FUTURE REFLECTIONS ISSN 0883-3419 Volume 19, Number 2 Barbara Cheadle, Editor Summer, 2000 CONTENTS BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS Editorial Comments LISTENING TO THE LEAVES by Carole Conrad AND KRYSTAL WANTS TO BE A PAINTER by Pat Linkhorn JEREMY'S MIRACLE by Jude Lincicome FUELING THE FIRE by Barbara Walker LIGHTING THE FLAME by Ryan Ozentowski THE CAMPAIGN TO CHANGE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLIND INDEPENDENCE AND MOBILITY Excerpts from: Modular Instruction For Independent Travel For Students Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired: Preschool Through High School by Doris M. Willoughby and Sharon L. Monthei REFLECTIONS ON MY CHILDHOOD MOBILITY EXPERIENCES by Paul Gabias, Ph.D. CHILDREN'S BOOKS: REVIEWS AND COMMENTS Reviews and Comments by: Rachel Becker * Barbara Cheadle * Peggy Chong * Kenneth Jernigan * Emily A. Mitchell * Jordan Powell Books Reviewed: The Night Search * Mandy Sue Day * The Doll on the Top Shelf * T.J.'s Story * The Seeing Summer TEACHER RECOGNITION: MR. GIALANELLA- NOT JUST A HISTORY TEACHER by Serena Cucco WRITING AN IEP HEAR YE! HEAR YE! FUTURE REFLECTIONS SUBSCRIPTION For more information about blindness and blind children contact the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children 1800 Johnson Street * Baltimore, Maryland 21230 * (410) 659-9314 NFB Net BBS: http://www.nfbnet.org * Web Page address: http://www.nfb.org COPYRIGHT 2000, NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND Breakthrough Moments... Graduation, marriage, divorce, confirmation, baptism, birth, death-momentous occasions such as these often trigger bouts of self-examination. We rethink our values and beliefs; we examine our past for clues to the person we have become, and we contemplate our future. We expect such events to generate insights and discoveries; and often they do. The National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind, for example, has been such an influence in the lives of literally thousands of people for over 50 years. A few of these inspiring stories of changed lives appear every year in Future Reflections and the NFB's monthly magazine, the Braille Monitor. However, breakthrough moments are not reserved alone for the grand events in life. Simple incidences in the ordinary course of our lives can lead to extraordinary discoveries, too. The first five articles in this issue are about such breakthrough experiences. Three are written by parents and two by blind adults. Each experience is unique to that individual, yet speaks to us all about the internal process of "changing what it means to be blind." I think you will enjoy the stories, and it is my hope that one or more of them will spark for you a new thought or perspective or understanding about blindness. Barbara Cheadle, Editor Listening to the Leaves by Carole Conrad Reprinted from the May, 1996, Braille Monitor, the monthly magazine of the National Federation of the Blind. >From Barbara Pierce, the Braille Monitor Editor: This week the President of the Ohio Student Division called to inquire about the resources available in another state for parents of blind children. She explained that friends of a friend had just given birth to a blind infant. I made a recommendation about whom to call for support and information, but since that conversation I have been thinking a good deal about the journey this young couple has just embarked upon. The first and most difficult stage will be shock, disbelief, anger, and heartbreak. The pain of this period is intense, but it passes, usually fairly quickly for those, at least, who come in contact with the National Federation of the Blind. The next phase is usually a determined intention to do everything humanly possible to make up to the child for what he or she will miss visually throughout life. Then, as parents begin to discover that their blind child really can learn and do and enjoy life, there comes a period when it is easy to believe that this small person is truly remarkable, has extraordinary powers of observation or recollection, or is especially sensitive and understanding. The final step is the recognition that the blind child is by and large a normal youngster, complete with individual abilities and shortcomings. These stages are not a neat series of plateaus; they are all part of an evolutionary process. In one moment a mother can discover that her blind child has just taken note of something in the audible environment that she herself has never before taken the time to listen to, and in the next she can circle back to attribute extraordinary powers of observation to that child for making sense of the familiar world without benefit of sight. Such moments of discovery can be life-changing in their very simplicity, because they hold out the promise of fulfillment and normality. Never mind that having stretched to catch a glimpse of one's child as a normal person, the parent slips back into wonder at her extraordinary gifts. The breakthrough has been made. The child is free to develop and grow normally. For parents of blind children as well as for the children themselves, life is filled with such moments of discovery and joy as well as with the frustration and pain of being different. But it is rare for a mother to capture one of these moments and commit it to paper. Carole Conrad of Michigan managed exactly this last fall and sent the result, a letter to her daughter Sara, to Barbara Cheadle, Editor of Future Reflections, the quarterly magazine of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. Because the magic of this moment of discovery as Mrs. Conrad described it seemed to have a universal quality, Barbara Cheadle passed the article on to the Braille Monitor for publication. Here it is: Sara, the most exciting thing happened to me today! I want so much to tell you all about it and share my excitement with you, but at three years of age you wouldn't understand the significance of my discovery. So I'll share it with you in writing now-and perhaps in reading when you are older. You were right, Sara; I heard the leaves fall today. I was sitting right here on our cement front steps, looking over our large front lawn, when I heard it. The autumn breeze was stiff, and the giant oaks that line our yard let go of their first dry, brown leaves of October. This they have done for hundreds of years-but today was different-at least for me-because I heard it. Ever since we learned how seriously impaired your beautiful blue eyes were, I have tried to teach you more about our world. I've struggled to explain what clouds look like and why I can see across a pond but not across Lake Michigan. I've tried to tell you about the beauty of trees and the rich green of spring time. And oh, how we've argued. You say the trees are fighting; I say the wind moves them so that their branches bump into each other. You say the summer leaves are brown at the tree tops and green further down. I say all the leaves are green until fall, at which time they all turn to brown. And I've tried to explain that we don't hear leaves fall; we see them. Today, as I sat alone on the step, I shut my eyes and listened. It was one of those rare moments when I didn't need to be anywhere or do anything. I just listened. And then I heard them. I heard the leaves rustle in the air as they fell-bumping into each other. When they reached their destination, they tumbled across each other as the breeze stirred them. They skidded stiffly across the paved driveway-scraping their thin yet rigid points. And acorns dropped from the sky to land on the grass with a soft but audible thud. I can hear without straining now. I just needed to tune down my own thoughts so that I could hear. My closed eyes filled with tears as I listened. I have tried, oh so hard, to see as you do so that I can help you understand things as they really are. I have shut one eye and squinted the other nearly closed to try to experience what you see. But I can't. And I realized today that my objective was to teach you the difference between the incorrect perceptions you acquire and the reality that the rest of us observe. But today, when I heard the leaves fall (much as you probably hear them), I understood something. You have a lot to teach me, little girl. You hear things, feel things, and experience things in ways different-yet not always less correct-than I do. I will never experience what you do. You always hear trains coming before anyone else. You continually amaze me when you identify the voices of individual children as they play together in our backyard. And only you can tell those neighborhood identical twins apart. You have something special, little Sara. You don't see much anymore, but God has given you perceptions that I can't understand. Thank you for sharing a little bit of your gift with me. Thank you for insisting that I listen...to the leaves. And Krystal Wants to Be a Painter by Pat Linkhorn Reprinted from a winter issue of Advocacy in Action, The NFB of Ohio Parents Division newsletter. Pat and her family have participated in many NFB of Ohio events over the last several years. Here is what she has to say about her breakthrough moment: My youngest, who is seven years old and blind, announced today that she wants to be a painter when she grows up. My first reaction was that all-too-familiar, gut wrenching, sick feeling I get when the realization that she really is blind hits me. I didn't have the heart to tell her she couldn't be a painter because she was blind. I wandered around the house, more or less moping about the whole thing, when it struck me that a painter isn't necessarily a painter, as in still life or portrait pictures. She could be a painter that painted in textures. She could paint her impression of the world in textures or whatever she chooses. Here I am, thinking I'm one of the world's biggest advocates for normal lives for special kids, falling into the stereotypical trap of what people can and cannot do. Since I've been doing some serious thinking about how to convince both of my children's teachers that they're more normal than abnormal, the irony of what had just happened was significant. The ingrained and learned prejudices don't go away just because of one incident, or even a dozen. They are so deeply imbedded in many of us that some of the decisions we make aren't necessarily based on our new awareness of the world of disabilities all of the time. If I, a parent, can forget about the need to be creative and innovative, how can I expect her teacher not to forget? As parents we have to have ongoing communications with those who teach our children and share our ideas with them. We also have to stay on our toes and try not to fall back into the same old traps of setting limits on what our children can do. I am sometimes amazed at many of the strategies my friends come up with when they are interacting with my children. They do things and explain things differently than I would, but it works. Sometimes I think parents can get so involved that they can't always see the forest for the trees. We're so involved with our kids that we tend to overlook some areas. Once I realized how mistaken I'd been about my first reaction, I mentally kicked myself soundly and went back into the living room to tell her that, yes, she could be a painter. In fact, she can be anything she wants to be, with a little imagination. Later the same evening, as I was giving her father a haircut, she said she wanted to learn to cut his hair. I didn't say no, but I will have to give this one some serious thought. But, hey, it's his hair! Jeremy's Miracle by Jude Lincicome Editor's Note: Jude Lincicome, mother of Jeremy, found the NFB during her son's preschool years. She enthusiastically embraced the positive philosophy of the NFB and did her best to implement it as she went about the daily tasks of raising and educating her son. Like many other parents, Jude believes that religious training is an important part of her child's education. But Biblical texts that deal with blindness can raise troublesome questions even for adults, not to mention a young boy who is struggling to understand who he is, and why he is the way he is. Jude, who has a flair for the dramatic, describes below how she helped shape an important breakthrough moment for her son: My Dear Father, it's me again. Today in Sunday School the teacher read one of the stories about how Jesus healed the blind. Dear Lord, Jeremy has been troubled since then, and I know he is not sure what it should mean to him. I need your help to know what to say to my son. He started to ask me a question a few minutes ago, and I know that what I say to him will have a profound effect on the way he will see himself for the rest of his life. I made an excuse, and here I am. Jeremy is nine years old now, Lord. He is a good boy, and I love him very much. Remember when I found him at the hospital? They told me he was blind and profoundly retarded. They were right about the blindness. I think the doctors didn't want me to adopt him. He was so tiny then, about four pounds, I think. I remember how he used to scream-scream so loudly that I could feel his pain in my head, my heart, and in my gut, all at the same time. I think that was the first time I talked to you about him. Remember the rocking chair in the nursery, Lord? I held him nestled in right close to my heart. His little body was so stiff. It was so tightly clenched into a ball that when it was time to change his diaper, it was hard to pull his legs down. As I remember, we both cried a lot that first day. I knew you had given him to me for there was an unmistakable bond, there in that rocking chair, between that tiny child and me. You were there with me the first time I saw him, and you have been with me since. You were with me as we put him through the kinesthetic exercises that reprogrammed his brain that had been damaged from severe hemorrhages. You were there teaching me when to be patient and when to press hard for action or answers, especially when it concerned his education and his needs for blindness skills. All praise to you, Jeremy is a bright third-grader in regular elementary school. His cerebral palsy, which made him, as a baby, crawl in circles around his withered arm, is no more than a nuisance now. He walks independently with a white cane and runs and plays with the other kids in his class-just like everyone else. Lord, you should hear him read his Braille, and he does his math in Braille, too. His teachers tell me that he is the best in his math group. We have come a long way, you and I, but we are coming to the hard stuff now, Lord, and that's why I'm sitting here in the bathroom talking to you. You see, I told Jeremy I would answer his question as soon as I come out of here. I don't have much time. This is it, Father. I wish I could curl up in your lap, for I am scared. I'm going to put all my trust in you, Father, because I have no clue what I should tell my son to let him know that he is as special to you, Lord, as he is special to me. I want him to truly understand that the poet's song I hold so dear is worth remembering. "There is another way of looking, but it's up to you to see. If you saw through my eyes, what would you see?" Lord, you have given me an understanding of the power to be had by looking at all points of view. Hold my hand tightly Lord, it's time to go. "Mom, I'm waiting!" "I'm coming Jeremy, now what did you want to ask?" "Mom, do you remember in Sunday School, we were talking about when Jesus was tired and went across the lake to an island to rest, but the people followed him with the crippled and the blind people for Jesus to heal? And He did?!" "Yes, I do, honey. Jesus did many miracles everywhere he went." "Well,...I was thinking." A tear falls from his eye. "Mom, ahhh, I'm blind, and Jesus didn't heal me?!" I feel your hand, Lord, tell me how to make him strong within himself and with your love. "My precious Jeremy, in Jesus' time, the blind were beggars. They begged for food, and slept where they could find shelter. There were no white canes for them to use, or orientation and mobility instructors to teach them how to get around by themselves. They had to be led around everywhere they went or stumble around alone. They did not have Braille so they could not read or do math. They really were blind." "The Bible said that the blind could see after Jesus healed them. There are many ways to see. You see with your ears and your skin. You see with your mind's eye and with your heart. There are also many ways of healing. There is the kind when your knee gets better after you skin it falling down on the sidewalk. And do you remember when your sister Karen died? We cried a lot then, but now we can smile when we think about her. That's a different kind of healing." "You, my love, have a white cane to walk with, and when you try really hard, you don't need anyone to guide you. You are learning how to find your way around, even when you are in a strange, new place. You can read Braille, and you are in the same school and grade with all the other boys and girls in our neighborhood. When you grow up, you will be able to have a good job and be able to take care of yourself and your family. Truth is, you are a pretty amazing young man, and I am very proud of you." As I talked, the sad worried look on his face turned to curious, then thoughtful, then became soft with a slowly spreading smile that became an absolute glowing beaming grin. His eyes twinkled and sparkled with a revelation that would change forever the way he would see himself. "You know, Mom, I think Jesus did heal me after all!" Oh, thank you, thank you, Father. I think maybe you can let me go now...for awhile. Fueling the Fire by Barbara Walker Editor's Note: The following article first appeared in Issue 4, 1999, of News and Views of Blind Nebraskans, the publication of the NFB of Nebraska. Not long thereafter it was reprinted in the May, 2000, issue of the Braille Monitor, the monthly magazine of the NFB. It was originally a speech delivered at the meeting of the Nebraska student division during the 1999 state convention. Barbara Walker is a long-time leader of the National Federation of the Blind whose insights about blindness have inspired many over the years. This is what she said: When President Clark called me a couple of weeks ago to ask if I would speak at the Student Division Luncheon today, I hesitated, as I nearly always do when asked to do something conspicuous. But when I suddenly realized she was handing me a chance to fulfill a pledge I had made to myself at our National Convention this past summer, the only viable answer I could give was, "Yes. And thank you for the opportunity." I hope each of you-for we are all sometimes students, whether or not we're currently attending a school of formal education; and we are all sometimes teachers, whether or not we hold an academic degree-will be willing to help me keep my promise. [PHOTO] The matchbook and candle from the 1999 NFB Banquet. As I made sure my ticket was in my purse in preparation for the banquet of the National Federation of the Blind in Atlanta, I wondered if it would be the high point of the convention for me this year. Since the time I began attending National Conventions in 1975, I had thrilled many times to the magical spirit of the banquet. But this one, my twenty-fourth (I missed the convention in 1981 due to the birth of my daughter, Marsha), wouldn't be the same. Dr. Jernigan, who had been the catalyst of the vibrant Federation spirit for more years than I have attended conventions, wouldn't be making sure his ticket was on his person tonight. And he never would again. He was dead. I sat down on my bed and let myself cry. Then I remembered how, ten years ago at banquet time in Denver, less than three weeks after my beloved husband Jim had died, I couldn't imagine walking into the banquet without him. But I did. And I was glad I had. I would go this time too, beginning by summoning the advice our first First Lady, Mrs. Hazel tenBroek, widow of our Founder, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, had passed along to me nine years ago when I was struggling to keep my composure. I had been on my way back to my room after the 1990 Fiftieth Anniversary Banquet in Dallas. A close friend had just said to me, "I thought this banquet was just perfect. Didn't you?" [PHOTO] Barbara Walker "It was great," I sincerely replied, fighting back tears. "But perfect?" my inner self said, "Certainly not." One of the living ingredients of anything approaching perfection for me was tangibly missing. True, it had been a year since Jim had died. And my friend, who had also known Jim well, had learned to experience life without feeling the constant void of his physical absence. I, at that time, still hadn't. As my friend and I parted and I reached the hall outside the ballroom, Mrs. tenBroek, who had undoubtedly heard our conversation and empathized with me, said that her husband, who had been dead for over twenty years by then, had shared with her something she continued to find useful when dealing with hard times: "Sometimes, the only thing to do is to keep putting one foot in front of the other." It got me to my room that night and to many places since then. It would also get me to the 1999 banquet hall. Soon I was there-one of the over two thousand present at our largest banquet ever. As I sat down, those on either side of me urged me to look inside my mug. (Since 1974 everyone attending our banquets has received a complimentary mug with the Federation logo and something specific to the Convention site on it.) Usually there is nothing inside. This year was different. Della Johnston handed me one item-a replica of the bust of Dr. Jernigan, which had been unveiled at the Memorial Service the previous day. I was interrupted from my exploration of this treasure by another of my tablemates. "Keep looking. There's more." I knew there was. I had already found something that disturbed me-a book of matches. "I noticed," I said, trying not to sound upset. But I was remembering the time, at the school for the blind, when we were all asked to light a match and, from that, a candle, in order to pass some class. To my relief, we had used wooden matches. When my turn came, I braced myself, stuffed down my fear, and performed the task flawlessly. I hadn't willingly done it since. And book matches? Those were too dangerous for blind people. That's what I had been told until I met the National Federation of the Blind. And then, although I learned that it wasn't really unsafe for blind people to use them, I, well, I just preferred not to. I mean, why do that when there are obviously superior ways of getting the job done? "Did you find the candle?" someone asked. "Yes," I said, too quickly, and with an edge in my voice which I hoped hadn't revealed the emotion I was trying to conceal. "Are you concerned about lighting a match?" Jeff Altman asked. "If so, I can show you this nifty way I learned where you can't burn yourself." "Concerned," he had said. Afraid was more like it. He probably knew that, but "concerned" did sound kinder and less confrontational. Of course he knew. He hadn't even paused between the initial question and the offered assistance. Figuring that whatever we were going to do with the candles would be a tribute to Dr. Jernigan and knowing that I wouldn't want to look back on the event not having tried to participate, I accepted his offer. Inviting me to put my hands on his if I wanted to, he explained that you fold the cover of the matchbook back so that the front cover touches the striking bar. After taking a match out, you place the head between the covers, far enough in that it will rub across the bar, but not in so far that you can't hold onto its other end. Holding the covers firmly together with your thumb and forefinger anchoring the head, you grasp the protruding end of the match between the thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand and pull the match out. He mentioned in passing that it's important to keep track of where things are so that you don't bring the lit match into contact with the exposed heads of those remaining in the open book. On my first attempt I was gripping the match head so tightly that my other hand slipped off of the stick. My second try released the smell of sulphur, but no spark. I had loosened my hold too much. With Jeff's calm encouragement, I tried again. The match sizzled victoriously. Before my fear could cry "exception," I lit another and another. And there it was-the magical Federation spirit-mentor and student sparking a flame, putting out fear. Although Dr. Jernigan hadn't directly taught me this technique, nor did he teach it to Jeff, he had nurtured our Federation family in such a way that we knew that, when it's done with love and respect, as one who knows teaches one who doesn't, both become stronger. As I was thanking Jeff for helping me, President Floyd informed me that I was supposed to be at a different table. Flushed and apologetic, but also excited about the prospect of sharing my newest joy in learning, I went as directed. Sitting now between Aloma Bouma and Ardyce Earl, I proudly demonstrated the new skill Jeff had taught me. Shortly thereafter we honored Dr. Jernigan by lighting our candles. When mine almost immediately went out, I triumphantly lit it again, reveling in the spirit of all who had made this fearlessly exuberant moment possible for me. And later, as President Maurer was reaching the crescendo of another stellar banquet address, he put into words the glow I continued to feel from the candle-lighting tribute we had paid to Dr. Jernigan and, in my mind, to all of those, especially Jim, who had physically gone from our midst, but whose spirit and love were among us still: "The spirit they kindled," Dr. Maurer said, "can never be extinguished, because we will fan the flame. We will add fuel to the fire. And we, the members of the movement, will cause a great conflagration." Those weren't just fancy words to me. They were the expression of a very intimate moment we in that room had shared. I made a personal vow to take both the spirit and the experience with me and to pass them on to others. I intend, very soon, to make good on that promise. But first, I want to give you, again in Dr. Maurer's words, the reason I hope you'll accept not only the spirit of my offer but also the physical act of carrying it out, whatever your current level of confidence may be. Dr. Maurer said: "We are the blind of more than a single generation and of every segment of society and of every part of the nation. We have the capacity to think and the mental discipline to reach conclusions that will alter the future for us all. We possess the confidence to bring those conclusions to reality. Nobody else can do it for us. We must do this for ourselves, and we will. Our future is bright with promise, because it belongs to us. And there is no force on earth that can stop us." I said earlier that I had not willingly lit matches, even wooden ones, since that time in Nebraska City when I did what it took to get out of that class. How had I managed that, especially having directed an Orientation Center for the Blind for a number of years and having also been a parent? A few times, when duty called, I made myself do it. But mostly I gave others the privilege. Between the time when Jim was alive to light candles for such things as birthdays and Advent and the time when I thought the children were old enough to do it themselves, we pretended the little lights in the chandelier above the dining room table were candles. (Both Marsha and John had said they looked like candles when they were dimmed.) I also discovered the existence of the torch lighter, something I continue to find useful. In all of these instances I don't think my choices were necessarily bad or even detrimental to others. But inside I always knew I was hedging. And it was, as so often it is for me, the National Federation of the Blind that not only called my bluff but also gave me the chance to grow beyond my fear. Please don't get me wrong. I haven't become a book match lover. I still would choose, when given options, another method of lighting a candle. But I no longer feel like fleeing the premises if something needs to be lit and book matches are the ready source of a spark. I encourage you to participate in lighting a match and a candle today whether or not it frightens you. If it doesn't, you may be the one, like Jeff was for me, who releases someone else from fear. If it does, I hope you'll have the courage to let someone help you. Please join me now in doing the kind of thing I believe Dr. Maurer meant when he talked in Atlanta about fueling the fire and fanning the flame. Let's add some sparks to that great conflagration! Lighting the Flame by Ryan Ozentowski Editor's Note: This article is also reprinted from Issue 4, 1999, of News and Views of Blind Nebraskans, the publication of the NFB of Nebraska. Ryan was one of the students in the audience when Barbara Walker gave her speech, "Fueling the Flame." Here is what Ryan has to say about how her remarks ignited a breakthrough moment for him: Barbara Walker is one of those people who speak volumes with just a few words. I wouldn't characterize her as a dynamic or energetic speaker, but she has a quiet persuasiveness in her voice that compels you to listen. Barbara recently spoke at our student division luncheon at our annual state NFB convention. I noticed as I was scoping out the table space in front of me, that there was a small candle and a book of matches in front of my place setting. I was confused until Barbara began speaking about lighting candles during her keynote address. She shared the fact that, up until recently, she had been apprehensive about lighting candles and using book matches. I found that I, too, had always gone out of my way to avoid book matches and lighting candles. But, through Barbara's calm instructions to the group, several failed attempts, and one singed fingernail, I got the candle lit. The confidence I felt inside me leaped up like the flame from the candle. Yesterday, I bought a scented candle and took it to work. The candle was vanilla-scented, and I carried it, along with my matches, in a small plastic bag. I sat at my cubicle, unwrapped the candle, and took out the matches. Dave, my helpful and sometime overprotective friend and co-worker, saw what I was doing and immediately rushed over. He took the matches out of my hand and said, "Here dude, I'll light it for ya. We'll just put it up on your shelf so ya won't burn yourself." I put my hand over the top of the candle and said quietly, "I can do it, Dave." "I know," he said with placation in his voice. "I just don't want ya to burn your hand." He punctuated his remark with his usual nervous chuckle. I didn't bother to argue with him; Dave's one of those guys you really can't argue with. I just calmly asked him to give me my matches back, with my hand still on top of the unlit candle. "Fine," he said and slapped the matches down on my desk. Then he just stood there and waited. If I could've seen his face, I'm sure I would've seen an "Oh, yeah" expression on it. I slowly picked up the matches, opened them, and removed one. I folded the match cover over so that the edge touched the rough strip on the back of the book where the match-head would strike. I then placed the match-head on the strip and pressed down with the cover. I gave a quick jerk as Barbara had instructed and the match flared. "Dude, it's lit! It's lit," Dave said. "I know, dork," I said and quickly placed the burning match over the exposed wick. I waited two seconds and then blew out the match before it could singe my fingernail. "Dude, it's lit," Dave said. "I know, Dork," I said as the pleasant scent of vanilla wafted up to my nostrils. "Pretty cool," Dave said. "Actually Dave, it was pretty hot," I responded as I moved the candle toward the back of my desk, away from my papers. I wasn't worried about the flame since it was closed in a glass jar. Dave muttered something about me being a geek and gave me a slap on the shoulder. Later that evening, my boss walked by and told me to make sure and have someone put the candle out before I left. I just chuckled and told her that since I'm a bit of a windbag anyway, I'd probably just blow it out myself. I'll give her a demonstration some other time. It may seem like a very small thing to most people, a guy lighting a candle. But to me it was a small triumph. It was a small step, yes, but a step in the right direction. [PHOTO] The architect's model of the National Research and Training Institute for the Blind as it will look as part of the National Center for the Blind The Campaign to Change What It Means to Be Blind Reprinted from the February, 2000 issue of the Braille Monitor. Vision for the Future The spirit and passionate dedication of the over 50,000 members of the NFB are directed toward building a future for the blind in this country that includes opportunity for education, employment, and full participation in our society. Our message is one of hope and personal responsibility. We are determined to demonstrate that blind people can achieve and prosper if trained using a philosophy of blindness that emphasizes capacity and mutual support. We envision a new approach to helping blind people-an approach which transcends ancient images of darkness, ignorance, and isolation. We foresee a revolution in services for the blind which views blindness as a characteristic to be dealt with through the acquisition of pragmatic skills and self-acceptance. We are a people with abilities and dreams, a people of hope and tenacity, too long held down by our own and others' misconceptions and fears. We are working toward a time when all of us can achieve to our capacity and contribute ! fully to our society. The next chapter of blind people's struggle for full integration into all aspects of our society will include the nation's first research and training institute inspired and operated by the organized blind. We have long known who we are; now it is time to demonstrate and implement model programs and services that will forever change what it means to be blind. The National Research and Training Institute for the Blind A new five-story, 170,000-square-foot building will be attached to the present national headquarters of the NFB, located in Baltimore, Maryland. The new facility will include a research library, technology training labs, classrooms, a distance learning center, an adaptive technology development center, and office and flexible meeting space. We have begun an eighteen-million-dollar capital campaign. Funds are being solicited from members and individual supporters of the NFB, corporations, foundations, and governmental sources. The goal is to raise the needed funds by summer 2001 and to complete the project in the summer of 2003. At least 50 percent of this country's 1.1 million blind citizens will be directly affected by the programs, research, and technology developed during the first ten years of the Institute's operation: Through the use of newly developed distance learning technologies and training methods, we will work toward providing an opportunity for all of the 57,000 blind children in this country to learn Braille and other needed skills. The 788,000 blind seniors today, and the projected 1.6 million by 2015 and 2.4 million by 2030, will have access to improved services and resources stimulated by the senior initiatives of the Institute. Partnerships between private-sector employers and the NFB will result in lowering the 74 percent unemployment rate among working-age blind people in this country. Nonvisual speech and Braille technology will be developed, making it possible for the blind to access an ever-increasing number of services and resources delivered by computer technology. Major Initiatives The following initiatives will provide the structure for the programs, projects, and services of the National Research and Training Institute for the Blind. Technology Access and Training Initiative Technology is a critical element in both education and employment opportunities today and will be even more so in the future, for the blind just as for the general public. Advances in speech, Braille, and large-print access technology lead some to assume that the blind now have or soon will have access to nearly all of what technology has to offer. Unfortunately, due to the widespread obsession with visual design in technology, the shortage of good technology training, the cost of equipment, and the rapid advancements of technology applications, blind people now face the dismaying prospect of being left out if nonvisual access is not continually updated and improved. This means that advances in software and hardware must include design that allows nonvisual access. The Institute will be the center of technological advancement for the blind. Along with development and promotion of adaptive technology, training will be provided to ensure that the blind move smoothly with their sighted peers into the emerging technological age and do not become casualties of what Bill Gates has called the digital divide. Blind Children's Initiative The 57,000 legally blind children in this country face unique educational and daily-living challenges. Today the majority of blind children have other disabilities, are educated in public schools rather than residential schools for the blind, and have other individualized needs. Blind children are often discouraged from using alternative reading and travel methods because uninformed parents and teachers believe that as far as possible their children should avoid being labeled as blind. For too long these useful tools of independence have been associated with the negative stereotype of the hopeless, isolated blind. Unfortunately this has resulted in less than 10 percent of blind children being able to read Braille and many not being able to travel independently. Because the NFB knows that alternative skills are basic to self-esteem among the blind and to successful employment (today 85 percent of blind people who use Braille are employed), we have already directed significant resources toward changing this alarming trend. By establishing a national Braille literacy campaign, promoting early mobility training for young blind children, and contributing to development of adaptive technology, the NFB has led the way in innovation and change. However, because many school districts are hiring only general special education teachers rather than specially trained teachers of the blind, families face a growing shortage of qualified educators and services for their blind children. Braille Literacy Initiative In 1968 40 percent of blind children in this country read Braille, 45 percent read large print, and only 9 percent read neither. However, today less than 10 percent of legally blind children read Braille, and more than 40 percent read neither Braille nor large print. This problem reflects a dangerous trend: the functional illiteracy of tens of thousands of blind children. In the 1970's blind children began to be mainstreamed into regular classrooms. Most school systems did not know how to teach children Braille, so they tried to teach the children using any method available. For blind children this meant listening and memorizing; they never learned to read and write. For those with some sight, it meant the use of magnifiers. Imagine trying to learn how to read when you can see only one letter at a time. The result has been predictable: many blind children have fallen behind in school and as adults are now significantly limited. For too long Braille has been associated with total blindness and many of the misconceptions associated with this disability. Parents of blind children are easily convinced that, if their child has some residual vision (even if that vision is minimal, unstable, or likely to deteriorate), reading print will somehow mean their child is not really blind. It takes people who are positive about Braille and familiar with the real benefits of this alternative technique to convince reluctant parents. Also much work is necessary to upgrade the Braille skills of teachers of the blind and to improve Braille-production and Braille-teaching technology. The National Research and Training Institute will be the center of a growing Braille Literacy Initiative that will ensure that the progress led by the NFB continues and that Braille is recognized to be a communications tool as essential to the blind as American Sign Language is to the deaf. Research Initiative Despite the tremendous outlay of public and private funds throughout most of the decades of this century, the objective situation of the blind as a group remains intractably bleak: 74 percent unemployment, functional illiteracy for tens of thousands of blind children, and exclusion from the mainstream of society. These facts make it starkly clear that the techniques and systems used to serve the blind in the United States are in dire need of overhaul. The unsolved problems demand innovative solutions. Effective training programs that will teach the professors who will teach the teachers and other professionals who will teach the blind must be developed so that the age-old cycle of dependency and despair can be broken. The Research Initiative of the National Research and Training Institute will focus on identifying and solving the root causes of these endemic problems. Blind Seniors Initiative Less money is spent and fewer services are available to those over fifty-five losing vision than to younger blind people. Yet far more people lose vision after retirement age than before. New approaches must be developed and taught to state and local staff members in rehabilitation, older blind, and older Americans programs and in centers for independent living. The National Research and Training Institute will bring together knowledgeable professionals who will design materials and develop training programs to assist state and local agencies in helping blind and visually impaired seniors remain independent and continue to participate in the activities they hope for in their retirement years. Blindness can happen to anyone. Without training and opportunity it can be devastating. In short, seniors have huge needs. The Blind Seniors Initiative of the National Research and Training Institute will focus on finding ways to meet them. Employment Initiative Work is one of the fundamental ways in which individuals express their talents, make a contribution, and take responsibility for themselves. For too long many blind people have been told by their families, teachers, and even rehabilitation counselors that the world of competitive employment is most likely out of reach for them. Since its founding in 1940, the NFB has been committed to the principle that otherwise-able blind people should be expected to work and should be given every opportunity to achieve. This means that the blind must believe in themselves and employers must learn that qualified blind people make productive, loyal employees. With an unemployment rate of 74 percent, many working-age blind people are not enjoying the challenges and responsibilities of competitive employment. Although hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in job preparation programs around the country, this staggering number has not changed in recent years. The employment initiative of the National Research and Training Institute will provide focus, resources, and direction for a comprehensive evaluation of contemporary methods for helping the blind. From such an evaluation will come the necessary knowledge to develop, demonstrate, and replicate innovative training programs to replace existing efforts which have failed to bring the blind into the workforce. The new National Research and Training Institute will be the center of research, demonstrations, and job-development partnerships with private industry. These partnerships in combination with successful employment preparation programs will create national momentum toward the full employment of the blind. Contributors may choose to have their gifts recognized through dedication to one of the Institute's Initiatives or through naming opportunities associated with specific floors, wings, rooms, facilities, equipment, or furnishings of the National Research and Training Institute. Please contact the NFB Capital Campaign Office for more information. Call (410) 659-9314 and ask for Mr. Vince Connelly. The Campaign To Change What It Means To Be Blind Capital Campaign Pledge Intention 1800 Johnson Street * Baltimore, Maryland * 21230 Name:___________________________Home Address:______________________ City, State, and Zip:________________________________________________ Phone (H):______________Phone (W):________________E-mail:____________ Employer:__________________________________________________________ Work Address:______________________City, State, Zip:___________________ To support the priorities of the Campaign, I (we) pledge the sum of $___________. My (our) pledge will be payable in installments of $____over the next _____years (we encourage pledges paid over 5 years), beginning_______, on the following schedule (check one): [ ] annually, [ ] semi-annually, [ ] quarterly, [ ] monthly I (we) have enclosed a down payment of $_____________ [ ] My employer will match my gift. [ ] Gift of stock:_____________________ shares of _______________________ Please list my (our) names in all Campaign Reports and on the Campaign Wall of Honor in the appropriate Giving Circle as follows:__________________________ [ ] I (We) wish to remain anonymous. Signed:____________________________________ Date:______________ The Wall of Honor: A permanent wall display listing individual donors above the $5,000 level will further recognize contributors. All contributors, including those below $5,000, will be listed in the appropriate gift level on the Campaign Honor Roll to be announced and published during the campaign victory celebrations. Gift Amount Title $1,000,000+ Jernigan Circle, Master Builder $500,000+ President's Circle, Program Builder $250,000+ Director's Circle, Opportunity Builder $100,000+ Leader's Circle, Independence Builder $50,000+ Patrons $25,000+ Partners $10,000+ Benefactors $5,000+ Fellows $4,999- Friends Independence and Mobility Excerpts from MODULAR INSTRUCTION FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVEL FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED: PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL by Doris M. Willoughby and Sharon L. Monthei >From the Editor: I wish I could send every parent, teacher, and O&M instructor of a blind child in this country a free copy of this marvelous book. But I can't. I've been told that at $20 (plus $3 shipping and handling), this 398-page book, complete with photographs and diagrams, is already a steal. What I can do, however, is reprint sections from the book so readers can see for themselves what an extraordinarily useful resource it is. Professionals who have read the book have been impressed by the practical organization of the book into modules, and by its "positive spirit and attitude toward independent travel" (Ralph E. Bartley, Ph.D., Superintendent, Kentucky School for the Blind). The book can be ordered from the NFB Materials Center, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, (410) 659-9314. We begin the series of excerpts with a section called "Who Should Teach" from chapter B, "GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND OVERALL PLANNING:" Who Should Teach? Everyone in the child's environment is his/her teacher. A child learns daily living skills from parents and siblings; social conventions from neighbors and relatives; academic and other skills from various schoolteachers; games and activities from young friends. Orientation and mobility is part of this large picture. If a child does not develop increasing independence-including the use of a cane at an early age-he or she will expect continual assistance from others in getting around. If parents and school staff see that the child does begin cane usage early, then he or she will develop increasing independence appropriate for each chronological age. Modular Instruction assumes that at least one person in the child's life (probably a teacher or parent) has made serious study of how the cane is used, and takes the lead in guiding others to facilitate learning. There are many ways to gain this knowledge; the National Federation of the Blind will be pleased to help you find a source. When this book uses the term "teacher" or "instructor," it means whatever adult is working with the student in the activity. Parents The foundation of all learning occurs in infancy and very early childhood. The general development of infants and toddlers is beyond the scope of this book. However, many Modules contain suggestions which apply to toddlers and even infants. Children walk with their parents to the neighbor's house; to cross the street; to go from the car to the drugstore. They go with the family to the grocery store; the doctor's office; the mall; the zoo. The Modules in this book give specific ideas for making each excursion an age-appropriate learning experience. When an educator takes the lead in instruction, parents nevertheless continue to guide skill development outside of classes. Parents also monitor the instruction itself to assure that it is appropriate. And some parents, facing a lack of educators with appropriate knowledge, take the lead for instruction themselves. Other family members-aunts and uncles, grandparents, siblings, and other relatives-share the responsibility. Often someone other than the parents (even a fairly young child) happens to have the best opportunity to teach a particular thing. In a residential school, the houseparent is much like a part-time parent. Development of skill in travel is a part of this responsibility. Specialized Teachers Specialized teachers of blind students typically take the lead in cane travel instruction. The lead instructor should outline a curriculum to develop skills in an organized manner. He/she should ensure that the child learns what is currently needed (as by emphasizing street-crossing immediately for a city child.) At the same time, he/she should make sure no major age-appropriate skill is completely omitted. (For example, a rural high school student should visit a larger town and work with traffic lights.) The specialized instructor must not exist in an "ivory tower" in solitary splendor. Continual consultation with parents and with other teachers is essential. Specific practical suggestions, with demonstrations as needed, enable other adults to guide the child in integrated, consistent progress. At times, the specialized instructor may play additional roles by default. If the parents, despite much consultation, never take the child along to a store, the instructor should spend extra time with this. If the sixth grade teacher has promised to show the blind student the way to the rest room, but somehow this is not happening, the travel teacher may need to assist. Similarly, there are many places around the school where the class may not go as a group, but which sighted students will understand through sight. The flagpole and the kitchen are two good examples. Sighted students see the flags flying and occasionally watch the custodian run them up and down. They see the kitchen when they walk by in the lunch line. But the blind 6-year-old may not know what a flag and its pulleys are actually like (he cannot reach the flag in the classroom either). He hears the clatter of the kitchen, but may not really understand what is there. When the travel teacher's lesson focuses on a single interesting location, it provides great interest and variety (vital for the young child) as well as filling in gaps in concepts. Gaps in knowledge can occur at home also. The travel teacher may conduct many lessons near the home of a preschooler who is just learning to get around in a large yard and the nearby neighborhood. The teacher may help an older student walk between home and school, between home and the bus stop, between home and a nearby convenience store, etc. Classroom Teachers and Activity Leaders Many different teachers carry out activities which relate to these Modules. Day care providers, as well as school and preschool classroom teachers, are included. Leaders of Scout troops, religious groups, and other activities will also find this book relevant. Routinely, preschool and elementary school groups tour the dentist's office, the zoo, the grocery store, the City Hall, etc. Leaders will find these Modules helpful in making each excursion an age-appropriate learning experience. When the specialized teacher introduces a skill, other must encourage and remind the child to keep it up. They must see that opportunities exist to put the skill into practice. The Instructor Who is Blind The Module, "The Blind Travel Instructor," provides suggestions on alternative techniques. The parent or teacher who is blind or visually impaired will find this Module helpful. If the instructor has some other disability, these suggestions can provide a starting point for ideas. The National Federation of the Blind will be pleased to provide specific suggestions and the names of instructors who have disabilities. The Handbook for Itinerant and Resource Teachers of Blind and Visually Impaired Students includes two examples of successful blind teachers. Editor's Note: Two of the first questions parents ask when discussing the use of the white cane is, "How long should it be?" and "Which kind is best?" Sharon L. Monthei addresses these questions in "Module 1: DESCRIPTION OF BASIC TECHNIQUES (Including Stairway Techniques)." Here is what she says: The Length of the Cane: There is some debate about the appropriate length of the cane. Blind people have found through experience that the length of the cane is an individual matter, depending upon the length of stride, walking speed, and reflexes of the student. To consider the length of the cane, hold it vertically in front of the individual: ordinarily it should reach somewhere between the armpit and the nose. Shoulder height is a good length for a first cane. A cane reaching only to the sternum (breastbone) is not long enough for the average student to assume a normal walking speed with safety. The cane must be long enough to allow a student two steps to stop. Generally speaking, a traveler will want a longer cane as speed is developed, and this should be left up to the student who is an experienced traveler. The desire for a longer cane should be viewed as a positive sign. One way to check whether a cane is the right length is to observe where the foot steps in relationship to the cane touch which would cover it (i.e., the place where the cane last touched on that side). If the foot touches approximately the same place the cane did, the cane is the right length. If the foot touches in front of where the cane touched, the cane is too short. If the foot touches significantly behind where the cane touched, the cane is too long. (Or, occasionally, the stride may be found to be much too short.) The cane also must reach two steps ahead on stairs. Although shoulder height is a good length for an adult's first cane, this tends to be too short for a young child. For children, generally the cane should reach as high as the nose when held vertically. Since children grow, it is necessary to change cane lengths periodically. Some National Federation of the Blind state affiliates have cane banks for kids, so that canes in children's sizes are available on loan and can be traded in when necessary. Since it would not be unusual for a child to change canes ten or more times from early childhood through adolescence, this is a considerable saving. Which Cane to Use: The best cane currently on the market is called the "NFB straight cane." It is hollow fiberglass with a rubber and metal tip and plastic cylindrical handle. This cane is the most sensitive because it is light and flexible, is made in one piece, and has a metal tip which provides information both through touch and sound. It is also weighs only a few ounces so that small hands do not become tired using it. Because of its construction, it can be used with either hand or switched from hand to hand when convenient. It is available in children's sizes (with handle and shank properly proportioned for small hands) from the National Federation of the Blind at the National Center for the Blind. [PHOTO] Cody Greiser of Montana uses an NFB fiberglass cane of about shoulder height. In my opinion, the next best cane on the market is sometimes called a Rainshine(tm) cane after the company which manufactures it, and also sometimes called the Iowa cane. It is solid fiberglass and is otherwise much like the NFB straight cane. It is not quite as sensitive or as light as the NFB straight cane. Some people prefer this cane because it is virtually indestructible. Many other straight canes are rigid, have nylon tips which do not slide easily, and provide little information about substances touched. They wear in such a way as to make the cane either left-or right-handed. (This problem is partly due to the "golf grip" handle often used.) Collapsible canes have one main disadvantage-they do collapse. They are not very sturdy because they are held together either by nylon cord or by telescoping joints. The movement of the cane shakes the pieces apart. Because they are not one solid piece, they do not telegraph information as accurately. Many blind people buy them so that they can collapse them when they don't want people to know they are blind. Use of a collapsible cane encourages avoidance of facing the real issues of blindness. If a collapsible cane is used at all, the best use is as an extra to be kept in reserve. For example, it might be kept in the desk at work in case something happens to the regular cane. Editor's Note: The 93 modules in the book are grouped into 11 categories. The first 13 modules are under the category BASIC TECHNIQUES. Some of the other categories are: AT HOME - INDOORS, AT HOME - OUTDOORS, AT-SCHOOL - IN-DOORS, AT-SCHOOL - OUT-DOORS, COMMUNITY - OUTDOORS (INCREASING SKILLS), PUBLIC BUILDINGS - GENERAL, and OUTDOOR LOCATIONS. The next excerpt is from the first half of "Module 5: OBSTACLES: Noting Them and Proceeding." Module 5 OBSTACLES Noting Them and Proceeding Objective: The student will detect an obstacle in his/her path, proceed around it, and continue in the desired direction. Age of Student: Preschool and up Primary Skill Emphasis: Obstacles in path Correcting a path Flexibility and confidence Moving straight ahead Orientation overall General travel Posture, grip, gait, and arc Landmarks Additional Skill Emphasis: Compass directions Right and left Overhanging objects Detecting step-downs or drop-offs Maps Stairs Corners, turns, and angles See Also (Other Modules): Introducing the Cane Doors Closed or Open Unfinished Basement, "Crawl Space," or Attic Sidewalk Flawed or Obstructed Street Crossing with Obstruction Alternate Route Within a Building Back Yard (Overall) In a Crowd Walking Independently While Following Someone Description of Basic Techniques "Aha!" not "Oops!": Jenny, age 6, was learning to find her way in the school hallways. Whenever her cane touched a box or other object, her teacher said "Oops." Jenny walked slowly. Ian carried his cane in a gingerly manner. It seemed as though he were carrying a tray of dishes instead of a cane-trying not to bump it into anything. Jenny and Ian were victims of a common error often made by educators and family members: unconsciously viewing the cane's touch as a "collision" (not really desirable) rather than a "discovery" (desirable). This rubs off on the student, who unconsciously learns to proceed slowly and gingerly, and fails to take real advantage of the potential of the cane. This Module emphasizes attitudes and techniques which help ensure the use of the cane as a tool. Cane usage is an alternative technique with its own characteristics-not just a weak attempt to imitate the methods used by the sighted. The goal is not to proceed with as little sound as possible, touching as few things as possible. Rather, the goal is to proceed quickly and efficiently. Some sound is expected and desirable, as the cane tip touches objects and the surface underfoot. Proceeding confidently-as opposed to a timid, even cringing approach-is part of the overall attitude that it is respectable to be blind. When Jenny and Ian became Mrs. Vrbek's students, she quickly helped them change patterns of attitudes and techniques. With Jenny, she began by saying "Aha!" in a pleased voice each time she observed Jenny's cane finding an obstacle. Jenny soon picked this up and began saying "aha" also, instead of the "oops" she had acquired from her previous teacher. Soon she was bouncing down the hall at twice her previous speed, from time to time murmuring "aha" as she went around something. Mrs. Vrbek asked Ian (age 9) to put on sleep shades, and she went with him to the playground. She faced him toward a chain-link fence and asked him to walk forward quickly. After a few steps, the cane tip encountered the fence and Ian stopped short. Mrs. Vrbek could "see the wheels going around in his head" as he internalized the idea he should have grasped long ago: "Now I really understand what the cane can do! It can find things before I get to them, when I can't see them, or when I can't see them well enough to tell what they are." [PHOTO] David Small shows his son,Benjamin, how he can use the cane to find obstacles. This impromtu lesson takes place in the Materials Center of the National Center for the Blind, headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind. "Now he realized," Mrs. Vrbek said afterward, "that the cane is supposed to touch things, to give him information." This Module, as well as many others, emphasizes the attitudes and techniques which make the cane an effective tool. There are two major aspects: (1) recognizing the presence of an obstacle, and (2) proceeding in the desired direction. ACTIVITIES: Example 1: Basic Instruction (Elementary grades and above) Children age 6 and over, many who are younger, ordinarily grasp the general idea of going around an obstruction during the first lesson. It then becomes a matter of practice and refining techniques. Particularly, the student needs to build skill in (1) arcing the cane consistently and reacting quickly, so that the object is immediately detected, and (2) maintaining orientation in order to continue in the desired direction. A child in the earliest grades, or a student with special problems, may need emphasis on concept building as described for preschool (below), though in an age-appropriate manner. The Modules, "Sidewalk Flawed or Obstructed" and "Street Crossing With Obstruction," have suggestions for various ages. If educators and family members over-anticipate obstacles for the student, the child will learn to depend on verbal cues and/or physical guidance, rather than developing independence. The Module, "Walking Independently While Following Someone," Describes a student following me through a parking lot. He was amazed to encounter utility poles, traffic islands, and concrete barriers, because he had always been guided around them. Sleep shades are essential. If the student sees objects visually, however fuzzily-or thinks she can-she will not learn what the cane can do. Remember: When the student's cane encounters an object, the comment is "Aha!" [found it] or perhaps "Hmmm" [let's think], and NOT "Oops!" [a mistake!] Example 2: Basic Instruction (Preschool) In the Module, "Introducing the Cane," one Example has detailed suggestions for initial instruction with the very young child. A child of preschool/kindergarten age will need physical guidance as well as verbal explanation with appropriate vocabulary. If you say, "This cane can detect obstacles," she will probably not understand. But she will understand if you say, "This can find things so you don't get bumped," and if you move her through plenty of physical demonstration. Understanding that the cane can tell the difference between a clear path and an obstacle is perhaps the most basic concept in actual mobility. Without this understanding, the child will not really move "independently." She may move, with verbal assurance and/or physical assistance-and she may be learning. But until she actually realizes what the cane can tell her, she is not really using the cane to get information. For a very young child, gaining this understanding is a developmental process-it comes gradually, and continually increases. Following is a representative list of specific experiences which aid in developing understanding and skill: Often use a very large "obstacle." Face the child toward it at fairly close range, and direct her to "Find the ____." [wall, fence, sofa, etc.] When she finds it, sometimes let her examine it tactually (and sit on it, in the case of a sofa). Occasionally, humorously scrunch yourself and the child up against the wall or fence while saying, "Whew! We can't go on ahead here, can we? This wall is REALLY in the way." Seek out situations where there is an obstacle in just the right place for the child's current level of understanding. Set up situations if they do not occur naturally. Place a chair in the hallway; scatter boxes across the middle of the room; leave a large toy on the sidewalk. (Note: Always consider possible inconvenience to others. For example, if objects are placed in a common hallway, they should be removed immediately after the student has practiced. Also, as necessary, talk with other staff about the reason for the obstacles.) When the child knows she is headed toward a desired location, there is an eminently "teachable moment." She is particularly ready to perceive that the obstacle is "in the way," and that she must go around it and resume her desired path-or she will not reach her destination. Examples include a desk between her and the toy shelf, a coffee table in front of the couch, large box in the hallway. Sometimes, give her a running commentary for added emphasis: "So, now we're walking toward the toy shelf...Hmmm, here's that desk. You found it with your cane...and you're going around it...Good! Now you've gone around the desk, and you're walking on toward the toy shelf...Yes! Your cane found the wooden shelves, and now let's see what toys we have today..." Some of the time, a young child needs to be physically guided through the patterns of (1) encountering an obstacle, and (2) going around it and proceeding in the desired path. I often place a hand on her shoulder, gently helping her along. Guiding the child from behind is distinct from the usual human-guide posture where the guide is a half-step ahead. The purpose is entirely different; guidance from behind is much more analogous to the traditional help to a beginning swimmer. The helper gently assists while the learner proceeds on her own power. Assistance can easily be gently faded in and out as the situation demands. If this kind of thing is never done, the child may not move quickly enough or consistently enough to understand. However, if this is done too much, she never has the experience of correcting her own path and making decisions herself. Thoughtful judgment provides help an appropriate percentage of the time. Verbal directions often are not sufficient with a young child. Saying, "Go to your right," for example, is not enough if the child still cannot tell left from right. Give her a physical nudge in the correct direction, while explaining verbally. Sometimes stand beyond the obstacle, so that the child is guided onward by walking toward your voice. This provides help without physical assistance, and it also develops the concept of a fixed destination. A similar idea is to have some other sound at the destination. Except for the initial lesson and other planned exceptions, do not anticipate for the child what her cane will tell her in a few moments anyway. Urge parents to follow this policy also. If you always tell her everything, she will never learn to trust her cane (and neither will the adults in her life). The Module, "Doors Closed or Open," gives detailed suggestions for developing concepts. The Module, "Street Crossing With Obstruction," gives examples of natural and contrived obstacles. Remember: Say "aha"-not "whoops"-when the child finds something with her cane. An in-between comment (as, the "hmmm" above when the desk was in the way between the child and the toy shelf) can be helpful also. A worried "whoops" should be reserved for times when the child actually bumps into something painfully, or knocks something over (presumably because the cane was not used skillfully). Editor's Note: Independent travel is not just about how to carry and use a cane. It's about orientation-knowing where you are and what is around you as you move about in your environment. It stands to reason that independence will be severely limited if knowledge about the environment is sparse. The following excerpt is an example of how the modules in this book combine the elements of cane techniques, orientation skills, and environmental exploration. It is also an example of an approach that is especially effective with very young children. As Doris Willoughby points out in chapter B "General Principles and Overall Planning," "an entire session that is centered on 'the flagpole,' 'trees,' or 'the public-address system' ...is precisely what provides interest and focus for a young child." Here is "Module 23: PORCH OR DECK." Module 23 PORCH OR DECK Objective: The student will name the outside features of typical houses, examine them where possible, and discuss how they relate to inside structure. Age of Student: Preschool through primary grades Primary Skill Emphasis: General travel Stairs Examining things tactually Detecting step-downs or drop-offs Additional Skill Emphasis Structure of buildings Finding a seat Doors and doorways Sound direction and meaning Air currents and echoes Interpreting odors Barefoot walking Hills and inclines See Also (Other Modules): Back Yard Boundaries Back Yard (Overall) Inside and Outside the House Home-contents of room What is a "Room?" Unfinished Basement, "Crawl Space," or Attic Utilities and Trash Teacher Preparation: Look carefully at each port or deck. What features are particularly interesting? Is there a place where the student could climb on and off without using the steps? Is it possible and safe to go underneath, at least for a short way? ACTIVITIES: Example 1: Details of One Porch or Deck "The Johnsons said we could go onto their deck today. Look with your cane for the second sidewalk to the left. Turn there and walk toward the house. When you find some steps, walk up onto the deck and look at it." Note that the steps have no railings at the side; sweep the cane from side to side enough to avoid stepping off sideways. Note the sound of the cane tapping the wooden floor. It sounds different than on an indoor wooden floor. Find the door leading inside. If possible, walk in briefly and note what room opens onto the deck. Walk around the perimeter of the deck, noting its size. Is there a railing? Examine planters or other features. Sit on each chair or bench. A triangular corner seat may be a new experience. Look for places where it is easy to get off and on without using the steps. (Reach over the edge with the cane to verify height.) Practice getting off and on at various places-climb, jump, or simply step. (Some blind children believe this is never possible.) Go underneath to experience how it feels. Is it cool? Does it smell musty? Tap the underside of the wooden floor (probably with the hand, not with the cane). Are things stored underneath? Example 2: Compare Others In a similar manner, examine and compare various kinds of porches and decks. Explore a deck that is high above ground level, with many steps leading up. Note the guardrail. Understand that stepping off would cause injury. Stand upright underneath. Walk around on a large porch that has a roof over it. Can you easily step on and off at many different places? Explore an enclosed porch which has screening or windows. Why is it called a porch, even though it has walls and a roof? Examine an entrance which has no porch or deck. Are there steps, a welcome mat, or other typical features? Editor's Note: Considerable space in the book is devoted to the older student. Some of the modules, such as the one below-Module 40: School Bus-cover situations which are appropriate for all ages. Others, such as "Module 90: PUBLIC BUSES" and "Module 93: URBAN RAPID TRANSIT: SUBWAYS AND ELEVATED TRAINS (Monthei)" are specific to older youth only. Some of the factors which the authors urge be emphasized for the older student (see page 9, chapter B) include: Independence in daily living skills (finding a seat independently). Praise and approval given without "gushing." Variety (more than one route for practice). Please note how the sample factors listed above can be applied to Module 40 (below) when considering the older student: Module 40 SCHOOL BUS Objective: [For a student who regularly rides a bus] The student will walk to and from the correct bus independently. He/she will board, select a seat, and leave the bus with no more assistance than is customary for other students. (He/she may ask directions as needed.) [For a student who does not usually ride a bus] The student will examine the general structure and arrangement of a school bus. He/she will board a bus, take a seat, and leave the bus with minimal assistance. Age of Student: all ages Primary Skill Emphasis: Doors and doorways Finding a seat Stairs In a crowd or a line Stowing cane Additional Skill Emphasis: Street Crossing Daily living skills Detecting step-downs or drop-offs Sound direction and meaning See Also (Other Modules): Public Buses In a crowd Doors and doorways Walking in a line of people Meeting a car Urban Rapid transit Teacher Preparation: It may or may not be possible for you, the teacher, to assist the student on her very first trip. Talk with parents and bus personnel. (Note: Consult the school principal before giving directions to bus drivers. The principal may wish to participate in the discussion.) Discuss cane usage and placement. Mention that blindness should not affect where a child should sit on the bus. As soon as possible, conduct lessons as below, as needed. Review each year or whenever changes occur. Arrange to spend extra time practicing as needed-probably by having the student leave class a few minutes early for a lesson while the buses are waiting. Student Background: A young or immature child who has not previously ridden a bus needs explanation and reassurance. Be sure she understands: * Where the bus will load/unload near her home, and how she will get to and from her home. * Where she will sit (Will she have an assigned seat, or may she choose?) * The bus driver will help any student who has a problem or is lost. * Where the bus will unload/load near the school, and how she will get to and from the building. An experienced student preparing for a new route will need to know: * The name or number of the bus or route. * Her own address, with directions if it is hard to find. * What to do if she waits a long time and the bus does not arrive. Activities: Example 1: Preparing To Ride Practice getting onto the bus. Walk alongside, with the arc of the cane extended enough to look for the bus doorway. Also listen for the driver's voice, and hear the motor idling, to aid in orientation. Greet the driver and verify that this is the correct bus. Walk up the steps with the cane, noting that the first step is high. Using the cane, walk down the aisle and take a suitable seat. Place the cane appropriately. It may be laid on the floor (pointing toward the front and back of the bus, and not extending into the aisle). It may be placed between the seat and the wall. Or, the student may hold the cane semi-vertically against the body with the tip on the floor. Walk to the back of the bus and sit in the extreme rear seat. Examine the emergency door. Walk through the bus and practice sitting in various seats-on each side of the aisle, in window seats vs. aisle seat, etc. Examine the windows; are student permitted to open and close them? Are there emergency exits in the side of the bus? Review rules for bus behavior. (Optional): Sit in the driver's seat and examine some of his/her controls. Get off the bus. The cane finds the steps, noting the long step to reach the ground. Good cane usage prevents tripping over the curb or unexpected obstacles. Example 2: To and From the bus, At School Practice the route to and from the schoolhouse door. If there is a choice of doors, practice with each one. When leaving the school, consider how to find the right bus. Does it always stop in the same place? Or is it in a lineup, and do sighted students look for the bus number? Suppose that the blind student rides on Bus #8, which will be in a line of several buses near the gym. When she find the doorway of a bus that may be the right one, she should ask whether it is #8. If it is not, she might seek directions as to where #8 is, or simply keep going and ask at each bus. In time she will probably learn various helpful facts about the lineup-e.g., if she finds #15, then #8 is probably the next one forward. It is often helpful to ask directions from other passengers who are waiting. They may easily spot a given bus in a lineup. However, assistance can easily be overdone; other students should give information as needed, without undue physical assistance. Especially with a younger student, the driver may call her name as she approaches. However, even a young child should start to learn a more mature approach which does not depend on any one person. Sometimes the student might arrive at the lineup area before her bus arrives. Alert your student to this possibility. If other people are there, they will explain. If no one is there at all, she should simply wait. Example 3: To and From the bus, At home In a similar manner (if needed), practice the route to and from the bus at the home end. A very young child may need instruction even if the bus is right outside the door. If an older student has always had the school bus come right to her home, consider changing to a stop on the regular route. This provides valuable independence and experience. Example 4: If the Student Does Not Usually Ride the Bus A student who comes to school by other means should, nevertheless, become familiar with buses. Arrange for her to practice boarding a bus and sitting in various seats. This is excellent readiness for learning to use public transportation. Also, review techniques before the class goes on a field trip in a school bus. Related Practice: Ride a public bus (even if the student is at the "readiness" level on this task). Editor's Note: It can sometimes be hard for parents, teachers, and others to literally "let go" of the blind child or youth and allow him/her to maneuver independently with his/her cane. This is made more difficult because it is uncommon for young children, or even older youth, for that matter, to go places in public by themselves. This raises questions about when or how often a child should bring or use the cane when they are in the company of others. The following, and final, excerpt from Willoughby's and Monthei's Modular Instruction for Independent Travel addresses these questions and concerns in "Module 4: HUMAN GUIDE." Module 4 HUMAN GUIDE Objective: The student will walk with a human guide in selected circumstances, using appropriate techniques. Age of Student: All ages Primary Skill Emphasis: Walking in company with others Human guide Posture, grip, gait, and arc General travel Attitudes toward blindness Additional Skill Emphasis: In a crowd or a line Etiquette Flexibility and confidence See Also (Other Modules): Carrying Things In a Crowd Walking Independently While Following Someone Walking in a Line of People The Airport Lunchtime REMARKS: It is important to discuss the subject of human guides during the first few lessons and to review it periodically. One of the greatest barriers to independence is the incorrect belief (on the part of the blind person as well as his friends and family) that the cane is only useful when the person is walking "alone." This is false for two main reasons: (1) most of us are rarely completely "alone," but we act independently in many ways while in the company of others; and (2) if the cane is to be used only when the person is "alone," it will be unfamiliar and unavailable even at those times. This text uses the term "human guide," rather than "sighted guide," because the guide may be a competent blind person. Activities: Example 1: Introduction Some students may be unfamiliar with efficient techniques of walking with a human guide. Review or teach briefly as necessary: The blind person takes the elbow of the guide. (A small child will probably take the hand of an adult.) The blind person is attuned to the body movements of the guide, while walking about a half step back in relation to the guide. With most students, this posture can be reviewed or introduced while the student continues to use his cane. If the student is very young or has difficulty grasping concepts, it may be best to practice for a few minutes without the cane before demonstrating the combination. [PHOTO] A sighted person as a guide. Example 2: Discussion of Purpose It is important to discuss why the cane is used in combination with a human guide. There are two aspects to this discussion. Why use the cane if the guide is available? and Why use a guide at all if the cane is so helpful? Depending on the maturity of the student, discuss the points below, with concrete examples. Intersperse discussion with actual practice. A preschool-aged child may simply be told, "Sometimes you will walk with your cane by yourself. Sometimes you will walk with someone so you can stay together. But you still will use your cane. Then the other person won't have to bother telling you about things in your way. You can take care of yourself, but still stay together." A more mature student needs explanation on his own level, with the opportunity to discuss fully. Following is a discussion guide in outline form: A. Why use a human guide at times even though the student has cane skills? * It is easy to stay together in a crowd. * If the other person is showing you where to go, sometimes direct guidance is more efficient than spoken direction. * In a noisy location, it may be very hard to hear spoken directions. * For social reasons, two people may prefer to walk together. * Especially for a younger student, it is sometimes necessary to walk with someone else because of age and safety reasons. * There may be situations where the student's cane skills are not yet adequate, or where there are particular advantages to the use of a human guide. [PHOTO] A blind person as a guide. B. If the human guide is there, why use the cane at all? * A young child may rarely be more than a few steps from an adult-especially in public-because of age and safety reasons. If the cane is only used when no adults are near, the child will gain hardly any experience. * The youngster who does not use his cane when walking with others will fail in a transition that other youngsters make naturally: walking alone more and more as he gets older. Instead of gradually going farther alone in the mall, in public buildings, in stores, and on the street, he simply stays with others. No one may give much thought to this, but independence simply does not increase. * If the human guide is entirely depended upon, the blind person is at a loss when the guide becomes unavailable. For example, the blind person may want to go into the rest room, shop in a different aisle or store, etc. Also, the guide could be unreliable or become ill. * The more the human guide is depended upon, the less experience the student will gain, and the less effectively he will use the cane when he does choose to do so. * Accompanying an independent blind traveler requires little or no effort on the part of the guide. It should be essentially no different than accompanying any other person of comparable age and general ability. However, accompanying a dependent blind person is an effort and a responsibility. If the guide is forgetful, the dependent blind person will trip, fall downstairs, bump into doorways, etc. However willing the guide may seem, this is a burden. * Guiding a dependent person is also time consuming. The person guided cannot anticipate changes in terrain-steps up or down, slopes up or down, even dirt, etc. The guide often must pause to avoid jolting him. But if, instead, the person guided is using his cane, he can anticipate such changes for himself. Both persons can move along smoothly. * The attitudes of the guide and the guided are shaped by the behavior of the person guided. It is the difference between accompanying any person (as in showing a stranger the way, enjoying the company of a friend, etc.) vs. assisting a helpless individual who cannot take responsibility for his own movement. Example 3: Practice in Various Settings Walk with the student, with yourself as the human guide, and with the student using his cane. Walk in a flat, unobstructed area. Note the width of the arc-the student may need practice to protect his steps adequately when beside someone else. If this is done skillfully, ordinarily the cane will not trip the guide. However, it may take some practice to avoid becoming tangled. Approach a curb or other step-down. Again, depending on the student's maturity, you may choose to give a warning at first. Also, at first it is helpful to hesitate slightly before stepping off. An experienced traveler, however, should be able to detect the curb with the cane before the guide steps off, and follow along smoothly without hesitation. Approach an obstacle, such as a table. Walk past it in such a way that the student needs to alter his path slightly and "squeeze" past. Depending on the student's ability, you may or may not choose to announce the obstacle at first to give practice. Soon, the guide should be able to proceed without announcing obstacles, and the cane should detect them. (Caution: Since the two persons are side by side, if the guide hurries past an obstruction at very close range, it will be hard for the other person to avoid it in time. A mature blind traveler should be able to react quickly, let go of the guide's arm momentarily, and proceed behind the guide in a tight place. But ordinarily, if the guide remains aware that there are two people together and allows enough room, both people can go around the obstacle together.) Practice on a flight of stairs. Unless the steps are very wide, it is usually best to let go and proceed single file while actually on the steps. Practice going up and down. Approach from some distance away, each time. Help the student practice in the above ways with at least one family member. Discuss the reasons for using a cane with a guide. Example 4: A Blind Person as a Guide: As part of the student's experiences in becoming acquainted with blind adults as role models, have the student walk with a blind guide. Emphasize that a guide need not be sighted, but must be a responsible and mobile individual. If possible, also give the student himself experiences in guiding someone who is younger or less able. It is not essential that the person being guided have less sight than the guide. The younger person may be totally blind, partially sighted, or fully sighted. Often a guide who is blind assists someone who needs help only in knowing where to go, but needs no help with the act of walking. For example, the older blind student might show a new student around. The person guided might be a fully sighted student, or a blind student (totally blind or partially sighted) who uses a cane well. In such an instance, the blind guide will act as leader. He will use his cane to protect his own steps, but will not expect to keep the other person from tripping or bumping objects. Sometimes, however, a blind guide will assist a person who cannot walk safely without actual help. The other person might be a very young child, a mentally handicapped person, or a blind person who has not learned cane skills. In such a case, the blind guide must arc more widely to protect the steps of both himself and the other person. He must detect stairs and obstacles in front of either person, and help as necessary. Ask a competent blind adult to demonstrate this. A student should not be expected actually to assist another person in this way unless he is quite mature and able; however, a younger student should learn that it is possible. (Note: Most of this text assumes that the teacher is sighted. If the teacher is blind, this part of the lesson will occur naturally. However, it is wise to call attention to it at times.) If the school has several blind or visually impaired students, particularly avoid an insidious pattern: Partially sighted students continually acting as guides for totally blind students. Responsibility should be on the basis of skill, not sight. Also note that a partially sighted person who relies on sight alone is likely to be a poor guide, exposing the other person to hazard; the guide should use a cane if his sight is not really adequate. Whenever possible, insist that each student travel individually rather than being assisted. If it should happen that all the relatively mature students happen to have partial sight, and all those who need assistance happen to be totally blind, arrange for a totally blind adult to come in occasionally and demonstrate ability to lead. Example 5: Continued Discussion Analyze situations where it would be efficient to use (1) the cane without another person physically guiding; (2) the cane with a person guiding; and (3) a human guide alone. Practice as many examples as possible. Below are a few examples-by no means an exhaustive list. Use of a cane alone, without holding onto another person: Preschool or kindergarten: * Walking in familiar areas at school, finding obstacles and steps independently * Walking around within a narrow range while remaining near adults, in a safe and simple situation (at a picnic in a park; visiting a friend's home; in a store that is not extremely crowded; etc.) Elementary school student: * Walking on the street in non-complicated areas where parents permit him to go * All around school, including unfamiliar areas where the student might go on an errand * Shopping (parents may be nearby but not immediately present) High school student: * All above * Shopping at mall, when family or friends are elsewhere * Walking on the street in complex locations * Errands in public buildings * On public transportation All ages: * Walking toward a sound, or following a person by listening, but without holding onto anyone. Using the cane while holding someone's arm: * Staying together while shopping * Holding parent's hand (young child) * When touring a complex area, starting at a new school, going to a meeting at a hotel, etc. * When complex verbal directions would be much more cumbersome than taking someone's arm * Unusual situations, such as walking to a picnic in a large, open park area Use of human guide only (without cane) * If a preschool child uses his cane only part of the time, and is not using it at a given time. * During participation in sporting events, when walking a short distance from one area to another. (If walking a considerable distance, it would probably be more efficient to have the cane available and use it.) Reference(s): Willoughby and Duffy, Handbook for Itinerant and Resource Teachers of Blind and Visually Impaired Students, pp. 160, 180-181. Reflections on My Childhood Mobility Experiences by Paul Gabias, Ph.D. Editor's Note: Dr. Gabias is a Professor of Psychology at Okanagan University in British Columbia, Canada. >From my earliest days as a blind child, I believed that I could do pretty much anything my sighted peers could do. But how do we measure the difference between what we believe sighted and blind people can achieve when we use the expression "pretty much"? As you will see from my reflections on my early life, my expectations of what I could achieve as a blind person drastically changed over the years, but especially between the ages of fifteen and twenty. The ability to walk around the environment safely is one of the most basic human skills a person can have. I have always believed in my ability to keep myself out of harm's way, even though people have questioned my ability to do so from as far back as I can remember. I remember as a young boy resisting the attempts of adults to help me when I saw no need for their intervention. I remember wondering why people always thought that I didn't know where I was going, or that when I approached steps I would either trip or fall. They always seemed to think that, for me, exploration of the environment was a hazardous affair, rather than an exciting and stimulating adventure! Gradually, I discovered that people were continuously frightened about my safety because, as they said, I couldn't see. This not being able to see was a very troublesome problem for people. Of course, I had no problem with it, not until people told me that I should. And then, of course, my biggest problem was that people told me that I should have a problem with it, when I didn't! If I was anything like my daughter was when she was three years old, I can see why, when I wanted to do something, my parents quickly learned to stay out of my way as much as they could! At three years of age, my daughter was fiercely independent. She wanted to do everything herself, whether she was able to succeed or not. It was only after she'd tried to do something and came to the realization that she couldn't, that she allowed her parents to help her. We always got the feeling that she knew that it was only a matter of time before she would master a particular skill. Once she mastered a skill, we were told in no uncertain terms that we should not try to help her anymore. Our help was considered unwelcome and inappropriate. She would say to us "I no want you do dat! I do it myself!" This is, of course, the way it should be. My parents, for the most part, had the good sense to realize that. I believe that this intense drive to achieve is an important component of physical and psychological maturation. The level of this drive probably varies from child to child, but it is there in every child, and can be suppressed if not properly understood. Of course, it can also be accentuated. That's one of the roles of good parents and teachers. With this strong need to achieve and be like others, I did not wait for permission to take my first walk outside. I grew up in east Montreal in an area called Rosemount. Our neighborhood was a mixture of busy and quiet streets, all with sidewalks. Certainly before the age of six I was visiting neighbors on my own. I also insisted on going to the drugstore by myself. After all, my older sister was allowed to do so. I remember, at six or seven years old, walking to the drug store by myself with a dime tightly clutched in my fist. At that time, I had never even heard of white canes. On the way to the store I continuously rehearsed to myself what I was going to ask for at the store. My father told me that the kind of chocolate bar I liked was a Cadbury's Dairymilk chocolate bar. The store was not close. To get there I had to cross de Biloxi, walk south along de Biloxi, cross de Mobile, turn east on de Mobile, cross 35th Avenue, and turn south on 35th. I then had to walk east through a lane in the middle of the block. At the end of the lane I crossed to the east side of 36th Avenue and turned south on 36th Avenue. At the corner I had to turn east on Rosemount Boulevard. The drugstore was located just before the grocery store, Soucis, which was on the corner of Viau and Rosemount Boulevard. Of course, at that time, I knew nothing about north, south, east, and west. I just followed the route that my mother and I customarily took. It was about a ten-minute walk. The crossings were not busy, but you didn't want to be in the street at the wrong time. You had to listen for cars because cars did pass every two or three minutes. The probability of a car coming when you wanted to cross the street changed from street to street, and you had to be aware of this. Rosemount Boulevard and Viau were busy streets, but I didn't have to cross them. I used to love to be asked to go to the store by myself to get things. Every time I went to the grocery store Mr. Soucis, the owner, used to give me a chocolate bar. I knew he didn't do that for other children in the store. I knew that it had to do with the fact that I couldn't see. Even at this young age, I felt singled out, I felt pitied, and I resented the gifts. My mother told me that I had to be polite and accept them. So, when my sighted cousins came to visit me, and we went to the store, I asked Mr. Soucis if they could have chocolate bars too! Now Mr. Soucis did not want to be thought of as an unfair man. He told us that because I was his special friend, he would give my cousins and me chocolate bars. But, of course, I knew that I had done nothing to deserve his special friendship. I also knew that my cousins were as nice as I was. The only difference between other children and me was that I was blind and they were not. I learned at a very young age that there are, as we say today, no free lunches. There is always a price to be paid for undeserved handouts. When I was about nine I decided I wanted a bicycle. My sister, who was fourteen, had had a two-wheeler for quite some time. Then my six-year-old brother was given a two-wheeler. I wondered when I was going to get my bicycle too! I had a tricycle, which I rode up and down our quiet street, but I wanted a bicycle. I could not convince my parents to buy me a bicycle, so I borrowed my brother's and sister's. Nobody taught me how to ride a bicycle. I don't remember how I learned it, and I don't remember any particular trauma in learning it. I think I used the training wheels provided with my brother's bicycle for a few days, and that was it! I rode up and down our street, avoiding the parked cars through the use of echolocation. Whenever I heard a moving car coming, I headed for the nearest curb. Echolocation, by the way, is simply the ability to use echoes to determine the position of an object. A cane tip striking a surface will make sounds which bounce off nearby objects-such as a pole or building. The cane user can use these echoes to gain information about objects around him. Just as a point of information here, the echo from the tip of a steel tip cane is far superior to the echo of a plastic tip cane. I didn't have a cane during my early years, so I had developed the habit of making a particular clicking sound with my tongue against the roof of my mouth, which I used with great accuracy. I didn't always need it, but it was at my disposal when I did. The professionals later told me that this sound was a blindism, and I should not do it. Of course, the use of a white cane or a guide dog makes such a practice rarely necessary. But in those days I used it to advantage and it enabled me to have a lot of fun which I otherwise wouldn't have had. When I was about eleven or twelve, I learned to water ski. Our family rented a cottage every summer in South Hero, Vermont. Through an ex-boyfriend of my sister's, my father got a good deal on a fourteen-and-a-half foot wooden boat with a thirty-five-horse power Johnson outboard motor. The boat was a bit of a wreck, and it didn't seem to mind reckless treatment, either. It had to be coated with fiberglass on several occasions to prevent it from leaking. About twice every summer neighbors would come to our door early in the morning with an announcement that went something like this: "Your boat is sinking again. You better hurry up before it gets to the bottom of Lake Champlain. The motor is completely covered with water!" It would have to be bailed out or towed to shore for emptying and drying. The boat and motor seemed to survive these ordeals every summer. Our motor boat gave us a great deal of pleasure for at least seven summers. I learned to slalom ski (starting off on one ski) and I loved the exhilaration of the speed. I loved crossing the wake back and forth. I loved leaning into the crossings, maximizing the acceleration, and making sure to catch the outside of turns for extra speed and excitement. But I look back on those days now and wonder why I was never asked to participate in the emergency bail-outs of the boat. Was it because I was too young? Surely not at fourteen or fifteen! Perhaps they thought that because I was blind I would get in the way, and perhaps I believed it too. "The blind cannot be trusted to be helpful in emergencies." All of us, through subtle means and not so subtle means, have been taught this lesson since early childhood. The blind require help, so how can they be expected to provide help! This is a lesson most blind people have learned well. It is difficult for us as a culture to unlearn it. But we are in the process of unlearning it, and many of us have now come to believe that, with the right training, we are not safety hazards, and we can be depended upon to know how to do the right thing at the right time at the right speed. You can bet that today I would be helping bail out that boat! [PHOTO] Dr. Paul Gabias I was introduced to the white cane at age fifteen in grade ten. In the Quebec system of education, that was third year high. I had never liked the notion of using a cane because canes reminded me of old people, feebleness, and helplessness. Yet students older than I were taking buses and going places by themselves. They had learned to accept the cane, and so I supposed that I would have to do so as well. The English teacher, who was partially sighted, was one of our mobility instructors. The other instructor was totally blind. My mobility teacher first taught me cane technique inside the school building. Then he taught me how to work with cardinal directions. As far as I knew, north was straight ahead, south was behind me, and east and west were on each side. That was the extent to which I had thought about cardinal directions. He introduced possibilities that had never occurred to me. For example, he would say: "Suppose you're facing west. Where's north? Where's south? Where's east?" Then he would turn me around and say: "Now you're facing south. Where's west? Where's east?" I'd never done these sorts of exercises before, and I practiced them. I had no idea, in those days, how useful this skill would become. I can use it now to direct drivers even in fairly unfamiliar cities. I learned this was possible by listening to other blind people directing cab drivers to desired destinations. After inside mobility lessons we graduated to outside mobility lessons. It was sheer delight to walk around the streets of the neighborhood. In the three-and-a-half years that I had been at that boarding school, I had never once walked around the neighborhood. It was pure joy to be walking on my own outside the confines of the schoolyard. The schoolyard was bordered on three sides by a high chain-linked fence with spikes at the top. Above the spikes there were several layers of barbed wire. No one was going to get in and no one was going to get out. Our yard was adjacent to another schoolyard that was associated with the local public school. As I think of it now, it is amazing that we never had anything to do with our sighted counterparts on the other side of that fence. They never talked to us, and we never talked to them. We acted as if we completely didn't exist with respect to one another. I never even thought of them as a significant factor, just as a noisy bunch playing ball on the other side of the fence. As I think about it today, to them we must have been the blind kids, the inmates, a pitiable lot, not even worth teasing. Consider all the friendships that might have been and never were. The Clerics of Saint Viateur, the Brothers who ran our school for the blind, told us that these high school kids were ruffians. They told us that there were a lot of unwed pregnant girls at that school. They made it seem to us as if those kids were the sort of people we wouldn't want to have anything to do with. And so, we had nothing to do with them. But what if we had been given the opportunity to judge these kids for ourselves? What if we had been encouraged to speak to them and to educate them about blindness? What if we had been given accurate information about what they wore and how they looked? What if they had begun to think of us as normal students their age, with the same aspirations and desires? Would the fence have kept us apart? Certainly not to the degree that it did, and there might have developed a healthy competition between the two schools. But, as it was, there was no contact because the Brothers who ran our school believed that we couldn't compete with the ! students on the other side of the fence: not in wrestling, not in academics, not in anything except singing. Our choir competed with other choirs around the city. We never met with anyone in those other choirs, we only sang. We did meet with other youth groups in my fourth year of high school. But that was strictly for purposes of discussions that were supposed to prepare us for life. These discussions were led by Brothers and priests from other schools. We never met for dances or anything like that! But I digress. Returning to my cane travel lessons. As I think about walking around the neighborhood near the school for the blind I can still remember the warm sunshine on my face and body, the fresh air, and the sense of freedom I felt. I remember the sounds of lawnmowers and people on their stoops, front lawns, or balconies. But as I recall now, nobody talked to us. And later, when I was alone, the only question anyone ever asked me was whether I needed help. Even though it was meant to be kind, those questions made me feel the same anger I experienced as a child, when people wanted to stop me from falling down the stairs, from going (what they thought was) the wrong way, or from bumping into something I already knew was there. People believed I had no sense of the world around me. Of course, in some ways I didn't. I had never taken a bus by myself. I had never taken a girl on a date. I had never bought shoes or clothes by myself in a store. My cousins had paper routes. I had never had the opportunity. I did sell chocolate bars from door to door for my brother's school. Our school never organized such an endeavor because they didn't believe that the blind could do it. There came a weekend after only about four cane travel lessons, when I had an unexpected choice: I could either spend the weekend at the school for the blind or take the bus by myself and go home. I had never taken a bus by myself before. My parents were away that weekend for some reason and could not pick me up. After talking it over with my sister, I decided to take the bus home. I got directions from some friends at school who had already traveled around the city, a staff person in charge of us that afternoon, and my sister. Putting all of those directions together, I took three buses and got home safely. At the time I was very proud of myself, but in retrospect, I am reminded that my sister took buses around the city at a much younger age than I did. When I got home that night, I asked my sister to explain to me why it is that when you are walking along the same street, you have to cross streets. How can you step off a curb, walk a little, step up a curb again, and still be on the same street? Why do the sidewalks have to end and begin again? With knives to represent sidewalks and the spaces between the knives to represent streets, my sister showed me the shape of a four-corner pattern and a T-crossing. It was amazing! Here I was, fifteen years old, and I still did not know the basic layout of streets and sidewalks! Why had I never asked? It was probably because I didn't understand what there was to be understood. But, of course, my parents understood! Maybe they never realized that I didn't understand, or maybe they never realized that a blind person could understand this pattern. My parents were not terribly introspective or communicative on these matters. Since they are now both dead, I will never know the answer. The professionals in the field of blindness often say that people totally blind from birth have trouble with concept formation. We don't have trouble with concepts; we just need to be given sufficient information. If I had been provided with a raised map of streets and sidewalks when I was six years old or even earlier, I could have perceived the layout on the map and understood its correspondence to the streets and sidewalks in my neighborhood. As it was, I did not get this information until necessity dictated that I seek it out at the age of fifteen. After I received cane travel lessons, I used to walk to my sister's apartment from our family home. It involved walking north one block on our street to a busy street called Bellechasse, walking east along Bellechasse, crossing 35th and 36th Avenues, and then walking east some more until I got to Viau. Having arrived at Viau, I then had to cross both Viau and Bellechasse, two major busy streets. From there I had to walk up the east side of Viau and cross three more busy streets. I had not been taught to use the pattern of the traffic flow to judge the state of the traffic lights properly. I know this now, but I didn't know it then. I would simply run across whenever I thought it was quiet. I later learned to judge traffic properly from a few chance walks with Dr. Lambert, a blind college professor who became my mentor. I felt so happy with myself every time I made the trip by myself to my sister's apartment. But, of course, in comparison to the extent to which I can travel today, that trip was nothing. In comparison to the travels of my sighted peers, it was nothing. As I learned in Vermont, many teen-agers my age were already driving cars. Oh yes! I crossed those streets, but I was afraid of the traffic. Some of my sighted peers were driving in traffic at sixteen! By then, I was also walking through downtown Montreal and taking subways. But I always got help crossing the busy streets whenever I could. When I first entered college, my sister showed me the layout of the campus. Routes were planned and learned carefully. I was shown where to look for entrances and exits, where to find turns in pathways, and how far the distance was from landmark to landmark. I remember thinking that I was very lucky to have a sister who could take the time to show me all these things. I wondered what I would do when this was no longer the case. I had no idea then that in the next twenty-five years I was going to be required to move to seven different campuses, either for study or for employment purposes. I could not understand then that twenty-five years later I would come to consider learning to move about new campuses and new neighborhoods as routine parts of daily living. These novelties now are neither challenging nor intimidating. They are simply part of the business of living, much as they would be for most sighted people in my situation. I know how to strategize my approach to these new travel situations so that the planning is routine and second nature. In my first year of college I met Dr. Robert Lambert. Dr. Lambert had a profound influence on my life. To me, at that time, he embodied the very core of what independence was all about. His guide dog was superbly behaved. They walked quickly and efficiently together. I remember that, for some reason, he, a professor, and I, a student, were part of a group of people going to a restaurant bar. I remember how, without breaking the flow of conversation, he got out of the car, walked into the restaurant and sat down. When it was time to leave, he and his dog walked to the door, out of the restaurant, and back to the car with as much ease as a sighted person might do. His functioning with the dog was smooth and unobtrusive. This was what I wanted. When I found out that he and his wife had trained their own guide dogs, I was very impressed and very curious as to how they had done it. I can tell you truthfully that, at that time, I had not been impressed by the guide dogs I had encountered that had graduated from the schools. Nor was I impressed by how they were handled. Because the Lamberts had done so well with their guide dogs, and because, from early childhood, I always believed that my mobility was my responsibility, I decided to take the plunge and train myself a guide dog. By that time I certainly loved dogs well enough. I thought I knew a good deal about learning from the chapter in introductory psychology. So why shouldn't I give it a try, I thought? What a coup it would be to succeed! So, in early July of 1970, I purchased a six-week-old male Labrador puppy. That endeavor changed my life significantly. At the age of twenty, one year after I had trained myself and a guide dog to work successfully together, I went to Germany for a six-week stay. I left in the summer of 1972 after one course in German, with no supervision, no itinerary, and a minimum of planning. In Germany, I walked all over the different towns I stayed in: Wilhelmzhaven, Wetzlar, and Bad Driburg. It was a wonderful time, and it was on that trip that I realized fully the extent of independence which could be achieved by highly skilled interactions between a blind person and a guide dog. For the next twenty-five years my guide dogs were my primary means of mobility, although I used the white cane for periods up to a year between working dogs. As I now recall, it was only five years before my liberating trip to Germany that I was in a restrictive mobility situation that could have been avoided.With my strong love of walking, my intense satisfaction at exploring new environments, why is it that I did not do more walking between the ages of fifteen and twenty? It is because I did not even dream that it was possible. In those days, there was time to explore the highways and byways of the surrounding areas in South Hero. There were all the country roads to walk along and explore, and yet I didn't do it. I didn't think I could do it! I was afraid I'd get lost! I had not been taught! It never even occurred to me to dream of these things! Had I had sufficient experience and cane travel skills instilled in me early, I might have taken all of those wonderful long walks. But I hadn't had the training, and the walks were never taken. That time has forever slipped away. Today, I no longer use a guide dog. I travel successfully with a white cane for reasons of personal convenience. Cane travel, I believe, must be the absolute bedrock of mobility for every blind person. Guide dogs can be used as valuable additions in some cases, but to have more and more blind people utterly dependent on animals for their primary means of walking through the environment is restrictive. Dogs die, dogs get older, and some dogs don't work out. These factors cause a perpetual reliance on agencies, for something even as basic as putting one foot in front of the other. Once you feel that you can go anywhere with the white cane comfortably, under any circumstances, nothing and nobody can take that away from you, and you don't have to re-learn it. The feeling is there for as long as you live. It is a great basic comfort that every blind person has a right to enjoy. Independent travel is taken for granted by the sighted, and we ought to take it for granted for ourselves. >From my involvement in the National Federation of the Blind I have expanded my horizons with respect to the expectations I have about myself and independent travel with the white cane. If role models are important for blind children, they are equally important for blind adults. Dr. Jernigan certainly became a role model for me, in terms of his ability to force us to face issues that are sometimes uncomfortable. Yet, at the same time, he had an uncanny knack for keeping people's loyalty, even when he confronted people with disturbing ideas. I want to end by asking parents of blind children to have confidence in their children's ability to keep themselves safe from harm and to know what is around them and what is happening around them. Urge your children to explore their environment with the white cane. Expect of your blind children what you would expect of other sighted children at the same age. Don't wait for professionals to tell you what to expect. Take part in activities of the National Federation of the Blind. Let your blind children see for themselves how blind adults can live normal lives. As you spend more time in the Federation, you and your children will gain an inner strength that will give you great peace of mind. Children's Books: Reviews and Comments Reviews and Comments by: Rachel Becker Barbara Cheadle Peggy Chong Kenneth Jernigan Emily Ann Mitchell Jordan Powell Books Reviewed: The Night Search Mandy Sue Day The Doll on the Top Shelf T.J.'s Story The Seeing Summer >From the Editor: In my local newspaper there is a small column about children's literature. In that column is a section where children comment about what they like-or do not like-about particular children's books. As much as I appreciate the adult reviews, I am always fascinated by what the children have to say. It seemed to me that it might be both fun and instructive to ask children-some blind, some sighted-to make comments about a few children's books for Future Reflections. Of course, these are not just any books. Each of these books features a blind character. Mrs. Peggy Chong also reviews two of the books, The Night Search and The Doll on the Top Shelf. Both of these books are in print and Braille, and so can be read independently by either a print reader or a Braille reader. Her reviews are followed by comments from fourth grader, Rachel Becker (who is blind), and her sighted friend and neighbor, Emily Ann Mitchell. And, as Editor, I've taken the liberty of adding my two-cents-worth here and there. The next two books, Mandy Sue Day and T.J.'s Story, are reviewed by sighted third grader, Jordan Powell. I also made some observations about the book T.J.'s Story. Readers may remember that Mandy Sue Day received a very favorable review from Peggy Chong in the last issue of Future Reflections. Mandy Sue Day is available on tape through your regional library for the blind and will soon be available in Braille, too. T.J.'s Story was recorded and Brailled by the Washington Library for the Blind. Your regional library for the blind can get you a copy through interlibrary loan. Finally, the last review is about a book for slightly older children, The Seeing Summer, by Jeannette Eyerly (the books described above are all picture books for young children). Dr. Kenneth Jernigan wrote this review when the book first came out in the mid-eighties. Since the regular print book is once again available for purchase (thanks to the National Federation of the Blind) it seems appropriate to reprint the review for our current readers. The Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped recorded the book shortly after it was originally published. Check with your regional library for the blind for the recorded copy. Here are the comments and reviews: THE NIGHT SEARCH by Kate Chamberlin Illustrated by Dot Yoder (c)1997, Jason and Nordic Publishers Review by Peggy Chong Heather is a blind girl who is going on a family camping vacation with her new pet, Crackers, a puppy. Heather does not want to take her cane on the trip. She thinks it is stupid. But Mom brings the cane along, anyway. Heather's mother tries to convince Heather to use her cane, reminding Heather that Crackers is just the family puppy, not a trained guide dog. But Heather, who has been to the camp many times, believes that she can find her way around the camp just fine without her cane. The first night, after everyone is in bed, Heather has to take the new puppy out into the rain. Heather decides, since she has to go out anyway, to go up the path to the bathrooms. She does not take her "stupid" cane. While Heather is in the bathroom, Crackers runs away. Heather sets out to search for him. She remembers he loved going to the pond earlier that day, so she heads down the path toward the pond. Heather tries to use all the other alternative travel techniques she has learned from her travel teacher. She listens for the sounds of her puppy, and finds the path to the pond by the smell of the pine trees. But she has a difficult time finding her way and is soon frustrated. First, she steps in a mud puddle, then she trips over a hump of grass, and then she falls over a rock and hurts her hands. Heather begins to wish for her cane back at camp. She finally reaches the pond and steps in at the edge. She calls again for Crackers. She hears Crackers, but he will not come. When Heather finally finds him, she discovers that Crackers's leash has gotten tangled with a log. Heather frees her puppy, and they both turn to walk back. But Heather trips again and falls to her knees. Under her fingers, she finds a long stick. Heather happily picks up the long stick and makes her way quickly and safely back to the cabin. This delightful little story for young children has print and Braille text with color illustrations. It is not only a wonderful story for kids, but I also think it might be a great story for many blind adults who are struggling with the idea of carrying a cane. Orientation and mobility instructors should find the book useful as a way to introduce discussions about the cane to their students. The Night Search [PHOTO] Comments by: Rachel Becker, blind student, Fourth Grade, Frederick, Maryland I really enjoyed this thrilling adventure. I liked the way Heather realized that her cane is helpful even in places where she's been before. The story is realistic. It tells how real blind people feel, and what happens when they don't take their canes with them. It also has a happy ending. You should read this book. You'll enjoy it. The Night Search [PHOTO] Comments by: Emily Ann Mitchell, sighted student, Fourth Grade, Frederick, Maryland I like The Night Search because it shows that blind people can do anything. Heather, the girl in the story, went out to find her dog without her cane and found him. I liked that book a lot! Mandy Sue Day by Roberta Karim Illustrated by Karen Ritz (c) 1994, Houghton Mifflin Company Review by Jordan Powell This book was about Mandy Sue and her day (a day that is hers). Mandy Sue is a blind girl even though the book doesn't say she is blind until toward the end of the story. The book tells us that she is blind by describing the four senses she uses. It also shows us she is blind by using pictures that make us think she might be. Also she tells little Jeremy she can't see toward the end of the book. When I read the book with my dad, he asked, "Are you sure she is blind?" because the story doesn't make a big deal out of her blindness. This is good because blind people are just like other kids. Mandy Sue lives on a farm. It would be cool to meet her because she knows the whole way around the farm and would be able to show you around even though she is blind. She could also teach you how to ride Ben, her horse. I think it is very interesting that Mandy Sue can do all this stuff even though she can't see. She probably got good at this by practicing and because her parents probably helped her. I also think it's interesting because, since Mandy Sue can do all these things, little Jeremy forgot that she is blind. Mandy Sue would be cool to meet. I liked this book for a lot of reasons. First, I thought the length was good for my age group. The illustrations were cool because they looked like 3-D. I liked that Mandy Sue could do so many of the things she did. I would recommend this book to my friends. It is a good book. THE DOLL ON THE TOP SHELF by Ruth Turk Illustrated by Per Volquartz (c) 1998, Owl's House Press Review by Peggy Chong The Doll on the Top Shelf is a story set in a toyshop at Christmas time. This oversized children's book for young readers, published by Owl's House Press, is novel because the Grade Two Braille text is embossed on regular Braille paper which has been glued to the regular page. Therefore, the Braille, the print, and the illustrations are all on the same page. Annie Mae is an old doll with a faded dress. She is plain of face and dusty from sitting on the shelves of the toyshop far too long. On Christmas Eve, a grandmother comes into the shop to buy a doll for her blind granddaughter. They are told that the only doll left is Annie Mae. Because the little girl is blind, she can fall in love with the plain doll with the faded dress and plain face. The grandmother buys the doll, and they all live happily ever after. The last page is an explanation and history of Braille. A diagram of the Braille alphabet and some of the Braille contractions is also included. Readers are encouraged to use their fingers, after studying the Braille code, and try to find certain words in the book. This part of the book is well done. Hopefully, this section of the book leaves the last impression on the reader, and not the simple, sweet story line that seems to imply that the blind child does not need or want the new toys, or has a special, mystical ability to see beneath surface appearances with her heart. I would read The Doll on the Top Shelf to young children, but I would be careful in how I interpreted the story for them. The Doll On The Top Shelf really made me feel a special feeling-something that's indescribable. It is a really heart-touching book about a girl named Natalie who would buy the last doll in the toy store-a plain doll with woolly hair and a pink polka-dot dress. Natalie thought she felt nice and bought her. The Doll On the Top Shelf is a wonderful book. You should read it. You'll enjoy it. Rachel Becker (blind student) Fourth Grade Frederick, Maryland I like the book, The Doll on the Top Shelf, because I love dolls. I have a friend who is blind, and she plays dolls with me. The book shows that blind people learn to love the doll even if it looks ugly. Emily Ann Mitchell (sighted student) Fourth Grade Frederick, Maryland Editor's Note: I thought it interesting that Rachel picked up on the fact that Natalie, the blind child, liked the feel of the doll on the top shelf. This raises a question about the difference between visual and tactual attractiveness. Dr. Kenneth Jernigan addressed that very issue in his Kernel book article, "The Barrier of the Visible Difference." "A thing that looks beautiful to the eye," he wrote, "can feel ugly and dirty to the touch." He goes on to write, "If a thing looks better to the eye and feels worse to the touch, that doesn't make it better or worse. It simply means a different point of view, a visible difference. I thoroughly understand that we live in a world that is structured for the sighted, so if a blind person intends to get along and compete in society, he or she must learn how the sighted feel and what they think is beautiful and attractive. But this has nothing to do with innate loveliness or quality. It is simply a visible difference." I wonder what would happen if Rachel and Emily Ann, with a little parental guidance, were to discuss whether the doll is pretty because she feels nice, or ugly because she looks faded, old, and plain. Maybe such a discussion would help everyone (including parents) come a little closer to understanding, and overcoming, the "barrier of the visible difference." T.J.'s Story [PHOTO] Review by: Jordan Powell, sighted student, Third Grade, Catonsville, Maryland Text and photographs by Arlene Schulman (c) 1998, Lerner Publications Company This story was about T.J. Olsen. He is blind. In the book he talked about being blind. He talked about his life and what it's like to be blind. He talked about school, friends, family and what he likes to do. T.J. sounds like a regular kid. After reading this book, I decided I would like to meet T.J. Olsen. This book helped me understand that blind people are not all that different from sighted people. For example, he likes a lot of the same things I like (swimming, school, playing with friends, and playing the piano). At the science museum, he likes to touch animals and so do I! I think T.J. would be nice to meet. I like this book for various reasons. First, I thought that the length of the book was good for my age group (3rd grade). Second, I liked the pictures because they were real photos. Finally, I liked that he is narrating the book. That makes it seem like he's right there talking to me. I would recommend this book to other kids. It's a good book. Editor's Comments: Jordan gives a good description of the story line part of the book, which is obviously meant to be read by children. However, there is another section at the end of the book which, while still readable by children, seems to be mostly targeted at adults. This section includes a narrative called "Information about Blindness," a glossary of terms, a resources list, and a list of books for further reading. The inclusion of these sections leads me to believe that the author intended the book to be used as a resource by elementary teachers doing a unit on disability, blindness, or the eye. My reaction to this book was mostly positive, but with some reservations. I was glad to see that a typical sighted child had such a wonderfully positive reaction to it. Jordan gave an excellent summary of all the best qualities and strengths of this book. Clearly, the book succeeds in conveying the message that blind kids are more like other kids than they are different. However, the book is less successful when T.J. stops speaking and the author takes over. For example, in the "Information about Blindness" section there are a couple of factual inaccuracies (more on this later). There are also a few descriptions-or depictions-of educational practices which well-informed blind adults, teachers of the visually impaired, and parents of blind children may find troublesome. For example, T.J. is often let out early so he doesn't "get trampled" (p. 18), and the only time he is shown using a cane is during his mobility lesson. By contrast, Rachel Becker, the blind 4th grader who reviewed a couple of books at the beginning of this article, uses her cane at all times when outside her classroom and is seldom excused early on any occasion. Her mobility lessons include techniques for keeping up and managing in a crowded hallway. I hope T.J.'s teachers are planning goals like this for him, soon, too. He clearly has the capacity to achieve this level of independence. In regard to factual errors, in the last paragraph of the section on "Information about Blindness" the author says, "There is no cure for blindness. But technology is always improving. One day someone may invent an electronic eye that will give T.J. and others sight." This statement is simply not true. There are many causes of blindness, and therefore many different treatments. Excellent treatments exist which can prevent, delay, or restore vision loss caused by such conditions as senile cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachments, and diabetic retinopathy. Corneal transplants continue to restore vision for a selective group of people with a certain type of eye condition. On the other hand, the concept of the "electronic eye"-which the author speculates might someday restore sight to T.J.-is so complex that any practical applications for significant vision restoration is still far, far down the road. Furthermore, since the causes of vision loss are so varied, the likelihood that one miracle invention will cure all causes is nil. I understand that the author needed to simplify and condense material, but I believe she stepped over the line between simplification and misinformation. Another minor inaccuracy was the reference to all guide dogs as Seeing Eye Dogs (p. 34). The commonly accepted generic term is guide dogs. Seeing Eye Dogs are dogs that have been trained at Seeing Eye, Inc. in Morristown, New Jersey. Calling all guide dogs Seeing Eye Dogs is as incorrect as calling all copy machines Xerox machines, or all facial tissues Kleenex(r). My recommendation to parents and teachers is by all means to use the story about T.J. with your child or students, but please, skip the last sections or use them with caution and check the facts. The National Federation of the Blind and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (see address on the contents page) will be glad to help you with these. [ILLUSTRATION] The Seeing Summer by Jeannette Eyerly Illustrations by Maki Ishiwata Review by Kenneth Jernigan Editor's Note: The following review is reprinted from an early issue of Future Reflections. Print copies of The Seeing Summer are available for $10 from the Materials Center, National Federation of the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. Call (410) 659-9314 and ask for the Materials Center for more information. Tape copies should be available through your regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.Here is Dr. Jernigan's review: Mrs. Eyerly is a woman of diversified interests and numerous accomplishments. Among other things, she is a widely published author of children's books. Now, she has written a story about blindness-and it is first-rate! It is not sensational, not melodramatic, not drippy or sentimental-none of these. It is simply factual and interesting and down to earth. But this takes nothing away from its effectiveness. It is entitled The Seeing Summer, and it deals with the experiences of a young blind girl moving into a new neighborhood. In a very real sense The Seeing Summer by Jeannette Eyerly is a professional book dealing with blindness, for it provides knowledge and information which every professional in the field (rehabilitation counselor, rehabilitation teacher, librarian, teacher of blind children, and administrator) should have. It is also a textbook on psychology, for it contains insights into human behavior and motivation which are unique and instructive. In addition, it is a textbook on sociology, for it shows how individuals relate to each other and to groups. To say all of these things does not detract one bit from the fact that the book is a delightful and entertaining story for children. Indeed, its readability and unpretentious style enhance the value of the book as a serious work. It may well be one of the most valuable contributions yet made to a real understanding of what blindness is -and what it isn't. Regardless of all of this, The Seeing Summer is worth reading-if for nothing else, just because it's fun. Perhaps it goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) its appeal is not limited to children. It is a must for those who want to increase their understanding of blindness, or for those who simply want to read a well-written children's book. Teacher Recognition: Mr. Gialanella-Not Just a History Teacher by Serena Cucco >From the Editor: Usually, the teacher recognition letters we receive are from parents, and the teachers the letters extol are specialized teachers of the visually impaired. This letter is different. First, the author is Serena Cucco, a blind high school student from New Jersey who just completed her freshman year this past spring. And second, her accolades are for one of her regular high school teachers-not a Braille teacher or an orientation and mobility instructor. I'm frankly hoping that Serena's letter starts a trend. I would love to get lots of letters from students about the wonderful teachers-regular and specialized-in their lives. Here, now, is Serena Cucco's tribute to Mr. Gialanella: Mr. Michael Gialanella has been teaching history at Madison High School for thirty-one years. Mr. Gialanella has made my first year of history at Madison High School very enjoyable. His World History class has heightened my interest in international affairs such as the Arab-Israeli conflict. My class just finished trying to solve this difficult crisis. Students worked in pairs to find four possible solutions to one of the many issues involved in the crisis. We then had to figure out the advantages and disadvantages of each solution. Finally, we had to decide which solution was the best. The class realized that there was not a simple solution to this complex situation. We have done several interesting assignments like this one during the school year. However, Mr. Gialanella is not just a teacher who makes history interesting. He is also a teacher who has compassion for his students, including those with disabilities. For example, I don't have my history book in Braille this year. We do a lot of group work in our class that requires getting information from the book. As a result, I have had to depend on other students to read to me. At the beginning of the year, I was extremely embarrassed about this since I was so used to being fully independent. I was also worried that my classmates would not always want to read to me. Although Mr. Gialanella probably wished that I were not so embarrassed, he followed my lead and was subtle when he asked a student to read to me. I am extremely grateful for his subtlety and understanding. I am not the only student for whom Mr. Gialanella has shown compassion. He also made the first year of high school easier for a classmate with a reading disability. One day, Mr. Gialanella had to read me a test since it had not been Brailled. "I'm reading for Serena." He said to the learning disabled boy. "Would you like me to read for you, too?" The student accepted Mr. Gialanella's offer appreciatively. Mr. Gialanella-not just a history teacher, but a fine human being. Recognition for Teachers of the Visually Impaired Has your son or daughter had an exceptional Braille teacher, early childhood specialist, orientation and mobility instructor, other specialized teacher, or regular classroom teacher? Would you like for him or her to receive public recognition for the difference he or she is making in your child's education? Future Reflections will publish letters of recognition from parents, other caregivers, or blind students. The letters should be one to three typewritten pages in length and include sufficient detail about the teacher and the circumstances to be of interest and inspiration to our readers. Please be sure to include: the name and address of the sender, the teacher's name, the student's name, the name of the school or school district, and any other pertinent details. Photographs, color or black and white (no slides, please), would be helpful. If you want the photograph returned, please include a self-addressed envelope. If you want multiple copies of the print issue should your letter be published, please indicate how many you want. We will send them to you free of charge. Send your teacher recognition letter, other information as requested, and photos (if any) to: Future Reflections, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. Writing an IEP >From the Editor: The following material is an excerpt from the NICHCY Briefing Paper titled "Questions Often Asked by Parents about Special Education Services." The publication was reviewed by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs for consistency with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, Public Law 105-17, and the final implementing regulations published March 12, 1999. To order one free copy of the complete version of this publication contact NICHCY, National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities, P.O. Box 1492, Washington, DC 20013, 1-800-695-0285 (Voice/TTY), e-mail: , Web: . NICHCY has an extensive collection of free or low cost publications about IDEA, the IEP, education laws, related services, disability fact sheets, state and national resources for parents, and so forth. Here is the excerpt: WRITING AN IEP What is an Individualized Education Program? An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written statement of the educational program designed to meet a child's individual needs. Every child who receives special education services must have an IEP. The IEP has two general purposes: (1) to set reasonable learning goals for your child; and (2) to state the services that the school district will provide for your child. What type of information is included in an IEP? According to the IDEA, your child's IEP must include specific statements about your child. These are listed below. Take a moment to read over this list. This will be the information included in your child's IEP. Your child's IEP will contain the following statements: Present levels of educational performance. This statement describes how your child is currently doing in school. This includes how your child's disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general curriculum. Annual goals. The IEP must state annual goals for your child, meaning what you and the school team think he or she can reasonably accomplish in a year. This statement of annual goals include: Individual steps that make up the goals (often called short-term objectives) or major milestones (often called benchmarks). The goals must relate to meeting the needs that result from your child's disability. They must also help your son or daughter be involved in and progress in the general curriculum. Special education and related services to be provided. The IEP must list the special education and related services to be provided to your child. This includes supplementary aids and services (such as a communication device). It also includes changes to the program or support for school personnel that will be provided for your child. Participation with nondisabled children. How much of the school day will your child be educated separately from nondisabled children or not participate in extracurricular or other nonacademic activities such as lunch or clubs? The IEP must include an explanation that answers this question. Participation in state and district-wide assessments. Your state and district probably give tests of student achievement to children in certain grades or age groups. In order to participate in these tests, your child may need individual modifications or changes in how the tests are administered. The IEP team must decide what modifications your child needs and list them in the IEP. If your child will not be taking these tests, the IEP must include a statement as to why the tests are not appropriate for your child and how your child will be tested instead. Dates and location. The IEP must state (a) when services and modifications will begin; (b) how often they will be provided; (c) where they will be provided; and (d) how long they will last. Transition service needs. If your child is age 14 (or younger, if the IEP team determines it appropriate), the IEP must include a statement of his or her transition service needs. Transition planning will help your child move through school from grade to grade. Transition services. If your child is age 16 (or younger, if determined appropriate by the IEP team), the IEP must include a statement of needed transition services and, if appropriate, a statement of the interagency responsibilities or any needed linkages. Measuring progress. The IEP must state how school personnel will measure your child's progress toward the annual goals. It must also state how you, as parents, will be informed regularly of your child's progress and whether that progress is enough to enable your child to achieve his or her goals by the end of the year. It is very important that children with disabilities participate in the general curriculum as much as possible. That is, they should learn the same curriculum as nondisabled children, for example, reading, math, science, social studies, and physical education, just as nondisabled children do. In some cases, this curriculum may need to be adapted for your child to learn, but it should not be omitted altogether. Participation in extracurricular activities and other nonacademic activities is also important. Your child's IEP needs to be written with this in mind. For example, what special education services will help your child participate in the general curriculum; in other words, to study what other students are studying? What special education services or supports will help your child take part in extracurricular activities, such as school clubs or sports? When your child's IEP is developed, an important part of the discussion will be how to help your child take part in regular classes and activities in the school. Who develops my child's IEP? Many people come together to develop your child's IEP. This group is called the IEP team and includes most of the same types of individuals who were involved in your child's evaluation. Team members will include: you, the parents; at least one regular education teacher, if your child is (or may be) participating in the regular education environment; at least one of your child's special education teachers or special education providers; a representative of the public agency (school system) who (a) is qualified to provide or supervise the provision of special education, (b) knows about the general curriculum; and (c) knows about the resources the school system has available; an individual who can interpret the evaluation results and talk about what instruction may be necessary for your child; your child, when appropriate; representatives from any other agencies that may be responsible for paying for or providing transition services (if your child is 16 years or, if appropriate, younger); and other individuals (invited by you or the school) who have knowledge or special expertise about your child. For example, you may wish to invite a relative who is close to the child or a child care provider. Together, these people will work as a team to develop your child's IEP. So I can help develop my child's IEP? Yes, absolutely. The law is very clear that parents have the right to participate in developing their child's IEP. In fact, your input is invaluable. You know your child so very well, and the school needs to know your insights and concerns. The school staff will try to schedule the IEP meeting at a time that is convenient for all team members to attend. If the school suggests a time that is impossible for you, explain your schedule and needs. It's important that you attend this meeting and share your ideas about your child's needs and strengths. Often, another time or date can be arranged. However, if you cannot agree on a time or date, the school may hold the IEP meeting without you. In this event, the school must keep you informed, for example, by phone or mail. What should I do before the IEP meeting? The purpose of the IEP meeting is to develop your child's Individualized Education Program. You can prepare for this meeting by: making a list of your child's strengths and weaknesses, talking to teachers and/or therapists and getting their thoughts about your child, visiting your child's class and perhaps other classes that may be helpful to him or her, and talking to your child about his or her feelings toward school. It is a good idea to write down what you think your child can accomplish during the school year. It also helps to make notes about what you would like to say during the meeting. What happens during an IEP meeting? During the IEP meeting, the different members of the IEP team share their thoughts and suggestions. If this is the first IEP meeting after your child's evaluation, the team may go over the evaluation results, so your child's strengths and needs will be clear. These results will help the team decide what special help your child needs in school. Remember that you are a very important part of the IEP team. You know your child better than anyone. Don't be shy about speaking up, even though there may be a lot of other people at the meeting. Share what you know about your child and what you wish others to know. After the various team members (including you, the parent) have shared their thoughts and concerns about your child, the group will have a better idea of your child's strengths and needs. This will allow the team to discuss and decide on: the educational and other goals that are appropriate for your child; and the type of special education services your child needs. The IEP team will also talk about the related services your child may need to benefit from his or her special education. The IDEA lists many related services that schools must provide if eligible children need them. The related services listed in IDEA are presented below: Related Services, as listed in IDEA Transportation Speech-language pathology Audiology services Psychological services Physical therapy Occupational therapy Recreation (including therapeutic recreation) Early identification and assessment of disabilities in children Counseling services (including rehabilitation counseling) Orientation & mobility services Medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes School health services Social work services in schools Parent counseling & training This list does not include every related service a child might need or that a school system may offer. To learn more about these related services and how IDEA defines them, contact NICHCY and ask for the "News Digest on Related Services." Depending on the needs of your child, the IEP team may also discuss the special factors listed below: 1. If your child's behavior interferes with his or her learning or the learning of others: The IEP team will talk about strategies and supports to address your child's behavior. 2. If your child has limited proficiency in English: The IEP team will talk about your child's language needs as these needs relate to his or her IEP. 3. If your child is blind or visually impaired: The IEP team must provide for instruction in Braille or the use of Braille, unless it determines after an appropriate evaluation that your child does not need this instruction. 4. If your child has communication needs: The IEP team must consider those needs. 5. If your child is deaf or hard of hearing: The IEP team will consider your child's language and communication needs. This includes your child's opportunities to communicate directly with classmates and school staff in his or her usual method of communication (for example, sign language). 6. The IEP team will also talk about whether your child needs any assistive technology devices or services. Assistive technology devices can help many children do certain activities or tasks. Examples of these devices are: devices that make the words bigger on the computer screen or that "read" the typed words aloud which can help children who do not see well; electronic talking boards which can help students who have trouble speaking; and computers and special programs for the computer which can help students with all kinds of disabilities learn more easily. Assistive technology services include evaluating your child to see if he or she could benefit from using an assistive device. These services also include providing the devices and training your child (or your family or the professionals who work with your child) to use the device. As you can see, there are a lot of important matters to talk about in an IEP meeting. You may feel very emotional during the meeting, as everyone talks about your child's needs. Try to keep in mind that the other team members are all there to help your child. If you hear something about your child which surprises you, or which is different from the way you see your child, bring this to the attention of the other members of the team. In order to design a good program for your child, it is important to work closely with the other team members and share your feelings about your child's educational needs. Feel free to ask questions and offer opinions and suggestions. Based on the above discussions, the IEP team will then write your child's IEP. This includes the services and supports the school will provide for your child. It will also include the location where particular services will be provided. Your child's placement (where the IEP will be carried out) will be determined every year, must be based on your child's IEP, and must be as close as possible to your child's home. The placement decision is made by a group of persons, including you the parent, and others knowledgeable about your child, the meaning of the evaluation data, and the placement options. In some states, the IEP team makes the placement decision. In other states, the placement decision is made by another group of people. In all cases, you, as parents, have the right to be members of the group that make decisions on the educational placement of your child. Depending on the needs of your child and the services to be provided, your child's IEP could be carried out: in regular classes, in special classes (where all the students are receiving special education services), in special schools, at home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings. Which of these placements is best suited for your child? Can he or she be educated in the regular classroom, with supplementary aids and services? (The IDEA prefers this placement.) If not, then the placement group will look at other placements for your child. Before the school system can provide your child with special education for the first time, you, as parents, must give your written consent. Can my child's IEP be changed? Yes. At least once a year a meeting must be scheduled with you to review your child's progress and develop your child's next IEP. The meeting will be similar to the IEP meeting described above. The team will talk about: your child's progress toward the goals in the current IEP, what new goals should be added, and whether any changes need to be made to the special education and related services your child receives. This annual IEP meeting allows you and the school to review your child's educational program and change it as necessary. But you don't have to wait for this annual review. You (or any other team member) may ask to have your child's IEP reviewed or revised at any time. For example, you may feel that your child is not making good progress toward his or her annual goals. Or you may want to write new goals, because your son or daughter has made such great progress! Call the principal of the school, the special education director, or your child's teacher and express your concerns. If necessary, they will call the IEP team together to talk about changing your child's IEP. Is the school responsible for ensuring that my child reaches the goals in his or her IEP? No. The IEP sets out the individualized instruction to be provided to your child, but it is not a contract. The school is responsible for providing the instructional services listed in an IEP. School officials must make a good-faith effort to help your child meet his or her goals. However, the school is not responsible if your child does not reach the goals listed in the IEP. If you feel that your child is not making progress toward his or her goals, then you may wish to contact the school and express your concerns. The IEP team may need to meet and revise your child's IEP. What if I disagree with the school about what is right for my child? You have the right to disagree with the school's decisions concerning your child. This includes decisions about: your child's identification as a "child with a disability," his or her evaluation, his or her educational placement, and the special education and related services that the school provides to your child. In all cases where the family and school disagree, it is important for both sides to first discuss their concerns and try to compromise. The compromise can be temporary. For example, you might agree to try out a particular plan of instruction or classroom placement for a certain period of time. At the end of that period, the school can check your child's progress. You and other members of your child's IEP team can then meet again, talk about how your child is doing, and decide what to do next. The trial period may help you and the school come to a comfortable agreement on how to help your child. If you still cannot agree with the school, it's useful to know more about the IDEA's protections for parents and children. The law and regulations include ways for parents and schools to resolve disagreements. These include: mediation, where you and school personnel sit down with an impartial third person (called a mediator), talk openly about the areas where you disagree, and try to reach agreement; due process, where you and the school present evidence before an impartial third person (called a hearing officer), and he or she decides how to resolve the problem; and filing a complaint with the State Education Agency (SEA), where you write directly to the SEA and describe what requirement of IDEA the school has violated. The SEA must either resolve your complaint itself, or it can have a system where complaints are filed with the school district and parents can have the district's decision reviewed by the SEA. In most cases, the SEA must resolve your complaint within 60 calendar days. Your state will have specific ways for parents and schools to resolve their differences. You will need to find out what your state's policies are. Your local department of special education will probably have these guidelines. If not, contact the state department of education and ask for a copy of their special education policies. The telephone number and address of the state department of education are listed on NICHCY's State Resource Sheet for your state. Hear Ye! Hear Ye! FAPE Families and Advocates Partnership for Education (FAPE). PACER Center serves as the national coordinating office for FAPE, a federally funded partnership linking families and advocates with current research and promising practices. Its focus is the implementation of the IDEA amendments of 1997. The FAPE Web site offers a weekly newsline of hot topics, information about the IDEA law and regulations, significant case decisions, promising practices, juvenile justice issues, topics related to the IDEA, technical assistance experts, a conference calendar, self-advocate information, material on cultural diversity issues, and translated materials. To access this information contact: PACER Center, 4826 Chicago Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55417-1098 * (612) 827-2966 Voice (612) 827-7770 TTY * (888) 248-0822 in the U.S. * (800) 53-PACER for Greater Minnesota Web Sites: Woolly Pen We have been asked to print the following news release from Quantum Technology: Blind children now have the opportunity to create drawings they can "see" through a new concept called the Wooly Pen. The simple joy of writing and reading your own name, or just doodling a picture of a favorite farm animal, is now within the reach of everyone. The Woolly Pen was designed by Quantum Technology as a way for blind and vision impaired children to draw images with their own hands. Wool binds to a reusable adhesive pad and drawings are made by feeling where the pen has been. For more information contact: Sarah Crowe, Quantum Technology, P.O. Box 390, Rydalmere, NSW, 2116 AUSTRALIA, Phone: (+61) 2 9684 2077 Fax: (+61) 2 9684 4717 e-mail: Web site: TIME in Large Print We have been asked to announce the following: TIME Large Edition features 16-point type. The Large Edition maintains the sophisticated editorial content of the regular edition with a minimum of 80 percent of the regular content. The editorially rich, folio size, weekly issues ship during the same week as TIME's regular edition. From the matte finished paper to the integrated graphics and photos, the new issue is formatted for people with vision impairments and people on the go. To subscribe call (800) 552-3773. The Clarity Classmate We have been asked to publish the following information: The CLARITYAFClassmate Video Magnifier was designed in response to requests from students and teachers for a truly portable and effective video magnifier that a visually impaired student can use easily to read and write on a desktop, as well as zoom in and out on a blackboard and overhead projector. The Classmate has a unique, quick-release modular design that provides numerous options for various applications and uses: normal classroom, computer interface, drafting/design table, and more. The CLARITYAFClassmate is full color and provides up to 38x magnification. For more information contact: Clarity Solutions, 320B Tesconi Circle, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 Phone: (707) 526-1598 (800) 575-1456 Fax: (707) 526-3554 Web site: New Book for Sight-Impaired We have been asked to print the following information: The first reference book written for the sight-impaired student and those who serve their needs, A Field Guide for the Sight-Impaired Reader explains how to locate, obtain, and integrate all forms of aid to construct a world of reading equal to that of a fully sighted reader. It profiles the major blind service organizations; explores specialized formats such as Braille, large print, and electronic texts; and shows what technology readers require and where to find it. Published by Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. (ISBN 0-313-30969-8) and written by Andrew Leibs, an award-winning writer of over 2,000 newspaper and magazine pieces, the book is available for $49.95. To order call (800) 225-5800, or write to Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., 88 Post Road West, P.O. Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007 Phone: (203) 226-3571 Fax: (203) 222-1502 Web site: Blind Contestant on Jeopardy For the first time in the history of the popular televeision game show, Jeopardy!, a blind contestant played and racked up considerable winnings! Eddie Timanus, a popular sportswriter for USA Today, required very few adaptions. The producers eliminated video-related questions and provided him with a Braille listing of categories and a keyboard so he could write down his "Final Jeopardy" wagers and answers. Pumpkin Pie Playdough Recipe This fun recipe came to me from Gail Bryant, a blind teacher in Missouri, who got it from Bonnie Sherrell over the internet: 5-1/2 cups flour 2 cups salt 8 teaspoons of cream of tartar 1 container (1-1/2 oz) of pumpkin pie spice 3/4 cup oil orange food coloring (2 parts yellow, 1 part red) 4 cups water Mix all ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until all lumps disappear. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth. All done! Store in a plastic bag. FUTURE REFLECTIONS The National Federation of the Blind Magazine for Parents of Blind Children 1800 JOHNSON STREET * BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21230 * (410) 659-9314 New Subscriptions * Renewals * Address Changes Date: ________________________Phone number(s):_______________________ Name:_____________________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________________ City:___________________________________State:______________Zip:_____ Name of child:____________________________________Birth date:__________ [ ] Parent [ ]Teacher [ ]Other_____________________________ [ ]$8.00 Subscription and family membership in the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children [ ]$15.00 Non-member subscription This is a: [ ]New Subscription [ ]Renewal [ ]Address or other change I prefer the following format(s): [ ]Large print [ ]Cassette tape [ ]Both Changes: Please print old or duplicate name and/or address as it appears on your magazine label in the space provided below. 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