children can be easy if common sense is used by the
educator. If teachers and recreation specialists use their
creativity and treat visually impaired children the same as normal
children, programs can be very beneficial.
The following are hints that may help your program succeed:
1. Preschool and elementary children should be taught that
movement can be fun and beneficial (with some adaptations for
safety). If you wait until these children reach twelve to fifteen
years of age it may be too late for visually impaired children to
learn to move with confidence.
2. A good physical education program can provide the
prerequisite skills needed for further participation in sports; for
example, strength and agility.
3. Choose familiar environments for physical activity or take
time for orientation of the child to the surroundings.
4. Allow the child to explore the physical education area
alone.
5. Remove obstacles that would interfere with free movements.
6. Use a radio or sounding device for cues in the gym and
swimming pool.
7. An aerial guide line, contrasting colors, and textures can
be used for boundaries and for running.
8. Use audible or brightly colored equipment (i.e. balls,
balloons, scarves, and goal locators).
9. Accentuate auditory cues and verbal instructions.
10. Expand your verbal directions to children. For example,
þGo over thereþ is inadequate. Where is there?
11. Provide verbal descriptions, manual manipulation, and
Braille or large print instructions for guidance in activities as
needed.
12. Maintain normal voice intensity.
13. Provide auditory starts and stops of activities.
These are a few hints that may help visually impaired children
in your programs. Remember that visually impaired students are the
same as sighted children in their physical education needs.
THE BRAILLE LITERACY CAMPAIGN:
YOU CAN HELP
FACT 1.þBraille is literacy!
Literacy: An individual's ability to read, write, and speak in
English and compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency
necessary to function on the job and in society; to achieve one's
goals; and to develop one's knowledge and potential.
For blind and visually impaired
students, Braille IS literacy!
Tragically, however, for decades our schools have downgraded
Braille to the level of just another information-gathering tool.
This has led to a nationwide crisis.
FACT 2. þThousands of blind and visually impaired students are
functionally illiterate.
These students cannot read, write, or compute independently
and efficiently. Currently, there are about 50,204 elementary and
secondary level students who have only 10 percent or less of normal
vision. Of these, only 4,385 read Braille. The vast majority of the
remaining students use print materials even when reading with sight
is inefficient, inadequate, and a never-ending daily struggle.
FACT 3. þSomething MUST be done!
The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children and the
National Federation of the Blind have been engaged in a nationwide
Braille Literacy Campaign to eliminate illiteracy among blind and
visually impaired children and youth. Last year, that campaign went
national as we sought to amend the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). However, that effort was put on hold when it
became apparent that action on IDEA would not be taken until 1995.
By the time you receive this issue the Braille Literacy
Campaign at the federal level will have shifted from the back
burner to the front burner. Sometime this spring Congress must
begin tackling the re-authorization of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
This, then, is the ideal time to push to get strong Braille
literacy provisions added to IDEA. It is the best opportunity we
will have for many years to get strong language at the federal
level which confirms the right of all blind children to basic
Braille literacy skills.
FACT 4. þYou can help. Write a Letter!
Whom To Write:
a.) The two senators from your state (address: U.S. Senate,
Washington, D.C., 20510);
b.) your member of congress in the House of Representatives
(address: House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515);
c.) *Congressman Randy (Duke) Cunningham, U.S. House of
Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515; and *Senator Bill Frist,
U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510.
*Congressman Cunningham and Senator Frist chair the key
committees to which IDEA will be assigned.
What To Say: Tell them how you feel about the importance of
this issue. It does not need to be a complex or lengthy letter (in
fact, a one-page letter is best). Just tell them who you are, why
you are interested in Braille literacy, and specifically urge them
to support the addition of strong Braille literacy provisions to
IDEA. The letters may be the same, they can be hand-written or
typed, and they must include your name and address.
Send A Copy: Take one more extra moment and send a copy of
your letter to Mrs. Barbara Cheadle, National Organization of
Parents of Blind Children, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland
21230.
For more information
call Mrs. Cheadle at (410) 659-9314
RIDE LIKE THE WIND
by Margie Watson
My five-year-old daughter, Katie, likes to ride her bike. That
surprises most people, because Katie is blind. My husband or I walk
about ten feet in front of Katie and tell her when to turn the
corner, but otherwise she rides straight ahead on her own.
Last spring, we were getting our bikes out from the basement,
(Wisconsin snow keeps us off of them in the winter), and Katie told
us that she wanted to ride with us and not ride behind us while we
walked. Our first thought was to look into purchasing a tandem
bike. We learned that we could add on something called a stoker kit
which would make the back seat the right size for a child. The
problem with this idea was that it was expensiveþabout $1,000.
Another problem with the tandem bike was that the back-seat rider
would have to pedal at the pace of the front-seat rider. That would
be difficult for a five-year-old child. Disappointed, we figured
that we would have to forego family bike rides until Katie was big
enough for a tandem bike.
Then we heard about a bike called the Allycat Shadow. It was
designed for bike-riding enthusiasts who also happened to be
parents. Essentially, it is a child-sized bike without a front
tire. A bar extends up from the handlebars which is then attached
to an adult's bike just below the seat. The Allycat Shadow would
make our own bike into a detachable children's tandem. It was the
right size for Katie (it holds children from ages four to ten up to
eighty pounds), and the price was reasonable. We immediately
ordered one.
We are thrilled with Katie's new bike. For us it means an
affordable bike for Katie and that we can use the adult bike we
already have. For Katie it means that she can pedal (or not pedal)
at her own pace. And while riding with mom and dad, she is getting
the feel of balancing and learning to turn, as well as riding much
faster.
For any family that enjoys family bike rides, we highly
recommend the Allycat Shadow. You can ask Katie how much fun she is
having riding her new bikeþthat is, if you can catch her.
The photograph shows the Allycat Shadow attached to an adult
bike, (you would use your own adult bike). For more information, or
to order, contact
Allycat Shadow
P.O. Box 1242
San Carlos, California 94070
(800) 700-ALLY (2559).
Members of the National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children will receive this special deal from Allycat: $159.95.
(Dealer may ask for confirmation of membership.) This price
includes: shipping costs, a child's helmet, a velcro-attached bike
bag, and a water bottle. Again, it does not include the adult
bike.
RECESS SMARTS
by Ken Volonte
Editor's Note: Ken Volonte has been a member of the NFB
Writer's Division since its inception. He lives and works in
Stockton, California, as a marriage and family therapist.
It's amazing how vitalized a high school reunion can make you
feel. You get to see people you don't care about any more and have
nothing in common with, that you didn't have anything in common
with even when you were in class. The reunion committee couldn't
locate any of your friends; but luckily for me, I didn't have that
problem because I was friends with everybody.
Apart from the fun of reminiscing, reunions can stir up old
memories. That's what happened to me last Saturday night at my 25th
reunion. After dinner, I was approached by Ronda Crell. I never
much talked to her when we were in school. I think we only had one
class together in four years, but we went back as far as
kindergarten, so we talked for a good long time.
Since we had known each other for so long in school, we kept
asking each other what we remembered. Our questions probed for
specific feelings. This was different than nostalgia. We were
trying to recreate our lives as children and superimpose an adult
perspective on them. Our conversation was serious and intense, and
I suddenly remembered with great detail how it was that I came to
know the difference and meaning of my blindnessþto really know it.
As parents, we sometimes forget that it's easier to learn something
from someone your own age.
When I was five, I had Miss Elsy in the afternoon for
kindergarten. She always made sure that I was included in all of
the activities. One day I brought a Braille book to school that was
given to me by a lady from the Variety Club. She came to see me and
talk to my mom about ways to teach me skills I would need in
school. Anyway, Miss Elsy explained to the class that this book
would be how I would read when I was a big boy in the first grade;
and she read the story. Miss Elsy was always doing things like
that, making sure that my classmates knew that I was going to learn
just the same as they were.
One day it was time to test our ability to follow directions.
We were all given books and told to do various things. þPut an X on
the baby,þ said Miss Elsy. Of course, I put an imaginary X on an
imaginary baby. I followed all of the directions and felt like I
was really hot stuff. þThat stinks.þ It was Bruce Odelson. I hated
him. He was all the time bothering me.
At recess, Bruce started throwing sawdust at my eyes and
calling me names. I ran as fast as I could to get away from him,
but he just kept coming and throwing sawdust. Somebody took my
hand, and we both ran. It was Francine Peticlere. She ran with me
while Ronda yelled at Bruce.
When we were off by ourselves, Francine asked me if I knew why
Bruce was picking on me. I said that I didn't. þIt's because you're
blind.þ I knew that. Dr. Wesmith told me. þDo you know what that
means?þ
þSure I know. It means I'm blind.þ
þHold up some fingers.þ She said this slowly, like she was
thinking out loud. þDon't tell me how many.þ
This was fun.
þYou're holding up three fingers,þ said Francine. þNow I'll
hold up some fingers. Don't feel my hands.þ (My reaching for her
hand was automatic.)
þYou're holding up four fingers,þ I said.
þWhen you told me how many fingers I was holding up, did you
guess or did you know?þ asked Francine.
I admitted that I had guessed.
þThat's the difference. I knew.þ
So there it was. Francine didn't say this out of meanness.
That's just how it was. At first, I felt inferior. Then I got used
to the idea and felt special. Now I'm back to feeling that my
blindness is just how it is. It took a little girl to explain this
to me, a friend with the heart and mind to care enough to explain
a difference more real than grownups could face. Even Dr. Wesmith
couldn't tell me about my blindness in a way that I could
understand. And the expertsþso long as I could do the tests and was
happyþdidn't have to think about my blindness and what it meant to
me at all.
It's always important for kids to know why things are
happening to them. Without my friend Francine's demonstration, I
might have wondered for a long time, þWhat's wrong with me?þ
STOP, LISTEN, AND OBSERVE:
Your Blind Multiply Handicapped Child Is Trying To Tell
You Something!
by Linda Zani Thomas
Editor's Note: Linda Zani Thomas is a member of the New Jersey
division of the National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children, and the president of the Little Angel Health Network, a
medical information service for parents. Linda also reports that
she is the mother of five-and-one-half year-old Marisa, a happy,
visually impaired, multiply handicapped child.
There probably isn't a parent around who doesn't pay attention
to where his or her child falls on the development charts. For the
parents of children with multiple handicaps, those charts can give
you nightmares. And as your child begins to slip farther and
farther behind other kids his age you begin to wonder: Which delays
are due to blindness? Which may be signals of other problems? How
can I help? Am I doing enough?
First of all, here is some good advice that has served me
well:
1. If your child seems intelligent to you, you're probably
right! No matter what the experts say, no one knows your child
better than you.
2. A visual impairment alone is extremely challenging. Add on
other handicaps such as cerebral palsy and cognitive dysfunction,
and your child's got a real challenge on his hands. Relax. Delays
are inevitable, but development will occur.
3. You can't pull a flower out of the ground. Like your child,
a flower blooms when it's good and ready. All you can do is nurture
it and surround it with the best possible environment for growth.
The rest is up to him or her.
4. Accept the fact that your child may take a different path
to development. The sooner you accept the challenges children face,
the sooner you will be able to help them make the most of what
they've got.
The first place to start is to objectively observe your
child's daily routine. Start by keeping a diary of your child's
typical day. Jot down the times and duration of all his activities.
Write down your child's actions and reactions. What makes him
happy? Sad? Curious?
Remember: Repetitive motions may not be random! Watch for the
rhythm of movements and gestures.
Write down or record all sounds. Pay attention to their tone,
melody, rhythm, and intonation. Remember, crying is the earliest
form of communication. Be sure to listen for different types of
cries, i.e. scared, hurt, bored, or angry.
Next, have a friend or other family member write down their
observations for a whole day on their own, then compare notes.
You'll be amazed at how purposeful your child's behavior really is!
CHOICES AND THEIR COSTS
by Peter Grunwald
From the Editor: Some articles do not need any introduction or
explanation. This is one of them.
In early 1952 my parents and their young daughter arrived in
the United States from Germany. They settled in Chicago, and in
September I was born. A few short months later, however, they got
the bad news that I had a cancer in the retinas of both eyes, known
as retinal blastoma. The doctors told them that the cancer was
already too advanced in the left eye to warrant any treatment, and
that eye was removed. But they did recommend that the right eye
could be treated with radiation, and that some sight in that eye
might be saved.
Obviously the choices my parents faced were wrenching, and my
survival was hardly a sure bet. But they did elect to go ahead with
the radiation treatment. I am sure that the doctors thought that
there was a reasonable likelihood that the treatment would work,
and saving the sight in even one eye seemed important to all
concerned. Unfortunately, however, the treatment was unsuccessful
and soon the right eye was removed as well.
Now came the daunting effort to raise a child and to learn
whatever was to be learned about blindness. While (especially in
the early years) my survival was still uncertain, my parents
entered the task with uncommon determination.They became among the
most educated and forward-thinking parents I have ever known
regarding blindness. I was not at all a sheltered child. I got
early cane training long before it was fashionable. I was
encouraged to become physically and socially active. My parents
also routinely took on the educational establishment to ensure a
quality education for me. My mother became fluent in Braille, and
she produced materials which would have otherwise been unavailable.
Somehow I managed to grow to adulthood. I found my niche in
the work place as a piano technician, tuning, repairing, and
rebuilding pianos. I have been active in community affairs and in
the National Federation of the Blind and have been privileged to
serve in leadership positions. For the past fourteen years I have
been lucky enough to be married to a wonderful, strong, and caring
woman. There have certainly been difficulties and tribulation, but
I have had much of what is called the good life.
However, now the events of my infancy have come back to haunt
me. However far from perfect our knowledge of cancer and its
treatment is now, it was far more limited then. Radiation is used
far more selectively now, and in much more controlled doses. Most
importantly, there is much more understanding of the long-term
ramifications of radiation treatment.
In August of 1992, I was diagnosed with a new and fast-growing
cancer in the nasal and sinus area. This new cancer was almost
certainly the result of the radiation treatment. At this writing,
(May, 1993), I have received (and will continue to have) a number
of chemotherapy treatments, and had an extremely major surgery. My
future is still very much undermined.
I would guess that today, if my parents had it to do over
again, they would not have gone ahead with the radiation treatment
for me. Of course, they did not then have the experience of raising
a blind child to a reasonably happy and successful adulthood, nor
did they know successful blind adults. Saving my sight (even in one
eye) seemed important, and they got the best medical advice
available at the time. They then went on to become model parents.
Yet the decision forty years ago to try to save some sight, however
loving and well-intentioned, may yet cost me my life.
Obviously most decisions which a parent may face are not this
dramatic, nor are the possible consequences. Yet each choice that
a parent makes does have ramifications, whether that decision seems
dramatic at the time or not. My wife Mary, for example, is blind
with some remaining vision. Her mother, too, lacked knowledge and
experience, and therefore went along with the recommendation of the
schools that Mary learn print and not Braille. Mary is bright and
inquisitive, a naturally good student. Yet she dropped out of high
school because she could not keep up with the reading demands. She
is now a successful businesswoman, but she must rely on others for
much of her record-keeping and accounting. Her independence and
available options have been seriously limited because of
well-intentioned choices.
My plea to all is to become as well-informed about blindness
as possible, and then spread your knowledge far and wide. My
parents could not have become more medically advanced than the
doctors. But if a true understanding of blindness, what it is and
is not, had been more prevalent in our society, perhaps they would
then have had a different perspective on the importance of the
sight of one eye.
But today we all have available to us the great resource of
the National Federation of the Blind through which we can soak up
the knowledge and life experiences of tens of thousands of blind
people and then disseminate that collective wisdom throughout
society. In this way we can, for ourselves as well as others, avoid
making mistaken choices for the next generation of blind children.
Choices which, although made with love and the best of intentions,
still may be harmful in their consequences. This is my fervent
hope, and I invite all to join in this effort.
SERENA CAN WAIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL
by Carol Castellano
From the Editor: Carol Castellano of New Jersey is one of the
leaders of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children.
There is a connection between her correspondence of two years ago
(reprinted below from the October, 1992, issue of the Braille
Monitor), the article about þChoicesþ by Peter Grunwald on page 32,
and another article in this issueþþPossibilities,þ page 45þalso by
Carol. If I had to assign a moralþthat is, a lessonþto be learned
from these true tales, I think it would be this: Correct
information about blindness can help parents make choices from
which blind children will reap benefitsþnot suffer consequences.
Here is Carol's letter:
Madison, New Jersey
June 2, 1992
Dear Dr. Jernigan:
Recently I received a phone call from the principal of my
daughter's school. I was told that Serena, who is in first grade,
would no longer be allowed to wait for me after school at the
bottom of the hill with all the other children. She would now have
to be picked up in the office. When I asked if something had
happened, I was told, þWe're concerned for her safety.þ When I
questioned why there was concern for her safety, the principal
answered, þBecause she is blind.þ
For two years, kindergarten and most of first grade, Serena
had been waiting with no problem for me to pick her up. Putting
this restrictive policy into effect in May of her second year in
that school seemed ludicrous. When I informed the principal that
there were laws against such discrimination, I was assured that
school personnel were not discriminating against Serena; they were
just concerned with her safety.
I spoke to Mrs. Maurer soon after the phone call from the
principal, and it is at her suggestion that I am sending the
enclosed letter I sent to the superintendent of schools in our
school district.
Had it not been for my contact with the Federation over the
years and my familiarity through the literature with NFB positions
on issues (the airlines issue in particular), I would not have been
able to formulate so persuasive an argument. I am happy to report
that the superintendent decided in our favor þin deference to the
strong feelings set forth in [the] letter.þ Serena will continue to
come down the hill and wait for me at the corner.
Can't wait 'til the National Federation of the Blind
convention in Charlotte.
Best wishes,
Carol Castellano
Madison, New Jersey
May 22, 1992
To the Superintendent of Schools:
I am writing to explain our position on whether or not our
daughter, Serena Cucco, can safely wait for me to pick her up at
the bottom of the hill at Kings Road School.
Serena has good safety awareness. She knows about the school
driveway, the street, the curb, and the traffic. She is aware of
the crossing guard and what his job is. She comprehends the scene
that is occurring as the children wait for their parents after
school. Generally, she does not stand on the sidewalk to wait. The
sixth grader who accompanies her down the hill usually stops on the
blacktop path, several yards back from the corner. Serena stands in
one place, alone or with other children or mothers, and waits
calmly, patiently, and alertly, to hear my voice.
Unsafe behaviors do occur at the bottom of the hill outside
Kings Road School. Children play tag wildly, sometimes stopping
their running at the edge of the curb. Many children push and shove
each other practically into the street. Several children are kept
waiting for a long time before a parent comes to pick them up.
Parents continue to ignore safety instructions and park their cars
where the road narrows. As people parallel park along the street,
the rears of their cars jut into the sidewalk where children are
walking and playing. Parents continue to congregate at the corner,
even though they have been requested not to. Serena, however, is
engaged in none of these unsafe behaviors.
Has a separate policy been put in place to guard the safety of
the children who play too wildly or push and shove at the corner?
Is a special watch being kept over the children whose parents do
not come for fifteen or twenty minutes? Or is Serena the only child
for whom a separate policy has been formed?
We do not believe that our daughter is unsafe when she is
standing at the bottom of the hill waiting for me. If we thought
she were, we would be the first to request an accommodation. As we
understand it, the issue of safety was brought up by a teacher who
saw Serena waiting alone one day. This teacher was evidently
unaware that there have been many days over the past two years that
Serena has waited alone for me for several minutes and that I had
explicitly told the sixth-grader that she did not need to wait with
Serena until I arrived.
As usual, without any discussion with us, a policy was decided
upon and I was issued an order: Serena would not be allowed to walk
down the hill; I was to pick her up in the office from then on.
Those who decided on this plan did not consider the effect
this separate treatment might have on Serena's confidence and
self-image; they did not consider that this action would prevent
her from ever learning the skill of walking down the hill
independently, safely, and efficiently, and of course did not think
that perhaps we, the parents, might have something relevant to
contribute regarding the situation.
This safety concern is the product of someone's inaccurate
perception, assumption, projection, or fear. It is not based on
reality. Reality is that Serena has waited on that corner for
almost two years entirely without incident. (The principal concedes
that there has never been an incident or even near incident in
which Serena was in any danger. The crossing guard, too, stated
that there have been no problems with Serena's waiting at the
bottom of the hill.)
The perception that a blind person cannot be safe because she
is blind is typical of the way our society in general thinks about
blindness. It shows a lack of understanding of the fact that blind
adults lead independent lives and of the process of gaining skills
that leads to that ultimate independence. My husband and I know
blind adults who travel wherever they want to go independently; one
of our acquaintances (totally blind, I believe since birth), in
fact, travels the world as a member of the Foreign Service. Serena
will never gain the skills for efficient, safe, independent travel
if 1) she is not allowed to participate in activities such as
walking down the hill and waiting alone, and 2) her confidence and
self-image are undermined by custodial policies based on other
people's inaccurate perceptions about blindness.
We wonder if, according to the person or people who decided
that Serena can no longer wait safely alone, a magic age will come
when suddenly she will be ready to wait alone. Will waiting alone
somehow become safe? A child surely will not gain the skill she
needs without the opportunity to practice. Independent mobility,
like most things children learn, is a process. Serena is learning
to cross streets, for example. This year she is crossing quiet
streets alone; I do not need to walk beside her because she is well
on her way to mastering the skills of knowing when she is in the
middle of the street, walking purposefully, looking for the curb or
cutout, and stepping up quickly and efficiently. I do not feel she
has mastered listening to traffic on a busy corner, and we do not
allow her to cross in traffic alone. It is a process, and as she
gains skill we, her parents, will allow her increasing independence
and responsibility.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act before it, were written to counter historical
attitudes of custodialism that were based on false perceptions of
what disability involves. There are things my daughter cannot do;
but please do not keep her from doing something she can do
perfectly well and with safety just because of someone's perception
that she cannot be safe because she is blind.
The anti-discrimination laws do not allow exclusionary
policies to be made on the basis of a person's disability. The ADA
uses such language as þNo qualified individual with a disability
shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation
in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or
activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by
any such entityþ (Title II: Sec. 202). The ADA also ensures that
þnothing in this Act shall be construed to require an individual
with a disability to accept an accommodation, aid, service,
opportunity, or benefit which such individual chooses not to
acceptþ (Title V: Sec. 501 d).
We hope that the seeds of custodial attitudes will not be sown
or nourished by policies decided upon by the Madison School
District. We don't want Serena or those dealing with Serena to view
her as dependent and not capable. We hope you will help us in our
striving toward a self-sufficient, independent future for Serena.
Sincerely,
Carol Castellano
WHY GO IT ALONE?
by Margie Watson
Reprinted from the Fall, 1993, issue of the Wisconsin
Chronicle, the publication of the National Federation of the Blind
of Wisconsin:
Several years ago my husband and I attended a seminar for
parents of blind children sponsored by the NFB of Wisconsin.
Federationists shared their insights and personal experiences, and
the supportive environment of that seminar affected us very
positively. In the years to follow, however, our family often went
it alone: resolving issues and addressing concerns as best we
could. Increasingly, we came to feel a great deal of frustration
that we were wasting our time reinventing the wheel. At this time
I renewed contact with Bonnie Peterson, President of the NFB of
Wisconsin. After I expressed my feelings of frustration and
aloneness to Bonnie, she strongly urged me to attend the 1993
Convention of the National Federation of the Blind to be held in
Dallas, Texas.
When Bonnie learned that, because of limited finances, I would
be attending the convention alone for only a few days, she arranged
for financial assistance. This meant that our family was able to
attend the convention for the entire week. My husband Marc and I
were astounded at this unexpected generosity. We were very
interested to learn why Bonnie felt the convention was so essential
that she would commit limited resources to see that we all got
there. The answer became evident soon after we arrived in Dallas.
Like many other parents we felt great pleasure and
satisfaction at the warm welcome we received. Certainly Bonnie had
meant for us to network so that we could help our four-year-old
daughter Katie learn good Braille and cane skills. To be sure, she
also wanted us to be alert to the harmful and commonly-held
attitude that blind children cannot be expected to keep up with and
compete with their sighted peers academically or socially. This
information and the availability of the National Federation of the
Blind as a resource empowered us and undeniably made the convention
extremely valuable for us. But I do not think that this was the
only reason, or even the most important reason, that Bonnie had
wanted us to attend. There was something more that was happeningþa
kind of magic that is a part of the National Convention.
This magic has to do with the philosophy of the National
Federation of the Blind. Throughout its literature the NFB repeats
its conviction that it is respectable to be blind; that blindness
is just one characteristic; and that when a person receives the
proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to the
level of a mere nuisance, enabling him or her to compete on equal
terms with the sighted. As parents of a blind child, we said that
we believed this philosophy, but I'm not sure whether we really did
or whether we just desperately hoped that it was true. The
convention changed that. At the convention we saw that these
beliefs are undeniable realities.
There were well over two thousand Federationists in attendance
at the National Convention. The sheer magnitude of this number made
it impossible to stereotype people. Day after day for a week we
observed confident, competent blind people successfully achieving
their goals. This experience was invaluable in shaping our attitude
toward blindness, and we now have no doubt that great things lie
ahead for Katie because we now truly share the philosophy of the
NFB.
The importance of an organization that promotes positive
attitudes toward blindness became readily apparent at the banquet
when the student scholarships were announced. The high aspirations
of these students underscored the importance of the NFB.
Federationists not only encourage students to dream big dreams; we
also see to it that these dreams become realities by being
successful role models, by promoting good attitudes toward
blindness, and by providing financial support to demonstrate the
confidence that students will attain these lofty goals.
In 1994 the NFB National Convention will be held in Detroit,
and in 1995 it will be held in Chicago. This is a golden
opportunity for families who live in the Midwest. When you attend
a convention of the National Federation of the Blind, you can have
no doubt that the NFB is changing what it means to be blind. Come
and share in the magic. Being part of the NFB means that you and
your child will never again have to go it alone.
BRAILLE, BLINDNESS, AND THE RIGHT TO TAKE RISKS
Editor's Note: The following article is reprinted from the
April 29, 1990, issue of the Boston Sunday Globe Magazine.
THE INTERVIEW
by D.C. Denison
William Raeder, 54, is the managing director of the National
Braille Press. We spoke in his office on St. Stephen Street in
Boston.
Out of 500,000 legally blind people, only 80,000 read Braille.
Why so few?
There are a number of reasons. One is that a large percentage
of people become blind in their elder years and may not want to
learn how to read again. It takes a lot of motivation. Another
reason is that in our society, we don't believe that blind people
have the same right to literacy as sighted people do.
Why do you say that?
When a sighted child goes to school, they are automatically
put on a literacy track. Reading and writing are a key part of
their early curricula. When a blind child goes to school, many of
those schools assume that tape recorders can do the job.
What's wrong with tape recorders?
Well, suppose your child is entering first grade, and the
teacher gets up and says, þWe have a wonderful announcement to
make: We don't have to put your child through the rigors of
learning how to read, because we've got everything on tape.þ You
wouldn't be very happy. Why? Because there are some very important
differences between reading and listening.
What are some of them?
Reading is a very active process: You're in contact, either
with your eyes or your fingers, with something that's totally
static. It's entirely within your own control, to move from word to
word. This is particularly important with reference materials and
nonfiction. Tape recordings work pretty well for fiction; you can
just sort of sit back and enjoy it, like a movie. But for the
materials that we need in order to conduct our livesþcookbooks, or
computer manuals, or the Harvard Business Reviewþyou don't just sit
back and listen to them, you study. And that means that you want to
go back to the last phrase, and so on. You just don't have that
intimate control over a tape recorder.
You said that the teaching of Braille is also a privacy issue.
Why?
Well, how do you have privacy over your financial matters when
you have to have a bank statement read to you? Or how much privacy
do you have when you have to ask someone to read you information
about AIDS? A few years ago, when the government sent out AIDS
literature, we sent out the same information in Braille. And many
blind people were grateful. They never thought they would get the
kind of material that would let them cut through that privacy
barrier.
In the past, Braille publishers translated a lot of religious
texts, didn't they?
Oh, yes. Braille has a number of abbreviations for words that
occur frequently, and many of these abbreviations were established
in the 19th century when Braille was developed. And if you look at
the words that are abbreviatedþþspirit,þ þlord,þ þbeholdþþit tells
you something. By contrast, þplow,þ þhorse,þ and þtractorþ aren't
contracted. So Braille was basically the Bible and a lot of
religious writings. The attitude was: What does a blind person
need? Well, they need solace.
What kinds of books are you publishing today?
Books that give blind people the information they need to
carry out responsible functions in life. Right now we're raising
money to put Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care into Braille. Sighted
people rush out to buy that book because they need the information.
So do blind people. And it's not available. We've also been
publishing more computer books. If you go to a bookstore, you'll
see shelves and shelves of computer books. How is the blind person
supposed to get that information?
Are there any technical breakthroughs that you think are
imminent?
Well, there is a device called a paperless Braille display
that uses little metal or plastic pins that stick up through a
plate and allow you to read a line of Braille. Then you touch a
button, and it puts up the next line of Braille. The only problem
is that it can only display 22 characters, which is a very small
window to a page of information. So I think the next breakthrough
would be a full-page display that wasn't too expensive. Once you
get that, you could also use diagrams and maps. So that would be a
great breakthrough.
What was the response when you started publishing Dr. Ruth
Westheimer in the Braille Syndicated Columnists Weekly?
I suspect most people were in favor it, because Braille
readers are accustomed to having a very small amount of material.
The selection is very narrow. So even if someone is on the fence
about Dr. Ruth, they are in favor of having something different in
Braille.
I read that you also publish the Red Sox schedule every year.
Yes, but that's sort of a vestige of a bygone age. The Red Sox
are into the entertainment business. And the idea was: Blind people
need to be amused. So let's give them materials that will keep them
amused. I once heard someone use the term þcompanionativeþ to
describe the books and other materials designed to be simply
companions for blind peopleþto help them while away the time, to
make their lives a little less boring. That's from the age of pity
and charity. I'm not being critical of the Red Sox, or religious
literature, but we're trying to move beyond that, to the next
stage.
What's the next stage?
Support and responsibility. That's the attitude that we're
trying to encourage. We assume that the blind person is mature,
intelligent, and responsibleþequal in all three of those things to
their sighted counterparts. We also assume that they're responsible
for their own lives. We're talking about independence for blind
people, and the right to take a risk.
What do you mean by the þright to take a riskþ?
I mean that in American society, risk-taking is something that
we admire. Except if you're disabled. We admire risk-taking by our
athletes and our entrepreneurs, but we say to our disabled: þDon't
take a risk. Be careful. Take charity. Take welfare.þ I'll give you
an example. Just this morning I was attending a press conference on
a dock in Charlestown. I had a portable cane, so I knew exactly
where the edge of the dock was. But it was obviously a new
experience for someone there to see a blind person functioning
independently on a dock, because she literally put her arm around
my back and informed me that she was going to prevent me from
falling into the drink. My feeling was that I was responsible for
myself, and if I wanted to risk falling in the water, that was my
decision. I didn't want anyone to take that responsibility. It's a
well-meaning prejudice, of course, but it's the kind of prejudice
that prevents society from providing blind people with certain very
important opportunities.
LITERACY BEGINS AT HOME
Family Involvement in the Home Literacy Experiences for
Children with Visual Impairments
Christopher J. Craig, Ed.D.
Editor's Note: Christopher Craig is a former NFB Scholarship
winner.
As the father of three, I have had the opportunity and
pleasure to see two of my children emerge into literacy. The term
emergent literacy refers to a process which begins at birth and
continues until children begin to read and write conventionally.
That is, this process ends when children are able to gain meaning
from words either in print or Braille and use these written words
to communicate with moms, dads, siblings, friends, and teachers.
In recent years, professionals have become very interested in
this process for children who are blind or have low vision. There
is some research which suggests these children begin kindergarten
with fewer concepts about written language than their peers with
normal vision. However, until recently, there has been virtually no
research on how this process might be similar or different for
children with visual impairments or how the family or home literacy
experiences for these children impact on literacy development.
Thanks to the help of the National Federation of the Blind, there
is now at least some information on which to build a program of
research in this area.
In September of 1993, Barbara Cheadle and other members of the
Parents of Blind Children assisted me in disseminating survey
instruments developed, in part, by parents of children with visual
impairments to families throughout the United States. Through the
use of the toll-free number at the American Printing House for the
Blind, parents were able to call if they had questions or needed
help in completing the questionnaire. As a result of the efforts
made by Mrs. Cheadle and other members of the parents organization,
I was able to complete my doctoral dissertation and hopefully make
a contribution to the professional literature on educating blind
children. This article briefly summarizes some of the findings of
this research and suggests some ways in which families can improve
the home literacy experiences for children with visual impairments.
The survey instrument was designed to collect information on
a variety of issues identified as important in the professional
emergent literacy. Respondents were asked to indicate whether they
believed their child would be primarily a print reader, primarily
a Braille reader, or both a print and Braille reader. These groups
formed the basis for comparison on issues such as reading aloud by
adults and siblings and participation in reading and writing
activities in the home. The extent to which learning to read and
write is regarded as a priority in the homes of children with
visual impairments and the expectations parents have toward their
children's literacy development were also examined.
Reading Aloud
Reading aloud to children has been identified as one of the
most important practices for fostering literacy development. While
the results of this research indicate the children who comprised
the print group were read to more frequently by adults in the home,
all three groups were read to an average of three to four times a
week. In addition, where there were siblings and other children
living in the home, the children who comprised the print/Braille
group were read to more frequently by siblings. However, the
respondents who indicated that their children would be primarily
print readers on average spent more time as a family reading and
talking about books per week.
Family Outings
Another practice which is believed to impact on literacy
development is making outings to places which help to build
understanding for stories. Visiting a zoo, farm, shopping mall, and
park are all examples of experiences which might be referenced in
children's books. Children who comprised the print, Braille, and
print/Braille groups were comparable on this item and made outings
to these places an average of one to two times a week.
These groups were not, however, comparable in the frequency of
using the library or bookmobile. The children who comprised the
print and print/Braille groups used these resources more regularly
than the Braille group. In fact, the results suggest that many of
the children who comprised the Braille group had never visited a
library. This finding is not surprising given the interviews I
conducted with parents prior to the beginning of this study. Many
parents whose children read Braille stated þthe library is simply
not a place for my child.þ
Independent Reading and Writing
Differences were found between the print and Braille groups in
the amount and range of participation in reading and writing
activities in the home. For example, 75.6 percent of the
respondents who comprised the print group checked the item þchooses
books to read or to be read aloud.þ By contrast, 35 percent of the
respondents from the Braille group checked this item. In addition,
65.6 percent of the print group checked the item þasks questions or
made comments about books during reading,þ compared to 52 percent
of the Braille group. With regard to pointing to pictures during
reading, 75.6 percent of the respondents who made up the print
group checked this item. By contrast, 40.7 percent of the Braille
group checked the item þpoints to or examines pictures you can
feel.þ Finally, 50 percent of the respondents who made up the print
group checked the item þretells stories or pretends to read using
print.þ Only 41 percent of the Braille group indicated their
children exhibited comparable behaviors using Braille.
Of course, these findings can be attributed in part to the
differences in the amount of material available in the home in the
chosen medium. While the majority of the respondents who comprised
the Braille group indicated that they had been provided early
literacy material in Braille such as touch books or shape books,
only 33 percent indicated that they or someone else in the home
read Braille. Thus, the children who comprised the Braille group
had less access to material in Braille and fewer opportunities to
observe others in the home reading Braille.
With respect to writing activities in the home, 72.2 percent
of the respondents who comprised the print group indicated that
their children scribble with pencils, magic markers, and paint
brushes. By contrast, 27.6 percent of the Braille group checked the
item þscribbles in Braille using Braille writer or slate and stylus
(just makes dots).þ In addition, 17.8 percent of the print group
checked the item þtells stories for others to write down in print.þ
Only 12 percent of the respondents who made up the Braille
group indicated their children engaged in comparable behaviors
using Braille. Finally, 44.4 percent of the print group checked the
item þcopies letters or words in print,þ compared to 15.4 percent
of the Braille group who have comparable behaviors using Braille.
Priorities and Expectations
Among the respondents who indicated that their children had no
additional disability such as a speech impairment or mental
retardation, learning to read and write was ranked as the highest
goal for their children, followed by learning self-help skills and
communicating effectively. By contrast, the respondents who
indicated their children had one or more additional disabilities
ranked learning self-help skills as the highest goal, followed by
communicating effectively and learning to read and write. Only half
of the respondents who have children with additional disabilities
indicated their children would some day learn to read and write
efficiently.
Suggestions
1. The family and home is a key component in the literacy
development of young children with visual impairments who will use
print and those who will use Braille. While it may be next to
impossible to provide your child access to the same amount of
material in Braille that is readily available in print, try to
target a few places in the home and times during the daily routine
to increase your child's exposure to either print or Braille. For
example, designate an area in your house as a reading center or
corner. Be sure there is a variety of material available in either
print or Braille which is physically accessible. That is, the child
can easily pull books off the shelf or obtain them with little
effort. If a sibling generally begins the day by mindlessly eating
a bowl of Captain Crunch with his or her nose three inches away
from the box, make this a regular literacy event for your child
with the visual impairment. Label the box with Braille or encourage
the child with low vision to examine the box with an optical
device. Describe in detail what the box looks like, or have the
sibling read aloud the printed material.
2. Encourage þpretendþ reading and writing. Whenever you
perform mundane tasks, such as paying the bills or reading
something for school or work, involve your child. Have him or her
pretend to do these tasks as well. If your child will be a Braille
reader, encourage scribbling using the Braille writer or slate and
stylus. Make over what your child produces in relation to what you
are doing.
3. As part of the þOn the Way to Literacy Project,þ APH has
adapted several classic children's books with tactual
representations of visual concepts. These materials, as well as
other children's books which have been adapted tactually, can be
used to form the basis of a shared reading experience for you and
your child. Encourage your child to point to pictures and examine
them visually and/or tactually. When possible, maintain a high
standard for your child's comprehension and involvement in stories
you read aloud.
4. Explore ways in which your child's early intervention
program or school can serve as a resource to you in your efforts to
promote home literacy experiences. The Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) specifies the responsibility of
school districts in providing assistive technology to students in
special programs in order to insure a free appropriate public
education. The IEP team can make determinations concerning the need
for providing equipment and material for use in the home.
5. Finally, if you believe your child will be a Braille
reader, by all means learn to read Braille. Grade I Braille can be
learned quickly and can be a fun activity for you and your family.
Involving the family in the learning of Braille or in the use of
optical devices creates opportunities for your child to learn that
reading and writing serves a functional or meaningful purpose in
your home and that your family values literacy in either print or
Braille.
PRINT OR BRAILLE?
I USE BOTH!
by Charles Brown
Editor's Note: Yes, there really is a Charlie Brown. He has
practiced law for almost twenty-five years and currently serves as
assistant general counsel for the National Science Foundation. He
is also a member of the Board of Directors of the National
Federation of the Blind and the Federation's Virginia state
president. Charlie is married and the father of two sons, ages
twenty and sixteen.
As a leader in the National Federation of the Blind, I am an
enthusiastic participant in our Braille literacy campaign. I know
how important Braille is to me, even though I have a good deal of
usable vision. þLow visionþ blind kids are primary victims in
today's crisis in Braille literacy.
Yes, Braille is important to me, but I also use print. I use
it a lot.
Even totally blind folks need to know print. Print is all
around usþraised letters and numbers are on everything from kids'
blocks to restroom doors. Our language assumes a knowledge of the
print alphabet. Like sighted folks, blind folks need to know what
a T intersection is, or an S curve, or a U turn. Blind folks need
to know why O is used synonymously with the number 0 (in Braille
zero corresponds with the letter j). How does Zoro make the þmark
of the Zþ on the chest of his victims?
My totally blind friends routinely sign their names, make out
checks, and type letters to their friends. I strongly believe that
the schools must teach blind kids to read, write, and touch-type
(keyboard) print. Print is part of living in the world even if you
never see a word of it.
Many blind people, like me, can see print. Does knowing
Braille mean I should ignore what I can see? Nonsense! My office is
full of print, and I use it everyday.
I've always been able to read ordinary sized print with decent
lighting, provided I held it right up to my face. If I were in
school today, there would be a good chance that I would not be
taught Braille. My print skills would probably be judged as þgood
enough.þ But, thankfully, when I was starting school in the
fifties, my parents and the others responsible for my education
realized that I could not read print fast enough or long enough
(comfortably) to compete as a true equal with sighted folks my age.
So I also learned Braille; and I competed pretty well in school. I
did well enough to get through Harvard College and the Northwestern
University Law Schoolþusing mostly Braille, tape recordings,
readers, and my typing skills.
Just after I graduated from law school, the closed circuit
television (CCTV) was invented. I got one of the first models and
have used CCTVs in my career as a lawyer ever since. With a CCTV,
I can read print faster, longer, and more comfortably than I could
before the CCTVs came along.
I use the CCTV in my office to read all the papers and files
that come across my desk, to read cases and articles in books and
periodicals sitting in my bookcases, or form items checked out from
the law library. I also use the CCTV to fill in forms and prepare
hand-written notes.
As so many other working Americans do these days, I constantly
use a computer. Some blind folks use speech output devices to gain
computer access, but I use screen enlargement software. I use my
computer to write legal opinions and memoranda. I use it to handle
my electronic mail and for so much more. When it became time for me
to become computer literate, I had a real leg-up on most of my
sighted colleagues. I was already an excellent touch-typist.
A number of screen-enlargement software packages are on the
market, and they are mostly pretty inexpensive. Many members of the
NFB use screen enlargement programs. One of the great fringe
benefits of being a Federationist is the ability to check out each
other's packages and exchange demos. We talk about color contrasts,
letter shapes, cursors, Windows compatibility, etc. I need to know
what's out there in order to know what will work for me. It's
almost as if no two þpartialsþ see alike. What works fine for me
may be frustrating or even useless to someone else.
When I leave my office, Braille looms larger in my briefcase
and in my life. I use a Braille slate to take notes at meetings. It
is one of the fastest, least disruptive, and most efficient
note-taking devices I knowþat least for me. I like to get
periodicals in Braille because, unlike print, I can read Braille
rapidly and comfortably anywhere; on the bus, for instance.
I still use recorded materials, too. For example, I get the
American Bar Association Journal on tape (produced by the National
Association of Blind Lawyers, a Division of the NFB).
Like most lawyers, I must often make prepared oral
presentations. For one thing, each year I teach about thirty
seminars on the Government ethics rules to employees of my agency.
I design the lesson plans, write the case studies and other
hand-outs, and conduct the classes. The participants get the
materials in print, but I Braille all of my materials, outlines,
quotations, slides, etc. This way I can have these items literally
at my fingertips. I cannot credibly do the essential teaching part
of my current job in print. I'd hate to think of trying to teach
hiding behind a CCTV, or holding papers up in front of my face. Eye
contact and rapport count so much in effective and convincing
teaching. That's why I use Braille.
I use Braille outlines for my speeches (including any
quotations I'll be using). Braille is also my primary medium for
meeting agendas when I am chairing. I cannot afford to let a
struggle with print get in the way and distract from my messages.
Sometimes I need to make a very formal address, and I write it
out completely in Braille. This way I can concentrate on my
delivery, without worrying about phrasing. I can focus on voice
modulation, gestures, and eye movements. Remember, lawyers are
supposed to be convincing.
As a lawyer, church leader, and civic activist, I use Braille
when it is the best medium, and I use print when it works best.
It all seems so obvious and second-nature to me that I am
shocked when some so-called experts talk so loosely about the
þchoiceþ between print and Braille. Did learning Braille impair my
ability to learn and use print? Not at all! Some people even say
that learning print and Braille is comparable to learning two
languages. No way! It's all English. I can fully attestþas I recall
my struggles with four years of high school Frenchþthat learning
both Braille and print is nothing at all like learning two
languages.
Parents often come to me looking for advice about the
education of their children. The advice I give is basically pretty
simple. Their children need, I tell them, to find alternative
techniques for reading, mobility, and the like. These techniques
need to be, on the whole, as effective as those used by sighted
peersþassuming they want their kids to be prepared to compete on
terms of equality. Braille and print are just two parts of the
total mix.
Print or Braille? It's a silly question not worth asking, as
far as I am concerned. Most blind kids need to learn both.
POSSIBILITIES
by Carol Castellano
It took my daughter Serena a long time to decide just what she
wanted to be when she grew up. Whereas my son was only four when he
decided that he would be a dinosaur scientist, it wasn't until she
was seven that Serena realized that her destiny in life was to be
a folksinger. Happily she played the chords to her favorite song,
þMichael Row the Boat Ashore,þ on my guitar.
Then came the Presidential campaign of 1992. Serena was eight.
She sat rapt before the television listening intently to the
speeches of both parties. After the summer's two national
conventions, she realized that it wasn't a folksinger that she
wanted to be after allþit was a folksinging Senator. By late fall,
having heard all three Presidential debates, Serena was going to be
President.
Her barrage of questions about how she could learn to be
President and conversations about what politicians do kept up for
so long that my husband and I were convinced she really might go
into politics when she was older.
In the late spring of this year, Serena went out with her
father to pick early snow peas from the garden. Coming inside with
her basket of peas, she told me she was very interested in
gardening. þThat's wonderful,þ I replied. þYou'll be a big help to
Daddy.þ
Overnight Serena's interest must really have taken root,
because the next day she asked me if I thought the gardens at the
White House were too big for the President to tend, since the
President is such a busy person. þYes,þ I replied. þI'm sure
there's a staff of people who take care of the White House
gardens.þ þWell then, I won't be a gardening President,þ she told
me. þI'll just be a gardener.þ
The desire to be a gardener was still but a tender shoot when
Serena took a piano lessonþjust a few weeks after picking those
peasþand realized it was a pianist she wanted to be!
Serena is at such a wonderful stage of life! Interested in
everything, trying everything out, she sees the world as her plum,
ripe for the picking. She believes in herself, as we believe in
her. And since what people believe largely determines what they do,
it is critically important for parents of blind children (and other
adults in the child's life) to have positive beliefs about
blindness and what blind people can do.
If we are told (in a journal article or by a teacher of the
blind, say) that blind children usually do not or cannot learn how
to do a certain task, and if we come to believe this, chances are
we will not give our child the experience or opportunity anyone
would need in order to do this task. And chances are the child
won't learn to do it. Imagine, though, if weþand our blind
childrenþwere never told that blind people couldn't accomplish a
certain thing. Imagine what the results might be if everyone
believed that blind people could do anything they wanted to! Well,
I believe thisþand attending NFB National Conventions has
solidified this belief for me.* It is this belief which guides the
way I bring up my daughter.
Sometimes in the literature I read the phrase þaccepting the
child's blindness.þ That word acceptance always causes me concern;
what different people mean by acceptance can be entirely opposite
things. To some, þaccepting the child's blindnessþ means
acceptingþor coming to believeþthat because the child is blind,
there will be limits to what the child can do, limits to what he or
she can understand, limits to what he or she can learn. (They often
refer to these beliefs as þbeing realistic.þ) It is easy to see
what the effects of that kind of thinking will be.
When I consider the term þaccepting the child's blindness,þ I
think about accepting that the child is blind, learning and coming
to believe that blindness need not stop the child from achieving
what he or she wishes, and allowing, indeed insisting, that the
child learn the alternative techniques of blindness that will
enable him or her to achieve the desired results!
Find a way, parents. Keep all the doors open. Glory in the
exhilarating feeling of watching a child look toward the future and
see only possibilities.
*Post Script: At National Conventions of the National
Federation of the Blind there are opportunities to meet blind
people from many walks of life. My husband and I know personally or
have heard speak a blind high school teacher, college professor,
mathematician, scientist, car body mechanic, industrial arts
teacher, Foreign Service officer, engineer, a high-performance
engine builder, and a man who has sailed solo in races from San
Francisco to Hawaii. Attendance at National Conventions has enabled
us to see firsthand that blindness does not have to stop people
from achieving what they want to achieve. This knowledge gets
passed along to our daughter and, equally as important, to the
teachers and other professionals who work with her. Go to a
National Convention! It might turn out to be the most important
thing you do for your blind child's future.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BLIND
by Lorraine Rovig, Director, JOB
Do you need more input on how to succeed at a job search? When
you think about your job prospects, do you crave some positive
recharging of your emotional battery? Do you wish someone who knows
that BLIND PERSONS DO REGULAR JOBS would put on a job seminar and
do it for FREE? Okay, we will.þ
JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BLIND
will hold its FREE
1995 NATIONAL JOB SEMINAR
July 1, 1995 * Saturday * 1 - 4 p.m.
Chicago Hilton And Towers
This year, JOB is paying special attention to the growing
profession of customer service representative. Some such jobs pay
$5 per hour and some start at $11 per hour plus benefits. Speakers
from top training centers for blind adults along with employed
blind persons will share their tips for success in this growth
industry of the `90's.
That's not all. In its fast-moving three-hour program, JOB
will pack in blind speakers from many different lines of work.
Check out their tips for success. One agenda item features NFB
chapter members in a single chapter who, in just two months, have
helped SIX fellow members to find decent work!
Come, meet your kind of peopleþfolks who know how to get
things done. Ask questions of those who have been where you are and
succeeded. Network! Build up your personal think tank rolodex.
You'll meet good people to call on for help when you are back home
and get stuck. Bring copies of your resume. Keep your notebook
handy. Pick up valuable JOB publications at the seminar and on the
JOB table in the exhibit hall. Job seeker, professional job
developer, or employerþthis seminar will help.
WHO'S ELIGIBLE?
Are you a legally blind resident of the United States and
looking for work? Then you are eligible for a FREE subscription to
the only taped job magazine in the country, the JOB RECORDED
BULLETIN. To get started, call JOB at (800) 638-7518 (8 a.m. - 5
p.m. EST) and ask for a JOB Sample Pack. This package includes a
copy of last year's national JOB seminar, a copy of the latest
bulletin (both on 2-track cassette), a JOB Application Form, a JOB
Publication Order Form, and a one-page explanation of the program.
Look and listen; borrow any ideas you hear from other blind
Americans that will fit your job search. We share what works.
(Counselorsþyou are eligible for a sample package, too. Please call
or write on your agency's letterhead.)
JOB NETWORKING BREAKFASTS
In addition to its annual FREE seminar, JOB offers exciting
NETWORKING BREAKFASTS during NFB Convention Week (July 1 - 7). Each
breakfast is BYOB (Buy Your Own Breakfast), begins in the hotel
coffee shop at 7 a.m., and offers a friendly gathering of
like-minded people. Job seekers, job developers, employers,
parents, and others who want to þtalk jobsþ are welcome. JOB
breakfast coordinators take reservations, help keep the
conversation on topic, and help everyone get a chance to speak. For
information about how you may reserve a seat at any networking
breakfast, call JOB (800) 638-7518).
PARENT POWER
The following reports are from three of our newest parent
division affiliates of the National Organization of Parents of
Blind Children. For more information about the NOPBC and the
nearest state or regional chapter to you, contact:
Mrs. Barbara Cheadle, President
National Organization of
Parents of Blind Children
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
(410) 747-3472.
National Organization of Parents
of Blind Children
Goals and Objectives
1. To create a climate of opportunity for blind children in
home and society.
2. To provide information and support to parents of blind
children.
3. To facilitate the sharing of experiences and concerns among
parents of blind children.
4. To develop and expand resources available to parents and
their children.
5. To help parents of blind children gain perspective through
partnership and contact with blind adults.
6. To function as an integral part of the National Federation
of the Blind in its ongoing effort to eliminate discrimination and
prejudice against the blind and to achieve for the blind security,
equality, and opportunity.
REPORT FROM NEBRASKA
by Joe Larson, President
Nebraska Parents of Blind Children
Two Nebraska families, Joe and Gail Larson and Mark and Carol
Smith, met for the first time when the NFB Convention convened last
July in Detroit, Michigan. Both couples are parents of blind
children. Angela Larson is fourteen years old, and Eric Smith is
two years old. After attending the parents seminar, the Smiths and
Larsons were convinced that Nebraska needed an NFB parents
division, too. We wanted to bring all the advantages of an NFB
parents group to our stateþthe positive philosophy, the networking
with parents, the competent blind role models, the political savvy
of the NFB, the information, the parent-to-parent support system,
and the commitment to creating better opportunities for our blind
kids.
After the convention, we lost no time organizing our parent
chapter. On August 21, 1994, our chapter came into being at an
organizing meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Joe Larson was elected
President; Carol Smith, First Vice President; and Kim Becker,
Secretary/Treasurer. The first order of business was a fund raiser.
Joe had successfully organized charity golf tournaments for other
organizations and offered to do one for the newly-formed Nebraska
Parents of Blind Children. The date was set for September 17, 1994.
With the help of two local radio stations in Omaha, advertising
spots were donated for the tournament. In a six-week period we
recruited eighty golfers to play in the tournament. All golfers
received a T-shirt with the NFB logo on it and other prizes. The
first-, second-, and third-place teams received trophies. Plans are
already underway for the second annual golf tournament, and the
radio stations are eager to help again!
We have wasted no time helping blind children in Nebraska with
the money we have raised. At the annual White Cane Banquet on
November 5, sponsored by the Omaha chapter of the NFB, we presented
a Braille writer to a program that has thirteen blind children and
is in desperate need of equipment.
Through all our activities such as the golf tournament, which
was as much a public-education effort as it was a fund raiser, we
expect to have a positive impact on all blind children and their
parents across the entire state.
REPORT FROM WEST VIRGINIA
by Keri Stockton, President
Parents of Blind Children Division
of the NFB of West Virginia
Three cheers for the new West Virginia parents division!
Although we are small, we have been quite active since we organized
in August, 1994, at our NFB state convention. Along with Nicolas
(my son who is blind) I have contacted parents, schools, and vision
teachers to let them know about our parents group and our
Children's Cane Bank. Nicholas and I have made several
presentations about blindness and blind children to groups such as
the Head Start teachers from a ten-county area. We also plan to
participate in a special Children's Day at the legislature this
year.
We are especially proud of our Children's White Cane Bank,
which was up and ready for business the day we organized. The bank
provides free white canes to blind children of all ages in West
Virginia. Nicolas started raising funds for the bank months ago. He
got a special piggy-bank for the White Cane Bank. Soon, others
learned about his bank and began making contributions. Then he took
it with him to the NFB Convention in Detroit. By that time the pig
was so fat he had to push it around in a doll-stroller. Thanks to
everyone who helped him, he raised enough to get the cane bank
started. We hope with this bank to help all blind children in West
Virginia to get the tool that will enable them to move and walk
easily, as free of the fear of falling as Nicolas.
I guess everyone comes to the NFB by a different path, and it
was a fall that brought Nicolas and me to learn a better way.
Nicolas was not yet two years old when he learned how to descend
the stairs standing up. But one day he missed a step and fell. Down
he came, thump, thump, thumpþscreaming at each smack of his face on
the uncarpeted tread. When he reached the bottom, he cried for a
long time. He was so small and so upset; I held him for about an
hour. When he could talk again, he said, þThose stairs, those bad
stairs!þ It was clear he was in pain. He said, þMy head was just
like a drum; Bum, Bum, Bum.þ At that point, I cried.
I swore to him that day that if there was any way to help him
walk safely up and down stairs, and to help him not trip over
things he couldn't see on the floor, I would find it. I called the
NFB that day and spoke to Barbara Cheadle and learned about
children's canes. To make a long story short, Nicolas got one, and
he was the youngest child in West Virginia to use a cane. He has
enjoyed discovering his world in ways I've treasured watching. He
pulls a child-size shopping cart at the store, hikes, and campsþall
with his cane doing what he calls, þTap-tapsþ out in front.
What about the piggy? Well, it is collecting pennies (and
nickels and dimes and dollars) again, and who knows how many it
will collect this year. Penny by penny, and one member at a time,
both the piggy and the West Virginia Parents of Blind Children will
keep growing and providing new opportunities for the blind children
of West Virginia.
R
REPORT FROM WISCONSIN
by Margie Watson, President
Parents of Blind Children of the
NFB of Wisconsin
The Parents of Blind Children Division of the NFB of Wisconsin
was formed in August, 1994. Margie Watson and her husband Marc (who
is Vice President) are parents of three children, the oldest of
whom is blind. Jodie Cowle, Secretary, is a long-time blind member
and leader of the NFB in our state. Diana Reinhardt, board member,
has a son who is blind. These leaders bring many talents and
experience to our new parents division.
Our first events occurred during the NFB of Wisconsin Annual
Convention in October. On Friday night, parents gathered to discuss
cane travel issues and to view the þKids with Canesþ video. On
Saturday, the Parents Division invited Mrs. Mary Ann Damm,
President of the Volunteer Braillists and Tapists, Inc. of Madison,
to speak about the services the group offers. She described the
monthly library hour for blind children, a Braille library for
children and adults, and the annual holiday Braille book sale.
Parents and NFB members alike were excited to see all of the
Braille children's books on display.
In November, our new cane bank presented 18-month-old Ziggy
Reinhardt with his first cane. In the coming weeks parents will be
gathering to write letters to government officials to gain their
support in obtaining Braille literacy provisions in the revision of
IDEA. We are also organizing a spring fund raiser to offer
financial aid to families attending the 1995 NFB Convention in
Chicago. Our parents division is off to a strong start.
REPORT FROM WASHINGTON
by Barbara Freeman, President
Parents of Blind Children Division
of the NFB of Washington
Mrs. Barbara Freeman gave the following report on October 15,
1994, at the annual luncheon meeting of the POBC of Washington:
It has been a year since the blind children and parents of
this division formally joined the Federation family. Everyone here
should be proud of what we have accomplished. We have made great
strides both in educating ourselves and the community about
blindness and in supporting each other in our efforts to provide
all of our blind childrenþthe gifted, the developmentally
threatened, and the multiply handicappedþwith the best possible
opportunities to reach their highest potential.
The adults of the affiliate have given every help in our
efforts to form a strong, vital organization. They have generously
provided funding. Individual members have given time and attention
to any child who needed a mentor, tutor, or advocate.
We put on a successful parents seminar in March for twenty
families. Our parent division national president, Barbara Cheadle,
attended. Our student division put on a teen-age seminar at the
same time. The teen-agers used public transportation, cooked pizza,
and discussed the cost of special privilege.
For the first time, State Services for the Blind hired someone
recommended and endorsed by the Federation affiliate to teach their
preschool conference. Joe Cutter, a pediatric orientation and
mobility specialist from New Jersey, put on an unusually positive
seminar on teaching mobility skills to preschoolers. Joe's workshop
was the best-attended preschool conference ever sponsored by State
Services for the Blind. Record numbers of parents and mobility
instructors from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia, Canada,
attended. We touched the lives of hundreds of blind children with
that one seminar.
We held a family picnic in August that introduced more new
parents to our movement and gave us all a chance to talk with one
another and to admire each other's children.
Most importantly, we have all grown more comfortable with
blindness, and we have advocated for our children. Every parent
here has already gone out of his or her own way to come here to
learn how to help his or her child. Our children can't wait for
society to come around and provide opportunities for them. We, the
parents, must see to it that we create those opportunities.
Debbie Day sought out and obtained a private grant to take her
son Tim to our National Convention in Detroit, Michigan, this
summer. Carol Linhart took her whole family to the Detroit
Convention. Barbara Weller arranged for summer tutoring for her son
Steward and also organized our summer picnic. Ivy and Frank Jen
successfully advocated with their school district to continue their
son's placement in an integrated preschool. Melanie Savage has
convinced her school district to provide her multiply handicapped
daughter with physical and occupational therapy and pre-Braille
skills. (The school system had wanted to þwarehouseþ her at the age
of seven.) Jim and Barbara Call are in the process of negotiating
Braille instruction for their daughter Terra, who is losing her
sight. Denise Mackenstadt taught cane travel to a little girl from
Russia this spring. The girl, who was sponsored by Save the
Children, went blind while here and had but a short time before she
returned to Russia.
Many others have also been creating opportunities for their
children. It is this will to provide the best for our children that
binds us together as a community and overrides differences of
religion and social class. This will to provide the best for
Washington's blind children also joins us in fraternity with the
adult blind members of this affiliate and the National Federation
of the Blind. Together we can provide all of our children with
hope, pride, and opportunity.
Camp Tuhsmeheta
We have been asked to print the following announcement:
Camp Tuhsmeheta is located on 297 acres of oak/maple
forests on the Morgan Mills chain of lakes. As a camp it is our
philosophy that all blind children deserve the opportunity to be
successful in the out-of-doors. They should have the chance to meet
other blind children, make new friends, learn new skills, and grow
in self-confidence. To this end we offer a week-long session for
elementary school age campers, a two-week session for junior high
campers, and a two-week adventure canoe trip in northern Michigan
for senior high campers. We also have week-long sessions for
families and deaf-blind or multiply impaired children and adults.
The registration fee is $25 and the cost per week is $175. We do
try to locate local service clubs to pick up the $175 costs. For
further information about the 1995 camp season contact Robert
Burnett, Executive Director, Camp Tuhsmeheta, P.O. Box 128, Indian
River, Michigan 49749; (616) 238-7003.
National Conference for Active Learning
The following announcement comes from the Blind Children's
Fund:
Turning Latent Potential into Dynamic Ability for Infant,
Preschool, and Multi-impaired Blind and Visually Impaired Children,
June 19 - 23, 1995, Novi, Michigan, sponsored by the Blind
Children's Fund and the Penrickton Center for Blind Children,
featuring Lilli Nielsen, Ph.D. of Denmark.
This Conference is designed to provide parents, teachers,
related professionals, and students with a foundation in Dr.
Nielsen's Active Learning Approach theory, but with emphasis on
actual practice, techniques, and hands-on demonstrations.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn firsthand about the
innovative and unique growth environments, such as þThe Little
Room,þ þThe Resonance Board,þ þThe Bench,þ and other equipment
created by Dr. Nielsen. Dr. Nielsen has presented her Active
Learning Philosophy in conferences throughout Europe, Australia,
South America, Africa, and the United States. For registration
information contact Blind Children's Fund, 2875 Northwind Drive,
Suite 211, East Lansing, Michigan 48823-5040; (517) 333-1725. A
discount is available for those who register prior to May 1, 1995.
Book for Children and Parents about Sex and Growing Up
The National Braille Press has asked that we print the
following announcement about the availability of the book, Asking
Questions about Sex and Growing Up, by Joanna Cole:
This unique book uses a question-and-answer format to
offer straightforward information on subjects that often concern
and mystify young people: how girls' and boys' bodies differ and
how their bodies change during adolescence, what happens during
masturbation and sexual intercourse; preventing pregnancy, sex
abuse, and sexually-transmitted diseases. In a clear,
easy-to-understand text, a noted author of books for children
provides a reassuring blend of facts and practical guidance written
for the audience that needs it most. When kids learn about sex from
adults they trust, they learn values along with facts. Ages 8 and
up. Two small volumes in Braille, $4.95; and one volume in print
(w/postage), $7.25. Prepay to: National Braille Press, 88 St.
Stephen Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115. (617) 266-6160.
Utah Student Division Formed
From Insight, the newsletter of the Salt Lake chapter of the
NFB of Utah:
The National Federation of the Blind of Utah announces
the reorganization of its student division, the Utah Association of
Blind Students (UABS). Thirty-one people attended a back-to-school
party sponsored by UABS on September 24, 1994. Members of UABS met
Ollie Cantos, President of the National Association of Blind
Students, and enjoyed goal ball, swimming, food, and dancing. The
students also elected new officers and established goals for the
upcoming year. Congratulations to the new officers of UABS: Nick
Schmitroth, President; Anitra Webber, Vice President; Marne West,
Secretary; Anna Wilkinson, Treasurer; Dan Cameron and Sylvia
Schultz, Board Members.