- Everyone leaves your Seeing Eye dog alone.
Second Sense offers great services for the visually impaired.
- Teacher knows material first-hand.
- People listen to you.
- When post-lunch fatigue sets in, you can lean back, close your eyes, put your feet up on the desk and still listen.
- No dress code.
- When the heat gets too high in the room, you can strip down to your underwear.
- You hear conversations you’d never, ever hear anywhere else.
One of those wonderful conversations I heard on break this week at my Second Sense Intensive Screen Reader course was between two of the youngest women in class discussing some social network I’d never heard of. When I asked them what it was, the 21-year-old answered with a shrug. “It’s like Tinder for blind people.”
She told me a little about being raised by her grandparents on Chicago’s South Side and how much she’d hated her high school. “People there just didn’t get me.” She loves this social network app, though. “You just set up an account without any photos or images, pick an alias name, and then start recording messages or questions, then you just wait for people to listen and reply.” The app just records sound, she said, and now she’s talking with blind people from all over the world. “We’re pretty sure a couple of people on there can see, though,” she confided in a hushed voice. “You can just tell.”
When I read your post about taking this class, I thought that you were going to a computer lab- love that you were comfortable in your on space!!
Oh, I should have made that clear. Another cool thing about taking this class is that it is sponsored by an organization that provides training free of charge to people who are blind, classes in everything from writing a resume to cooking without looking. Bonus: you don’t have to fill out paperwork to prove you are blind, etc., etc., to take the classes. I’m making a note to write a post in December 2018 to remind folks to donate to SecondSense.org when it comes to tax time.
#4 is definitely handy. I’ve been wondering how the (assumed sighted) teacher would approach this challenge. Have the blind teach the blind. Brilliant!
I really did take advantage of everything on this list, including #4. Started with just leaning back to close my eyes for a bit, but then suddenly remembered: no one in hear can see. “I wonder,” I thought to myself. “Is there enough room on the computer desk for me to put my feet up there?” After swiping my palm on top of the desktop, I deducted there was indeed enough room and stuck my feet up. I could still listen, and it reminded me of the way we felt as kids when we thought we were really getting away with something!
Oh, and the teacher really was. Brilliant, I mean. And blind, too!
This class sounds so interesting, a whole new concept of learning. I’d like to be a little
,mouse and listen in.
Yes, but I bet my new 21-year-old friend would know you were there listening in, and that you can see, too. “You can just tell….”
out of curiosity, what was the name of the app?
Aha. I was wondering if anyone might ask that in the comments. Due to the concern my 21-year-old friend had about sighted people infiltrating the app, I didn’t include the name of it on the blog post. If you are blind or have a visual impairment, go to the “Contact Beth” link on my web site and let me know, I’ll email you back with the name of the app.
This sounds fantastic. How great to have a bit of relief! And I imagine it made learning so much easier to be in an environment designed for you. When you so kindly volunteered for SCBWI-IL Diversity Network at The Book Expo, I witnessed the ways that people engaged with or about your dog more than you in uncomfortable ways. I was in awe of your skillful, gentle, humorous replies! I love your blog. I need to remember to visit here more often.
You are very observant, my friend. Thanks for the compliments, and hope you don’t mind: I added your email address to the blog list so you’ll get a notice any time we publish something new. (Please understand, you can always unsubscribe!)
Thank you for this most enjoyable post. I got my first iPhone a few weeks ago, and am going for my first session with Marv next week to learn how to use it. Actually I’ve done a thing or 2 on it using Siri, and I’m impressed thus far. I got an iPhone 7 with one of those protective things around it. I went to one of the AT&T stores here with my father the day before Easter. The employee who helped us out was very friendly and accommodating. I can’t wait to meet Marv a week from today, and get going on my iPhone! My mom and I met David Flament last month, and talked with him a bit. I’ve also spoken with David on the phone.
Are you sure you took advantage of #6??? Or was the class provided in a virtual method? (Teleconference for example).
On a separate note, How do I update the email address to receive the blog alerts?
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