[nfb-talk] Fwd: Testing the senses

[David Andrews]

>>>> Janice Bailey 8/28/2007 9:52 AM



>Testing the senses
>For people learning to live without sight, the State Fair's cacophony of sounds and smells offers valuable practice at navigating through the noise. Of
>course, it's also a fun place to scout for cheese curds.
>BY JOHN BREWER
>Pioneer Press
>Article Last Updated: 08/28/2007 12:26:35 AM CDT
>
>0826/20070826__jmp__blind_state_fair090_300
>Fairgoers, from left, Helen Stevens, of Gouldsboro, Pa., and Dan Everson, Zach Ellingson and Ryan Willms, all of Minneapolis, spend Friday at the State
>Fair. All four are blind. Navigating the Fair is promoted as an "adventure learning" exercise by teh Minneapolis group BLIND Inc. (Jean Pieri, Pioneer
>Press) (8/24/07)
>
>The four threaded their way through the crowd at Nelson Street and Carnes Avenue on the Fairgrounds, their white canes feeling out a clear path in front
>of them.
>
>Instructor Steve Decker took the lead, with two women - wearing thick, padded sleep shades over their eyes - close behind.
>
>Zach Ellingson, another instructor from BLIND Inc., walked alongside.
>
>Fairgoers either paused to look at the group or didn't notice, their eyes searching out the next food booth.
>
>"We'd rather have people stop and ask what we're doing if they're curious," Decker said. "We don't have any problem asking people how to get to the corn
>dogs."
>
>Everybody in the group is legally blind. Three of them have partial sight, but the point of this "adventure learning" exercise was to ignore that sense
>and instead rely on the sounds, sensations and smells of the Fairgrounds.
>
>"Some people have enough partial sight to get them in trouble," said Tonja Glass, one of the shade-wearing women.
>
>This is Glass' third week at BLIND Inc. (short for "Blindness: Learning in New Dimensions"), a school housed in the Charles Pillsbury mansion in Minneapolis.
>Founded in 1986, the school helps newly blind or soon-to-be-blind students adjust to a world without sight instead of focusing on their loss.
>
>Glass, a former truck driver, started losing her vision a year and a half ago when a medical complication cut off blood to her optic nerves. She plans to
>go into education when she graduates from
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>the school in six to eight months.
>
>Her trip to the Fair marked her first day riding the bus while wearing the sleep shades.
>
>"I learned to always use the railings," she said. "In some ways (the training's) fun. You can get in trouble and laugh at yourself."
>
>Ellingson, the school's instructor of orientation, mobility and travel, said the Fair is a unique test to navigate.
>
>"There's a lot of noise that can be challenging," he said.
>
>As they walked west on Carnes Avenue, the din from the Midway grew louder. The music and voices of barkers bounced off buildings, making it hard to hear
>where the sound was coming from.
>
>But the layers of noise can also be useful.
>
>Ellingson knew the group was close to the WCCO-TV booth when he heard the broadcast of "The Price is Right."
>
>The bright sun was a cue, too, its warm rays working as a sort of compass.
>
>"This is one of the busiest places," Ellingson said. "Going downtown and catching a movie is a piece of cake after this."
>
>Linda Musel, the other student, soon will graduate from the school after being there a year. The former factory worker has trained to work in an Austin
>nursing home's laundry room.
>
>"I'm quite excited," she said.
>
>The group arrived at the Fair at about 10 a.m. Friday. They planned to work their way through the growing crowds until late in the afternoon.
>
>But the day wasn't all about work.
>
>"We're on a quest to find cheese curds," said Decker, who teaches assistive technology at the school. "Sometimes you learn more when you're exploring."
>
>The journey fit perfectly with BLIND Inc.'s teaching techniques, he added. Instead of learning about navigation by working in an isolated building, students
>have to experience lessons in the community. Most live in apartments and take buses to class.
>
>"It helps them to be prepared for anything," Decker said. "You really have to be immersed in it if you really want to master the skills."
>
>John Brewer can be reached at 651-246-2539 or <mailto:jbrewer at pioneerpress.com>jbrewer at pioneerpress.com .
>
>HELP AT THE FAIR
>
>A Braille map of the Fairgrounds is available for reference at the Guest Services office in the Visitors Plaza at Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street.
>Other accommodations include: wheelchair and electric scooter rentals are available; some shows and barn tours have American Sign Language interpreters,
>and interpreters are available for individual guests; assistive listening devices are provided at Grandstand events; and several TTY telephones are on
>the grounds. The Fair's accessibility guide is available at
><http://www.mnstatefair.org/>www.mnstatefair.org .
>
>More information on BLIND, Inc. is available at
>blindinc.org.
>or by calling 612-872-0100.
>
>
>Jan Bailey
>State Services for the Blind
>Rochester, Minnesota 55904
>phone: 507-280-5563 or 1-800-657-3836