Who Are the Professionals and What Should They Do?

Who Are the Professionals and What Should They Do?

Future Reflections Winter/Spring 1990, Vol. 9 No. 1
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WHO ARE THE PROFESSIONALS AND WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?
A SEMINAR FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS OF BLIND CHILDREN
sponsored by:

THE PARENTS OF BLIND CHILDREN DIVISION NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
SATURDAY, JUNE 30,1990
9:00 a.m. - 5:00p.m.
Dallas-Fort Worth Hyatt Regency, Dallas, Texas
Barbara Cheadle, President
Parents of Blind Children Division
There are two kinds of people in work with the
blind -- the consumers and the professionals. Although
I am a consumer by proxy (which is one
way of describing the role of parents of blind
children), I didn't start out that way. About six
years before I became the mother of a blind child
I was a rehabilitation counselor for the adult
blind with the Nebraska Services for the Visually
Impaired. Fortunately, within my first year as a
professional I discovered the National Federation
of the Blind. The NFB philosophy about
blindness made a lot of good sense to me and,
with the help of blind friends and colleagues in
the movement, I put it into practice on the job.
Later my husband (who was a cane-travel instructor
for the blind -- another sighted professional)
and I faced the challenge of putting the
philosophy into practice as the parents of an
adopted blind child.
As the parent of a blind child I have, for the past
ten years, been on the consumer side of services
to the blind. I have worried, researched,
wrangled, compromised, negotiated, and even
laughed and rejoiced a few times in my campaign
to get the professionals to give my son what he
needed (such as Braille). Of course, my husband
and I won't have to do this forever. Someday our
son, Charles, will fight his own fights. In the
meantime, however, we are his advocates in this
consumer/professional relationship.
We will be exploring that consumer/professional
relationship in depth at the 1990 annual Parents
of Blind Children seminar, Saturday, June 30, at
the DFW Hyatt Regency in Dallas, Texas. Drawing
upon my background as a former professional
and my current consumer status as the parent of
a blind child, I shall kick-off the agenda with the
topic, "Who's in Charge?" Next will come an
array of speakers and panels of parents, teachers,
administrators, librarians, and blind consumers
who will tackle our seminar theme question,
"Who are the Professionals and What Should
They Do?"
The seminar will begin at 9:00 a.m., but parents
who have children participating in the organized
children's activities should arrive between 8:00
a.m. and 8:45 a.m. This will give us time to check
in the children and get them out of the room before the session begins. Although there will be
no fee for the seminar, we will be offering a
$30.00 conference packet containing some timely
and exciting new literature and materials. I
think you will find the packet a real bargain, so
be sure to bring your checkbook or some extra
cash.
Childcare for infants and preschoolers and organized
activities for older children will also be
available during the seminar. We have especially
fine, large childcare facilities this year. We have
many experienced teachers (both blind and
sighted) in the Federation, and we are fortunate
to have several of them volunteer to take charge
of our children's activities on Saturday, June 30.
This year Lori Anderson (formerly LeBlanc) and
Johnnie Burns will be in charge of the children
ages 5 and up. (According to the number of
children we have, the children will be spilt up into
two or three different age groups and appropriate
activities and/or field trips will be planned for
each group.)
A teacher when she became blind, Miss Burns
decided to go back to school to become a teacher
of blind children. Her abilities won for her the
top NFB scholarship award in 1989. Mrs. Anderson is a former kindergarten teacher and has
been a volunteer coordinator of our seminar
children's activities since the 1987 Federation
convention in Phoenix. Other dedicated, competent
Federationists will be volunteering their
time along with Mrs. Anderson and Miss Burns
to make sure our children have an enjoyable and
profitable day.
There is a $5.00 minimum fee for each child who
participates in our organized childcare program
and activities on Saturday, June 30. If there is
sufficient interest, one of the activities for
children ages 9 and up could be a trip to the Six-Flags Amusement Park. The fee for this trip,
which would include cost of transportation, a box
lunch, and admission to an unlimited number of
rides at the park, would be $25 per child. Please
let us know on the preregistration form if you are
interested in this activity for your child/children.
Fill out and mail in the preregistration form
along with your check or cash as soon as possible,
or by June 1, 1990. Although preregistration is
not required, it is strongly recommended for
children ages 5 and up for whom special tours or
activities have been planned. The preregistration
figures will help us plan for adequate volunteer
counselors, bus space for trips, sack lunches, etc.
We will NOT take more children on an activity
than transportation and/or the number of adults
we have for supervision will allow, so please assure
your child of a spot and preregister.
The 1990 national Parents of Blind Children
seminar will be the biggest and best we have ever
had. There will be lively and enlightening discussion,
debate, and dialogue. There will be a chance
to meet people who truly understand you and the
problems you face as the parent or the teacher of
a blind child. You will have the chance to become
part of the National Federation of the Blind network
of parents, teachers, and blind adults who-- together--are shaping a future of promise and
opportunity for blind children.
Come! Join us in Texas for the best ever National
Federation of the Blind annual seminar for
parents and teachers of blind children.
(Note: For information about the convention -- rates, how to make reservations, etc. --please see
the article "Texas, Here We Come!" in this issue.)
PREREGISTRATION
CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES AND CHILDCARE
Mail to:
NFB Parents Division
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Md 21230
For more information, call: (301) 659-9314
PREREGISTRATION
Children's Activities and Childcare for Saturday, June 30,1990
Make checks payable to: NFB Parents Division
I wish to preregister_____child/childen at $5.00 per child
Total enclosed: $___
Yes. I will have
child/children age(s) 9 or older who would like to go to
Six-Flags. If the trip is offered, please credit ___ of the enclosed fee toward this trip.
Please list full name of child/children, age(s), and other pertinent
information.
Yes. I will have
child/children age(s) 9 or older who would like to go to
Six-Flags. If the trip is offered,
of the enclosed fee toward this trip.
Parent(s) Name(s)__________

Address
_________________
City_____________________

State____ Zip_____________

Phone Number(s)__________
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