ABCDE Workshop part III: Orientation and Mobility

I have never seen teachers so excited as when Barry handed each of our teachers a retractable white cane! Mellyssa Lyght at Ambutech liaised with Barry prior to the trip and was able to get us 78 canes at a reduced cost...ON CREDIT until our SPA grant check came in the mail. It was unbelievable! We also feared the canes would not clear customs at the airport when Barry and Doc arrived. We did not contact the Ministry of Ed. in time to write a concessions letter via Ministry of Finance (lots of formal channels...not enough time). Sure enough, Barry dragged the heavy duffel full of canes, reflective tape, cane tips and accessories all through customs, declared it and spoke to the officer about he and Doc's purpose in Grenada. Would you know the officer waved (and waived) them through without a wink!? "Enjoy Grenada," he said! Amazing blessings!

At Resource Centre for the Blind, we do not have a trained mobility instructor on staff, so it was one of the aims of the workshop to give teachers some of the basic fundamentals to pass onto their students. Barry's idea behind giving the teachers canes was so that when they are in public places with their student, it draws attention, alerts drivers and helps educate the public about the capability of independent travel for blind persons. Students also don't have to feel like their the only ones walking with a cane. The idea was brilliant.



We went all over Grenada blindfolded for our two O&M days. Half the staff went to Grenville to work on L-shaped outdoor routes, battling the unobliging streets full of potholes, random holes, drains and grates. The St. Georges team walked the cruise ship terminal and learned how to use the stairs, escalator, elevator and how to stand in line and pay a bill at the Bruce Street Mall. All staff members were educated in sighted guide techniques, the Heinze Break technique in declining assistance, and search patterns.

ABCDE Workshop part II: Functional Vision Assessment

Teachers at Resource Centre forthe Blind were equipped with their own Functional Vision Assessment kit made from locally sourced materials and some they were able to hand-make for themselves. These assessments allow teachers of the visually impaired to "see what their students see" and figure out what accommodations can be made in their classroom to make life easier for them.



Students can have difficulty in 1 or more of 4 areas assessed: binocularity (how well both eyes work together), acuity (seeing fine detail or reading print from near and far), peripheral (vision on the sides of your face) and cortical visual impairment or CVI (problems that may arise from faulty connections to the brain via the visual cortex area). Using basic materials like puzzles, beads, and even decorated fly swatters, each teacher was able to assess a student on the RCB caseload in either the St. Georges or Grenville parishes.



Here, Doc is testing a student's peripheral vision with a decorated fly swatter, better known as a PTD. I was so impressed with how creative teachers were with their decorations! Doc was really amazing and bought each teacher a goody bag of craft supplies from the states.



I really have to commend our students who allowed us to scrutinize over them, ask lots of questions and study them as we performed assessments. The library at St. Andrews R.C. Primary was colorful, spacious and perfect for testing.



Mr. Ogilvie is looking at the reflection in this this student's eyes to detect balance- this helps test for binocularity.

"ABCDE: Assessing Blind Children, Doing the Essentials to make their lives better" Workshop

Something new and exciting hit Grenada's shores on June 5th, 2011...professors Dr. Dixie Mercer and Mr. Barry Stafford from Stephen F. Austin State University arrived and over the next two weeks to follow, from June 6-16th, we conducted a workshop with the itinerant staff of teachers of the visually impaired from Resource Centre for the Blind. Many of whom did not receive the formal training in visual impairment education that and yet still were doing what they could for the students they were responsible for. It takes a lot of courage, adaptability and patience to do what they do with the limited resources available to work with.



The aim of the workshop was to provide materials to construct "Functional Vision Evaluation Kits" from local sources and train the teachers in how to administer the evals on their students to better "see how they see". When a teacher knows the acuity and scope of a student's vision, they can better program for them and assess their individual needs.



Other areas that were discussed included: Orientation and Mobility, Early Childhood Intervention, Parent-teacher relationships, Activity-based routines, and Sex Ed. for blind students with emphasis on HIV/AIDS.

We had a special opening ceremony or "meet n greet" with the professors, the workshop participants and Ministry of Education officials who all came to Resource Centre on our first day of the workshop. Mrs. Raeburn did an incredible job as MC and we even had MTV news come out and provide coverage for the event.



Dr. Mercer, Sherry and Mrs. Hyacinth were interviewed for the news story.


"ABCDE: Assessing Blind Children, Doing the Essentials to make their lives better" workshop featuring the teachers of the Resource Centre for the Blind in Grenada in conjunction with Peace Corps and Stephen F. Austin State University.



Disclaimer: The anchor called it a one-day workshop, but it actually took two weeks!
Enjoy!

Thanks to A.Gaalema for her contribution to this post.

Walk With Me Walk Grenville

Our Resource Centre for the Blind did our second and final walkathon for the year, last Wednesday, May 25th. We would have hit the streets of our capital, St. Georges, just a week before, with two objectives: sensitizing the public to the fact that blind and visually impaired students are being educated in mainstream schools and the equipment they use is in short supply and they need braille writers! We began at Progress Park in Paradise, St. Andrews and walked through Grenville-town to reach Victoria Park.

This round we would have teamed up with schools around Grenville- St. Joseph's Convent (Saint Andrews), St. Andrew's Methodist, St. Andrew's School for Special Education, St. Andrew's Anglican Secondary School (SASS) and others. With the support of their sighted peers, they were able to help collect donations from passerbys and hold placards. Their energy was incredible despite the hot hot sun!

At Victoria Park we had a few speeches and refreshments for all the participants. Here is a good shot of our wonderful, RCB student participants (below)!

Here we are walking through Grenville-town. We had an incredible turn out!

Thanks to our peace corp vulanteer A.Gaalema for her contribution to this post.

'Walk With Me' 2011 Walkathon

It's that time of year again. When staff and students of the Grenada Resource Centre for the Blind adorn our jerseys and take the streets by storm! Spreading blind and visual impaired education awareness, all over the country, to all of the masses.

This year we did so in St Georges on Wednesday 18th 2011

Last year we staged our walk in hopes of attaining enough money to buy a Braille Embosser so that textbooks could be provided to our students in Braille.

We did not raise enough but we WERE blessed enough to be seen by generous GRENLEC, willing to sponsor our embosser. Now the tool is primed and ready to copy textbooks into Braille so that our students can follow along with their sited peers. One battle one!

This year we face another challenge, though our embosser is bought our brailler are still not all functional. Our students use their personal brailler as textbooks and without them they have no way to independently right.

So this year we were out again, never failing to walk for the rights of the blind and visually impaired of Grenada. Making a bold and true statement, that blindness does not mean a life of dismal limitations in a dark world. That with education, blind and visually impaired students of Grenada can grow into capable able blind and visually impaired capable and functioning contributors of society

Below are pictures from the St George's 'Walk With Me' Walkathon:

Join us NEXT WEEK when we take our 'Walk With Me Walk,' to Grenville! On Wednesday 25th 2011!

Easter 2011 Kite Flying Event

On the 5th April 2011 The Resource Centre for the Blind executed our second Easter Get Together.

The air was brisk and clean, the sky was clear and the wide open pasture unlike last year, showed no sign of drought.

It is a priceless and rare occation to see so many of our students smiles all gathered in one place. Though some could not attend this time the few that were gathered abounded with joy as they helped make kites.

Soon, said kites were kissing clouds and unfortunately, loosing battles with distant powerlines (only two though, which had broken away from it's owner and were carried far by the wind)

While our students harbour little to no sight, this did not crinkle in the least the joy they felt when their kites lifted high on a promising breeze up into the sky.

Lunch was dilicous roti and home made fruit juice with the occiational sweet treat, all of which was sponcered by Resource Centre for the Blind staff

It was a wonderful and recreational way to end of the terms, communing with ourselves, our students and remembering the reason for the season. :)

Doe enjoy our slideshow of the event!

Meet Cindy

A teacher’s job is never done, especially in the area of special education. We at the Resource Centre for the blind have found this to be so very true, this is the story of one such occasion.

Meet Cindy

Cindy went blind early in her life. after and unsuccessful eye operation said blindness became permanent. She has had previous mobility training, unfortunately has not had the opportunity to put it to use and has in fact held herself up in her home for the last NINE years.

When our teachers heard of this we at RCB decided it was time for a home visit. It was eventful, her family was welcoming and she was intrigued by the idea of leaving her home. RCB decided to help make this idea less of a possibility and more of a reality.

So, our present Peace Corp Volunteer Miss Alyssa Gaalema has been assigned to provide her Orientation and Mobility training and experience in the present absence of a ministry assigned Orientation and Mobility Teacher. She is also accompanied by our present TAMCC Vulunteer Miss Prince.

Miss Gaalema made now meets with Cindy once a week where she walks with her and helps her develop the skills necessary to navigate up and down the hill that separates her home from the main road, in an effort to inspire independence.

We hope that someday soon Cindy will be able to independently make the commute from her home to the Resource Centre for the Blind headquarters, where she already visits with the aid of said Peace Corp. volunteer, all on her own. However, we are not an organization that walks just by hope but by action and are going to do as much as is within our power to make it happen.

Can you imagine being way from society for over ten years only due to lack of knowledge of other possible options?

What it would be like to step into the swarmth of the unlight again and with safety and confidence walk from point A to point B carrying out an independent agenda?

How joyous and occasion!


Small victories!

Now for the big stuff, Bring it on May Way Walkathon!