I have a pet dog, and I am often asked if he is my guide dog. Sometimes I am asked why I don’t have a guide dog, and just have a pet dog. This is kind of a complex answer. Having a guide dog, or not having one, is a decision each blind individual needs to make on their own. It is a personal decision, and there is no right or wrong answer. There are benefits to having a guide dog; and there are benefits to not having one, and just having a pet...
Starting your partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation is highly individualized and will look different for every single person. With that said, however, there are general procedures and timelines to keep in mind when preparing for your very first meeting with Vocational Rehabilitation. The first step towards receiving services with Vocational Rehabilitation is attending your Intake appointment. This appointment is a time for you...
I am frequently asked if I can visualize things, even though I can’t see them. And if I have a visual memory of what things look like from before I went blind. The answer is that yes, I do remember what most things that I have seen before look like. And yes, I can visualize my surroundings. That being said, I am not always correct in my visualization; and I do not by any means know what everything looks like. This gets me, as a blind person,...
Recently, I was asked to write about soft skills because I excel in that area. Oddly enough, I had never heard of soft skills and had no idea what it meant when they said I was good at them. So I did some research, and it turns out that yes, I am good at soft skills. They just come naturally to me, and are not something that I would necessarily define about myself. So, I want to share what soft skills are, and try to give some helpful tips on...
As a blind parent, people say and do things, that they otherwise wouldn’t to a sighted parent. They are trying to be helpful, or funny, and for the most part I don’t sweat about it. But there is one thing people say that tends to upset me, and I don’t know how to respond to it. It is when they say: “just wait until he realizes you can’t see him"; or “you’re in for a lot of trouble when your son realizes what he can get away with,...
Recently, I received an email with a question for me. As It seemed a simple enough question, I thought it should be an easy answer for me to give. As I started writing though, my answer kept getting longer and more complex. And I decided that it would be a wonderful topic for my next blog post. The question was: How do I feel/react when greeting someone by name, and they seem surprised I recognized them? ...
Blind, Inc. Youth Programs Blind, Inc. offers several programs designed especially for blind and low vision children and students who are attending high school and wish to participate in fun activities and learn new skills. More information on each individual program is available below. The PREP (Post-secondary Readiness and Empowerment Program) is a Summer program that allows teenagers to learn the skills they need to keep up...
Dear Teachers, SSB Counselors, Parents and Teens: It is March – a time when we all start looking forward to the warmer days of summer! Are you interested in a summer camp for a teen with vision loss (or yourself) - but searching for a camp that is fun, social and truly serves your teen’s (or your own) unique needs? This summer, the Lighthouse will offer two “Build Your Own” Camps -- each with a...
Visit MSAB on the web! Follow MSAB on Facebook. The following programs will run from July 15 - July 26 from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm Registration will be held on: Sunday, July 14 from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Please Note: Applications must be received no later than Friday, May 10, 2019. Application must include the student’s most recent IEP. Space is limited in summer programs. Decisions, in conjunction with other factors, will be...
Someone suggested to me that I dedicate one of my blog posts to interactions with blind individuals. Initially, I thought that there was enough material about this issue already out there, and that this was an old topic. But recently I have been working as a counselor at a camp for blind youth, and it has come to my attention that there can never be enough written about this. It is, and should remain a hot topic. Blind Abilities Logo So many...