An Update and Some Thoughts on Preparing for a Job

Hello, everyone. I hope this first, full month of  spring finds you well. Anita here with you today, and Spring has been a rather snowy and busy one here in WV. Goalball season has recently ended, and gives me a small break. Spring break has also allowed me a chance to rejuvenate for school, but I have been very busy at home.

My Mom, who lives in a nearby nursing home, came to spend the weekend with me. We played cards and fried potatoes. Ruth Ann, my cousin, stopped in to visit us as well. Then, Joy, my cousin came over to spend the night. Then, I went to her house to spend the night. While there I Took advantage of her WiFi and updated my iPhone. I  put Word Pro on my new MacBook, but at the moment, it is about to be thrown out the window. I couldn’t figure out how to save an article I wrote, though I did eventually succeed. So my brain is foggy just now.

During my break, my friend, Nancy, and I spent a day shopping at the mall. My bank account is way lower, but I have a couple of new bowls and a new kitchen gadget to play with. It is a rice cooker. I found a pasta rice cooker that is useful for all kinds of things a few months back, and I wanted another one. It is so frustrating when something I like disappears from the shelves at Walmart.

Anyhow, the point here is that I’ve been busy. Generally, I like to cook on vacation, but I haven’t had a lot of time for that. Currently, I have a hash brown casserole in the crockpot. When I was preparing it, I decided to add in bacon bits. I found a little bag that felt like the bacon bits. After opening it, I realized it was nuts. I had used Seeing AI, an app on my iPhone designed to tell me barcodes and read text, and while it couldn’t find the barcode, it did read something about almonds. I didn’t believe it because I don’t remember buying any almonds. I should have listened to it though because almonds they were. LOL

This blog post is really me ranting to you. I just wrote an article about "DUCKING INTO UEB", the book S. J. Wells and I wrote. In the article, I mentioned how I wanted to get a job like my sighted family members way back in the ’90’s. As blind people, obtaining a job is more difficult. It is important that we have the skills, training, and opportunity to do the job. Also, accessibility needs are important. Yes, the law requires that reasonable accommodations be made for us. But what does reasonable mean? And, it is a sighted world. A sighted person could apply for and potentially acquire a job in the local area easily enough, though it may be a minimum wage position. But a person who is blind requires accessibility to be included with the package.

I remember years ago in Parkersburg when I wanted to work at a call center. The software at the time was not accessible for screenreaders. Maybe nowadays, I could tackle the challenge of insuring such accommodations were met, but back then, I did not possess the knowledge or bravery. And, I’m glad I didn’t because working at a call center is not where I feel the Lord wants me to be. Still, I sometimes feel that a realistic job option be a consideration. What would I do if I was suddenly rifted from my current position as others have been? What skills and training would I need to acquire employment? Could I still live here in the town I consider as my home? Truth is that most people must relocate in order to be employed. But could their possibly be virtual jobs in the education field for me? Or, are there other career options I haven’t explored? I do not plan to leave my current position in the near future. But where will I be in ten years or so? If I want to make a career move, I need to plan now so I can be properly trained for the transition. And, if I decide to stay in this position forever, educating myself about other careers and even completing some of the training will not be a waste of my time. 

Part of my reason for bringing up this topic on this blog is because on one of my facebook lists, someone wanted to know what jobs are out there for blind people. There are not specific jobs for blind people. There are jobs in the field of blindness. There are companies that focus on hiring blind people, such as Industries for the Blind. But a person who is blind should really focus on their strengths and weakness and job interests. Filling out a job inventory is a great first step. Getting in touch with blind people in an interested field is also important, though not required. 

The ACB, www.acb.org and NFB, www.nfb.org both offer mentorship programs to people who are blind and visually impaired. AFB, www.afb.org also has Career Connect, a program that matches one with someone who has a job in the interested field. Finally, determining the accommodations is key. And, while the employer is required to make the reasonable accommodations, any accommodations we can make on our behalf will help to make us more successful candidates. Blindness skills training and training required for the specific career are also appropriate steps. Have fun searching! In the mean time, here is a link that will allow you to search virtual jobs. The site also allows you to search for jobs that require your physical presence. https://www.indeed.com/q-Virtual-jobs.html

That's it for today, but be sure and come back in 2 weeks for another edition of Interviews to Empower. Until then, be safe and remember to laugh often.

Interviews to Empower Presents, Conrad Bennett

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Interviews to Empower! Often, we look to those individuals whose names are well-known for inspiration. However, it is in the everyday living where miracles are born. This months interviewee is a regular guy doing normal things, and yet he is inspiring, because he does not let his disability stand in the way of being a regular, normal guy. Come with me and meet Conrad Bennett, a man who’s motto could be “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

A: Well, I’m 32 years old, I love computers, and I love helping students. Actually, I love to help anybody. I consider myself to be religious, I’ve been married for 12 years, I have a son who is 12 and I am totally blind.

Q: What eye condition do you have, and how long have you had it?

A: I was born premature, and too much oxygen in the incubator caused my redness to not grow or attach. I’ve been blind ever since birth.

Q: What strategies, techniques and/or tools do you use to accommodate for your vision loss?

A: I use a computer with a screen reader, an iPhone with voiceover, my oven is labeled in braille, I use a guide dog and a cane, and I also have a touchscreen washing machine and dryer that is labeled in braille.

Q: Can you tell us about your post high school life, meaning about various jobs or other pursuits? Also, feel free to tell us about any non-work related activities—hobbies, etc.

A: After high school I worked at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, BISM. Then, I worked from home doing data entry. After that, on the side I would help set up wireless networks for various people and businesses. Then, I began restoring and fixing computers. That is still a side hobby as well. Whenever I need to see the computer screen but can’t use a speech program, like with windows there are times when the speech can not work, I use my iPhone’s camera to read the screen. I really enjoy Apple products and love helping people learn how to use them, whether they are sided or blind. At present, I am a classroom aid at the WV School for the Blind.

Q: Are you affiliated with any organizations, such as Lions Club or a blindness-specific organization? Why or why not?

A: I am a member of the Lions Club. I joined this organization, because I like to see them out doing something to actually help people. They go out in their community and help folks obtain glasses, hearing aids and even help get glasses fixed. They are also active in supporting guide dog schools such as Leader Dogs in Rochester Hills, MI and Pilot Dogs in Columbus, OH, which is where I got my guide dog.

I am also a member of the American Council of the Blind, ACB. Actually, I am the current president of the Potomac Valley chapter of the Mountain State Council of the Blind.

Q: What keeps you going when life gets you down?

A: Well, when life gets too tough, I just remember to stop and say a prayer. That’s what gets me through.

Conrad, thank you for allowing us to interview you. It has been a pleasure.

And, thank you, dear readers for being with us today. Be sure and come back on the second Thursday in February, that is the 8th for more inspiration from your favorite writing team, Adkins and Wells. :) Until then, remember to say a prayer and keep on smiling.

For more information about the schools or organizations mentioned, below are links you can follow.

Blind Industries and Services of Maryland www.bism.org

West Virginia School for the Blind, www.wvsdb2.state.k12.wv.us

Lions Club, www.lionsclubs.org

Mountain State Council of the Blind, www.mscbwv.org

Leader Dogs, www.leaderdog.org

Pilot Dogs, www.pilotdogs.org

Blessings.

An Update from Anita

Hello, and welcome to the blog. Anita here this time.

First, let me say that it is my fault we are late at delivering this month's blog. I turned 40 recently, and that means I'm getting old and forgetful, :) and so I left the thumb drive at work. I save the blog post on the thumb drive so I can then insert it into my iPhone and attach the post to an email I sent to S.J. So, my apologies. And, thank you, S.J., for telling me about flashdrives for iPhones. It makes it easier for me to transfer files to and from my iPhone and other devices.

I have been very busy since I last wrote to you here on the blog. For one thing, I attended the annual conference at the American Printing House for the Blind, or APH. While there, I was able to do a lot of networking with other people in the teaching field and with other blind people from all around the world. At the World Blind Union meeting, I happened to sit beside Mark Maurer, former president of the National Federation of the Blind, NFB, and Mark Riccobono, current president of the NFB. Networking is an awesome thing because this gave me an opportunity to speak to these gentlemen on a personal basis, and it was not at a convention. They meet many people, and so I am sure it is hard for them to remember all of the people they meet. But now, I have a stronger voice should I need one pertaining to any assistance I may need from them. Several members of the American Council of the Blind, ACB, were also present at this meeting. Lou Tutt, a member of from AER, was also present. While you are hearing me mention several educational organizations, remember I am a teacher. In your profession, whatever it may be, it is a good idea to attend conferences for networking purposes. This is how you gain a deeper knowledge in your field and a body of support that can prove invaluable in your personal and professional life.

While at the APH convention, I was also privileged to tour the printing house. I was surprised at all I didn't know about what they did, though I should have known it. I worked as a seamstress at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, or BISM, several years ago. APH was similar, though the type of production was different. We discovered how braille and large print books and magazines went through stages of processing before being printed. They used several embossers and printing machines, some of them enormous. We also stopped by the booth where an audiobook for the National Library Service, NLS was in the process of being recorded. To me, this was special because I listen to these books and I recognized the name of the narrator, Jack Fox. Also, I learned that the reader gets paid by how quickly they can accurately record the book rather than by how long it takes to complete the recording. At another place in this plant, we were in a huge room with worktables all around. Silent workers were working to assemble kits, for example, APH has a Jump Rope To Fitness Kit. Each item in the kit has a specific item number, and these specific bins with these numbered items were in another area just beyond this work area. I was also able to tour the APH museum.

While on this tour, I continued to meet people in my field, some blind like myself, but many with vision. While not attending meetings where I was exploring APH products and providing input on products and services, I spent my moments of spare time enjoying Louisville. I enjoyed a nighttime horse and carriage ride through the city streets and dining at The Old Spaghetti Factory. I also did a bit of shopping at the gift shop, where I purchased a horse. No, it wasn't real.

To move on to other things I've been doing since I last wrote to you, I was a foster Mom for about a month or longer. Due to needs of the child, I requested a different placement for the child, but I learned a lot. I also discovered that I live in a supportive community. This world is better than we think it is, if we choose to take the time to dwell on its good. Many friends and acquaintances stepped in to assist me. I had to make unexpected trips to the doctor's office to pick up prescriptions that could not be faxed to the local pharmacy. I had to go to Morgantown  for appointments. I had to have assistance each medicine time because, regardless of my level of vision, this job required two people, the key reason I requested another placement for the child. One day, I had to rely on a driver and friend to drive around between pharmacies and wait while prescriptions were being filled. Also, I had to make a number of phone calls pertaining to the child. Taking care of the child  at home was the easy part, though before I accepted the child, I figured this would be the hard part. Thank you to all who helped me during this time. It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. When the right child comes along, I look forward to being so busy again, but I am thankful for my "me" or "Mommy" time in the meanwhile. :)

And, of course, I've been very busy at work. Our first nine weeks just ended, and I think it is the busiest nine weeks I've experienced in my five years at the West Virginia School for the Blind. But it has been fun and rewarding. The children have been busy learning my braille songs and working to build braille contraction knowledge. And, I've been busy planning their work and taking on extra responsibilities this year.

That is a brief snapshot of how I have been filling my days. Currently, I'm sitting on my couch, wondering if my Mom's birthday present is tucked out there in my mailbox. One of my cats, Tiger Lee is lying on the chair arm beside me, and I just heard my Mom get out of bed and wheel herself into my downstairs bathroom. She is spending the weekend out of the nursing home. I am having her a surprise birthday party tomorrow. Sue Smith, who used to be my night houseparent when I was a student at WVSB, owns a bakery. I called upon her to make my Mom a Mario birthday cake as she will only be turning 69 on November 15, which is this coming Wednesday. A breakfast walk to pick up food from the Romney Diner is calling and my cousin, Ruth Ann, who helped me tremendously with my foster daughter is hoping I'm awake to be ready when she gets here after while to take me grocery shopping. So bye until next post.

And, please remember to say "Thank you!" to all the Veterans you meet for what they've done for our country. Also, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, since it falls on the fourth Thursday of the month, our edition of Interviews to Empower will be posted the following Thursday, Nov. 30. We hope you will join us then. Thank you for being with us today, and we’re praying you have a fantastic weekend.

Blessings.

Be an Overcomer

Hello. Anita here, and this week we’re going to talk about challenges and overcoming them.

Recently, I have become a new foster mom. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience. I have learned that being a mom involves way more than just watching the child. I have already made so many phone calls and accompanied the child to an appointment. Due to confidentiality, I will not share with you any details about the child in this blog. But, I do want to tell you about the key challenges and how I have overcome them as a blind person.

One challenge is dealing with the misconceptions about the capabilities of the blind. And, I will not share a lot about that on this blog for privacy reasons. But I will say that the social worker and my home finder have done an excellent job at holding high expectations for the blind. They have entrusted me to care for a very special child. They are not the ones who have presented this challenge. However, as a caregiver, I need and want to know their concerns. I told the social worker to feel free to ask me any questions. I am an educator, and I do want what is best for the child. One of their concerns was that the child tends to be active and run a lot. When the social worker expressed this to me, I explained that I had locks on my doors that can only be opened with a key. This assured her the child would be safe with me. I also talked with her about other ways I will keep the child safe, including using a bear that she wears like a backpack. It has a leash, which I put on my wrist. At church and other places out of my house, it will keep her from running away from me.

What they did not tell me was that the child takes a great deal of medication, and more importantly, that it requires two people to ensure she takes the medicine—one to administer it and the other to hold her hands so she does not grab the syringe or push away the person trying to give her the medicine. If they had told me this before I accepted her, I would have told them to find another placement for her because I live alone. Fortunately, my pastor, his fiancee, and my cousins are assisting me with this. The social worker is exploring other options, as well.

Even though this challenge is not related to blindness, I wanted to share it with you because it is important that, as blind people, we know our strengths and weaknesses. We need to know when to take on a challenge and when to say no. Really, this is the case, regardless of vision. Knowing who we are and our talents and strengths will enable us to be productive and will also enable us and others to stay safe. If we lack confidence or feel we are incapable, we should consult others in the blindness community for their input on how we can do a task we really want to do. It is probably possible, but blindness training may be necessary before we can accomplish it. Our other option is to teach ourselves, which I love to do. But, be sure safety factors are considered and adhered to before self-discovery occurs.

To give an example, my brother and I taught ourselves many years ago how to walk to a nearby college. One of us would wait at a point while the other walked further and explored. If someone were injured, the other person would be able to call for help. Also, this helped us to always find our way back to the apartment we lived in at the time. Experimenting with techniques and tricks we think of is a great way to conquer new skills. But, accepting our limitations is also important. Considering other factors that require a "no" answer to performing an activity is important, too. Here are some questions to help you determine if you should try an activity and conquer barriers related to your blindness.

1. Why do I want to do this activity? If the answer is to help others, because I would enjoy it,  or because it is necessary, then you should probably figure out a way to do it. If the answer is pride, you may still be able to conquer the challenge, but be careful. Pride alone should not impact your decision.

2. Do I have the skills to accomplish this goal? If not, then conduct some research to learn how and where you can get the necessary training. It might be a blindness training center, like the one at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland or the Louisiana Center for the Blind. Or, it might be a week-long visit to a blindness rehabilitation training center in your state. Or, maybe it is an online tutorial or a friend or family member that can give you some pointers and walk you through the steps of a given task. Most important, be informed and weigh your options so you can select the best one.

3. Finally, is fear keeping you from conquering the challenge? If so, then you will need to build confidence. Confidence is built in small steps. A training center can help with this, but, consistently doing things for yourself will be the most beneficial.

You might also think about how to start an activity. For example, before using the table saw, I asked my instructor to turn it off and unplug it. This way, I knew I could explore it without it turning on. After that, I felt more comfortable in using it because I had a mental picture  of what it looked like. Learning other prevention steps and safety techniques is also important. For example, I lacked confidence in frying foods. For safety, I asked a friend and some family members to be with me in the kitchen and to show me how much grease to pour in when frying potatoes. I received a little experience and built confidence with this in a training center, as well  and then more after practicing at home. I also found online safety tips.

So, what challenges are you facing? What are you going to do to overcome the ones that matter to you? Yes, with determination and the right tools and techniques, you can do it!!! Have fun trying!

Have any examples to share about overcoming challenges? Drop us a comment below. We’d love to hear your story.

Beginning in October, this blog will be changing to a twice a month blog, rather than once a week. With school starting back and with both of us busy with new projects this year, we want to concentrate our efforts on bringing you informative posts that will help and encourage. We feel the best way to do this is to post only twice a month. Until then, though, we’ll be right here, posting every Thursday.

And, speaking of every Thursday, be sure and come back next week for another edition of Interviews to Empower. We have an interview all ready for you. Until then, have a fantabulous weekend, and hop on over to facebook.com/adkinsandwells/ and “like” our page.

Blessings.

Assistive Technology, Then and Now

Hello and happy Thursday. We’re so glad you could be with us today. Anita here with you this week, and I’m going to be talking about the importance of assistive technology and the ways it has changed over the years.

I can remember way back before the Internet was so accessible to me and I shopped only at a physical store. Many customer service personnel were friendly and helpful. I used to go to Walden Books. Someone would read the title, author, and a little description of the book for me. Or, I would go into an electronics store and get customer service to assist me in searching for what I hoped to acquire. Nowadays, I can do all of that on the Internet. Though  I still love to go into a physical store as it allows me to tactually examine items, I am so thankful I can independently browse items as a way of "window" shopping and especially to purchase an item.

Last Sunday, I turned 40. And, though I'm still quite young, a lot of communication styles have changed during my lifetime. When I was a kid, I learned to type on a manual typewriter. Soon, I was introduced to the electric typewriter. I like a typewriter better because the way it feels as keys are pressed during typing helps me to keep rhythm. In seventh grade, I began to learn how to use a DOS computer. Windows came out before I graduated, but it was not accessible to me at the school for the blind at that time, though kids with usable vision could use it. The first braille embosser I used felt equivalent to a braillewriter. One sheet of paper was inserted, and commands from the computer caused it to emboss. The user had to physically change the paper if more than one page of braille was to be embossed. Next, I used the Juliet embosser. We always joked around in school because Romeo, another embosser, was also in our computer lab.

To step a little out of the computer lab and into my classroom, I used a Perkins brailler, still in use today. I also used a talking calculator. Braille textbooks were also available for me. However, unlike students today, I did not have a notetaker until I was a senior, and even then, I did not take it from class to class with me. I did use the skills I learned on it to operate the Braille 'n Speak that was purchased for me to use in college. Eventually, after trying out a couple of different colleges and learning as I worked and played, today's technology began to become more popular. I learned to use Windows and mastered the use of several different screenreaders. I taught technology and other blindness skills at a blindness rehabilitation center. Finally, I graduated from Frostburg State University with a degree in Elementary Education. Now, I teach braille  and integrate the use of notetakers and refreshable braille displays into the lessons I teach my students. A lot has changed since I was a student, but I am thankful I had the opportunity To experience both worlds.

Questions or comments? Tell us below. We would love to hear from you.

Prayers for S.J. and I as we gear up for our presentation at the NFB Convention of WV on Saturday. We’re going to be talking about writing, teaching, books, homeschool, and much more. If you are in the area, come see us. The presentation starts at about 11:00 AM. We’ll be at the Holiday Inn and Suites 400 Second Avenue Charleston, WV in the Montgomery Room. The event is free, however, to attend the entire convention and have a room and meals, you will need to register, and there is a fee for that.

Thanks so much for being with us this week. We pray you have a blessed weekend and come back next Thursday.

Discerning the Difference

Hello, and welcome. So glad you could join us today. Anita here with you, and this week we're talking about knowing the difference between accepting help or refusing it. When do we educate others about blindness, and when do we relax and concentrate on developing friendships? Read on, and leave your questions or comments below.

 As a blind or low vision person, sometimes we get tired of always proving ourselves capable to others. Like everyone else, we want to just relax and be ourselves. If we allow someone to get us a drink, we want that to be okay. We know we have the ability to get that drink, and usually we do get it, but maybe we're just tired. It is okay to allow someone to do things for us. People with vision also do it.

My cousin is quite capable of mowing her lawn, even though she is sighted and a woman to boot. But, she has our other cousin or someone else mow it most of the time, and that is okay. She isn't judged as helpless and inferior because of this, like you or  I might be due to our blindness. Another cousin, the mother of two very adorable boys, relies on her mom to help out with the kids. "Mom, change the baby's diaper," or "Mom, feed him this baby food." Again, she is not judged as helpless or inferior because she can see, but you or I would be thought incapable of accomplishing these goals by many people with vision.

As I've probably said in other posts, there is a time to educate, but there is also a time to forget about education because we are too busy, because we are tired, because we want to show someone else respect,  or just because we want to. The key is that, for the most part, we are independent and other people know that and the ones that don't can witness that on a regular basis by observing us independently doing things. Remember, before we get offended at someone's offered assistance or, perhaps, their forced assistance, we have to step into their shoes. They have no or little knowledge about blindness. They've been taught blindness is the most horrible thing that can happen to a person. They are reacting to us based on their concern for our welfare and because they don't know how to act any different.

Like any student learning about any other subject, they will need to start out by learning in small steps and by watching us teach them through our actions and by what we do to motivate them to learn about blindness. For example, if we rudely respond when they do something for us, what are we teaching them? Blind people aren't happy and are embarrassed about their situation. Poor soul. But what would it say if, instead, we accepted their assistance, and, if nothing else, we gave them a positive experience with a blind person. If this is a person we will see again, maybe it will open the door for him or her to take another small step toward learning about blindness through a conversation with us. It is critical that we know how and when to accept assistance and how and when to refuse it. I'm not saying we should always let someone help us because they pity the blind; I'm saying to think about the situation and how our response will communicate a message about blindness to someone else. We need to send the right message for the small step in their blindness training to occur.

My pastor's fiancee is often willing to give me a ride to Sheetz after church on Sunday, and many times, I accept the ride. This isn't a time to educate her about blindness; it is a time for me to relax and enjoy being pampered and having someone to go in the store and assist me with ordering since I generally rely on the assistance of customer service when I go there regularly throughout the week. I educate her about blindness by being independent most of the rest of the time. She has commented how she doesn't need to help me because she knows I can do it; after all, I manage during the week when she isn't in town. These comments tell me she is observing, and she has learned that I am not helpless. And, she is still learning, but she is very respectful and offers assistance. But if I refuse it, she also respects this decision.

My pastor is impressed with my ability to walk to work each day. Sometimes, blind people get offended when someone seems amazed at what we do, and this can be annoying to me at times as well. But remember they haven't been trained in the area of blindness. While the pastor over assists sometimes, he is slowly learning about the capabilities of the blind. Just the other day at our church picnic, he wanted to know how I knew when I reached the end of the block. I wasn't offended at this question. I was happy to educate. What brought this question up was that, after the picnic, I pulled out my Braille Sense Plus, and began to edit the braille manual, DUCKING INTO UEB, I am writing. Some of them were curious about the refreshable braille display and braille in general. They were also impressed because I could talk with them as I worked. I provided them with a mini lesson on blindness.

The pastor drove me to the picnic, and when we arrived, he guided me to the picnic table and made sure I was seated before he returned to the car to assist the elderly gentleman who  also rode with us. His over assistance in making sure I was safely seated was unnecessary, but I chose to allow him to do it. He was being a gentleman, and he probably was also a little uncertain about my capability to get there myself, even though he regularly observes as I travel about town. Was I telling him I was incapable when I accepted his assistance? I don't think so. I was building a connection so I could help him to take another small step toward his blindness education. When it was time to leave, I stood up from the picnic table and made my way toward the car. He made no move to offer assistance as I approached the car. I know if I requested it, he would have gladly assisted me. Did his observations of my being independent on a regular basis and my blindness mini lesson at the table help him to climb another small step? I don't know, but I'll have to ask him about that sometime.

At this same picnic, an older lady sat near me. We had a great time talking, and others occasionally walked over to sit to talk with us as well. We didn't talk about blindness. We talked about her grand kid and his friends who were out playing in the park and about how she is raising him. And, we talked about all kinds of other things I don't quite remember now. When it was time to eat, she asked if I wanted to go up with her to get my plate or if I wanted her to bring me something. I chose to let her fix my plate. In such situations, food is not always arranged in an abc order so I wouldn't know what I would be serving myself until I checked with the utensil and then I might not be able to detect the type of the food. Sure, I could have asked the person in line near me, but I like most picnic foods, and it was Sunday. I can educate these people about blindness in other ways and at other times. If I were starving, I could serve myself, but I chose not to in this situation. And, in my opinion, that is fine.

When I worked at Blind Industries and Services of MD, or BISM, I did go through many a buffet line where I served myself. Fortunately, on those occasions, the person who arranged the food described for us its order within the line. At a training center, it is important to be what I think of as over independent where you do everything for yourself and receive no assistance with any task. This is critical because oftentimes people who are blind get used to depending on others, and therefore, think blind people aren't as capable as sighted people, when, in reality, there confidence and skills are weak due to lack of use rather than lack of ability.

At a quality training center, like the one at BISM, www.bism.org, the goal is to teach blindness skills, to build confidence, and to develop a positive attitude about the capabilities of the blind. This can only be accomplished if the person fully participates in the training. Unfortunately, sometimes blind people can become so independent that they forget that it is okay to accept assistance after training is complete, but most importantly, that not everyone has experienced the intensive blindness training they have received. When they forget this, they respond inappropriately in certain situations, which tends to turn others away from such programs and/or from the National Federation of the Blind, www.nfb.org, which is unfortunate. We don't prove ourselves capable by never accepting assistance; people with vision accept assistance because they need or want it. We educate others by being independent on a regular basis and by accepting help when we need it. And, like I did at the church picnic, sometimes, we open a door where people with vision feel comfortable asking questions and where we can help them to better understand how someone without vision uses alternative blindness techniques, adaptive and accessible tools, and knowledge to successfully accomplish a goal.

Do you have any experiences you would like to share with us about learning the difference between accepting help or refusing it? We would love to hear from you. Drop us a comment or send us an email at adkinsandwells@gmail.com. We're also on Facebook at facebook.com/adkinsandwells/.

Thank you for being with us today. Be sure and come back next Thursday for another edition of "Interviews to Empower". Until then, concentrate on those friendships, and be sure to educate the sighted in our would with a smile.

Be blessed.

For Caregivers

A couple of weeks ago, we discussed how teachers should define expectations by working toward a big goal. To recap, in order to accomplish this goal, first have the student focus on learning the subskills necessary to achieve that goal and have a can-do attitude about the student's ability to attain the big goal. Remember, the student may never attain the big goal, which is okay, but if she is expected to attain it, she will come closer to reaching it, and thus, will be able to accomplish more.

Today, we shall briefly discuss the caregiver's role in setting expectations. Really, the idea is the same; people who are blind should be expected to do everything a person with vision can do. Keep in mind they will do it differently, and their way may not make sense to you. It may even seem dangerous to someone with vision. Also, as they are learning alternative techniques and building confidence, they may perform the skill slower than someone with normal vision. You may need to adjust your schedule so you can plan time for children with blindness and low vision to do things independently. You may focus on having them do certain things, and then add in a new task once they become competent and confident at the current one.

For example, if you want them to make dinner, don't have them do it on a night when soccer practice occurs. Pick a Saturday. Then, after several weekend cooking sessions, maybe they will be capable of making hotdogs and fries on soccer night. And for a cooking lesson, you might start with having them set the table. Then, they might learn how to make a microwave meal or even just a snack. Start in small steps and build on skills once former skills are mastered.  Plan a special night  in which the child makes a special treat for a friend or family member so they can practice their skills for a real-world purpose. This might be serving popcorn and m&m's   on a movie night, or baking a cake for Grandma's birthday.  Either way, it will be a big deal to the child.

When you go to the store, have them help  choose what they will need in order to accomplish the cooking session. Also, give them experiences feeling different fruits and vegetables as you name them. Remember that we blind people cannot see these kinds of things automatically as sighted people can, and so we need to be encouraged to touch them and be given opportunities to explore them.

Tell us what you see - what a license plate says, that the stoplight has three lights, each a different color, whether or not you think pink and white look good together, that a sighted person looks at someone they are talking to, etc. Have the child to behave as a sighted person would; no rocking or keeping the head down. Give the child replacement behaviors, such as tapping a foot. Show us models, such as a realistic toy elephant or a demonstration of you modeling a hand gesture. Teach children how to organize their money by consistently folding each denomination in a unique way and by using a talking money identifier (there is a money identifier app for the iPhone); note that the money identifier should be used at home and not in a store. The folding system will enable the individual who is blind to identify a bill in a store before she removes it from the wallet or purse, and thus, will mean someone will be less likely to steal it.

Now that we've discussed some ways to help someone to work with a child, let's  discuss some examples of how people who are blind do things differently from people with vision. For example, someone who is blind will use a cane to inform other's about her visual disability and also to verify the  area she is about to step her foot in is clear of obstacles and/or is not lower or higher than the current surface. The cane does not reach clear across the room, but  is within a couple feet of its user. This means someone who is blind will choose to travel quite close to an obstacle before veering away from it or will even move close enough for the cane to alert her of its presence, while still being safe. To someone with vision, this is scary since the blind person may appear to  be about to walk straight into a tree or fall down some steps. People with vision veer away from an object at a greater distance than people who are blind, and so when they observe someone getting closer than they define as "normal", they become afraid the person is about to become injured. A person who is blind may also seem to take a "wrong" route when they are maybe following a perimeter or traveling a given path that is different from one a person with vision might take. Learning blindness skills at a quality training center is essential because the person who has blindness or low vision will learn how to travel without reliance on a perimeter, but many blind people have not received such training, and so you will see them traveling around the long way.

Expanded core skills should also be planned into a student's IEP, and the parent or caregiver should make sure these skills are being taught, and this can be accomplished  through conversations with the child and communication with the child's school. As a blind person who has attended a school for the blind from kindergarten through 12th grade, I want to suggest that not all of these critical expanded core skills are taught to students, and when they are, they are not taught with the rigor they should be. Just because a teacher is certified as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired, or TVI, (a title that implies low expectations from the get-go), or happens to work at a school for the blind does not guarantee they know all of the blindness skills, embrace a positive blindness philosophy, or define  their expectations by focusing on teaching students the necessary subskills for reaching those big goals we talked about two weeks ago.

As an advocate, it is the job of the caregiver to make sure a student is provided with the knowledge and confidence she needs. Also, check out summer camps, such as the ones held at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland or the Louisiana Center for the Blind. Be aware that the child may need to go to a quality blindness training center as an adult, preferably before entering the workforce. Doing so could mean the difference between a productive, quality life and a limited existence.

More examples of how people with blindness and people with vision do things differently include:

Someone with vision will verify a dish is clean by looking at it (often a less effective method) whereas a person who is blind will use her sense of touch to verify a dish is clean (a more effective method.)

A person with vision will look to see if meat is brown; a person who is blind will use the smell of the meat, the quieter sound it makes after frying is complete, and its feel to determine it is done.

A sighted person will read the print label on her washer to know where start is; a blind person will touch a raised tactile symbol or braille label to locate this position.

A sighted person will glance at an envelope to see who it is from; a blind person will use a talking scanner to read it or a human reader to identify it.

A sighted person will visually identify a can of green beans; a blind person will organize her cabinet, and even if she doesn't, maybe use a talking barcode scanner to identify this product.

Most sighted people store stuff in their cars; blind people manage to carry all their stuff in backpacks and bags, and/or use a cart they can pull behind them.

Sighted people just hop in and drive to a destination, use public transportation, and/or  walk, whether they preplan the trip or do it on-the-fly; blind people schedule a friend or family member to drive them, use public transportation, and/or walk to a destination.

Sometimes, blind people use home delivery services, such as Schwan's or amazon.com or take in a deep breath and change their plan from going shopping at the mall to walking about town. And, the list goes on and on.

How a task is done is not as important as insuring it is done safely and efficiently.

And now, you are saying, "But, I don't have time. Or it is just easier for me to do it for my child or my blind family member."

That makes sense. But, remember, if you do things for a person who has blindness or low vision that she can do for herself, then you are limiting her and teaching her to rely on other people. And from the perspective of someone who is blind, I can assure you this is not fun in the long run. People don't want to hang around with someone they have to "babysit." I remember several years ago when I worked at BISM, a colleague kept saying "Anita, you should go get your own drink." I had the ability. I was just used to having it done for me. The day I finally got up at a restaurant and got my own drink was the first day I realized that too much assistance from my friends and family in all those years before that had robbed me of my freedom. And, by that point, I had been working in the blindness field for a few years and insisting my students do for themselves, not realizing I should do as I preached. Now, I don't have to wait for someone to get me another drink; I can get it when I want it.

It is okay to help other people. It is sometimes ok to do something for someone else, even if that person is capable of completing that task. The key is that doing so should not be a habit or should not be done because the person is too slow or because you are afraid of that person being harmed. If you don't know how to do a task safely without vision, ask someone who is blind. Call the National Federation of the Blind, NFB or the American Council of the Blind, ACB. Don't let a lack of knowledge mingled with fear limit a person who is blind. We deserve a high quality of life just like someone who is sighted does, and a quality of life is reached with blindness skills training, a positive view of the capabilities of the blind, family/friend support, and regular practice of doing skills to build confidence.

Thank you for being with us today. Be sure and come back next Thursday for another interview to empower.

Be blessed.

Interviews to Empower Presents Nancy Bollman

Always ready with a smile and a kind word, our interviewee this month is quick to say, “Trust in God, and lean on your family when times get tough.” Stay tuned as we introduce to you, Nancy Bollman.

Q: How old were you when your family noticed there was a problem with your eyes?

A: I was about two years old. In Baltimore they found out I had Cataracts, glaucoma and optic nerve damage from too much oxygen at birth. The cataracts were in both eyes, so they removed them.

Q: Did you go to a public school?

A: I might have, but all I remember is the school for the blind. I started attending WVSB in 1980 when I was four. I graduated from there in 1996.

Q: What activities were you involved in as a child?

A: I was a Girl scout from Browny to Cadette. I remember at camp, we stayed in tents. Once, I remember getting stung and going to the hospital. Mom came and asked if I wanted to go home. I said, “No! I want to go back to camp!” :)

Q: I know Girl Scouts around here sell cookies. Did you? How so, if you were away at school?

A: Yes, I sold cookies. I took orders from folks on the school’s campus, from family and friends and even neighbors back home and even from people out in the town of Romney. I remember a neighbor of mine always saying, “Now, don’t forget my cookies.”

Q: Did you stay at the school all the time, or did you get to go home to see your family on the weekends?

A: I got to go home for visits on the weekends. I remember this one time, I was supposed to get on the Berkley Springs bus. Somehow, I got put on the Martinsburg bus. I got off the bus with my little suitcase in hand only to realize I was at a bakery. Someone carried me around till Mom got there. He actually took me inside for a doughnut while I waited. From then on, Mom came to get me on the weekends until she actually moved to Romney. Ever since then, my family has lived close.

Q: What about chorus? Were you involved in that?

A: Yes. One time Mom came to help out and saw me in the auditorium singing “Jesus Loves Me”. So, I joined chorus in seventh grade and Show choir in eight or ninth grade. I played cornet in band. In ninth or tenth grade, we were picked to go to Keyser WV for a regional band performance. Once, on a trip with the show choir, Pizzazz, the bus broke down. That was the time I got sick. LOL 

Q: What other extra curricular activities were you involved in?

A: Radio, cheerleading and goalball. Both eleventh and twelfth grade years in goalball WV was number 1. As far as radio, I took it all through high school. The station was called, “WJGF” back then, and we played country music. I got to talk on the air and everything. Most of the time, there was another student in that class with me, so we worked together.

Q: So, did you like school?

A: I made good grades. The hardest class for me was math. However, I liked science and English.

Q: Did you receive Orientation and Mobility?

A: Yes, but mainly in high school. I remember once when I went to McDonalds. My instructor did not tell me how to get back. I had to figure that out by myself. I was on the way back, when I started to cross a parking lot that crosses a sidewalk. Someone driving nearly hit me, because they weren’t watching where they were going. My instructor almost had to grab me and pull me back. It scared me. “Are you all right?” my instructor asked. I said, “Yeah, just let me get my heart back out of my stomach.” LOL

Q: Are you a braille user?

A: Yes, but I didn’t learn it until I was fifteen. I used large print before then. I still use some large print today, but I need thick reading glasses. Other assistive devices I use include speech on my computer and phone, braille writer and braille slate and stylus, and a talking watch.

Q: So, we know you deal with health issues. Can you talk about that?

A: Yes. When I was seventeen, I went to the doctor for a physical so I could play goalball. There was something wrong with my kidneys. My blood pressure was running too high. My regular doctor didn’t see anything wrong, but I went for further testing and was sent to a kidney specialist. More tests and medicine and then I was sent down to Charlottesville, VA, because the specialist said the kidneys would only get worse. While on my senior trip to Virginia Beach, I got sick. I thought it was my kidneys, but it turned out to be the flu. I  had to cut the trip short.

Q: Did things get better after graduation?

A: After graduation, I stayed home and rested. Then, in May of 1997, I got a kidney transplant. I was scared but so ready. I had it done at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. I was very weak. Walking was difficult at first after the surgery. But, the more I did it, the better I felt. I was in ICU for forty-eight hours. I was in the hospital for twelve days altogether. The staff was very nice, and I had a lot of support from family and friends. After a month or two, I began to feel more energetic than before the transplant. Finally, I was able to think about going to college. I had been too sick before to even consider it.

Q: You went to college?

A: Yes. I started college in 1997 and ended in 2001. I attended Potomac State in Keyser, WV. I majored in music education. I was close to home, but I opted to stay on campus. After college, I stayed home, trying to find a job. I was helping a friend care for his adopted children who were disabled, when he asked if I would like a job at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland. At first, I wasn’t interested, as it wasn’t in my field of study. Then, I decided to try it, because there were no other job prospects.

Q: Tell us about working at BISM.

A: I started in the sewing department. I liked it at first. It was difficult sometimes, trying to keep the material against the guide. At BISM, they put a guide on the sewing machine, so a blind person can feel which direction to feed the material into the machine. In the beginning, I sewed canvas bags. I worked there for nine years. I sewed  the liners of jackets. Sometimes, I sewed fronts onto sleeves, and sometimes I sewed the sleeves onto the backs. By the time my health took a turn for the worse in June of 2013, I Was able to do whatever they asked me to.

Q: Your health again?

A: Yes. One of the reasons I had to quit was because of my asthma. I was getting blood work and planned to go back to work that day, but I collapsed before they could take my blood. I tried to eat but couldn’t. I went to the emergency room and found out my kidney, my new, transplanted kidney had stopped working completely. They put me on dialysis that day. I was on it for six months. I was off it for over a year. Then, they found me passed out in my bedroom; I had pneumonia. I was in the hospital, when  my blood work showed that my kidney was not working well again. I went back on dialysis on July 21, 2015. I have been on it ever since. I go three days a week.

Q: So, what gets you through the dark days?

A: I rely on God. I also lean on my family, my church family and my friends. Then, too, I see others in the dialysis unit, many worse off than me. The folks at my church are good to listen and pray with me. Once, a few years ago, I ended up in a nursing home on an IV. A couple of folks from church came to visit, and it really lifted my spirits.

Q: What do you do to keep busy between visits to dialysis, now that you aren’t able to work?

A: I go to church, help out around the house by lending a hand with laundry, washing dishes, running errands, and I help take care of the pets, one a dog and the other a rabbit. I like to go shopping with friends, as well. It’s nice living in the city, because there are cabs and buses available. I’m glad that I don’t have to rely solely on the charity of friends and family to take me places.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who might be facing a similar situation?

A: I say, if you have a support system like family and friends and a church family, lean on them; they are important. Above all, lean on God. My favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13 which says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Nancy, thank you so much for allowing us to interview you. Your story inspires us to keep on keeping on. We encourage all of our faithful readers to remember Nancy in your prayers. She is eagerly looking forward to being able to get her name back on the transplant list for another kidney.

Thanks for reading, and we hope you have a blessed weekend.

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.