I am headed to Baltimore for a conference about blind children. It is focused on Teachers of blind children. It is put on by the National Federation of the blind and I am super excited! This reminded me about misconceptions that teachers and society in general have about blindness. Let’s start by stating that all parents want what is best for their child, no matter the situation that they mind find themselves in. When a parent is blessed with raising a blind child it can seem overwhelming at first. They have no idea what to do and they look for professionals to help them. The problem is that professionals may not always know what is best (and most of the time in the case of blind children they do not do what is best).
Most people that I speak to are amazed that most blind children are not getting the basic education that they should be getting in school. Most children are not taught braille and are set to much lower expectations then their sighted peers. TVI's or Teachers of the Visually Impaired are the professionals who are supposed to be teaching braille and ensuring that blind children are getting the education that they need. However, how can this be done when the TVI has misconceptions about blindness? So let’s clear some of those up
Misconceptions about blind children...
1. Blind children are fragile and they need to be overprotected: FALSE. It is vital that a blind child get the same experiences that other children get. If a child does not get normal experiences this will affect the rest of their development (cognitive, physical etc.)
2. Braille is so much harder than print and so it takes longer for a blind child to learn: FALSE. When children are in the early years and are ready to read they will read. All they need is encouragement and a good teacher. Braille is not harder to learn then print. In fact it has a pattern and a braille reader can read at the same pace as a print reader.
3. Blind children should not participate in sports for their safety. FALSE. Blind children should be encouraged to participate in physical activities just like any other child. Sports can be adapted for a blind child to fully participate.
4. Blind children should rely on their parents for traveling. FALSE. Children should be encouraged to explore on their own. This is when the use of a cane comes in. If they use a cane, they will be able to do things on their own. Age appropriate is important and what you would expect a sighted child to do at any age, you should also expect a blind child to do.
5. A child with low vision should read large print. FALSE. A child who is legally blind and is reading large print will have many challenges as an adult if they do not read braille. In elementary school large print may seem appropriate, but as the years go by, books get longer and print gets smaller. A child will not be able to fully participate on an equal level in high school, college and in the employment world. Listening to books on tape does not cut it as spelling and writing are not incorporated. In fact students with low vision are less likely to be employed than those that are totally blind due to the fact that they do not use braille.
6. A blind child is different from a sighted child and should receive different treatment. FALSE. The best thing that you can do for a blind child is to treat them equally to sighted children. They should be expected to do chores, participate in school equally, have a social life and have normal experiences.
How can these things be accomplished? By having high expectations for blind children and meeting blind role models who are confident and live a normal life.
It is really frustrating to meet a 21 year old blind person who has never done anything independently in their life. They do not have normal experiences and they do not know how to make basic decisions on their own. Our children are our future and blind children are no different. A blind child should have the same opportunities as any other child, and have the same high expectations just like any other child.
Most people that I speak to are amazed that most blind children are not getting the basic education that they should be getting in school. Most children are not taught braille and are set to much lower expectations then their sighted peers. TVI's or Teachers of the Visually Impaired are the professionals who are supposed to be teaching braille and ensuring that blind children are getting the education that they need. However, how can this be done when the TVI has misconceptions about blindness? So let’s clear some of those up
Misconceptions about blind children...
1. Blind children are fragile and they need to be overprotected: FALSE. It is vital that a blind child get the same experiences that other children get. If a child does not get normal experiences this will affect the rest of their development (cognitive, physical etc.)
2. Braille is so much harder than print and so it takes longer for a blind child to learn: FALSE. When children are in the early years and are ready to read they will read. All they need is encouragement and a good teacher. Braille is not harder to learn then print. In fact it has a pattern and a braille reader can read at the same pace as a print reader.
3. Blind children should not participate in sports for their safety. FALSE. Blind children should be encouraged to participate in physical activities just like any other child. Sports can be adapted for a blind child to fully participate.
4. Blind children should rely on their parents for traveling. FALSE. Children should be encouraged to explore on their own. This is when the use of a cane comes in. If they use a cane, they will be able to do things on their own. Age appropriate is important and what you would expect a sighted child to do at any age, you should also expect a blind child to do.
5. A child with low vision should read large print. FALSE. A child who is legally blind and is reading large print will have many challenges as an adult if they do not read braille. In elementary school large print may seem appropriate, but as the years go by, books get longer and print gets smaller. A child will not be able to fully participate on an equal level in high school, college and in the employment world. Listening to books on tape does not cut it as spelling and writing are not incorporated. In fact students with low vision are less likely to be employed than those that are totally blind due to the fact that they do not use braille.
6. A blind child is different from a sighted child and should receive different treatment. FALSE. The best thing that you can do for a blind child is to treat them equally to sighted children. They should be expected to do chores, participate in school equally, have a social life and have normal experiences.
How can these things be accomplished? By having high expectations for blind children and meeting blind role models who are confident and live a normal life.
It is really frustrating to meet a 21 year old blind person who has never done anything independently in their life. They do not have normal experiences and they do not know how to make basic decisions on their own. Our children are our future and blind children are no different. A blind child should have the same opportunities as any other child, and have the same high expectations just like any other child.
(Notice the two pictures. In one a child is reading braille with a normal posture. Notice the other picture where a child has to hold up the page too close to their face to rread print and this causes head aches, back pain and later problems)
--Miss Conception
--Miss Conception
