Future Reflections, Winter-Spring 2000

For more information about blindness and children contact the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children 1800 Johnson Street * Baltimore, Maryland 21230 * (410) 659-9314 NFB Net BBS: http://www.nfbnet.org * Web Page address: http://www.nfb.org

NFB Convention 2000 NOPBC Activities

The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) activities at the 2000 NFB convention will be a wonderful mix of the tried and true, and the new and creative. As usual, parents can expect timely, sensitive, in-depth, and informative presentations on the blindness issues that most concern them. There will be numerous opportunities, both formal and informal, to meet other parents of blind kids, and to form friendships and networking links. Some of the most outstanding teachers of the visually impaired and orientation and mobility instructors will be there, too, and eager to share their knowledge with parents.

Unique, however, to this event is the opportunity to interact with literally thousands of the real experts on blindness—blind people themselves. The blind people—old, young, and middle-aged—who come to NFB conventions represent the entire socio-economic, educational, cultural, racial, and career spectrum.

Here is the information you will need to make your plans to be a part of this exciting event this year in Atlanta, Georgia:

Hotel Information

The convention will be held at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, 265 Peachtree Center Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. To make reservations call the hotel at (404) 521-0000. The Marriott has a national toll-free number, but do not use it! Reservations made through the toll-free number will not be valid. They must be made directly with the hotel. The room rates are singles, $57; doubles and twins, $59; triples, $61; and quads, $63. There is also a tax, which at present is 14 percent. There is no charge for children in the room as long as no extra bed is requested. A deposit of $60, by check or credit card, is required before the reservation is guaranteed. If a credit card is used, the deposit will be charged against it immediately. If a reservation is cancelled prior to June 4, 2000, $30 of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise, refunds will not be made.

NFB Camp (child-care)

Children must be pre-registered for this service. The pre-registration cutoff date is June 15, 2000. Details follow at the end of this article.

Fees

The registration fees for the Family Event, the continental breakfast, the parents seminar, the Braille Carnival, and all other NOPBC-sponsored workshops throughout the week are $25 per couple plus children, $35 for three adult family members (e.g. two parents and a grandparent) plus children, and $15 for one adult plus children. Although we have streamlined our registration procedure, we highly recommend that you pre-register for the seminar this year. It will allow you to enjoy a more relaxed, leisurely morning at the Family Event. The pre-registration form is included in this article.

These fees DO NOT include registration for the NFB convention proper; they only cover the NOPBC events. Registration for the convention is $10 per person and is required in order to get the convention hotel rates quoted above. Convention registration begins Monday morning, July 3.

The following NOPBC activities are only a small part of what goes on at the convention. NFB National Conventions are famous for informative, high-energy division and committee meetings; a huge, diverse exhibit hall; inspiring banquet speeches; fun and informational entertainment (a music talent show, dances, a casino night fund raiser, a Sensory Safari display, a mock trial, a play, etc.); and outstanding general session agenda topics. The convention session runs all day Wednesday, July 5; a half day Thursday, and all day Friday and Saturday. The banquet is Friday night, July 7.The exhibit hall is open all day Monday, all day Tuesday, before the general session and during noon break on Wednesday, all afternoon on Thursday, and during noon breaks on Friday and Saturday. For more information about activities planned for the 2000 Convention, please see the April 2000 issue of the Braille Monitor on the Web Site: <www.nfb.org>. You may also request a free copy from the NFB at 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230; (410) 659-9314.

Here, now, is the line-up of NOPBC events at the 2000 NFB Convention:

Saturday, July 1

NOPBC Welcome Wagon

Parents who arrive in Atlanta on Saturday, July 1 may get parent-related convention information, tips, and NOPBC seminar and workshop agendas from the NOPBC Welcome Wagon. When you arrive, call on the hotel house phone and ask for Barbara Cheadle. (Note: please do not call after 10:00 p.m.!) You may also get information and pre-convention agendas from the NFB of Georgia suite, the NFB presidential suite, and NFB information tables set up in the hotel lobby.

Sunday, July 2

NOPBC Annual Parent Seminar Day

From eight in the morning to nine at night this day is packed with NOPBC events for parents, children, and youth. This year, the day will start on a more relaxed note. From 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. parents and kids are invited to start the day together at our informal Family Event. Here, parents can munch on bagels while they visit special information booths on Early Childhood, the Blind Multiply Handicapped Child, The Gifted Blind Child, Homeschooling, Residential Schools for the Blind, Convention Information, and a Blind Mentors and Models booth sponsored by the National Association of Blind Students. Children and teens can enjoy their juice while they talk to Louis Braille, Helen Keller, and other blind historical figures (in full period costumes) who will be our special guests at this event. For the more rambunctious youth, there are rumors that there will be a “Bop-It” playing corner. Braille Carnival Buddy volunteers will also be on hand to meet the kids and parents.

From 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. parents will have about 30 minutes to check pre-registered children into the NFB Camp before returning for the general seminar session at 10:00 a.m.

Alternatively, parents may remain in the Family Event room and register children ages 4 and up for the Braille Carnival. Under the supervision of Carnival Buddy volunteers, children may go to the Carnival in small groups, pairs, or even one-on-one if age and other factors make this desirable. Carnival Buddies will be available to supervise children from 10:00 a.m. to noon, when the parent seminar adjourns. Parents are asked to go to the Braille Carnival and pick up their children within 30 minutes after the morning seminar session adjourns.

The Braille Carnival will feature exciting and fun games, competitions, demonstrations, and prizes with Braille themes. Carnival booths are sponsored by NFB divisions, state affiliates, NFB centers, and residential schools for the blind. Sighted or blind, Braille reader or non-Braille reader, kindergartner or teen-ager—there will be lots of fun activities suitable for all. The Carnival will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Parents are welcome to join the fun over the lunch break from noon to 2:00 p.m.

The general seminar session for parents will run from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The theme this year is “Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities.” The guest speakers will include Joe Cutter, pediatric O&M specialists from New Jersey, and Allen Harris, Director of Field Operations and Implementation, New York Commission for the Blind. We will also have an exciting panel of 5 or 6 blind students and a panel of the school team members (classroom teacher, teacher of the visually impaired, parent, and school administrator) that are responsible for the education of blind and visually impaired children.

The afternoon workshops will include these topics: “Beginning Braille for Parents” (one, three-hour session); “Got a Hammer? Blind Kids Can Take Shop Class;” “Teaching Self-Advocacy Skills;” “Tactile, Auditory, and Visual Techniques for Low Vision Children;” “Modeling Social Skills for Blind Kids: Discussion Group;” and “The Braille Lite in the Classroom.”

While parents attend the afternoon sessions, all teens who are 12 and older have the choice of attending a Baby-Sitting Course conducted by Carla McQuillan from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. Carla is the volunteer director of NFB Camp, the owner and operator of a Montessori school, and the president of the NFB of Oregon. She is also blind.

Blind teens also have the choice of attending special discussion groups concerning blindness issues as they relate to typical teen concerns. Young blind women ages 13 to 18 can attend the session called “What Your Mother Couldn’t Tell You,” and young blind men ages 12 to 18 can attend the “Guy Stuff” session. These sessions run from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Sunday evening, the entire family can relax at the NOPBC Family Hospitality from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Then, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., blind and sighted youth ages 9 and up have the chance to participate in a hotel scavenger hunt. Under adult supervision, kids can explore the hotel and win prizes. To add to the fun and to enhance the educational aspects of the game, sighted kids carry canes and wear sleep-shades (blindfolds) on the hunt.

Monday, July 3

Monday, July 3, begins with two Cane Walk sessions. Parents of blind kids of all ages (babies to teens), teachers, and blind kids can get hands-on experience in using a cane in the hotel environment under the guidance of volunteer instructors from the Louisiana Tech/Louisiana Center for the Blind O&M program. Joe Cutter, pediatric O&M specialist, will provide the demonstration for the parents of babies, toddlers, and children up to pre-school age.

Teens have another chance on Monday from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. to get together, socialize, listen to music, and enjoy games in a Teen Drop-In Room co-sponsored by NOPBC and Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM).

Tuesday, July 4

The big event on Tuesday, July 4, is the Annual Meeting of NOPBC, which is conducted from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The meeting will feature many exciting state parent division reports as well as numerous informative guest speakers.

Wednesday, July 5

Wednesday evening, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. is the traditional, always popular IEP and IDEA Workshop. This year one of the guest speakers is an attorney from Baltimore, Maryland, Mark Martin, who specializes in disability educational law issues.

Thursday, July 6

Joe Cutter, pediatric O&M specialist, will lead a drop-in anytime discussion about cane travel and orientation and mobility for kids in a session from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. called “Have Cane, Will Travel.” Barbara Cheadle will moderate a drop-in discussion group during that same time called “Parent Power.” The focus of this session will be on ideas for organizing and strengthening NFB parent divisions. From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. parents can drop in for “IEP Small Group Consultations”with experienced volunteer NFB advocates.

NOPBC Pre-Registration

Deadline June 15, 2000

Name(s)

Address

City State Zip

Phone (H) (W)

$________Fee enclosed (make checks payable to NOPBC)

$15 for one adult plus children

$25 for 2 adults plus children

$35 for 3 adults (e.g. parents and a grandparent) plus children

The NOPBC registration fee includes Continental breakfast at the Family Event, Sunday, July 2; NOPBC Seminar registration; Braille Carnival registration; and all NOPBC-sponsored workshops throughout the week. This fee does not include NFB Camp fees or convention registration.

Braille Carnival (ages 4 and up)

List child’s name, birthdate, vision (blind, sighted, low vision), and other disabilities.

Mail to:

NOPBC Pre-Registration

1800 Johnson Street

Baltimore, MD 21230

NFB Camp 2000: Child Care During Convention

by Carla McQuillan

From the Editor: Carla McQuillan is a member of the National Federation of the Blind Board of Directors and President of the NFB of Oregon. She also operates her own Montessori school, which has been growing rapidly since it opened. Since 1996 Carla has conducted NFB Camp, the childcare program during National Conventions. This year the Board of Directors has decided on an important change in NFB Camp registration policy. If you are considering using this important program during the convention in Atlanta, you will find this notice of deep interest. This is what Carla says:

Ten years ago, childcare during convention sessions was performed by parents, but times have changed. Last year we cared for ninety-four children in NFB Camp, nearly half of whom had not pre-registered. The increase in family participation at our conventions is wonderful news, but it has made advance preparations a necessity. By decision of the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind, beginning in 2000, all children who wish to participate in the programs and activities of NFB Camp must register this year by June 15, 2000.

NFB Camp will be open during general convention sessions, division and committee meeting day, and banquet evening. Plenty of teens are always available to baby-sit during evening and lunchtime meetings. The schedule this year will be as follows:

Sunday, July 2, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (you are responsible for lunch)

Monday, July 3, Camp is closed

Tuesday, July 4, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (you are responsible for lunch)

Wednesday, July 5, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 6, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Friday, July 7, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.; and banquet

Saturday, July 8, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.

These times may vary, depending on the timing of the actual convention sessions. NFB Camp will open thirty minutes prior to the beginning gavel and close thirty minutes after adjournment. Fees for the entire week (including banquet)are: first child, $80; second child, $60. By the day (does not include banquet) fees are each child, $20; banquet, $15.

NFB Camp Pre-registration Form

Return by June 15, 2000

Parent Information:

Name

Address

City State Zip

Phone

Child(ren) Information:

List name and age for each child. Give a brief discription of disabilities, if any.

Weekly fees: first child, $80, second child, $60. Daily fees: each child, $20 times number of days. Banquet fee: $15 per child

Total due: $______________

Completed Pre-registration forms and payment must be received by June 15, 2000. Make checks payable to NFB of Oregon.

Mail to:

National Federation of the Blind

5005 Main Street,

Springfield, Oregon 97478,

(541) 726-6924.

The NFB Camp toddler room at the 1999 convention.

The Lack of Insight in Children’s Literature Regarding Blindness

by Merry‑Noel Chamberlain

From the Editor: I am not so naïve as to believe that if a child reads one book which portrays a blind character in a negative fashion, he/she will immediately and forever form an unalterable stereotype about blind people. Children are sometimes an enigma. They can be extremely vulnerable to very subtle messages that go right by us, and yet be totally oblivious to the blatant.

I remember a few years ago reading an article about the anti-oriental racism in the writings of a popular pre-World War II author. I was amazed. I had read every one of those books as a teen-ager and not once did that message connect with me, but as an adult, I saw it immediately. Why should this be so? I think that by the time I read those books, my values were firmly established. I discounted the racist remarks as purely the author’s attempt to draw a picture of a very dastardly villain. My parents had raised me to believe that all people were created equal, and were equally loved and valued by God. Furthermore, they lived these values. Their example outweighed the influence the racist’s remarks in these books might have had on me.

This does not mean that I believe books have little or no affect on impressionable young children. The power of the written word is tremendous. I believe parents should regularly supervise and discuss with children the books they read. This allows the parent the opportunity to reinforce the messages and values with which they agree, and the chance to explain why they disagree with others.

Books with blind characters present parents with an especially good chance to discuss opinions about blindness with their blind and sighted children. My guess, however, is that, especially in the early years, many parents do not feel secure enough in their feelings or knowledge about blindness to tackle this with conviction. My hope is that the following paper by Merry-Noel Chamberlain will help parents feel more confident about, and be more discriminating when, selecting and reading books with blind characters to, or with, their children.

By the way, it’s OK if you find you do not always agree with the finer points of Ms. Chamberlain’s analysis of a particular book. It has been my observation that when it comes to the portrayal of blindness in fiction, it isn’t hard for most thoughtful, informed people to agree on what is very bad, or what is very good. It can, however, be difficult to agree on nuances in books that fall somewhere in the grey zone between.

So, who is Ms. Chamberlain, and how did she come to write this article? Merry-Noel Chamberlain recently completed a Master’s degree program in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Orientation and Mobility at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. She wrote this paper to fulfill one of her class requirements. This program, operated in cooperation with the Louisiana Center for the Blind, aggressively recruits blind candidates. Ms. Chamberlain reports that she had “vision problems” all her life, but only within the last few years has come to terms with her blindness. Ms. Chamberlain is currently employed at the Iowa Department for the Blind as an Independent Living Service Coordinator. For the purpose of publication in Future Reflections, Ms. Chamberlain’s page number citations have been omitted.

Readers may get a free Braille, print, or recorded copy of the speech, “Blindness: Is Literature Against Us?” by Dr. Jernigan which Ms. Chamberlain cites as the inspiration and basis for this article. To request it in the format of your choice, contact the NFB Materials Center at 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230, phone (410) 659-9314, fax (410) 685-5653. Here is Ms. Chamberlain’s paper:

Twenty‑five years ago, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan delivered a keynote address at the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind entitled “Blindness: Is Literature Against Us?” In this address, Dr. Jernigan argued that stereotypes and false images of blindness permeated the literature of the time. Stereotypes about blindness in children’s literature can be particularly harmful because they may shape the way young people begin to think about blindness, thus providing a distorted image of the blind that is difficult to overcome later. Because over two decades have passed since Dr. Jernigan made his address, it is time that we re-examine our children’s literature to see whether it is still conveying the same misconceptions about blindness that it did in the past.

In his keynote address, Dr. Jernigan noted that there were nine common themes about blindness pervading the literature of the time. These nine themes included the following: Blindness as compensatory or miraculous power; Blindness as total tragedy; Blindness as foolishness and helplessness; Blindness as unrelieved wickedness and evil; Blindness as perfect virtue; Blindness as punishment for sin; Blindness as abnormality or dehumanization; Blindness as purification; Blindness as symbol or parable (Jernigan 1974). I propose to examine a representative sample of today’s children’s literature to see whether these themes, or other stereotypes about blindness, are still prevalent today.

It is, of course, even difficult to find children’s books that feature a blind character or that have a plot line focusing on visual impairment in any way. I visited popular bookstores to inquire about books with these features and repeatedly walked out empty handed. However, books on other disabilities, such as hearing loss/deafness, Alcohol Fetal Syndrome, or Attention Deficiencies Disorders, were in abundance. After inspecting an abundance of books on the shelves at bookstores, grocery stores, and even thrift shops, I gradually succeeded in developing a fairly large collection. For this study, I chose to examine some of the more popular books in my collection—those with the widest sales and therefore the greatest potential influence on the attitudes of the younger generation. I will discuss eight books with a reading skill level ranging from early childhood to adolescent.

The first book for beginning readers is Ben’s Glasses by David Johnson (1996). This book is about a young sighted boy named Ben, who was getting ready for class pictures at his school. However, Ben felt that he looked “goofy” in his glasses, so he decided to take them off before leaving for school. When he arrived at the school, he made several mistakes. He greeted a friend (which happened to be a hat rack), he made a comment to another friend regarding her hair (which happened to be a mop propped up against the wall), he entered the girls’ bathroom, and he even bumped into a chair to which he then apologized. Ben’s friends soon discovered that he did not have his glasses on, and they all discussed how everyone is different. Feeling better as a result of this discussion, Ben replaced his glasses. In the end, Ben noticed that the camera operator had his camera upside‑down. After this was corrected, the picture was taken, and all was well again.

This book attempts to be educational for the young reader by dealing with “problems and decision-making—even when the best thing to do is not always so clear.” Its apparent theme, as stated on the front cover, is that “Everybody is different in some way.” The problem with this book is in how it develops this theme. While the inside front cover stated, “filled with humor,” this humor is largely at the expense of the visually impaired character Ben. This book’s unstated themes would fall into Dr. Jernigan’s “Blindness as foolishness and helplessness” category because of the ‘silly’ and ‘helpless’ things which Ben did when he did not have his glasses on. Since this is a book for young readers, it may, unfortunately, establish in their minds stereotypical images of blindness; that blind people are indeed helpless, clumsy objects of comedy. Thus, when the children later meet a blind individual, they might perceive that person as foolish and helpless.

The same theme is apparent in the book Glasses for D.W. written by Mark Brown (1996). This story is about a young sighted boy, named Arthur, who had glasses, and his younger sister, D.W., who wanted them because she felt that “they look[ed] cool.” Arthur tried to tell D.W. that he really did need the glasses because, “before I wore glasses, things looked funny.” He explained that hats looked like bats, trash looked like cash, and a log looked like a dog. Therefore, D.W. closed her eyes and, pretending blindness, started to walk into the furniture and even into Arthur. A friend arrived, and Arthur told him that “D.W. is acting silly.” She then bumped into the friend and said, “Guess what? I can’t see!” The friend commented that D.W. was “nuts” and suggested they play soccer. D.W. wanted to play too, but her brother told her, “you can’t play soccer if you can’t see.” Suddenly D.W. could see again, thus she called it the “miracle soccer cure.”

Sadly, the pictures in this book reinforce the stereotypical image of a blind person with hands extended outwards and even an open jaw as D.W. bumped into a lamp that almost tipped over. Glasses for D.W., a book for young readers, expresses not only Dr. Jernigan’s “Blindness as foolishness and helplessness” theme, but also his “Blindness as abnormality or dehumanization” theme, for it surely is not normal to walk around with one’s jaw open. Young people who read this book would be likely to view the blind not just as a source of comedy, but as slightly grotesque figures lacking full humanity.

A somewhat different characterization of the blind occurs in Through Grandpa’s Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan (1980). It is about a little sighted boy, John, who saw things through his grandpa’s blind eyes. John described the different alternatives his grandfather used compared to the way sighted people do things. For example, while John would wake up because of the sunlight entering his room, his grandfather would wake up because of the warmth of the sun. When John wanted to know where his grandmother was, his grandfather told him to close his eyes and “look through my eyes.” John then heard the sound of his grandmother, who was working in the kitchen. This establishes the pattern of the book, as John continues to learn from his grandfather.

Throughout the book, Grandpa’s acute sense of smell is emphasized. Grandfather, while upstairs in his bedroom, could smell the fried eggs and buttered toast that were being prepared in the kitchen downstairs. On the way down the stairs for breakfast, Grandpa could identify the type of flowers in the kitchen. Grandma and Grandpa discussed how Grandpa could tell the type of flowers by smell. Later Grandpa’s amazing sense of smell surfaced again as he announced that he could smell the hot bread and spice tea Grandma had made for lunch, when he and John were far away from the house.

Similarly, Grandpa’s sense of hearing is brought to the reader’s attention. When he and John took a walk, Grandpa also could tell the difference between the various wild birds heard along the way. He could hear birds which John could not see due to their camouflage. Later, when Grandpa and John played the cello, it was stated that Grandpa learned to play music by listening. Thus, the story supported the stereotype that blind people are musically inclined, as well as the stereotype that they have an acute sense of hearing.

While this book supports many stereotypes, it also demonstrates some realistic alternatives. Grandma used the “clock method” to tell Grandpa where his food was on his plate. John explained, “I make my plate of food like a clock, too, and eat through Grandpa’s eyes.” During the walk, it was also mentioned that Grandpa took John’s elbow so that John could “show him the path,” bringing another alternative to the reader’s attention. Later, Grandpa could feel the south wind by the way his hair moved, instead of by seeing the trees lean. Back in the house, Grandpa demonstrated the alternative of pouring his tea by putting his finger just inside the lip of his cup. Later, Grandpa read Braille to Grandma and John, and in the evening Grandma and John watched TV while Grandpa listened as the music and words told him what was going on. Thus, the book provides the reader with some basic information on how the blind perform daily living tasks.

This book fell into Dr. Jernigan’s “Blindness as compensatory or miraculous power” theme because Grandpa’s senses of smell and hearing were emphasized all too much throughout the book. Furthermore, Grandpa did not show independence of travel by using the sighted guide method on the walk, so Through Grandpa’s Eyes conveys the “Blindness as foolish and helplessness” theme in that respect. While Grandpa was never ridiculed, as the central characters in the first two books were, he was not portrayed as being fully independent.

One interesting note about this book is that I located it among the special education books at a large popular bookstore. Through Grandpa’s Eyes is a Reading Rainbow Book. Therefore, it would be more appropriately placed in the children’s literature section of the store where children would be more likely to discover it. For even though it emphasized Grandpa’s sixth sense, it did educate the young reader about blind alternatives.

Another book about a grandfather, Susan Pearson’s Happy Birthday, Grampie (1987), provides an even more informed image of blindness. This book focuses on a young girl named Martha, who worked a great deal to make a tactile birthday card for her grandfather. “This was one card Grampie would be able to see even though he is blind.” The reader learned that every part of the card, from the picture to the letters, was made with a different type of paper with different textures. “She wanted Grampie to read it, too.” After the card was made, the family went to church and then to the nursing home where her grandfather lived. Once all the presents were opened, Martha gave the card to her grandfather. He took the card and touched it all over. Slowly, he felt the letters, then smiled and gave his granddaughter a hug. He then told her that he loved her, too.

It is to the credit of Happy Birthday, Grampie that it does not fit neatly into any of Dr. Jernigan’s categories. By making the blind character an elderly person in a nursing home, rather than someone who is more vibrant and independent, the author does treat blindness as helplessness. Otherwise, however, the book does not portray any stereotypes concerning blindness. This book does a wonderful job explaining tactile alternatives. Martha also spoke of what life was like when her grandfather could see. Therefore, this book was more true to life than any of the books I have written about thus far. It leaves young readers with a realistic concept of blindness.

A Native American story, Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault (1966/1987), is another children’s book that escapes the old stereotypes. It, too, is a Reading Rainbow Book, and it was located in the children’s literature section of the bookstore. This book is about a young boy, named Boy‑Strength‑of-Blue‑Horses, who was born blind. Boy‑Strength‑of-Blue‑Horses and his grandfather often told the story of the stormy night on which he was born. Every time the story was told, a knot was placed on the rope, known as the counting rope. The rope was a metaphor for “the passage of time and for the boy’s emerging confidence in facing his greatest challenge, his blindness.” The grandfather was strong and wise as he talked to his grandson, who seemed quite young and immature yet accepting of his blindness.

This book goes further than Happy Birthday, Grampie at showing the capabilities of the blind. First, since the roles of child and grandparent were reversed in this story, blindness was not associated with debility. The story also teaches some alternatives, as when Boy‑Strength‑of Blue‑Horses stated, “...there are many ways to see, grandfather....I can see the horses with my hands.” Finally, the book educates readers about the capabilities of the blind by having the young boy participate in a horse race. The boy spoke about the route he took and how he got information from his horse on when to turn. Although he did not win the race, this incident shows the reader that blind individuals are quite capable of performing physical tasks that sighted people often assume are impossible for them.

Knots on a Counting Rope escaped Dr. Jernigan’s nine principal themes by not showing any stereotypes of blindness, nor drawing a negative picture of this state. In fact, the author did not even use the word blind in the story. The grandfather explained to his grandson that he was born with a dark curtain in front of his eyes. “Dark mountains” were used as a metaphor for difficult obstacles that people (both sighted and blind) face during life. Actually, this book was quite educational, teaching the young about Native American culture as well as blindness.

Equally educational is the classic Chinese folk tale The Seeing Stick by Jane Yolen (1977), a story about a young princess who was blind. Her name was Hwei Ming which, translated to English, means “the lightless moon on the last day of the month...becoming luminous.” Hwei Ming’s father, the emperor of Peking, announced to the people that if anyone could help his only daughter to see, “such a person would be rewarded with a fortune in jewels.”

In the south country lived a gentleman who heard the emperor’s request, so he gathered up a few items and set forth on the long journey, bringing along a golden wood stick and whittling knife. “The sun rose hot on his right side, and the sun set cool on his left.” As the man ventured to the castle, he whittled on the stick pictures of the various locations at which he stopped along the way. When he arrived in front of the emperor and his daughter, he told her the story of his journey while she felt the pictures on his golden wood stick. “As the princess listened, she grew eyes on the tips of her fingers.” Hwei Ming then became a teacher to the other blind children of Peking. On the last page of the book, the reader discovers that the man was also blind.

In drawing the illustrations for The Seeing Stick, Remy Charlip and Demetra Maraslis chose an interesting approach. The pictures started off quite dull with pencil drawings of gray, white, and black. However, when the man presented the seeing stick to Hwei Ming, the pictures developed color and detail.

Like Knots on a Counting Rope, this folk tale is successful in avoiding the nine stereotypes about blindness that Dr. Jernigan identified. While there were earlier ‘hints’ that the man was blind, that fact was not truly revealed until the end of the book. Thus, the young readers, who may not know much about blindness, would probably think of this character as simply an ‘individual’ and not a ‘blind person.’ The author showed that a blind individual is quite capable of traveling without a sighted escort, and she did this without suggesting that he had miraculous powers. By the same token, The Seeing Stick did not portray blindness “as total tragedy.” The book did show the grieving of Hwei Ming’s father, but this was later turned around when Hwei Ming learned some alternatives. There might have been a touch of Dr. Jernigan’s themes of “Blindness as a perfect virtue” and “Blindness as purification” in the characterization of the princess. She seemed to be disconnected with the world around her or somewhat shy. Apart from this, however, the book educated its readers about blindness in an accurate and dignified manner.

The historical accuracy of another children’s book makes it the centerpiece of my own library on blindness. Louis Braille: The Blind Boy Who Wanted To Read by Dennis Fradin (1994) is part of the Remarkable Children’s Series. These books are based on information collected from journals, old letters, and historical documentation.

Fradin told the story of Louis Braille from his early childhood to his death. Fradin explains how Louis became blind by having an accident with an awl, a tool used to poke holes in leather. The awl pierced his left eye, and later an infection from the injury spread to his right eye. Fradin explains that “had this accident happened today, Louis would not have lost all of his vision. Doctors might have even saved his damaged eye. However, in 1812, people did not yet know about germs.” Fradin describs what life was like for blind people when Louis was young. However, he points out that Louis Braille’s family avoided the prevailing stereotypes by treating the boy no differently than any of their other children.

This book focuses on the important events in Louis Braille’s life. For instance, it tells of when Louis left home at the age of ten to be educated at the National Institute for the Young Blind in Paris, where he had to live apart from his family. Louis was extremely excited about attending this school because he had heard that the Institute had special books that the blind could read. These books had raised letters printed on thick paper and were very difficult and time-consuming for the blind reader. Thus, “the thrill of reading quickly faded” for Louis. Later, however, Captain Charles Barbier visited the Institute with an invention of night writing designed for soldiers to read messages in the dark. This night writing inspired Louis, at the age of twelve, to investigate developing a similar system for the blind. Louis believed there must be an easier way to read than the raised letter system. After three years, he completed his system and shared it with his friends at the institute.

The book also details some of Louis Braille’s later achievements. Fradin explained that after graduation, Mr. Braille became a teacher for the Institute and obtained a job playing the organ at a church nearby. He also spent many hours building a library of Braille books for the students of the Institute. The Braille system was a success for the students, but not for the officials of the Institute. “In 1843 the principal burned a number of books printed in Braille and gathered up the students’ styluses.” However, the students would not stop using Braille, so a year later this system was accepted by the Institute. The author concluded by pointing out that “Mr. Braille spent the rest of his life trying to introduce Braille to the world.”

Louis Braille: The Blind Boy Who Wanted To Read is well written and does not employ any of Dr. Jernigan’s nine themes. It portrays the blind individual as being capable, confident, and normal. As a teacher of Braille, I have incorporated this book into my own lesson plans. It is replete with abundant information about the history of Braille which is important for any Braille beginner. This book would help young children, whether sighted or visually impaired, to develop healthy attitudes about blindness.

To underscore the extent to which children’s literature has and has not changed from the time of Dr. Jernigan’s keynote speech, I will discuss one final book written before his speech was given. Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind is a chapter book for adolescents, by Margaret Davidson (1971). In many cases, it provids more detailed information than Louis Braille: The Blind Boy Who Wanted To Read. For example, this book explains that the director of the Institute, Dr. Pignier, was actually a good friend of Mr. Braille. Dr. Pignier personally saved money to publish a small book about the Braille alphabet titled Method of Writing Words, Music, and Plainsong by Means of Dots for Use by the Blind and Arranged by Them (Davidson, 1971, p. 61). Copies of the book were sent to several important people in order to promote the Braille system. However, in 1841, Dr.. Pignier left the Institute, and it was the new director who did not like Braille. Davidson further explained that sighted staff members felt that if Braille were successful, the Institute would hire only blind instructors and thus, would not need the sighted ones. Furthermore, the sighted instructors wanted to keep the raised print because they could read it easily and did not want to take the time and effort to learn Braille. According to Davidson, it was the new director, Dr. Dufau, who burned all the books which Louis had transcribed into Braille. However, Dr. Dufau changed his attitude and later accepted the Braille system into the Institute. Finally, Davidson explains that Captain Barbier returned to the Institute to find out more information about the person who was adapting his idea of night reading to allow blind people to read. When Barbier discovered that it was a young boy, he became upset and would not accept the idea that the blind needed or had any desire to be able to read.

Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind, despite giving the reader a detailed history of Louis Braille’s life, reinforced certain stereotypes about blindness. In Dr. Jernigan’s list of themes, this book falls into the “Blindness as foolishness and helplessness” category. For example, Davidson explains that Louis could not participate in typical children’s games or even take a short walk down the street to a friend’s house. Similarly, Davidson informs the reader that the students of the Institute could not leave the building unless they all went together by holding a long rope led by a sighted person. Thus, children who finished reading this book would be likely to view the blind as abnormal people incapable of leading an independent life.

A re‑examination of Davidson’s book makes it clear why Dr. Jernigan in 1974 felt that literature was working against the blind. Unfortunately, as my study has shown, despite some improvements, this trend still continues today. Too often, in the books that children read, the ideas set forth can, in their young minds, create a negative perspective on blindness. Even today, there are few books that clearly portray the skills, attitudes, and independence of blind people in contemporary society.

It has been twenty‑five years since Dr. Jernigan presented his list of nine principal themes of literature at the National Federation of the Blind Convention. However, in the handful of representative books I examined for this study, five of those themes were apparent. If we look back to what he said about literature in 1974, I would have to say that his views hold true today. “If we consider the present,” Dr. Jernigan said, “there are signs of change, but the old stereotypes and the false images still predominate.”

What I would like to see in children’s literature (and in adult literature, for that matter) is demonstrated in another children’s book that I happened to come across in a local thrift store. It is titled Four for Cribbage by Gladys Yessayan Cretan (1981). The front cover is a simple picture of three children of various ethnic backgrounds, sitting around a card table playing cribbage. The table has a long cloth draped over it. Thus, at first glance, the reader would not know that one of the characters in the book has a disability. On the first page, the reader is greeted with a picture of a young girl and her dog. This girl, named Toby, has cable braces on her legs. The story is about Toby, who has just moved into a newly developed neighborhood and wants to have someone with whom to play cribbage. Eventually new people move into the neighborhood, so Toby is able to gain playmates. Throughout the book, the reader can observe Toby’s full body from time to time, and therefore the reader can see her cable braces and crutches. However, nothing is ever mentioned in the story about her disabilities. Nothing at all.

What I would like to see in literature of all levels are characters who are blind but who are not treated differently. I would like to see them portrayed simply as other characters in the book. Blind individuals would then be treated equally in literature, just as Toby is, and Dr. Jernigan’s nine themes would only be part of our historical record, not a reflection of literary conditions today.

References

Brown, M. (1996). Glasses for D.W. New York: Random House

Cretan, G.Y. (1981). Four for Cribbage. Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Davidson, M. (1971). Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind. New York: Scholastic.

Fradin, D. (1997). Louis Braille: The Blind Boy Who Wanted To Read. Parsippany, NJ: Silver Press.

Jernigan, K (Speaker). (1974). Blindness: Is Literature Against Us? (Cassette Recording). Chicago: National Federation of the Blind Annual Convention.

Johnson, D. (1996). Ben’s Glasses. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.

Martin Jr., B. & Archambault, J. (1987). Knots on a Counting Rope. (Rev. ed.). New York: Henry Holt.

MacLachlan,P. (1980). Through Grandpa’s Eyes. New York: Harper Collins.

Pearson, S. (1987). Happy Birthday, Grampie. (Rev. ed.) New York: Puffin Books.

Yolen, J. (1977). The Seeing Stick. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell

Mandy Sue Day

A Book Review by Peggy Chong

From the Editor: I asked a colleague of mine, Mrs. Peggy Chong, to take a stab at reviewing Mandy Sue Day, a children’s picture book by Roberta Karim. I discovered Mandy Sue Day through another blind friend—Marie Cobb—who happened upon it when she was ordering books from Discovery Toys for her grandchildren. Mrs. Chong reports that she was able to order the book through Bibelot’s bookstore. Mandy Sue Day is also available on cassette tape through your regional library for the blind.

The reviewer, Mrs. Chong, has the perspective of a woman who grew up as a partially sighted child who often resisted and denied her blindness. Readers may remember her article “I’m Partially Sighted, and I Use a White Cane” published in the Volume 16, Number 4 issue of Future Reflections. Here, now, is her review:

MANDY SUE DAY

by Roberta Karim

Illustrated by Karen Ritz

Review by Peggy Chong

Mandy Sue Day, written by Roberta Karim, is a delightful story for young readers about a farm girl and her horse, Ben.

Mandy lives on Amos Acres, the farm owned by her family. At the end of harvest season, the parents gives each of their six children a special day off for “good behavior.” This story is about the day Mandy Sue planned for herself.

As the author, with many wonderful descriptive phrases, takes the reader through Mandy Sue’s long awaited special day, he/she soon feels the love of Mandy Sue’s family and the love that Mandy Sue has for her horse, Ben.

Mandy feeds and grooms her horse for their lazy day. They ride around the farm, through the woods, then back to the barn to remove the burrs and riding gear—just Mandy Sue and her horse. It’s a fantasy day many little girls might dream about.

After a special meal prepared by her mother, Mandy Sue heads out to the barn to sleep with Ben. Little brother tries to give her a flashlight and is gently reminded by Mandy Sue that she doesn’t need it because “I can’t see.” Although there are some very subtle hints about her blindness in the text and the illustrations, it is only at this point near the end of the book that the reader is conscious of Mandy Sue’s blindness.

Even today, enlightened authors struggle with the portrayal of disabled children in literature. Some try to be politically correct while others attempt to make a statement. This author chose to tell a story about a little girl who just happens to be blind. The character is clearly a little girl first. She is a part of a loving family that lives on a farm. Mandy Sue is fortunate to have a horse of her own and a special day to spend with that horse. Blindness is just one of her characteristics. She is Mandy Sue Day—not blind Mandy Sue Day.

I highly recommend this book for any young child. I think, however, that girls, and especially girls who are blind, will particularly enjoy the story.

The Very Best Gift of All

Reprinted from the VIP Newsletter, Volume 15, Number 3, a publication of the Blind Children’s Fund, Michigan.

Editor’s Note: This tiny little article packs a great big lesson for parents of blind toddlers and pre-schoolers! If any readers have other suggestions of “the real-thing, playthings” for toddlers and preschoolers, please pass them on to me for the next issue!

Marion is a mother, a nurse, and an aunt who knows all about kids. When she was about to visit her sister’s family, she wanted to bring along a small gift for her niece.

So, for Susan, who is 2 ½ years old, Marion bought a gift-wrapped tin of plastic bandages in several sizes. Her husband thought the gift was weird, cheap, and inappropriate, and he said so. Marion merely smiled.

Susan, however, was utterly delighted. First, she looked all over her own body for some place she could use a bandage. She found a small scratch, and it seemed to qualify.

Then she put two on her doll. After that she sorted out the big bandages, the middle-sized ones, and the little ones. And she asked Aunt Marion what kind of cuts, scratches, bruises, or sore spots each one ought to be saved for.

Over the next few days, the bandages obviously were her favorite playthings.

What Aunt Marion had known was that at 2 ½, Susan’s play would probably include lots of simple pretending based on the real and simple events of her own life.

So the bandages were a smash of a gift because they helped Susan to pretend to do something important that grownups do. And every bandage—big, medium, or small—became a source of fun and a learning experience. That’s the very best gift of all.

From Primary News 6/99

This child maintains control by placing

his hand over his teacher’s hand as she demonstrates the slate and stylus.

Hand-Over-Hand Guidance: What Lesson Do We Teach?

by Andrea Story

Editor’s Note: Ms. Story a is teacher of the visually impaired and a member of AER Division 8, Anchorage, Alaska. This article is reprinted from The National Newspatch, November 1997.

Independence is emphasized in much of the literature concerning young children who are blind. In the revised edition of Can’t Your Child See? A Guide for Parents of Visually Impaired Children, it states that “The more they [parents] teach the child to function independently in the first three to four years, the less they will have to do later (Scott, Jan, Freeman, 1985).” But how do you “teach” independence to a one-, two-, or three-year-old child without sight? How do you bring the world to the child, and how do you teach skills such as putting on a jacket without making the child dependent on constant prompts and cues? It has often been observed that many children with visual impairments, especially those with additional impairments, are much more passive than their sighted peers. They seem to think of themselves not as a doers, but as people who must wait for assistance or a prompt.

Literature on young children with blindness often mentions the fairy godmother syndrome. The child has little information to make the connections of how and why things are appearing and disappearing within his/her world. There is also the concern of imitation: how do you show a child how to eat with a spoon if he/she can’t see how others are doing it? The solution offered for these concerns has often been a hand-over-hand guide technique. The adult holds the back of the child’s hand, the child is guided to the objects to be explored, and guided through the motions of the activity to be learned.

Some have begun to question and reject this method. Dr. Lilli Nielsen of Denmark noticed that children often pulled away when an adult attempted to direct or guide the child’s hands. Lilli writes, “I changed my approach so that guiding or leading the child’s hand was used infrequently. This resulted in the children seldom withdrawing their hands. On the contrary they became more eager to initiate exploration and examine objects, thus improving their ability to grasp and to use their hands in various ways.” Dr. Lilli Nielsen, Educational Approaches for Visually Impaired Children, SIKON, 1992.

Watching Nielsen play with a child, one can see how touching the inside of the child’s hand with an object elicits a grasp quickly and much more independently on the child’s part than forcibly placing the child’s hand on the same objects. Once the child is motivated by the objects, a sound or a nearby vibration can elicit a reach and grasp. The children she has worked with at her presentations often begin to imitate activities such as strumming a stringed instrument, blowing into a harmonica, or dropping balls into a container. The children’s hands were never guided, and they stayed actively engaged for up to an hour. The children’s parents, teachers, and therapists are often amazed at how much children will do for Lilli. A bigger challenge may be the very passive child who moves very little. It will take these children longer to learn, and small steps should be appreciated when they do occur. As Lilli has said, these children do not have time to waste.

Enthused by Nielsen’s results, many who attend her lectures focus on equipment such as the Little Room™, but continue to guide children’s hands. The children’s reaction is most often to pull their hands away, or passively to allow their hands to be manipulated. It is an issue that I still struggle with, for although I have seen some wonderful results in using alternatives, I still have to sit on my own hands sometimes to stop myself from guiding a child’s hand. Even if I do restrain my own hands, I still have to convince educators, therapists, and parents that there are alternatives. Fortunately, some of the parents I’ve worked with have had success with getting their children to hold their own bottle, finger feed, and eventually spoon feed without guiding/controlling their child’s hands. These successes make me question the standard advice given to parents and others about teaching a child without sight.

Hand-over-hand guidance is recommended in most of the literature (or at least there are photos or videos demonstrating it). For a sighted person, it seems an almost instinctual response to guide the child’s hands. Some children protest the guidance, but eventually come to accept it and wait for their turn to explore. How frustrating to have to wait to explore something yourself! One child that I worked with seemed actually to enjoy the hand-over-hand guidance for finger plays and songs, but was quick to push the adult’s hands away if the activity or object was unfamiliar to her. Other children seem much more affected by the technique and become more passive or defensive to touch. These children do not repeat the skill by themselves after being guided. It should be considered that this technique of guiding a child’s hand has been used too often and too quickly. Often it seems that the sighted person forgets, or is unaware of, the unique perspective of those that are blind. Martha Pamperin wrote about this perspective on the AER listserv recently:

“As I, a blind adult, go about getting myself a cup of coffee, I may (1) search the shelf tactually to locate cup and coffee pot, before (2) pouring the coffee. This preliminary search is normal for me, especially if I am at the home of a friend. It does not, however, look normal to the watching friend. Often as not,