[nfb-talk] Centers for the Blind

[kaye zimpher]

Hi David,
First I want to say that I am glad that you have decided to go to Ruston 
instead of reach after school. I have only attended one center and it was 
not an nfb center. I had a wonderful experience there, but I can see how it 
could happen that people do not. I went to Arkansas with the sole purpose of 
obtaining employment with the IRS. I did not need any independent living or 
mobility or life skills training, just the job and I did receive the job. I 
will say that the center did make me do a lot of strange stuff like 
arranging shapes and yes the iq test. I was willing to do what it took to 
get in to the federal gov. I have discussed many times with another 
federationist friend of mine how we wish that a program like the IRS program 
could be housed within the nfb centers. I think that would give a blind 
person the "total package." I think I had a good experience in Little Rock 
because I knew what I was there for and I did not stray. I met a lot of good 
people and I do have to admit I got my party on, haha, but I learned a lot 
about myself and my job while I was there. I inured the silly rules and 
ultimately I let them know from the beginning that I was 34 years old at 
that time and that I had been on my own for 13 years and that noone was 
going to tell me when to come and go and who and what I can become friends 
with. I think the fact that I respected the staff while demanding that they 
respect me helped a lot.  That is my take on it all. Hope you have a 
successful time in Ruston.
K
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "david" <davidb521 at earthlink.net>
To: "Blind Talk" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>; "Nfb Talk" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>; 
"Nabs" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 1:59 AM
Subject: [nfb-talk] Centers for the Blind


> Hi, List,
>
> I had a few questions about some of the policies of centers for
> the blind.  My sister recently went to the Reach Center for the
> Blind in Tupelo, Mississippi since she will be going off to
> college in just a few months.  I was looking at what the center
> does, and talking to my sister about things that go on there.
> Overall, I think the center is one of the best in the state, and
> I admire it for trying to follow the methods used by the center
> in Ruston, Louisiana.  However, it is lacking in some areas I
> think.  First of all, it has all of it's classes and dormitories
> in one single building.  I guess this is not so surprising,
> because I imagine that Ruston is one of the few places that have
> apartment residences that are really designed for you to live on
> your own.  Another thing is that you must be at the center for 3
> weeks before you can go spend a weekend night at home.  Is this
> so the clients will be adjusted to a center like this? I talked
> to one blind man, and he was very indignant about this and said
> that since the students are adults, they do not need these silly
> rules.  Also, my sister will have to take an I.Q.  test and god
> knows what other psychological tests at the center, and she said
> that she thought she would have to take some kind of test where
> she had to arrange shapes on a board or something in a certain
> amount of time, but she may be wrong about this.  Also, almost
> all of Reach's instructors are sighted, although students do have
> to wear sleepshades which is a good thing.  Would it not be that
> hard to hire more blind instructors? After all, I was under the
> impression that Reach was modeling Ruston's methods, and Ruston
> is known for having many blind instructors.  Anyway, this is why
> I have decided not to attend Reach after high school and instead
> go to Ruston instead.  So, what do you people think of these
> diferent centers and your likes and dislikes about them?
>
> David
> _______________________________________________
> nfb-talk mailing list
> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk