TABI traffic-- PRIOR to what I sent you before-- sorry, I'm cleaning my mailbox
out backwards!
Sent from my iLove/hate Autocorrect device
On Oct 18, 2015, at 10:14 AM, Robert Miller
<robertmiller2201@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I must say that the first director and founder of the then Indipendant living
for the Blind did have experience with the Blind. His name was Claud Seals.
He came from Alabama Many years ago. He was a councilor on the Florida School
for the Blind campus for DBS before moving to Tallahassee and started IB and
retired a old man.
I don't think a person with no experience working with the blind can
determine the quality and level of service needed for the agency to be
affective or successful. That's kind of like asking a fund raiser or grant
writer to rebuild the engine in your car or to perform brain sergery on your
mother. Then you throw in a board of directors that gives the director
autonomy over all things blind and you get the mess we are all familiar with.
So we have had one sighted director who had experience in working with the
blind who was very successful and 3 that had no experience that weren't. I
guess precedence doesn't matter. It's all about getting those big DBS bucks.
Unfortunately it's the young blind, newly blind and elderly blind that
suffer.
Robert
-----Original Message----- From: Elizabeth S Bowden
Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2015 6:29 PM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] Re: Lighthouse of the Big Bend hires new director
I agree with Nancy and Laurie,
Since it was founded, Lighthouse of the Big Bend has had the reputation of
being an agency who hired anyone regardless of qualifications to provide
training. There have been throughout the years, several instances when blind
people working at the Lighthouse of the Big Bend were treated badly because
sighted staff wanted to feel superior to them and so had them removed.
This attitude is still practiced today. Unfortunately, the Division of Blind
Services makes no provision for ADA violators in their contracts. I guess
that says something about service quality and quality of life expected of
clients served.
And you wonder why most agencies are not trustworthy?
-----Original Message-----
From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Norine Labitzke
Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2015 4:42 PM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] Re: Lighthouse of the Big Bend hires new director
Let's give her and staff a chance! These previous posts seem unfair and
prejudgmental to me, and not reflective of the more positive and open traits
I have experienced with most in the visually impaired community. Why create
stress and pressure for her from day one? She might appreciate positive
comments and suggestions. For me, I say "welcome" and look forward to the
new ways you may have to make Lighthouse better. I will help any ways I can.
Norine -----Original Message-----
From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Laurie Davis
Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2015 4:20 PM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] Re: Lighthouse of the Big Bend hires new director
Hi, Nancy,
I checked out her profile and I agree with you.
Training for blind people has to be specific to our disability, especially
where daily living and communications skills are concerned. I believe that
the way public education is done nowadays, blind kids are lumped in with
other disabled students and they only get a couple periods a week with an
itinerant vision teacher, instead of a resource teacher who is at the school
at all times and can be seen by the student as needed. . There is not
enough time to work on the needed skills that are blind-specific.
When I worked for the Lighthouse years ago, when it was Independence for the
Blind, there was always the controversy over whether the State agency for the
Blind, (DBS) should be kept in the Department of Education or moved to
Department of Labor and merged with DVR. The argument we always had was that
the services needed by blind people are different from those with other
disabilities and that merging them would leave the needs of blind people out.
-----Original Message-----
From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Nancy Folsom
Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2015 3:32 PM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] Re: Lighthouse of the Big Bend hires new director
If history servs me correctly, Division of Blind Services didn't fare well
when a Director with some experience with the blind and visually impaired was
hired. Odds are that history will repeat itself, especially if there is a
pliable Assistant Director who is easily influenced by suggestion. . In
reviewing the job announcement for the position, I rediscovered that there
was no requirement that candidates have experience working with the blind or
visually impaired, only experience with persons with disabilities was
required. If we the blind believe that training needs are so specific that
an agency serving the blind should not be assimilated in to Vocational
Rehabilitation, the difference is not important to the Board of Directors of
the Lighthouse of the Big Bend. We all know what comes of hiring staff who
have a high school diploma and administrative experience with agencies
serving the disabled such as Easter Seals. I looked up the new Executive
Director on linkedin w
ith the following results. See what you think??
Same novel different writer.
https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=ADEAAAH18KoBdCq94KYN6TFCYPpGuPR2mU8VCTE&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=z5s-&locale=en_US&srchid=3971505621445104634272&srchindex=1&srchtotal=1&trk=vsrp_people_res_name&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A3971505621445104634272%2CVSRPtargetId%3A32895146%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary%2CVSRPnm%3Atrue%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH
-----Original Message-----
From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Owen Mccaul
Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2015 10:05 AM
To: TABI@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] Lighthouse of the Big Bend hires new director
From today's Democrat:
Lighthouse of the Big Bend, a non-profit which guides people through vision
loss, named a new executive director Friday.
Kim Galbán-Countryman will serve as the organization’s fourth director,
succeeding Barbara Ross who resigned due to health matters. Ross has been the
executive director since 2004. Her resignation takes effect Nov. 3.
Galbán-Countryman, who will assume the new position and go through a
transition period starting Oct. 19, most recently served as assistant
director at the Big Bend Homeless Coalition.
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