Interviews to Empower Presents: Joy

Welcome to another edition of Interviews to Empower where we feature folks whom we believe will inspire you to keep on keeping on. This month we are trying something different. We have asked our interviewee to tell her story in her own words. So without further adue, let me introduce you to Joy.

Hi. My name is Joy. I have 2 kids who are grown and 2 wonderful grandbabies. I am a cook at a local restaurant, and I have two cousins who are blind. I was asked to talk about what it’s like having cousins who can’t see, so I will try my best.

I was 8 or 9 when my cousin J was born and about 10 when his sister A was born. They were just babies when my family noticed something was wrong. When my mom told me they were blind I was sad, because I wanted them to be able to enjoy the world like I do. I was afraid they wouldn’t be able to.

My mom, stepdad and I lived with my aunt V and my cousins, because my mom took care of Aunt V before her babies were born. Then, when we found out the babies were blind, Aunt V needed us even more.

We lived in a very rural part of West Virginia and didn’t know if there were opportunities for kids who were blind. So when Aunt V decided her kids needed to go to the school for the blind, we all move to Romney, WV. I was upset, because I didn’t want to leave my family and friends. But, Mom said we had to do what was best for J and A and Aunt V. Today, as I look back I am so glad we moved up here and gave my cousins the chance to learn.

As I was 10 years older than my cousin, A, I was the one who did a lot of babysitting. I guess you could say we all grew up together. But, when it came to having a social life, I sure did get annoyed. Playing hide-and-go-seek with the kids when my boyfriends came over, J answering the phone and telling stuff about me to my boyfriends, yeah, having cousins who are blind sure did interfere with my social life. But, you know, it would have been that way even if they had perfect vision. They were just normal kids.

I am embarrassed to admit this, but when my daughter was born I was scared to let my cousins hold her at first. I was afraid something would go wrong with them not being able to see. But, unknown to me, Mom would let them hold and feed her behind my back. I have pictures of them holding my babies, so I guess I got over that fear. It was just something all new moms go through, I reckon. Today, A babysits my grandbabies when I need help, and nobody could take better care of them than she. Not only that, J is married with 2 little boys of his own.

I always treated my cousins like everyone else. The fact that they couldn’t see, while sad was not the end of the world. After all, my grandpa was blind, I had a great grandmother who was blind and a few other relatives with vision problems. I knew even as a teenager, the ability to see or not didn’t make a person more or less special. Which reminds me of those times when I was lazy and didn’t want to walk J and A all the way to the blind school across town. I would try to talk them into skipping school. J was all for it, but A made me walk her to school. LOL I guess that’s why A graduated at the top of her class.

The hardest thing about taking care of my cousins was worrying about whether they would run into things. Aunt V was always moving furniture around, but my mom rarely did that. Then, once she did move furniture around, and J came in and tried to sit down in a chair. Turns out there was a table in that spot, so he sat right down on the table instead. LOL Now whenever I visit A, I never know where her furniture is going to be, because she likes to change things around. I guess all kids grow up to be like their moms, no matter what.

The funnest part of growing up with my cousins was just being with them. I took them wherever I went. When my own kids were young, A taught them braille, and it made me so proud they could learn something so neat. A person never knows if they will need to learn it. I mean, what if they went blind later in life? I tried to learn, but it took several hours just to learn how to write my name that I gave it up. I probably grew up faster, taking care of my cousins and aunt the way I did, but I wouldn’t trade those times for anything.

If I could give advice to someone facing blindness in the family, I guess I would say make sure they go to a blind school or get blindness skills training so that they can live as normal a life as possible. Also, remember to encourage them that they can do anything they set their mind to.

Joy, thank you for your story and your honesty. And, thank you, faithful readers for being with us today. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story, let us know at adkinsandwells@gmail.com.

That concludes our post for today, but we’ll be back the second Thursday of May, so be sure and come join us. Until then, remember to take hold of life and face it with a grin.

Blessings.

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: Dan Oates

Welcome to Interviews to Empower, where we feature inspiring individuals to encourage you to become lifelong learners. This month’s interviewee is Dan Oates, a man who’s tireless work has provided many opportunities for children who are blind and visually impaired.

Q: First, tell us a little about your self.

A: Currently, I am retired from the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind and living in Romney. I travel a lot speaking about Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCIVIS). My goal is to interest more students in attending the program. My girlfriend, Jenny, lives in Oklahoma so I take every opportunity to go and spend time together.  We love to travel and see locally and nationally produced theatre performances.

I spend about four months a year now in Huntsville, Alabama.  During the summer I work as an Education Program Manager at Space Camp.  My job duties include managing 12-14 teachers who coordinate and lead the Space Camp Educators Program.  We host about 500 teachers from 30-35 countries attending Space Camp each summer.  I return in September to oversee the SCIVIS program for about 200 blind and low vision students from about 25 U. S. states and 10 foreign countries. During a two-week period in February and March, I return to Space Camp to assist with the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy (HLCA).  These are two one-week programs for Honeywell employee’s children, ages 16-18, to attend a leadership-based Space Camp program.  I act as a corporate liaison between Honeywell and Space Camp. While at home I enjoy working on genealogy, local history projects and working out at the Wellness Center. I am also a member of the Board of Directors for the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH). NOAH’s mission is to act as a conduit for accurate and authoritative information about all aspects of living with albinism and to provide a place where people with albinism and their families, in the United States and Canada, can find acceptance, support and fellowship.

Q: How did you get into working with children with disabilities, especially with blindness?

A: I have had a long history with the school beginning with my earliest years.  My uncle and mother worked at the school. My neighbors, while I was growing up, worked there.  I can remember going to school to visit my Uncle Bill Oates, who was a houseparent at Seaton Hall for secondary deaf boys.  I spent many days attending youth group meetings, Boy Scout troop meetings, and just hanging out there.

My mother was the superintendent’s secretary, when she passed away suddenly in 1979.  She always wanted me to work there because it was such a great place.  But my plans were totally different than what she wanted for me.  I had always told her, “those kids are weird!”

After graduating from Fairmont State College with a B. S. degree in Recreational Programming, I landed a job at the Mineral County Parks and Recreation Commission in Keyser, WV.  One of the skills I learned while working in Keyser was chair caning – repairing and replacing old seats in antique chairs.  Something I felt was a complete waste of my time.  I worked there until spring of 1979, when the Federal funding was cut.  During this time, my father had a serious heart attack and my mother died in April.   I returned to Romney without a job and to care for my father while he recuperated from his heart attack and loss of his wife.

During that time to make a living I caned chairs, stripped furniture, and sold antiques.

One day, Mr. Ralph Brewer, principal at the West Virginia School for the Blind, called and asked if I would be interested in a three-month job filling a vacancy.  He said, “I hear you can cane chairs.  Just wondering if you could teach a blind child how to do that?” I replied, “Yes I can!” I had no idea but I needed a job.

Those three months changed my life!  I soon realized that my perspective of “those kids” being weird was so wrong.  I didn’t understand them but soon realized they were no different than other children. 

Eventually Mr. Brewer called me to his office and offered to pay for my Masters in Education and Orientation and Mobility certification if I would return to school.  So off to the University of Pittsburgh I went.  At the beginning of the 1981-1982 school year, I returned as WVSB’s first certified O & M instructor.

In the end, my mother got her wish and as usual, mother’s are always right!  So interesting to me that a skill that I thought was a waste of time combined with a misperception of some really neat kids equaled a career!

Q: Let’s talk about your career. What are some things you have accomplished while working in the field of blindness? Also, what challenges did you, and do you still, face in the field?

A: During my thirty years I had two job titles.  I was an orientation and mobility instructor from 1981 to 1994.  From 1994 to my retirement at the end of the 2011-2012 school year I was an Educational Outreach Specialist.

Early in my employment, Mr. Brewer began sending me to the University of Virginia to take classes in low vision. This quickly became an interest of mine.  He asked me to coordinate a low vision clinic on campus.  I worked with a number of optometrists over the years for our clinics.

In 1993 I was asked to present at the Outreach Forum at the Indiana School for the Blind.  These are outreach professionals from all of the schools for the blind throughout the United States.  There I learned of a traveling low vision clinic in Iowa that I felt would be wonderful to have in West Virginia.  Upon my return from the Forum, I pitched the idea to our superintendent, Max Carpenter, and he denied the request.  When I became employed as an Outreach Specialist I pitched the idea again and Mr. Carpenter shot me down again.  Knowing the idea was a good one, I went to Dr. Terry Schwartz of the Department of Ophthalmology at West Virginia University and she was all for it.  Dr. Jim Jones, an optometrist at WVU, and I traveled to Charleston to the Lions Conservation Foundation and presented the idea.  They granted us $6000.  The low vision clinic was off and running.  It soon became apparent to Dr. Schwartz and myself that due to our current job responsibilities we would be unable to manage the program.  Dr. Schwartz found some funding through her department and we hired Rebecca Coakley as the coordinator of the project.  It was through her enthusiasm, vision, and tireless energy the Children’s Vision Rehabilitation Project (CVRP) was born.  Today that project has helped children from all over the world and Becky Coakley is one of the leading low vision educators in the world.  I’m very proud of my work in beginning that program.

During this time I was selected by the West Virginia Board of Education to accompany ten gifted students to Russia on a Space Exchange. These students were not blind but the top ten academic students in the state.  This was a very scary trip for me as I had only been on a plane once and never outside the United States.  Trips to Russia in 1993 and 1994 were so valuable to my maturity as an educator, allowing me to see other countries and educational systems.  As a result of the success of my first two trips, Mr. Carpenter and my office partner, Paula Athey, went to Russia in 1995.  While touring the school for the blind there, Paula was contacted by a parent of a child with an inoperable brain tumor.  Paula, myself, and many other state residents worked hard to allow Yelena Shilova to come to the United States for surgery in Huntington, WV.  Today, Yelena is alive and thriving in Russia.

My sixteen years working throughout the state as one of the coordinators for the INSITE program were probably the most rewarding.  Many times I was the first educator parents met after they had received the news of their babies diagnosis of vision loss.  I traveled all over our beautiful state and spent time in every county and met hundreds of families and educators.  I would like to think my knowledge in the field of blindness and low vision helped families begin to accept their child as a productive member of society.  

I feel my biggest challenge was staying current on all of the innovations in the field.  There was times that living in rural West Virginia limited me in this area.  I was fortunate to travel extensively within the U. S., Russia, Ireland, St. Lucia, and Australia to continue learning throughout my career.  I have always been blessed to work with professionals who shared their knowledge freely and I have always had a passion for learning.

Q: A lot of alumni of WVSB remember their experiences at Space Camp, from scuba diving to feeling what it is like on the moon to jumping off a 40 foot tower into freezing cold water And more! :) You were instrumental in getting that program off the ground. Can you please talk about that?

A: Contrary to popular belief, I had little to do with the initial program.  Edward Buckbee, the founder of Space Camp, grew up in Romney.  When he began to notice the desire of children with special needs to attend his program, he reached out to his friend, Max Carpenter.  Mr. Carpenter contacted Ralph Brewer, principal at the School for the Blind, and together they formed a committee to look into the possibilities.  I was a member of that committee but was not slated to go on the trip.  Mr. Carpenter, Mr. Brewer, Kathy Johnson (math teacher), and Michele Hooker Slocum (science teacher) drove to Alabama for the first meeting and overview of Space Camp in 1989. It wasn’t until the return of the committee that it became apparent that the services of a mobility instructor would be needed.  I was extremely excited about going and was so honored to accompany twenty amazing students on this trip in December of 1990.

Kathy Johnson was the early coordinator of the program and I was simply a chaperone who took orders, followed students to their activities, made sure everyone had low vision devices and knew where they were.  As the program continued and more students attended from other schools for the blind, I began to see potential for the program to attract hundreds of students.  Eventually, I approached Kathy with the idea of inviting students attending public schools and opening the program to all students with blindness and low vision.  My contacts through outreach made this possible.  Soon I handled all registration and contacting new students and Kathy handled materials and programming.  Our program slowly grew with Kathy always reining me in to slow down and make sure we were maintaining a quality program and not growing too fast.  By the late 1990’s and into the 2000’s, we were hosting between 150-200 students each year.  The program was named Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCIVIS) sometime in the late 1990’s and continues to be known by that today.  Since 1990 over 4000 students have attended the program. Kathy continued to work with the program until she retired in 2007 and soon thereafter passed away in 2010.

In 2007, I was honored by being selected as an inaugural member of the Space Camp Hall of Fame.  I have often been referred to, as the founder of SCIVIS but that is not true.  Each year we honor Mr. Edward Buckbee, Mr. Ralph Brewer, and Mr. Max Carpenter as the SCIVIS founders.  During graduation we further honor Mr. Carpenter and Kathy Johnson by selecting a special graduate who has overcome many obstacles to receive the Carpenter/Johnson Award.  In my nomination for the Hall of Fame it was stated that I am the “heart and soul of SCIVIS”.  I’m comfortable with that!

Q: Do you have any advice for other professionals working in the field of blindness, or for anyone who happens to be blind?

A: My advice to any vision professional would be to seek out opportunities to learn from others, visit other schools for the blind and conferences.  I’ve always said, “I haven’t had an original idea.”

Also find your passion and work it.  I was unaware of the passion that I would develop working with blind and low vision students.  Fortunately, my mother, Mr. Brewer, and others saw it first and directed me “blindly” towards it.  I would say my success in the field was based on the resources I made.  I also discovered that I was better working for children than working with them.

Q: We understand that you have published a book about a Confederate soldier? What is the title, the story behind it, and how can readers obtain a copy?

A: Yes, the title of the book is “Hanging Rock Rebel, Lt. John Blue’s War in West Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley Along with Other Writings”.

Lt. John Blue was a native born son of Romney. His adventures prior to and after joining the Civil War were detailed in weekly articles in the Hampshire Review from the spring of 1898 until April of 1901.  I have taken those first hand accounts of his story and placed them in a book format with accompanying pictures, chapters, and index, both last name and regimental.

The story of Lt. Blue intrigued me during my middle school years as I was blessed to have history teachers who valued teaching local history.  Upon discovering his writings in the local paper, I was amazed at reading a first hand account of over 300 pages; virtually unheard of!

The book is available in print for $22 and can be found at local bookstores or at http://www.fortpearsallpress.com.

Mr. Oates, it has been a pleasure interviewing you and learning more about you and the others who have made O&M and Space Camp some of our best memories at WVSB. Thank you so much for all you have done and continue to do to further the education of blind and visually impaired children.

A big thank you to our readers, too. This blog is about to become one year old, and we could not have made it this far without you.

We hope you will come back in two weeks for another post. We have some exciting news coming up about our new book, “ducking into UEB”, a braille manual for all students, children and adults who want a fun way to learn unified English braille.

Until next time, be encouraged, do something you’ve never done before and come like us on Facebook at facebook.com/adkinsandwells/

Interviews to Empower Presents Kerri Kosten

Welcome to Interviews to Empower! We’re so glad you came to be with us this week. Our interviewee this time is an inspiring individual who is totally blind, partially deaf and yet does not allow her fears and anxieties to dictate her day-to-day life. Come and meet Kerri Kosten, a sports writer who is blind.

Q: What caused your blindness?

A: I was born prematurely, so I have Retinopathy Of Prematurity.

Q: What about your partial deafness?

A: When I was very young, I became ill. My parents thought and were told it was the flu. However, it was Meningitis, and the high fever that I had left me partially deaf. I only have hearing in my left ear.

Q: I imagine that makes travel difficult, as people who are blind rely on their hearing a great deal. Can you tell us about that?

A: Yes. When I was at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, I was taught to mental map. Basically, I learn directions before I go and remember them so I can map my way back home. This was not taught to me until I received O&M at LCB. Also, I learned to call ahead to ask for bus fare, directions, availability of cabs and such. It is much safer to travel using transportation such as buses, cabs and even Uber, rather than walking, as I do not have to cross as many streets. Another thing to keep in mind is to ask for assistance often.

Q: Speaking of cane travel, when did you learn blindness skills?

A: I learned braille when I was four years old. Today, I can read about 200 words per minute. I didn’t learn good cane skills until I went to LCB.

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

A: Both. I attended public school until fifth grade, then went to the WV School for the Blind for a few years. I actually graduated from University High in Morgantown, WV. As a younger student, I liked going to the blind school in Romney, WV. However, when I got older, the city girl in me missed the city. LOL

Q: So, what got you into the world of sports writing?

A: When I was fifteen, I listened to a basketball game on the radio. It was my first game, and I found I loved the energy of the game and announcers. After that, my passion for It grew. I was like a kid in a candy store, and I knew I wanted to do something in sports; I just didn’t know what. As far as writing, I didn’t like it, at first. However, I knew that as a blind person, writing about sports was something I needed to concentrate on. So, I majored in journalism at WVU. Then, I wrote for 1440 WAJR on their website. It was a volunteer position, but it taught me so much. I really enjoy putting stuff about sports into words, and I like that a person can do this job whether they can see or not.

Q: Are you still writing for WAJR?

A: No. Today, I write for The Dominion Post here in Morgantown. I research athletes who do not choose to go to WVU, then interview them. I really enjoy this job. It has helped me to get out of my comfort zone. At first, I was very nervous about talking to people I didn’t know. But, now I am more confident and comfortable when interviewing people. I feel that because of this job, I am more mature and patient. I wish all people who are blind could get this opportunity.

Q: You mentioned going to the Louisiana Center for the Blind. What types of classes did you take there?

A: Wow, I did so much, I could go on talking forever. :) It is a nine month program, so I was there from April of 2012 to January of 2013. I took cane travel, shop, computers, cooking, home maintenance, home management and braille.

Q: Wow, talk about a busy schedule. First, because we don’t often hear of blind people taking shop, tell me some of the things you learned in that class.

A: I learned how to use a lot of different tools including a drill press and a ban saw. My final project in that class was to make a set of braille blocks.

Q: How about home management and home maintenance?

A: In home maintenance we were taught things like how to clean, how to take off a door knob and put it back on, how to use a screw driver, how to turn a breaker box on and off, how to shut the water off at the valve of the toilet, how to unplug a toilet, and how to find something that may have fallen down a sink drain.

In home management we were taught how to cook. We made brownies from scratch, homemade pasta, fried chicken in a fry daddy, stir fry in a wok, homemade bread, hand cranked our ice cream, made waffles in a waffle iron…just everything. LOL At the end of the program, I had to make a meal for eight and another meal for forty. I had to write invitations on a slate and stylus, give out invitations, shop for food, cook food and serve the food like a waitress would. My meal for eight was chicken baked in the oven with Italian dressing, peas, green beans, baked potato and salad. For dessert I made a dump cake. My meal for forty was pasta with garlic and herb sauce.

Q: Let’s talk about cane travel and some of the trips you took.

A: Well, we certainly got out and about. We went to a Louisiana Tech game. Then, a friend and I went to Oklahoma to watch the Sooners against the Baylor Bears. We had to plan our trip and figure out bus fare and everything. It was an amazing trip, and both my friend and I are blind. No one sighted went with us. Other activities at LCB were rock climbing, horseback riding, zip lining, trips to the movies, the peach festival and shopping. My last trip was a solo trip from Ruston to Monroe. I went shopping at the mall in Monroe.

Q: What advice would you give to someone new to sight loss?

A: Never give up. Blindness is not the end of the world. Get good blindness training. You can still do all the things you used to, just in a different way.

Q: What would you say to a student who is blind who is just graduating high school?

A: Try to meet as many people as you can. Learn to network. Don’t give up. Get involved with those things you are interested in. Don’t allow anyone to tell you “you can’t”.

Q: Is there someone you look up to?

A: Yes. My O&M instructor at LCB. His name was Roland Allen, and he paved the way for blind O&M instructors. He believed I could do anything, and therefore, I believe I can do anything.

Kerri, thank you so much for allowing us to interview you. Just talking with you inspires me.

To read Kerri’s pieces, you can find them in The Dominion Post www.dominionpost.com

Thank you, faithful readers for being with us today. We apologize that this post is late. But, we will be back on Nov. 9 with more inspiration, so come back and be with us. Want to see us on Facebook? We can be found at facebook.com/adkinsandwells.

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.

Some Thoughts on Traveling

Happy Thursday. S.J. Wells here with you today, and I’m going to talk about tricks and tips for going out of town, when you are blind or visually impaired. Last week, I went out of town to visit with Anita. I’m sure several of you faithful readers went on vacation this summer, as well. So, what better time to bring up this topic. Get your riding breeches on, as my mama used to say, cause we’re going on a trip.

First, whether you are taking a car, bus or plane, you have to pack. If you are blind or visually impaired, having someone else to do this for you can work. However, we all have a system of organization, and sighted folks tend to forget about your blindness. So, it is best if you pack for yourself. Packing like things together is a trick I learned way back when I was a teenager going off to church camp. Socks with socks, underwear with underwear, etc. If you want your socks to match, either get a sighted person to help you match them or use a color identifier. Then, either pin them with safety pins or separate them into plastic baggies. You can also use hair ties or rubber bands to keep them matched up in your suitcase. Or, you can be simple, like me and buy all white socks that always match each other. LOL If you want to match up your outfits before you go, fold them together before you put them in your suitcase. Wrap a pair of pants or shorts or skirt inside a matching shirt. Don’t worry about wrinkles, because everything gets wrinkled while on a trip. :) When it comes to packing things that might leak, such as shampoo, body wash, lotion or toothpaste, put them in baggies. For big things like shampoo and body wash, use shopping bags like you get from Walmart. For small things such as toothpaste, use ziplock baggies and put your toothbrush in there with it. Pack hair ties and brushed together in a zippered pouch. Put shoes in bags, and be sure to pack a plastic garbage bag in there for emergencies or to use as a laundry bag if you don’t already have a laundry bag. Okay, now that you are all packed, don’t forget to put those tags the bus company or airline sent you to mark that suitcase as yours. If you’re riding in the car, make sure it’s all zipped and ready to go out the door.

As it has been several years since I have been on an airplane, I’ll leave that part out of this post, but feel free to join the discussion and comment below. I did ride on a Greyhound bus a few years ago, and the one piece of advice I want to give you is this: be open and not afraid to ask for help. Traveling is not the time to become an introvert. Ask questions, let them know you are blind and need help, if you do indeed need help. Be kind when refusing help and be patient; others around you are wanting to be at their destination just as much as you.

If you are like me and my family, you go to the same places a lot. One thing we did quite by accident is find a particular Burger King along our rout. We stop there nearly every time we travel that way to grab a drink, a snack or to just use the rest rooms. We’re used to the stop, I know where everything is, and it’s not difficult to use my cane and find the bathroom and things within.

Well, sad to say, summer is almost over, and vacation is over, too. We’ve traveled back home, and now we must unpack. :( Take out whatever you have used for a laundry bag and start sorting. Lights in the washer first and darks to go in next. Shoes, hair stuff, soaps and shampoos have to be put back and the list seems to go on forever. :)

Traveling can be stressful for everyone, but it doesn’t have to be a failure. Keeping organized is the key. While it is easier in the beginning to let sighted folks do most of the work, you will find you can keep track of your stuff better with a lot less aggravation if you do as much as possible on your own. Be sure to remember your cane, if you use one, and check with the place where you obtained your guide dog, if you have one on travel tips. I’m sure I have only skimmed the surface, here, so again, please leave us a comment with your own suggestions, questions, and/or tips.

Thank you for being with us today. We look forward to hearing from you. Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you back here next Thursday.

Blessings.

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.

Accommodating Ourselves

Last week Anita spoke at length about making accommodations. She described many different ways teachers, parents, other family members and friends can make learning, games, outdoor activities, and even participation in church accessible for those without vision. Today, I want to focus on ways we who are blind can make accommodations for ourselves, rather than relying on the public, teachers, employers or family members to do it for us.

A couple of years ago, a friend with sight drove me to hear a gentleman who is blind speak about the book he had written. This gentleman put an emphasis on how the world needed to make things more accessible for the blind. He said there should be braille labels on office doorways, braille on restroom doors and changes in the textures of sidewalks so the blind will get a better understanding of their location. My sighted friend said, once we got back out into the car, “I agree that in a perfect world, these things would be done to accommodate blind people, but what about accommodating other people with disabilities? I mean, I have chronic pain, so why couldn’t an accommodation be made for me by having more comfortable chairs?”

This got me to thinking. Perhaps, instead of trying to force a sighted society into accommodating me and my needs, why not rig up what I can to accommodate for myself? After all, who is more aware of my needs than I?

How do we do this? First, we must adjust our thinking. As I just said, no one knows you and your needs better than you. We must become advocates for ourselves and speak up to ask for what we need.

Examples

The restaurant you are visiting does not have braille menus? Ask a server to read it to you and tell them you want to speak to a manager about putting their menus into braille.

The book you need for school is not in an accessible format? Find a volunteer reader, someone perhaps who might be taking the same class. You could also talk to the school’s administration. Inform them of your difficulty and offer to help them come up with suggestions to fix your problem.

Do you find yourself passing up a certain destination on your walk down the block? Use a GPS app on your phone to save that location.

Are you constantly forgetting where you put things? Develop a habit of either noting it down or putting things back in the same place every time.

Do you wish your town or city had audible buttons so you would know where to cross the street? Call your town or city officials and talk to them about it.

Above all, don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself. Also, research what you want to advocate about so that you will appear knowledgeable and in control when you approach others about accommodations.

Now, let’s be real. There are just some things in life that we must put up with, grin and bare, a movie without description, for instance. We need to use our ears and knowledge to guess what is going on or ask a sighted person to describe. Print papers come in the mailbox, and we just have to find a sighted reader or use an app to take a picture and read it to us. Difficult intersection? We need to rely on the training we got from our orientation and mobility instructors and our common sense to know when it is safest to cross or ask for assistance. As for paper money, again, we need to ask for sighted help or use a money identifier. Of course, you could always pay in change. After all, American coins are totally accessible without sight. However, your purse or wallet might get a little heavy if you carry around all that change. LOL When at the cash register, ask the cashier to help you when paying with your credit card. Remember, though, most tactile buttons have a dot on the number 5, so practice entering your private information, rather than giving it out.

My true point for this post is that we should rely less on others to make every day tasks accessible and more on ourselves. Yes, there are laws in place to protect certain rights, but it is not up to the government to make our life easier; it is up to us. We cannot please everyone all the time, but perhaps, if we put less effort into fitting the world into our expectations, this might be a more pleasant place to live.

On Tuesday, I was sitting at a Wendy’s with my mom and two daughters. My youngest who is nine wanted a bag to put her left over chicken nuggets in.

“Go up front,” I told her, “and say to the lady behind the counter, ‘May I please have a bag to go?’.”

“I can’t do that,” my daughter said. “I’m socially awkward.” LOL

“Then, you can’t get a bag,” I said, “because, I’m not doing it for you.”

After much discussion, she ended up going for it. They gave her the bag, and she was able to bring her food home. In order to get the help she needed, she had to ask. So, even children with sight need to learn how to speak up.

In closing, I want to say that I do understand how difficult it can be to speak to perfect strangers. When I was a child, I would sit back and wish for help but never speak up. Then, I would be frustrated and disappointed that no one put forth an effort for me. As I grew older, though, I realized that no one would advocate for me like me. Now, I am in my upper thirties, and I rarely care what others think. This embarrasses my daughters, but I rarely have difficulty making my needs known and getting them met. Disabilities are obstacles, sure enough, but they are not barriers. Just like Grover in “The Monster at the End of This Book”, you might get scared, but like the reader, you just got to keep turning pages until you  untie those pages and knock down that brick wall.

Questions? Feel free to use the contact form on this blog to get in touch. We love to hear from you, so don’t be afraid to comment below. As always, we thank you for being with us this week. Take care and be blessed.