Category: Let's talk
hey!
Well, the topic title says it all. Does anyone here go to a school for the blind? Just curious.
I used to go to the Colorado School for the Deff and Blind. It was the worst school I ever attended, and I will never go back.
I went to Primary and high schools for the blind. Then I went to a college for the blind in England. Now I am at a college which is main stream with special units. It is hard at imes trying to get used to mainstream things. I didn't think I would ever do it.
I was mainstreamed for all of my schooling.
Blind school for the last 3 years of high school. Then the last of those I attended public school for half a day.
I went to batavia school for the blind in New York, for 10 years it had its good and bad parts. Sports, music, being around people like you with no worries of being made fun of. The down sides, I don't these schools do a good job at helping learn and live in a sighted world. My last two years of high school were in a public and man I had to learn quickly to ask for help and I made some of the best friends through that. and it did help me in college as well.
Oo, I haven't written in this post. Right, I wsa special schooled for 14 years from the time I started Nursery at Dorton House in kent. I left Dorton when I was nearly 11 and moved on to New College Worcester for 7 mostly happy years, where I took my GCSEs. Didn't necessarily get very good grades, but the keyskills I had at Loughborough Tech smoothed things over and when I was at Loughborough, I was basically in mainstream college for three years. Now, I'm back at RNC for probably just a year at the most on a SWO (Skills for the Working Office) course.
Jen.
Blind schools? I've been at one for most of my life. I dunnow. I just felt wierd in mainstream. I did do it when I was in first grade, then went to the blind school, then in 4th grade and half of 5th grade I went back topublic school. Then, back to the blind school from there.
Jen, shame, you went to Loughborough! Hahaha! Shame!
I went to a normal school for my primary and secondary schools and also a year for the sixth form. I went to the RNIB college in Loughborough last September and thought I wasn't learning much there. I didn't really like that college much, because I thought it was going to be for blind and partially sighted people, but it was for all disabilities and there were some people who I woundn't call disabled at all, justhad trouble with learning. I left that place in June and have only kept in contact with only one or two people from there. I started at RNC, Hereford a few weeks ago at the start of September and like it and am enjoying it so far.
went to blind school all my schooling life,and hated it. some cool teachers but very limiting. now going to do an OU degree, and busting to get into it.
I went to public school for my elementary and middle school days. I hated middle school. It was a nightmare. I had very few sighted friends. That's when I decided to do something about it. I went to WSVH for high school and enjoyed it very much.
Yeppers Harmony, I had three amazingly happy years at Loughborough.
Jen.
Are you being sarcastic, or did you actually enjoy it there? I didn't think much of it last year and neither did the one friend I kept from that place. I made good friends with one of the care staff there, who left the same time as me (June of this year).
I spent all my elementary junior high and high school years at the Texas school for the blind. I thought I hated it, and there were things I did hate about it.
When I started college I was the first blind person at this junior college, and things were altogether different than I expected.
It took me a long time to get away from an environment where bells told me what to do and when to do it, to a situation where I had the freedom to screw up any time I wanted to.
I was surprised to find that the education I got from that small school was better than most high schools. I placed out of math and English on my SAT, and I was a mediocre student.
Bob
I think blind schools and college are good in a way because they give you independence skills and teach you to do things that people your own age should be doing, but isn't such a good thing because it doesn't usually encourage blind people to mix with sighted people in the real world.
Aw'w'w! No, I'm not being sarcastic, I really did enjoy my time at Loughborough.
Jen.
My experiences were similar to Bob's. I went to a residential school for the blind all the way through, and spent half a day in my Junior and Senior high school years in public school. I went to a community college, because I didn't have the self-confidence to think I could make it at four-year college. I found that academically I was superior to many of my piers because of the education I had. Community college was good for me, because it built my confidence, and prepared me for the "busy" work of going to colege that we had to do in those years such as finding readers, ordering my own texts, communicating with my instructors about my blindness, etc. Sadly, I find many college students who aer blind have never had some of these experiences. (This is beginning to sound like it belongs on the elder folks board.)
Lou
Going to blind schools is a bad idea, in my opinion, because it doesn't prepare you to deal with the real world. Not only that, but the people that come out of a blind school aren't always able to interact with sighted peers.
yeah really. I totally agree Voldemort. Not only that but sometimes work is "cut down" for you and limiting? hell of a lot; then you have unexpected shocks when you prepare for the "real world" (I guess all we have been goin through so far is a fake one then). Secondly, they don't teach or just show you that things will not be designed for you most of the times but rather, against you. Then comes the problem of many sighted peers seeing you as a special type of person because you atended a school for the lbind, and so lets put all the blind with the blind, deaf with deaf and so on shall we? I think that implies a way of segregation. Whatever the case might be, people are just... people, period. Some try to satisfy this condition by saying that "everyone is special" or that "you are unique". I atended the Fsdb and really disliked it by the time I left. Fortunately, this school for the arts here at Osceola is a really nice one and it is an A school. I ahve many friends since August of this year now and they all seem to be really cool with blindness. i am the first blind student they have there and am about 10 months away from graduation. i really have enjoyed thins there. Yes, there are times when some of the stuff annoys the hell out of me, but it is way much better than the blind school. It is better because you have a chance to develop advocacy skills, be more independent (if you really do have the motivation) and demounstrate many other things to the public that they'd not know. If you pick the right friends they can also become long-term friendships. IN a blind school things are different. I don't see why people should make fun of you when you are blind. Yes, i have had discrimination and defamation for being blind but in the high school tiems it should be coming to and end--you jsut ahve to make yourself be respected. Many people actually do not make fun of me anymore just because I guess it all depends on how good you are with your skills. Many offer to help me but i often deny the help and change it to a more friendly context--example: If you are asked where you are going and then are offered for assistance (when you konw the place) you could ask if the person would want to go with you (accompany you) or just ask them to where they are goin after saying where you plan to be. It works. Also, try to be whitty and add some sense of humor to your disability. NOw, this doesn't really mean that you should really make yourself look bad but puns and other sarcastic aids really work on relieving many concerns about others. Now unfortunately what many people don't get is that there can be all kinds of blind people: Rude, drunk, VERY shy, lively, ETC. It is all a matter of getting that charm and making people's time better. Conclussion to the blind schools: Good resources are always there, you get to experience a common interest group and will certainly make friends; however, limitations and concepts which are implied into you (I.E: things and people are always there for me) will become a strain later on. I dislike them.
I went to a blind school for my third, forth, fifth, 6th, and 7th grade years. When I first went I loved it but once I got older I hated it so much. You are closeted and can not do anythnig you want. Also I feel that there is a lot of discrimination between people who are totals and people with useable vision. When I went to public school though I loved it and graduated with honors.
I attended a school for the blind for nine years, and I did hate it for the most part, but I made some great friends there and learned a few things I probably would've had a much more difficult time with had I not gone there. I took AP English at a public high school, but that was it. In my own personal experience, the work we had to do was dumbed down so that everyone could understand everything and work at the same pace, which was very, very slow at times. But I read a lot and learned things on my own time, and interacted with sighted people outside of school, so I think I turned out reasonably well. I really think the experience is what you make of it, and if you feel you're not getting as much of an education as you should be getting, do something about it. I guess I was fortunate in that I never had to be a residential student, for which I am extremely thankful. But yes, schools for the blind don't always do such a great job of preparing you for the 'real world', and a lot of blind people find college a shock after being in such an environment for so long.
Basically, all I'm trying to say with this rambling is that even if the school itself is less than spectacular, you can make a success of it if you try. And blind schools shouldn't all be thrown into one category. Just like everything else, each one is different and the pros and cons vary from person to person.
You are right. I fully agree with the last poster. I was erely comenting on the experience I had at a school for the blind.
I agree with dancing after dark, motifaded and Voldemort.
It depends on the school, the environment and the person.
My own experiences at a residential school for the blind were not all positive, by any means. We all thought we were grossly under-educated and ill prepared to meet the real world.
However, one thing I brought away with me was a belief that there was nothing I couldn't do if I wanted to bad enough. I didn't graduate either with a chip on my shoulder, or a defeated attitude. My goal, at age 17 was either to be a computer programmer or president of the united states. Well, one out of two ain't too bad. I'd made a horrible president anyway.
In short, the school for the blind could have done better, but it could have done worse. It's all what you do with it
Bob.
I went to the criss cole center for the blind here in austin
And, how was it? Did you feel you were impacted positively from it? Did you get a good education, or was it soally for blindness issues such as O&M?
I used to go to one in GErmany, in Marburg. Well, I know two actually. One in stuttgart (which is crappy). But the one in Marburg is really good, it is a kind of ... high school, for you American guys, I don'T know if that can be compared. I never wanted to go to a mainstream school because I always had trouble with noise and the classes would be so big - that used to scare me. And it still would, so if I Had another chance and I would have to choose - I'd choose a blind school again.
Ines raises an important issue. Some peple may not be comfortable with the size and/ior hustle and bustle of a larger school. I do think that schools for the blind have the potential of addressing some issues better than a public school can such as cooking, and other daily living activities. I should also point out as others have done, that it isn't fair to "blame" schools for the blind for our lack of preparedness to face the real world. Sighted children are also unprepared in many areas. How many of us had "readers" who couldn't read, for example? How many of us know sighted children who may not have the vocabulary that we do, or the understanding mf mathematics that Mr. President of the earlier post has? (LOL). When I was a broadcast major, I spent a great deal of time in the music department, and was honestly amazed that many of the music majors weren't as proficient or knowledgeable as I was. I know this posts sounds somewhat errogant, but I don't mean it to sound that way. I've never talked out of both sides of my mouth as well as I did in this post.
Lou
I went to a residential school for the blind for 11 years and I'm pretty furtunate because they taught me braille at a young age. I understand nowadays braille isn't stressed as much but there's another topic on here regarding that but I did have some good and bad experiences at the school as with anything else.
Kerby
I attended a school for the blind for the duration of my schooling career. Having said that, I did go part time to public school, and most staff at the blind school readily conceded every blind student should main stream at least somewhat.
Now, I liked it better at public school, but the education was about the same. LOL. Just at a quicker pace with the full-sighties.
I agree with Voldemort that blind schools and collegews don't prepare you for the reall worl,d, because they don't encourage you to mix with sighted children or people of your own age, just the blind or partially sighted people who are around. Sometimes I think things are slower at a blind college. I think the good thing about these schools and colleges is that they teach you to be independent, but when I chose what subjects I wanted to do for my A levels afor the last year of my normal school, they said I would only be able to do 2 subjects instead of 3 or 4. I don't really understand why that was. I also agree with some of the other people who have posted on here that it depends on the school or college and that each one is different, because I didn't really like my last blind college, but am enjoying this one so far.
I think that best sums it up.
Kerby
With the school I went to, we were limited on what courses we could take. One year they might have something and the next they replace it with something different. We did, however take classes at the public high school but even then we had to fit them in a certain schedule.
We did have some partner schools of sighted people. So much for saying the schools for the blind don't encourage you to be with sighted kids your age. That depends on the school in my opinion.
I want to a blind school the school part was helpful, but to many rules, and didn't like the health people to much. and by the end I just wanted out of the school. I am in a college if siten people but I learned how to see life before I lost my site so that help me alot.
agreed with poster 19 completely
I currently go to the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB). I think that it is personally okay, but you are somewhat sheltered--for instance, you have to persuade to the school to get the school calendar in a format where you can read it. I think it's okay, I guess. However, it does depend on the school that you go to, and what kind of a person you are--think about the pros and cons of that particular school as well. Hope this helps.
Macy
I go to a blind school, and damn, those of you who know me well enough, know that I don't agree with about 3 quarters of the rules, but the education is great. I agree with a lot of you who've said basically that it's what you make of it. Unfortunately, I'm residential, and they do shelter you like hell, I agree. But the academics are great, and the fact that I basically designed my own senior year, was awesome. I currently have an internship that I absolutely love, am taking CPR/First Aid, and am headed off to college next year. I've been at the blind school for three years, and was in public school for years before that.
I went to public school for all of my schooling.
I went to a normal school for all of my school until 2006.
I went to a blind school for four years my ninth tenth, elevemth and twelth grade yrs.
cool. Did you like it? What did you think of it?
Ugh! CSDB was horrible - the staff were evil and I couldn't tolerate the students. I'm so glad I'm out of there.
I mainstreamed till last year, went to CSDB for most of 2007, and am now mainstreaming again.
Wow, I hadn't seen this topic, til Allison brought it back up to the top of the list. I was mainstreamed all my life. I went to a summer program one year at the Iowa school for the Blind, and it was horrible. I'm eternally grateful to whoever told my parents that sending me to Iowa Braille would be a bad idea. Schools for the blind have their uses, but I don't think they teach people how to live and interact in the sighted world that they'll live in when they have to leave the blind school.
Totally agree with you Alicia!
to the original poster of this topic, I know what you mean in saying "blind school", but the school isn't blind...lol.
I went to the Tennessee School for the blind for my whole K-12 education. I think that I was pretty well educated there. It was kind of neat to come home for a weekend and be discussing things with my older sighted brother, and knowing a lot more about most subjects than he did.
I went to public schooling through highsschool. I adjusted well to college, and I think that's why. Socially, I've been fine, for the most part. I can understand why going to a public school would be scary for a blind student who's never been to one. However, the real world is sighted. So you get made fun of sometimes, big deal! It might suck for awhile, or a long time, but eventually, most people will get over it. Should we have fat schools, tall kid schools, or geek schools? I understand the independent living part, but even that could be learned independently of school.
The main difference being that whether you're tall or fat or whatever, chances are that you can still see well enough to read. One of the things about going to a school for the blind is being able to learn Braille and other things. I think this sort of thing is more important in the earlier years of schooling. true, you can learn it at a public school, as long as they can find you a Braille teacher, but you get my point. Being fat and being blind, in my opinion, are just too different to compare. maybe I'm missing your point. Not sure.
i went to the school for the blind until the middle of 7th grade. then i returned home to attend public middle and high schools.
Back in the day middle was junior high but i digress. I loved junior high. Many friends i made there are still my buds today.
I hated high school. For years I thought it was because I was a blind person. Recently, I started talking to several other people who grew up in my neighborhood and they felt the same way. My family was blue collar as were most of those where we lived. We were conciddered lower middle class. Two years before I went to high school they changed the boundaries. From a school comprised mostly of folks like us we went to one where the income was in the high six or low seven figures. Most of the kids who attended there had been together since grade one. You can imagine how welcome we felt.
For example, when I turned 16, I went to dinner with my familyat a nice restaurant and to the movies. Most of the kids in my class got porsches and feraris.
This year we are celebrating our 35th reunion. They contacted me about attending. I'd rather get oral surgery without novocaine. When i talked to our former class secretary, who is a lawyer married to a dermatologist, I started getting that same ol' feeling of inferiority. Granted that was my choice, but I don't need to have it.
as for my feelings about schools for the blind. At the time, I thought it was rough. I hated having to trick or treat at a different time than my friends. Most of my gal pals got tobe together all week and share a lot of the same experiences. However, I was blessed that they still included me and made me feel welcome.
Additionally, my family was pretty dysfunctional. My brother had serious emotional issues. I was glad not to live there.
On another touchier subject, my dad was a red neck. I was glad to go to a school where little distinction about race was made. If I'd been at home, I would have acquired a lot of the same prejudices.
I felt that I learned responsibility and that most of the house mother's and staff were caring.
When I attended that school, the ratio of staff to kids in the dorms was 15 or 18 to one. This was good as the older and more able kids helped the younger which taught us trust and empathy. Today I was amazed to learn that staff to student ratio is one to two. i don't think they make blind kids any differently so don't know what that is all about.
I did have an unrealistic view of the sighted world. remember, I went to sjunior high in 19970. All we heard about on the news and TV was "drug pushing in schools." How edisappointed I was that some slimy pusher didn't come up to me the first thirty secconds I was in the building. I also felt embarrased to tell people in the public school that I went to a school for the blind. Sometimes people would go "is that like a mental institution?"
as for my feelings about schools for the blind. At the time, I thought it was rough. I hated having to trick or treat at a different time than my friends. Most of my gal pals got tobe together all week and share a lot of the same experiences. However, I was blessed that they still included me and made me feel welcome.
Additionally, my family was pretty dysfunctional. My brother had serious emotional issues. I was glad not to live there.
On another touchier subject, my dad was a red neck. I was glad to go to a school where little distinction about race was made. If I'd been at home, I would have acquired a lot of the same prejudices.
I felt that I learned responsibility and that most of the house mother's and staff were caring.
When I attended that school, the ratio of staff to kids in the dorms was 15 or 18 to one. This was good as the older and more able kids helped the younger which taught us trust and empathy. Today I was amazed to learn that staff to student ratio is one to two. i don't think they make blind kids any differently so don't know what that is all about.
I did have an unrealistic view of the sighted world. remember, I went to sjunior high in 19970. All we heard about on the news and TV was "drug pushing in schools." How edisappointed I was that some slimy pusher didn't come up to me the first thirty secconds I was in the building. I also felt embarrased to tell people in the public school that I went to a school for the blind. Sometimes people would go "is that like a mental institution?"
My point is that I'd be willing to bet that some parents send their kids to blind schools, as a way to shelter them from abuse and ridicule from sighted classmates. Being fat and being blind are two different issues. But, the fact of the matter is, is that kids whether blind, fat, geeky, smart or any other seemingly unflattering feature, get made fun of. I learned braille starting in kindergarten, and was only taken out of class for maybe half an hour or 45 minutes. Then, I was put back into regular class. To my knowledge, this only happened in kindergarten, and the rest of school, this didn't happen. I went to camp one year at CSDB, the above-mentioned school in Colorado. I'm glad I was never sent to that school! It seemed really outdated, and the few teachers I did meet, I didn't like. I think mainstreaming is the way to go! If there was not braille teacher in your town, then the school district should have hired one. I think I'd be embarrassed too to say that I'd gone to a blind school, but that's just me!
Well perhaps the best summation of my thoughts would be found in the court decision in Brown Vs. Board of Education.
Just change the target.
Naturally, the Braille issue is really a problem, but does that require one to be boarded? Seems a real challenge for a little tyke to be taken away from family and friends for months at a time, I guess the exception would be if your family sucked and you had no friends. But that situation is bad enough in and of itself.
It is a device used to protect Mommy's little <fill in the blank>
It is not the real world. Now, I went to public school and was made fun of, punched in the nose, had bottles and books thrown at me...and I survived! Sure, not a day goes buy that I don't want revenge against the bastards...but I got through those times.
To the previous poster, while I wouldn't wish this rude behavior on anyone, this experience has probably made you a stronger person. If I can ask, why revenge? Isn't there a point where we have to let bygones be bygones? I'm not saying I condone this type of behavior, I dont! But, could you find a way to channel that energy into something more positive?
He probably does: He's young and works out ... lol
Best way I've found to work off stress yet ...
Yeah, that's a great stress reliever!