Public Awareness

FOR PARENTS OF DISABLED:

Raising a child is a huge responsibility. Raising a child with a disability is even harder. We have a lot of sympathy for parents who must deal with these extra issues. We also have a great deal of respect for parents such as my own, who handle the matter with dignity. This is written for visually impaired disability, but can reasonably apply to any disability.

Parents who have similar conditions as their children (genetic inheritance) have some advantage of experience and understanding of what the child will be going through in life. It still won't be easy, but the techniques used by the parent can often be used for the child.

For parents who do not share a condition with their children, it is not so clear what the child is or will be experiencing. That adds to the uncertainty of the route to help the child become all they can be. With this in mind, we share a few things that might be helpful.

First off, don't feel guilty about the fact that you have brought a child into the world with a disability. The human body isn't perfect. ALL of us have problems, just that some are more noticeable. Some parents say their child is "special", well EVERY life is SPECIAL. There is a potential in just about every life, no matter what hurdles will be in store for that person over the years. Communicate this attitude with the child.

Don't overcompensate and play favorites to any child. Yes, there will be some things done differently to meet certain needs, but this applies to all children rather than just disabled ones. Nobody is better or worse, loved any more or less, or just as much worthwhile. We are all equal in existance, just have different abliities to get us through.

Be open and honest about the facts. Do not avoid the issue or make it appear less of an issue. To the child, it is an important issue and a huge part of life. There should be no shame in having a disability (although our society seems to insist there should be). The real shame is not doing everything possible to accept it and deal with it as best we can.

Share with the child what you can see. Ask the child what they see. Compare differneces and openly discuss them. This helps the parent to gain understanding of the childs experience as well as learning better how to modify things for the child.

Use your experience with your child to teach others about how to interact with them. Communicate with teachers and school staff about what your child can see and do. Talk to the parents of the childs friends about the condition and effects. The goal is to make life easier due to better understanding by and interaction with others.

FOR EDUCATORS OF DISABLED

This section is written to teachers and school administrators. The job of such people is to educate all of the students. It has to be a very difficult job, but that IS the job at hand.

Some teachers just ignore children with a disability for lack of knowing what to do with or for them. There also may not be enough time for a single teacher to devote an effort needed. Or a teacher may not want to draw attention to a childs needs for fear of the reaction of other children. In smaller schools there may not be training or resources available to teachers to help them deal with such cases.

Some administrators see a disabled child simply as extra money for the school if they can label them as a "special needs" student. Sadly that extra money usually is not devoted to helping that child. Sometimes a school staff with also feel that a disabled child is a burden for them.

But then there are some teachers and staff who look beyond a disability and seek out the potential talent. They knew when a child is doing the best they can on their own and offer help during the times it is requested or needed. They never make children feel like they are anything less than any other student. The following paragraphs are ideas that may help you to be one of these kind of people.

Use of blackboards:

Limit the practice of writing things on the blackboard when there is a visually impaired student. If you MUST make use of the blackboard, ALSO clearly verbalize the information. Although some teachers place visually limited students near the blackboard, this is not a good solution for emotional reasons. A better alternative would be to provide the student (or maybe ALL students?) with a paper copy of whatever was written on the blackboard.

Large print books:

Large print books are a great tool for those that truly benefit from them, but they are also an added burden (heavier weight, bigger pages). The use of these should be done with the cooperative agreement between the educators, parents, AND the child. Studies have shown that children who are raised on large print material have a more difficult time in the business world as there are no (or very few) business materials in large print. This is not to say that large print resources should not be considered, but rather information when making such decisions.

Tape recorders:

Since visually impaired children take longer to write notes it is often a good idea to encourage them to record a teachers verbal lessons for later playback and note taking. Optionally, the student may use the recorder to verbally record their notes, although this can be somewhat disruptive to the rest of the class.

Visual aids:

Believe it or not, some schools do not allow the use of non-standard visual aids (only glasses or contacts). The theory behind this is to protect the child from being bullied. Visual aids are often the only link a child has to be somewhat independant and if there are problems with other childrens attitude then the OTHER CHILDREN need to be educated about tolerance and politeness. NO child should have to suffer because someone simply wants to make fun of them. If the child needs visual aids, let the child use them. Some teachers have even informed parents about visual aid products that are available in case the parents did not already know.

The point of this is to allow students to communicate issues with a teacher and tell them what is in the students best interest. Then the teacher or staff should follow it up as best they can. As long as there is an open channel of comminication and a willingness to work together, it is a win/win situation. THAT is the way it really should be.

INTERACTING WITH THE DISABLED:

We encounter people with various disabilities often. When you know the person, they are easier to deal with because you know more about their abilities and their method of doing things. Interacting with somebody you don't know can be much more difficult. However, there are things that can make the experience easier and more comfortable for both of you.

Act naturally:

Most disabled people appreciate being treated like everybody else. Avoid staring at those who are disabled or making a big deal out of their situation. It is acceptable to inquire about their situation, but keep it on a sincere level and do not push it too far. Usually if people want to talk about their condition(s) they will do so openly and show you they have no problems discussing it.

When to offer assistance:

The degree of disability usually coincides with the degree of assistance that will be required. The more severe the condition, the more likely there will be a need. Do not force help on anybody. Most people who want assistance will request it. However, if you see somebody struggling with something (such as opening a door) you may offer your help, but do so verbally first without just doing something. Often people will need something done in a particular way and if it is done differently will often make things more difficult.

Communicate:

Communication is very important in life, but especially when dealing with a disabled person. As above, verbally communicate with them before helping at least until you get to know what they want. It is also important when dealing with a visually impaired person that you keep them informed of what is going on if they are unable to follow it themselves. The more you know somebody the better you will be able to work with them. If you are helping a stranger though it is better to give too much verbal information than not enough. They will usually tell you if they are aware of something you are telling them and then you can use this information while you continue helping them.

Work with THEM:

One of the worst things people do is ask others what the disabled person wants when they should be asking the person directly. We encounter this quite often when ordering food or trying to make a purchase when somebody else is with me. When it happens to me, the person with me usually tells them to ask me, which is the thing to do (unless the disabled person truly can't perform the task).

Details, details:

While everybody will require different levels of assistance, there is a fairly well defined standard of how to bridge the gap between you and a disabled person. Many of the things discussed briefly here are related to vision loss, but can be useful in other situations also.

1. When leading a person, do so by having them take your arm directly above the elbow. Walk about a half step ahead of them at a normal pace. The visually impaired person will follow your direction by turning when you turn and stopping when you stop. You should stop before going up or down a curb or steps. Tell the person if you are about to step up or down or if you are at the top or bottom of a set of steps. You do not have to count the number of steps. Stop after you have reached the top or bottom of a set of stairs before proceeding. Always approach a curb or steps at a perpendicular angle to the curb or steps. Approaching at an angle can cause the blind person to misjudge how deep a step he or she is to take.
2. Never tell a person to take backward steps. This can be very dangerous.
3. When seating, take the person to the chair and tell them that the chair is in front of them. Allow the person to determine the orientation of the chair and sit down on their own. Do not try to turn the person around and back them into a chair.
4. When approaching a closed door, tell the person whether the hinge is on the right or left and if the door is to be pushed or pulled to open. For instance, if the hinge is on the left and and the door is to be pulled open, tell the person the door is a "left pull". If the hinge is on the left and the door is to be pushed open then it will be a "left push". You do not have to step aside and let the person go through first as he or she will simply follow you through.
5. The most important thing to remember as a sighted guide is to always allow for adequate leeway for the person you are guiding. It is very easy to forget that you have someone at your side and walk them straight into a stationary object.
6. Never move things around without informing the person first. Most visually impaired people know where they put things and if others move these things they are difficult to locate again. Also when putting something away make sure the person understands what it is and where it is being placed. This is most important at the persons home, but should also be considered when elsewhere.
7. Location guidance can be given in simple clock related terms. These are often used during meals to advise about food positions or as placement of materials on a table or desk. Twelve o'clock is straight ahead but a distance away from the person, three o'clock is to the right, six o'clock is straight ahead but close and nine o'clock is to the left. A typical meal layout would be something like: "On your plate the chicken is at six o'clock, the potatoe is at ten o'clock and the vegetables are at two o'clock. Around your plate the silverware is at nine o'clock, your drink is at twelve o'clock and has a straw and your salad is at three o'clock." Some families use the term noon instead of twelve o'clock and some people just use the numbers with the "o'clock" part being implied like: "Silverware at nine, drink with straw at noon, and salad at three."

Other helpful hints:

Perhaps the best way to understand what a disabled person goes through is to try dealing with their issues yourself. Even routine things can become a challenge and teach you about how life without certain abilities can be. For example, when you wake up in the morning, try getting out of bed with your eyes closed to simulate blindness. Warning, do this very carefully because you would be surprized at how different the experience is. While standing in front of the sink, close your eyes and try to obtain the toothpaste or soap. Think about how detailed directions would be helpful to you in this search.

Most disabled people express they want to be treated like they do not even have a disability. Everybody needs help now and then, but most of us like to be independant until we can not do something for ourself. Independence is what most visually impaired people want more than anything.