Belief

I recently spent time working with a group of blind adults who were training at a center. It was a rewarding experience. I worked with a group of 5 people for 5 straight days. This kind of intensive program allows me to see progress much faster than as an itinerant who may see students once a week if I am lucky. As I was working with these students in a condensed time I pondered about what was the most important learning experience I can leave my students with. The traditional method of monitoring a student is to always be within sight of a student and to follow them throughout their route. The student is well aware that the instructor is always available if the student has difficulty. It is then up to the instructor to determine when or if they should intervene. Many times experience and knowledge of the student are the determining factors for when to intervene. However, using the Structured Discovery Method there has to be a time when the student is not directly monitored by the instructor. I have learned over the years that even with children we can offer experiences where the student is completely dependent on their own skills and problem solving ability to travel a route independently. These opportunities are essential for the student to begin to truly believe in their ability to travel independently as a blind person.
These experiences start with what may appear to be small steps. But small steps lead to the greater experience. Opportunities to use new found skills in unfamiliar environments internalize the belief in their ability to use these skills functionally. A blind person is truly independent when they can problem solve every situation using a full complement of basic skills. The traditional approach is to plan every contingency to the nth degree without experiencing the unexpected. A route may be new and unplanned but still be a successful experience. Every route cannot always be planned. Spontaneity is a part of everyday life. I clearly remember when an 8th grade student circumnavigated a city block for the first time. The look on her face, a look of utter joy, is forever imprinted on my mind.
My first step during this recent experience was to explore other areas of the building that they had not visited. They knew the basic structure of the building and could easily go to these unfamiliar areas. This task had never been suggested to them. This was the first step. It began to dawn on these students that because they could successfully complete this task more complex tasks could also be within their reach. The next step was to circumnavigate a residential block. This route was uncomplicated and very straightforward. I did not accompany them. They were amazed that I would not be behind them to monitor. By not accompanying I told them in a very concrete sense that I believed in their ability to succeed. This seemingly simple act had a profound effect on these students. I will have to admit that as an instructor who was trained under the traditional sighted approach this is not always easy for me. I am constantly checking my own belief system concerning the ability of blind people to travel independently. Each of the students who walked the block demonstrated a clear belief that it was truly possible to travel independently.
Is this truly a profound notion? No, so why is this approach not used more often. Perhaps, the instructor does not have a deep understanding of what it means to be truly independent. Demonstrating the use of repetitive skills is rote learning. Rote travel is just a mechanical use of separate skills. Independent travel is all about problem solving and belief. As mobility instructors we must always be conscious of our own belief in blind people moving throughout the community in an efficient manner.
The topic of our belief system as sighted instructors is never addressed in professional literature or in our training. How can we possibly train blind people to travel independently if we are not aware of our own biases? And yes, we all have a bias. We are a product of a society that sees blind people as dependent individuals. How can we possibly believe in blind people as independent individuals if we as mobility professionals do not work with and know a number of peers who are blind? This is the true crisis in the instruction of blind students in the area of orientation and mobility. Until we as a profession are completely on board with blind people as O&M professionals we will never truly believe that our students can be independent.
Just some musings.