I don’t agree about learning braille. When a child learns to read and write
braille early, they develop good tactile sensitivity and skills for writing
with a slate and stylus that are nearly impossible to pick up later in life
even if their primary literacy tools are print and pencil centered. Good
reading and writing vision frequently deteriorates over time, and when that
happens, they are ahead of the game if they have gained experience with many
modalities. Penny
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 28, 2020, at 1:57 PM, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I've seen a lot of blind people over the years, people with varying amounts
of residual vision and I've observed that some of them used the vision they
had, efficiently, while others functioned as if the vision they had, didn't
exist. I functioned as I did because my first eye specialist had a philosophy
which he practiced and which he imparted to my parents, which was that I
should take advantage of the vision that I had and learn how to use it
optimally. Over the years, different blind people whom I've met, have had
varying responses to my way of functioning. One woman, whom I encountered
when I was in South Dakota, complimented me on how effectively I used my
small amount of vision. One of the older blind women who was on several trips
that I was on and who, with her husband, became a good friend, repeatedly
told me that I should stop putting forth effort to see things which were
difficult to see. I've never been in a rehab program because they didn't
begin the programs for young high school graduates in new York until several
years after I'd graduated. Perhaps my tactile skills would be better if I'd
received some training, but I doubt it because when I was in high school and
college, I had a great deal of useable vision. Techniques like training with
sleep shades would have been artificial. It's like when they insisted that
kids who attended the New York Institute for the Blind learn braille. It was
an insane requirement because those kids could read large print and didn't
need braille. It was like learning something so you can pass a test, but it
wasn't integrated into their functioning. The fact is that when sight is
there, but not enough sight to be used in any meaningful way, one knows it. I
certainly knew when the sight that I have left, stopped being of help in any
meaningful way. But when there's enough to matter, I think it's criminal to
deny people its use and not to teach them how to take advantage of what they
have. In South Dakota, on a field trip, we stood at a window which looked out
at a mountain that the Indians considered to be sacred. I could see it, not
details, but I could see it, with the sun shining on its top. The young woman
standing next to me had a bit of vision which she almost never tried to use.
I remember suggesting to her that if she turned toward the window and looked
out, she might be able to see the mountain that was being discussed. She
turned hesitantly, looked in the correct direction, and then said with amazed
pleasure, "You're right. I can really see it".
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2020 1:22 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Jacob Blake's Father Says His Son Is Paralyzed
Below Waist After Being Shot From Behind by Kenosha Police
When I began teaching Braille in the Orientation and Training Center, in
1979, the blind organization in Washington State was affiliated with the NFB.
There was a very small ACB affiliate just beginning to grow. So we
patterned our training program after the one in Des Moines, Iowa at the Iowa
Commission for the Blind. We used sleep shades in the belief that once a
person's vision was at a point where they could no longer function as a
sighted person, then they needed to learn to be in total reliance on their
other senses. Once they had achieved this goal, and proved to themselves
that they could function fully independent, we removed the sleep shades and
spent some time in using their remaining sight more effectively. This
practice of the sleep shades as a teaching tool met with strong resistance,
but to this day I still see it as critical in the rehabilitation process.
Many students told their families that we were "teaching us to be blind".
Actually, we were attempting to provide the training and the tools students
would need in order to function in a sighted world.
Nonetheless, the world is seen differently depending upon, among other
things, how much usable vision a person has. Pretending to be "Blind"
as in totally blind, was used as a status symbol. DSB director Ken Hopkins
and I had become good friends, and I marveled at how easily he maneuvered
through crowded rooms. I asked his wife Mary, "How much can Ken see?" Mary
quickly replied, "Ken's a blind guy". And to me that meant that he was
totally blind. Later Ken told me that in the NFB Kenneth Jernigan insisted
that we were all, "blind guys", men, women, totals and partials alike.
I disagreed with him then, and I disagree still. Cathy and I spent the past
25 years teaching folks to use whatever senses they had. We taught methods
of incorporating the remaining sight with the remaining hearing, with the
remaining senses of smell and touch. We worked on methods of "remembering"
where we put things, because folks memories were showing wear and tear. And
then we told them that if, or when there were changes in their ability to do
their own care,they should call us and we'd make the needed changes.
This was a vast difference in teaching techniques we used for the older blind.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/27/20, Roger Loran Bailey <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I went from fully sighted to where I am now, a little bit of vision
but not enough to be useful, and on the way I spent a little bit of
time in each level of legal blindness. If I had just had time to get
used to some of those levels I might have functioned a lot better in
them, but being just barely legally blind is still difficult to deal
with. I remember telling someone when my eyesight was declining that
you do run into walls. That was because I actually did run into a
wall. After that I learned to slow down a bit and pay better
attention. So, does one have the right to call oneself blind if one is
just barely legally blind? If not then there just about has to be some
kind of acknowledgement of the condition. At least one should call
oneself visually impaired. And as I was typing I remembered a certain
incident from the time my eyesight was declining. My eyesight worked
better in some levels of light than in others. Bright sunlight was a
problem for me, but so was certain stages of dusk. I was walking on
the outskirts of a certain plaza just as evening was coming on. I
thought I could see where I was going perfectly well. The plaza
appeared to be empty. Suddenly I ran - splat - into a lamppost. My
arms flew out and I literally bounced off it. I was so surprised that I just
stood there a moment looking at the lamp post.
Then I realized that the plaza was not as empty as I thought. Across
the plaza I heard someone breaking up in laughter.
___
Carl Sagan
“Every aspect of Nature reveals a deep mystery and touches our sense
of wonder and awe. Those afraid of the universe as it really is, those
who pretend to nonexistent knowledge and envision a Cosmos centered on
human beings will prefer the fleeting comforts of superstition. They
avoid rather than confront the world. But those with the courage to
explore the weave and structure of the Cosmos, even where it differs
profoundly from their wishes and prejudices, will penetrate its deepest
mysteries.”
― Carl Sagan, Cosmos
On 8/27/2020 1:34 PM, Miriam Vieni wrote:
I do remember NFB's insistence that one is blind, even if one is
legally blind but can see enough to move comfortably without a cane
and can read print with some magnification. Didn't people have to be
blindfolded during rehabilitation in NFB facilities? I had a friend
who became totally blind, but originally had partial vision. His
parents were blind. I don't think that he was a member of either NFB
or ACB. He was a ham radio operator with a talent for computers. He
and his sighted friend, also a ham radio operator, bought my first
computer for me in 1993, a dos computer, and his friend set it up and
taught me how to use it. It had the forerunner to Window Eyes,
whatever that program for dos was called and Zoomtext as the print
enlargement program. Although I'd lost a lot of vision by then, I
could use Zoomtext at 16X. My blind friend wanted me not to use it at
all. He wanted me to depend solely on the screen reader because, he
was sure, I'd eventually lose my useable eyesight and I'd have to
relearn everything. To me, that was an insane position to take. I had
some eyesight and I wanted to use it while I had it. He was wrong. It
wasn't until 2018 or 2019 that I stopped using magnification as
backup help to Jaws on my computer. And using my sight didn't prevent me
from using the computer when my sight was no longer available.
But you were talking about people taking advantage of these inclusion
quotas. That's what Elizabeth Warren did, claiming her Indian
heritage for admittance to something or other. I can't remember what.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2020 11:42 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Jacob Blake's Father Says His Son Is
Paralyzed Below Waist After Being Shot From Behind by Kenosha Police
Miriam,
Seems like Black is the dominant color in the crayon box. I
interviewed a fellow many years ago, who told me he was considered to
be Black. Turned out he could justify about an eighth African
American. I can trace about the same percentage, only my minority is
Native American Indian. That doesn't count. Yet we both were
brought up in the same culture, in the same city and attended the same
university.
My last Secretary(administrative assistant)was on the register as a
Hispanic. When Cathy met her, she was surprised to find herself
looking at a fair haired, light complexioned woman. She turned out
to be a terrific assistant, but she had no connection with the
Spanish community, other than that her grandmother was half Mexican.
Labels, labels, labels. Gotta have our quotas.
When I signed up for several mid management courses, I noticed that
among the forty or so participants, there were only two women in one
group and three in the second group. One Black man in one group and
none in the other. I was the only disabled person in both groups,
although one participant edged up to me and whispered, "I've got a hidden
disability".
Turned out he had a fairly severe hearing loss.
The state was busy training up its future managers from a nearly all
white, all male collection. And back in the late 1980's no one
raised so much as an eyebrow.
Even among the blind in the NFB it was important to wear the proper label.
Since Jacobus tenBroek was totally blind, and so was Kenneth
Jernigan, even the high partials faked vision loss. We were all,
"Blind Guys", men and women, partials and totals alike.
Belonging seems to trump honesty...hmm...Trump trumps honesty, too.
But I've strayed, so I'll go have some more coffee.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/26/20, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl,
Maybe Jacobus tenBroek was black, sort of like Obama is, only less so.
Who was it who was the head of the NAACP who looked and sounded white?
I guess that new book called, Caste, is right. Being black is more a
question of caste than race. In this country, you can look and sound
white, and you're still black.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 8:15 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Jacob Blake's Father Says His Son Is
Paralyzed Below Waist After Being Shot From Behind by Kenosha Police
Miriam,
I never met Jacobus tenBroek, but it was his speeches in "The Man
and the Movement" that drew me into the NFB. Cathy tells me that in
his pictures he looks White, although many folks who are considered
to be Black look quite Caucasian. Still, listening to his speeches,
I dream up an image of FDR.
But speaking of Black Blind Leaders, back in the 70's John McCaw was
president of the Maryland NFB, and was on the NFB Board of Directors.
John had a voice that was not only loud but very deep. John was
working for the state of Maryland in a social service agency, in an
administrative position.
John was a very likable man, but his blind nephew was a stuck up,
self centered snob. I forget his name, but he married a friend of
mine, and moved to Washington State. Both he and his wife Jackie,
had their PhD's, but I don't think he ever did work. Jackie, also
totally blind, worked for the State Social and Health Services. Her
family disowned her for marrying a Black man. I lost track of him
after Jackie was killed by a hit and run driver. When John died,
Kenneth Jernigan wrote an eulogy which he read to the convention and
published it in the Braille Monitor. In it he attempted to show
John's real humble spirit by telling how John would take Jernigan's
shoes out and polish them. I'd need to find it in order to get the
feel of it again, but I remembered feeling insulted for John.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/26/20, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
That's tragic, especially because, neither are NFB or ACB
interested in this particular issue. Aside from Tenbrook, who
started NFB, and I never knew that he was black until I read it
somewhere recently, I don't think that there have been any black
people in leadership positions in the national organizations. I
don't think there are any African American people on the blindness email
lists that I'm on.
Miriam .
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 3:39 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Jacob Blake's Father Says His Son Is
Paralyzed Below Waist After Being Shot From Behind by Kenosha
Police
Absolutely true. White, even as a blind man, has its privileges.
A number of Black people attended the Training Center over the
years I worked there.
Most of the ones who did go on to work, ended up at the Seattle
Light House for the Blind.
I can't think of a single Black client who came close to holding
down a job that paid as much as mine paid. One man ended up
operating a snack bar in the Public Assistance building. He had
been a nurse when he could see. His wife was director of the Head
Start Program in King County, but her connections didn't help her
husband. A very bright and talented fellow played the electric
organ in a high end bar in Seattle's Greenwood area. He did make a
bit of a name for himself, but not until he left the Northwest and
settled in Los Angeles.
Another young man ended up operating a machine at the Light House,
when he would probably have been self employed is a contractor if
he were White, or if he could see. One young woman was standing on
the street corner with a group of friends, when she was shot in the
head by a senseless drive by scumbag. She never worked again. We
did a great amount of training students in how to deal with the
disadvantages of applying for work while blind, but we were not
equipped to deal with the problems that arose for the students who
were both blind and Black.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/25/20, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Yes, and being a white protestant man allowed you to know people
who were in positions that allowed them to be of help.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2020 8:23 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Jacob Blake's Father Says His Son
Is Paralyzed Below Waist After Being Shot From Behind by Kenosha
Police
Jacob Blake is the same age I was when I became totally blind. I
hope he has the same support network that enabled me to return to
college.
And I hope he has a network of friends in administrative positions
who can assist him in securing a decent living.
Having a friend who became director of our Services for the Blind
agency sure gave me a leg up. Oh yes, one other thing. The color
of my skin gave me a decided advantage. And even so, it took me
10 years before I was earning the same income as I'd earned when I
was sighted.
Carl Jarvis
On 8/25/20, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Published on
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
byCommon Dreams
Jacob Blake's Father Says His Son Is Paralyzed Below Waist After
Being Shot From Behind by Kenosha Police Marches and
demonstrations have been held nationwide demanding justice for
the 29-year-old father of six, who is Black.
byJessica Corbett, staff writer
A boy sits on his father's shoulders while holding a sign on
August 24,
2020
in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images) A boy
sits on his father's shoulders while holding a sign on August 24,
2020
in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man whom police shot in the back
multiple times in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday, is now paralyzed
from the waist down and doctors do not yet know if the injury is
permanent, his father told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday.
"Those police officers that shot my son like a dog in the street
are responsible for everything that has happened in the city of
Kenosha."
-Jacob Blake's father
The younger Blake, a father of six, was reportedly trying to
break up a fight before officers followed him to his vehicle and
fired several shots at point-blank range as Blake opened the
driver-side door.
Blake's partner, Laquisha Booker, told a local television station
that the couple's three children were in the back seat "screaming"
when police shot him.
A video of the police shooting began circulating on social media
Sunday, sparking protests in the Wisconsin city and other
communities across the country. The incident came nearly three
months after footage of Minneapolis police killing George Floyd
led to nationwide demonstrations.
The Sun-Times reported that Blake's father is driving from
Charlotte, North Carolina to be with his hospitalized son, who
now has "eight holes" in his body. The 29-year-old grew up in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina before moving to Evanston, Illinois
during middle school. He has been living in Kenosha for about
three years.
"I want to put my hand on my son's cheek and kiss him on his
forehead, and then I'll be OK," said the elder Jacob Blake. "I'll
kiss him with my mask.
The first thing I want to do is touch my son."
Blake's father also addressed the protests and unrest in Kenosha,
where vehicles and dozens of buildings were set on fire
overnight, according to Newsweek.
"Those police officers that shot my son like a dog in the street
are responsible for everything that has happened in the city of
Kenosha,"
his father said. "My son is not responsible for it. My son didn't
have a weapon.
He didn't have a gun."
As ABC News reported:
The man who said he made the cellphone video, 22-year-old Raysean
White, said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard
them yell, "Drop the knife! Drop the knife!" before the gunfire
erupted.
He said he didn't see a knife in Blake's hands.
The governor said he had seen no information to suggest Blake had
a knife or other weapon, but that the case is still being
investigated by the state Justice Department.
The officers were placed on administrative leave, which is
standard practice in a shooting by police. Authorities released
no details about the officers and did not immediately respond to
requests for their service records.
Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers activated 125 members of the
National Guard for the Monday night demonstrations in Kenosha,
where county officials imposed an 8:00 pm curfew.
Newsweek reported that "hundreds of people remained outside the
Kenosha County Courthouse in the city after the curfew took
effect, prompting police to fire the first of several rounds of
tear gas at around 8:30 pm in a bid to disperse them."
Evers also said after the shooting that although all the details
aren't yet known, "what we know for certain is that he is not the
first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or
mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement
in our state or our country."
Blake's family is being represented by civil rights and personal
injury attorney Ben Crump, the lawyer confirmed in a statement
Monday.
Crump is also representing the families of Floyd and Breonna
Taylor, who was killed by Louisville police in March.
"We all watched the horrific video of Jacob Blake being shot in
the back several times by Kenosha police. Even worse, his three
sons witnessed their father collapse after being riddled with bullets,"
Crump said. "Their irresponsible, reckless, and inhumane actions
nearly cost the life of a man who was simply trying to do the
right thing by intervening in a domestic incident. It's a miracle
he's still alive."
"We will seek justice for Jacob Blake and for his family as we
demand answers from the Kenosha Police Department," the attorney
vowed. "How many more of these tragic 'while Black' tragedies
will it take until the racial profiling and undervaluing of Black
lives by the police finally stops?"
Crump, co-counsels Patrick Salvi and B'Ivory LaMarr, and Blake's
family will hold a news conference Tuesday at 3:00 pm local time
at the Kenosha County Courthouse. According to the attorneys,
"The family will address Jacob's current condition and their
plans moving forward following the latest occurrence of excessive
police force against the young Black man."