Question of the Week

Which do you think is best, public school, a school for the blind or homeschool? Explain.

Interviews to Empower Presents Keela Harper

Welcome to another edition of Interviews to Empower, where we introduce you to someone who can inspire you to never give up. Today, we are talking with an extraordinary lady whose motto is “Don’t be afraid to try new things. Step out of your comfort zone and dare to dream.”

Q: What is your name, and can you tell us about yourself?

A: My name is Keela Harper, and I was born in Lewisburg, WV. I was born with glaucoma and cataracts, but I could read small print until I was about twelve. During that summer, I ran into the trailer where we lived. My mom said, “I think we have a problem.” :)

Q: Can you tell us about your blindness?

A: Yes. I lost the vision in my right eye when I was about twelve. The doctors did surgery to remove a cataract, but it was so deep that the optic nerve was damaged. The pressure was very high in my left eye, and I had only light perception, so during my senior year of high school, I had to have it removed. The right eye was removed several years later. I now wear prostheses.

Q: Did you go to a school for the blind or public school?

A:  I went to public school for Head Start, Kindergarten and first grade. I attended the North Carolina School for the Blind until third grade. After that, I went to the West Virginia School for the Blind, and graduated from there in 1994.

Q: Did you begin learning braille at an early age?

A: They began teaching me braille when I was about seven. However, it wasn’t until I was going to WVSB that one of my teachers began working with me more aggressively.

Q: What about cane travel? Did you learn O&M skills at WVSB?

A: Yes. The teacher I had was strict, but I am so thankful that he kept after me. I remember this one time when I had to find the Bank of Romney. “You can get directions any way you want,” my instructor said, “but I will not help you.”

Q: What did you do?

A: I got directions and found the bank. I remember walking through the door and asking, “Is this the Bank of Romney?” :) What I didn’t know was, my instructor was right behind me the entire time.

Q: Do you still use a cane?

A: Not usually. In 1995 I went to The Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ to get my first guide dog. His name was Cosmo, and he was a black lab. We worked together for eight years. In 2010 I went back to The Seeing Eye for my second dog. He is a black lab, as well, and his name is Lynx. I have always loved animals, and while walking with a dog, my pace is faster, I don’t have to concentrate on each and every landmark, and I feel more graceful when I enter a room. Having a dog who can see has also helped when I have to be in the hospital with my children. My dogs remember where we are supposed to go, and I feel I have more independence with one by my side.

Q: Were you involved in extra curricular activities during your school years?

A: Yes. I enjoyed swimming, goal ball, going to Space Camp and Girl Scouts. I was also involved in Close Up and got to go see the White House. In Girl Scouts I reached the level of cadette and was an LIT (Leader in Training), receiving a silver metal. As far as Space Camp, I got to go for three years. My favorite part was the aviation challenge. We got to go bungee jumping. Today, it excites me that my son can enjoy going to Space Camp, as well. I believe the experiences I had while attending WVSB rounded me out as a person. I don’t think I would have been able to do so much in a public school environment.

Q: Several times now you have mentioned your children. Can we talk about them?

A: Yes. In September, 1997 my husband and I were married. In 2000 my son was born. Our daughter came along in 2005. Both of them have a form of Muscular Dystrophy inherited from their father. One of the difficulties we ran into when trying to come up with a diagnosis, was my husband didn’t know this was the reason for his disabilities. My son is sight impaired and hearing impaired. He uses a power wheelchair and has some difficulties with motor skills. My daughter uses short braces to help her walk. Both children attend public school. I believe that all the experiences I had at WVSB, including the extra curricular activities, gave me the confidence to be a parent to children with disabilities.

Q: On June 23, 2016, heavy rains came to your neck of the woods. Tell us about that.

A: The town of Rainell, WV was flooded. Water was up past my knees inside my home. It took 21 hours to be rescued. We were awake all night, and it was all I could do to encourage myself and my children. My husband was ill and in a nursing home at the time. When we were finally rescued, we left our home in a boat. We stayed with friends for two and a half months. At present, we are living in one of the mobile homes provided by FEMA. Later this year, we will be moving into our new home. To say we were scared is an understatement. But, we survived, and even our dogs made it out, safe.

Q: You have certainly had a rough year.

A: Yes. My husband had been diagnosed with COPD several years ago. We lost him in October. I wouldn’t have made it through without my church family. Through it all, the flood and my husband’s death, I relied on my church family more than ever. They have literally been a God send. I don’t know what my children and I would have done without them.

Q: What would you say to other parents with children who have disabilities?

A: Don’t be scared, because they can be successful in life at whatever they want to do. There are so many ways they can be successful, because of technology.

Thank you, Keela for allowing us to interview you.

We hope you have enjoyed this edition of Interviews to Empower. Our goal is to post these interviews on the fourth Thursday of every month. If you or someone you know needs encouragement, come back and join us any time.

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Happy Thursday and be blessed.

Question of the Week

Do you feel the training in blindness and low vision skills you received during your school-age years was effective and comprehensive? Why or why not?

Developing an Idea of Independence and a Spirit of Advocacy

If you have been following our blog, you will remember we have been talking about independence and advocacy. Today, Anita Adkins asks the question: How do people who are blind or visually impaired acquire the skills and knowledge to develop an idea of independence and a spirit of advocacy? Let's take a look at blindness education.

First, we must be aware, people have various degrees of vision from total blindness to 20/20. Depending on the eye condition, a person may prefer a well-lit room, while another individual may need lower lighting. Also, vision fluctuates, and so a person might need different accommodations at different times. In addition to all of these factors, some people who are blind or visually impaired have been so since birth. Others may have lost their sight in childhood; others in their adulthood; still  others as elderly individuals. So how is it determined what strategies and tools must be used, and thus learned, by someone who is blind or visually impaired?

For children birth to age 21, the focus seems to be on accommodations for completing educational tasks rather than on developing acceptance to blindness or building blindness skills. For example, a student is taught to use a screen magnification program to access a textbook. That same child might be taught to use a cane so she can travel after dark. But, how effective are these tools for this student? Is she developing a positive blindness philosophy that will provide her with a high quality of life and a deep sense of freedom? Is she given training in all blindness and low vision skills, or only the ones necessary to meet the minimum requirements on her individualized education plan, or IEP? From my experiences as a blind student, all the necessary skills are not taught in this manner. I learned how to use a cane and travel a prescribed route. I also learned braille and some basic kitchen skills. However, I did not develop confidence in the kitchen or in travel. I did master braille probably because I am strong academically and am a non-visual reader; in other words, I have only light perception and could not visually access large print. What were your blindness training experiences as a student in grades pre-k to 12?

As an adult, I had the privilege to work at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, or BISM. In addition to being a seamstress in their sewing department, I also taught in their rehabilitation department. I went through sleep shade training for about a month, and i attended classes in independent living, braille, technology, cane travel, wood shop, and most important, blindness philosophy. I had splintered blindness skills training at the blind school and from my own experiences traveling about and experimenting. I also went to a rehab center for about six weeks after graduating high school. I still have some skills to build, though more of it is now due to lack of confidence rather than lack of skill. For example, I am not as comfortable with frying foods in the kitchen as I would like to be. However, I know that if I concentrated on practicing these skills, my confidence would rise, and my level of skill would increase. The training I received through BISM was an eighth of what most students receive. Imagine how much more confident I would be, if I had been able to attend classes for the prescribed amount of time.

I have told you The basic classes, but there is no way for me to convey to you in writing how much you learn and how much confidence you build while attending one of these training programs. Some would argue that people with residual vision do not always need to learn all of those non-visual skills. I disagree. Before one can decide the best techniques and tools necessary to overcome challenges related to blindness and visual impairments, one must first be well rounded in the knowledge and skills necessary to function with no vision. Remember, I mentioned vision can fluctuate and different environments can be different for different people. There is nothing wrong with using residual vision; first, however, it is important to be able to perform a given task with no vision. Then, one can make an informed decision regarding the safest and most effective method for solving the challenge.

Often, people with blindness and low vision are ashamed of their disability. They want to hide it. In fact, they want to hide it so much that they will do anything to pretend it does not exist, and this includes using unsafe and  inefficient methods and tools to accomplish tasks. I know of one of my former students who wouldn't give up driving until he was in an accident. After a student is competent and confident in blindness skills and has developed a positive blindness philosophy, then a student can learn to use other tools and techniques to aid them in making the best use of their residual vision.

In conclusion, from my experiences as a blind person and as a blind educator, it is essential to build good blindness skills and a positive blindness philosophy in order to live a high quality life in which a person who is blind or visually impaired is productive in the community. The best placement for this training to be taught successfully is currently at a blindness training program, such as the one offered at BISM. We need to figure out how to ensure that school-age students who do not live in a town near such a center receive this essential part of their blindness education. All people who are blind or visually impaired need to have access to the type of training at such a blindness training center, regardless of age or visual diagnosis. Then, they need introduced to tools and taught strategies to help them make use of any useful residual vision they may have.

Question of the Week

What fuels your determination, when you are faced with difficult circumstances?

Homeschool

Last week we promised a post on homeschool. Today, S. J. Wells talks about teaching her sighted children.

My dad used to tell me, “You spend more time trying to figure out a way not to do something, than actually doing it.”

He was right. Time management has never been one of my strengths. I am a procrastinator, too often I allow my mood to dictate my actions, and I tend to run away from situations when they become too difficult. So, when I first began to seriously think about homeschool, I put a lot of time in to studying it. A friend graciously let me visit her home and observe what a typical homeschool day was like for her and her family. I read blogs, listened to podcasts, talked about it with anyone who would listen and prayed. The closer the time came to begin homeschooling my children, the more nervous and unsure I became. After all, I didn’t have a college education, I live in a rural community without accessible transportation, and while my children are blessed with vision, I am not. How on earth does a blind person teach a sighted child to read, do math or use a computer?

As it turns out, numbers and computers were the easy part. Remember those foam numbers and letters that you press out of the puzzle? I found some at the Dollar Tree. It helped that I know basic print, as well. Manipulatives work well when learning to count. A friend gave me a box of one hundred plastic animals, and my girls loved separating them into groups according to color or species. We counted tea bags, spoons, beans, windows in the house. Whatever we could get our hands on became part of class. More than once, we even used ourselves to act out addition and subtraction problems by coming in or leaving a room one at a time. I would keep my speech program turned on and allow my girls to type out emails to their dad. I helped them spell, they found the correct letters on the keyboard, and I knew whether they were correct or not when the speech announced the letter they pressed. Then, when he emailed back, using my speech and their eyes, I helped them learn to read.

Most of those early years were days of trial and error. I learned what works and what doesn’t by trying, failing and trying again. At the time of this writing, I am halfway through my seventh year of homeschool. I have stopped reading “how to” blogs, podcasts for newbies have been dropped, but prayer is still the key - prayer, determination and trial and error.

So far on this blog, we have talked about independence and advocacy. We have introduced you to a can do attitude. We have discussed adopting new ways of thinking, educating others that people who are blind can do whatever they want. I stand behind what we have put on here. In saying that, though, I will be the first to admit it is easier to write about these things than to do them, especially when faced with daily obstacles.

Why do I homeschool? There are several reasons. Here are just a few.

1. I would rather do the work during the day than spend all evening doing homework.
2. I believe each child learns at a different pace and should be given the opportunity to truly learn a concept without pressure. I do not believe public schools can offer every child that opportunity. Children should not be classified into stereotypes. We are all different and unique.
3. There are certain subjects I want my children to learn from the perspective that comes from God’s Word, the Holy Bible.
4. The mountain of printed paper my daughter brought home from public school when she was a preschooler was unreal. The teacher promised to call, text or email me with information about this print, but she never did. I chose to teach my children at home, rather than deal with that for the next thirteen years.
5. I am a lifelong learner, and even though it sounds rather nerdy of me, I was excited to begin school with my girls.

That list is not complete but it gives you some idea as to why I began this journey. When I hear on the news about school shootings, I hold my children close and thank God I know where they are. When difficult questions arise about growing up, boys and changing bodies, I am thankful to be able to give answers that are neither dirty, crude or incorrect. If one child excels at a task or concept, I do not expect the other to be the same. Each child has the opportunity to learn at her own pace. No one is left behind, here. If we’re sick, we can take time off without penalties. If we are grieving over the loss of a family member, we can stop language arts class to have a good cry. If we want to spend all afternoon reading, we do.

Obstacles that have stood or still stand in my way include:

1. Blindness. Sometimes, that burier alone is enough to frustrate the entire day. Printed materials aren’t as much of an obstacle as they once were, but still, the communication gets sticky at times.
2. Being told I can’t do it. Oh, the naysayers love that one. Since they’ve never heard of a blind person teaching sighted children, it probably can’t be done.

So, how to overcome? Never give up.

When my youngest wanted to learn to read, I made a promise to myself to sit down every day and listen to her try. We sat together in the recliner. She sat on my lap with a book and a blanket, and attempted reading. She went from sentences like, “Pam got on the mop.” in November to “Samantha the Snob" by Kathryn Cristaldi in February. I often fell asleep. I often wondered if I’d ever make it through a long session of struggling with words she didn’t know, but she never gave up. Her will power empowered me. Today, she is a third grader reading at about a middle school level.

Whenever I doubt myself, I remember Moses from the Old Testament. When God told him it was time to go back to Egypt and get the Jews out of there, he told God he wasn’t qualified. He made excuses. He couldn’t talk well, the people wouldn’t listen to him, and so on. Here’s what God had to say to that.

“And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” Exodus 4:11-12 KJV

My doubts crumble and fall through my hands like grains of sand at those words. God made me blind, and He made my girls sighted. He will put the words in my mouth and teach me what I should say. This is what fuels my determination. This is what gives me boldness to advocate for myself and my family. This is what teaches me to be independent.

Whatever your calling in life, whatever your mission, whatever your heart's desire, just remember you can. All it takes is determination and that "can do" attitude we talk about so often.

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Thanks for being with us today. Have a wonderful week, and be sure to come back next Thursday.

Question of the Week

What obstacles have you faced when you have attempted to advocate for yourself?

Advocacy

In our first blog post, we talked about independence. Last week, we gave an example of someone who lives out that independence. To review, independence means using the appropriate tools, techniques, resources, and your abilities to complete a task in the safest and most effective way possible. This week, we are going to talk about advocacy.

Part of being independent is knowing how to advocate for yourself and being courageous enough to do so when you need to. Advocacy is not being aggressive to get your way. It is standing up for yourself or another person because it is right or appropriate to do so.

Consider this incident told by Anita.

I can remember that as a young child, I was terrified to walk up and ask someone for assistance, even if it was only ordering food. There was a little snack shack near my school, and my orientation and mobility instructor told me that if I walk to it independently, he would buy my lunch. I was thrilled with that idea, but at the same time, I was terrified to walk into a restaurant and request a cheeseburger from some stranger.

Teaching students how to be effective advocates is essential for their future success. For a youngster, advocacy might be asking for desired toy or making a request to get a drink of water. For an older child, advocacy might be participating in her IEP meeting and asking questions and providing input on her education. For a blind adult, advocacy might be joining a blindness organization or group that provides services to the blind. Using one's talents, abilities, and connections to make it possible to live productively and independently in society is how we as persons with blindness and visual impairments live independent, productive lives. It is also how sighted people do the same. But, no matter the age, when a blind person advocates, he empowers himself and others by taking the opportunity to educate.

Effective education relies on a blind person taking on the role of a sighted person. The blind person must try to put themselves in a sighted person’s shoes.

Most people with vision do not have training in blindness skills and strategies, and they are not confident with doing tasks without vision. Usually, they do not know anyone else who is blind or visually impaired and have difficulty relating to a life without sight. Compounding that, society has taught them, blind people are helpless. When they fail to understand how a blind person could perform a task, it is because they have been conditioned to believe this. The word "can't" is a very strong word. “Can’t” prevents a person from even trying. Consequently, it shapes our expectations, and quite often, that means those expectations are lower than they should be. If blind people have low expectations for themselves, then sighted people will have the same low expectations. If blind people believe in themselves and have a positive attitude about blindness, then others will begin to respond with a positive attitude. The more people with vision see people who are blind doing ordinary tasks, the more they will begin to believe that we are capable.

S. J. tells this story about the time she walked her young children across town to a doctor’s appointment.

As I took my seat in the waiting room, a nurse asked me how had I got there. I told her I walked, and she was completely amazed that I had done so with an infant to carry and a toddler holding my hand. Realizing it was an opportunity to educate, I told her I was just doing what I had to do, as there was no one to give us a ride. I explained how I used my cane and how my toddler held onto me. My last words to her were, “The Lord has helped me, and that is what makes it possible.” I can only hope I not only educated her that I was not helpless nor incapable but inspired her, too.

It is important to teach students how to respond in different situations so they know there is a time to teach and a time when one must just go on and model blindness skills without explaining them. This starts at home, but continues at school as the child learns to request assistance and practice skills independently. It also occurs when students learn to socialize with and react to behaviors of other children and adults in their worlds. Learning to refuse assistance is also important. Positive, blind role models can play a significant part in a blind child's reaction to vision loss. Discussions that explore how blind people react in certain situations is also key for a blind child. Independence and advocacy both play key roles in a person's quality of life, whether or not they are blind or sighted.

Come be with us next week when we will talk about homeschooling as a person who is blind.