Miguel's Journey To A Career
I have a great opportunity to further my skills and give my family a better live. I hoping that I will be able to get trained and start a career. I will be doing this with the help from Nebraska Commission For The Blind And Visually Impaired.
In June 2016 I had the first meeting with Nebraska Commission For The Blind And Visually Impaired. I meet with Angie who is the counselor and she is a very friendly person. We spoke about my goals, my skills, my past experience, my likes, and my future. The first program that I am looking at is Business Entrepreneur Program. Its a program that is available for the blind and visually impaired. The program provides training for running vending machines or small coffee or cafeteria. The town that I currently living is a small town so the opportunity right now would be vending machines. With the training and meeting people and growing a social network, it can become something bigger. The other path that I am thinking is something to do with computers. Working with computers is a better career but in the past I worked as a support technician for a software developer and it was a bad experience. Going through the process, requirements and talking to other people that are going through the same program, I will decide my career.
In July I had my second meeting with Angie. In this meeting Angie provided me with more information about the process and benefits for this journey. The first step was to visit an eye doctor to provide an official examination of my eyes. Angie will walk me through all the processes while going through the process. Also we spoke about the additional training that is available.
Couple weeks after the meeting I visited the eye doctor. He informed me that my right eye only has 90% vision and my right eye is 20/400. I can say I passed with flying colors. I qualify for the program.
Angie and I meet again in August. In this meeting I met the director of the Commission for The Blind. She is very nice. We spoke about the results of the eye examination. We spoke and set dates for training and attending a conference. The training consists of a 3-day training session on living skills for the blind and visually impaired is in September. We will set a date for me to visit and shadow a student that is attending The School for The Blind in Lincon Nebraska. That is where I will be doing my 6–9-month training.
On September first, I meet with Angie and she taught me how to use the white cane inside the house and go down and up stairs. Next meeting she will teach me how to walk outside and get in and out of cars with the white cane. I will be using sleep shades to learn how to use the white cane. Wearing the sleep shades is a weird feeling because you are not able to see anything not even light. Its an experience feeling because without the white cane I would not been able to go up or down the stairs or even walk without hitting furniture. The white cane is a great way to become independent.
On September 14, 2016 I meet with Angie. During the meeting Angie provided me with a talking watch today. Talking watch is a watch that when you press a button it will speak the time to you. Having this watch is going to help because I do not have to take out my phone and magnifier to look at the time. We also Facetime with the person who runs the blind school in Lincoln Nebraska. She gave me a tour around the facility. Meet the instructors for each class. There is braille, white cane travel, computers, home management and wood shop classes. I will learn each of them extensively when I attend the school.
Angie trained me on walking with the white cane outside. I learned how to cross the street, step down and up on curbs and walk down the sidewalk. Next time we will go to a busy street and learn how to listen to cars and the surroundings. Also I will learn how to cross the street on traffic lights.
Met with Angie on September 16, 2016. We went downtown Gering Nebraska to do my first white cane travel in an area where there is traffic, many noises and traffic lights. I learned to tell the different noises that the white cane does when you hit the white cane on concrete, asphalt, rock, around walls and when you are under an awning. For an example when your under an awning I will hear a higher pitch than when your not under the awning. Listening to the different sounds is important because you need to hear when you are on the road or still on the sidewalk.
When I was walking downtown I became very disoriented. One technique I learned was feel the sun and you will be able to know what direction your facing or going. I will need to learning my north, east, south and west quickly. These sence will come through practice.
One of my biggest curiosity was how to cross a busy street without getting hit. I practice crossing the street on a stop light few times. The technique that I learned was find the curb than listen to the cars and cross when the cars are going the same way as you.
I learned how to get into and out of a car while using the sleep shades. Also learned where to put the white cane in the car. The techniques that I learned was to find the car with the white cane. The cane will make an echo noise when you are close to the car. After you locate the car than walk around the car until you find the door handle. Open the door and feel for the seat with your hand to get a prospective where the seat is and be sure no one or nothing is on the seat. Back up to the seat and sit down. Bring your cane inside the car and lay it on the right side of you. Be sure the cane is not in the door way than close the door. When you get out of the car your white cane goes out first, swipe the white cane and be sure nothing or no one is there than you get out of the car.
On September 19 I am going to North Platte Nebraska for three day training. This training will be a small taste of what I will be expecting when I go to the school of the blind in Lincoln.
It was a four hour car ride to get to North Platte Nebraska. When we got to the office we had lunch. After the lunch we had a welcome meeting. Heard each persons personal story of how they became blind. Hearing other peoples stories was a reminder that I am not the only one that has struggled through life. These other people are going through the same thing I am. Knowing that there is no judgment just learning from other peoples experiences.
After the meeting we had a home economics class. All classes are with sleep shades. In the home economics class we learned how to pour. First technique is using your finger. Second technique is using an aid tool that lets you know when the liquid is reaching the top by beeping. We also learned how to measure liquids and solids with measuring cups. If you want to measure something that is hard to pour like honey you can bend a metal measuring spoon than you can put it into the jar and when you pull the spoon out whatever is on the spoon is measured. The other way you can measure is using the length of your pointer finger. For example the length of your pointer finger is a tea spoon of butter. In another time I will be learning how to chop.
After the home economics class we went through a tour of the office with the sleep shades on and walking with the white cane. I learned how to go up and down the stairs more quickly with the white cane.
After that we had a small break until dinner. After dinner they spoke about the board games that we can play with family and friends. For example large print playing cards or cards that have braille, dominos with outer bumps or checkers that the playing pieces are squared and round. That was the first day. Tomorrow we will build on the things we learned today.
Second day of training we started talking why white cane travel is important. White cane travel is important because it gives you prospective of where you are walking, gives you less chance of falling and most important independents. After the meeting I went outside and went around the block with the white cane. Instructor was very impressed with my white cane skills. He thought I had many hours of training on the white cane. I told him I only had about 2 hours of training.
After the white cane travel, I learned how to use the elevator and know if I am on the correct level. The buttons in the elevator have raised numbers were you can feel. Coming out of the elevator on the wall there is a raised number that lets you know what level you are on. There is a star next to the raised number to let you know if you are at the last level that can be ground floor or 1st floor. Also learned how to find a chair and sit down. The technique I learned was to put your hand of your palm up and slowly lower your hand down until you find the chair while having the white cane in between your fingers. When you reach the chair swipe your hand on the chair with your palm up to check that there is no one or nothing on the chair. You want to have the palm of your hand up just in case you find some ones lap because if your palm of your hand is facing down they might thing your trying something sexual.
After that I had some free time so I had the chance to do some slicing and chopping on a onion. The technique that I used was hold the onion than bring the knife up to your fingers. Get the knife straight and move your fingers away from the blade. Be sure your fingers are out of the way from the knife blade and than cut. It was difficult because the onion moves a lot but with practice I will be able to hold the onion and cut perfect slices.
After that we practice with writing guides. Writing guide is a flat plastic sheet with a hole(s) that goes on top of the thing your trying to write on. The writing guides let you write straight. The writing guides are templates for example the holes are cut out to write a check or write a grocery list.
After practicing with the writing guides we learned some chair exercises. These exercises are very basic.
After the exercises we had a seminar regarding daily living. They shared many tips one major tip is label everything for example label your spices by putting a label on the cap that way when you buy a new bottle you can just replace the new cap with the cap that has the label. You can also label your can foods with magnetic letters or wrapping a paper label with a rubber band around the can. You can make your own labels by using puff paint. One of the gadgets that you can use is called Pen Friend. A Pen Friend looks like a pen. The Pen Friend comes with magnets or stickers. What you do is point the Pen Friend to the magnet or sticker and hit record. You will say what that magnet or stick will be on, for example pill container. You will say the name of the medication, how many pills you take, when to take the pills and the RX number that way when you point the Pen Friend to the magnet or sticker it will play your recording. Another tip is clean things in a pattern and than swipe your hand to check if you missed anything. Also vacuum in a pattern. Another tip is when you go to a store you can ask for a reader. That means that an employee of the store will walk with you and read the food name and price of the packages. Another tip is to fold each domination differently, for example fold the one dollar bill in half and the five dollar bill in fours and so on. Another tip regarding money is when a person is going to give you change ask them to give you all one dollar bills that way you know exactly how much they gave you back. One cool tip is fold a dollar bill in half. Rub the dollar bill with each side that you folded. You will feel that if your are rubbing the face of the dollar bill is a smooth feeling if you are rubbing the back of the dollar bill than you will feel rough.
There are websites that have descriptive movies for the blind. What this is are movies or TV series that have descriptive narration of each scene of the movie. Netfix has this option.
Third day training in North Platte. We had a seminar about how blind people can take advantage of technology. There is magnification, CCTV, screen readers, computers, smart phones or/and tablets. CCTV means close circuit TV. You can put a document on a tray and a magnifier will enlarge it and put it on a screen. Smart phones or tablets have voice that speak to you and read e-mails, messages, Internet and where you are selecting on the screen.
After the technology seminar I meet with the counselor that deals with the technology. We spoke about jobs in the computer sector. We also spoke about Jaws and Magic. Jaws is a computer reader. That means that it will read what ever is on the computer screen. Magic is a computer software that magnifies the screen. She will come to my house and meet with me to get more specific to my needs.
I had the opportunity to build a bird house. The bird house build consisted of sanding, hammering, using a screw driver and screw drill. My bird house is not perfect but for my first time building a bird house under sleep shades I did pretty good.
After building the bird house we had a seminar how to volunteer around the community. We made a flower arrangement with wrapping a fake flower onto a pen. These flower arrangements will be put around doctors office with the agencies information.
After the volunteer seminar we had a seminar regarding grooming. When shaving shave in a pattern. Use hair trimmer to trim noise hairs, ear hairs and beard. A good tip is putting the tooth paste into your month rather than on the tooth brush.
We got a seminar regarding attending a buffet. Have a person tell you what food is available. How to hold your white cane while attending a buffet. The technique is you find the food table than slowly raise your hand and feel for the serving spoon. When you pull up on the serving spoon you will feel the weight of the food that you scooped up. When you scoop up the food you will want to tap the serving spoon on the edge of the serving pot or the tray to remove excess food. Than scope it onto your plate. Rotate your plate that way you can scope other food onto the plate. We had a buffet for dinner and we were able to practice the techniques.
Fourth and last day at North Platte training. We started out making egg omelette's in a bag. We practiced cracking an egg into the bag. Than scoping the cheese, tomato, onion, and green peppers into the bag. We put the bag into boiling water that way the egg would cook. It is a cool cooking activate that I can do with my son Michael.
After breakfast I learned the very basic beginning of braille. The instructor gave us many little tricks that makes the alphabet and numbers easy to learn. After couple hours I was able to identify the numbers and letters. Braille is a lot more in-depth than just the alphabet and numbers. There are symbols and indicators. I will learn a lot more braille when I go the blind school in Lincoln.
After the braille training we played a game that is called LRC(left right center). Its a fun game. We played with three quarters. There are four dices with an L, R, C and a dot on the side of the dice. When you roll the dice and for example you roll R, L, and dot, that means pass one quarter to the right of you and one quarter to the left of you and a dot means you keep a quarter. The game is over when only one person has all the quarters. I did not win.
We finished the program by going to lunch. I received a certification of completion and a binder filled with recipes and the techniques that we learned through out the program.
I enjoyed the program, and I encourage anyone that has low vision or blind or has very young children that are blind to attend the program or contact Nebraska Commission for the Blind. The program provided me with experience, techniques, confidence and friends. I believe the best part of this program is the confidence builder because you see people and yourself doing things that you never thought of trying. You see some instructors that are completely blind being successful and that is my biggest and final goal that I want to achieve and I believe going through this entire program and process I will achieve that. Soon I will meet with Angie again and will be talking about the NFB Nebraska Convention 2016 coming up on October 7.
I attended the NFB Nebraska Convention on October 7, 2016, in Columbus Nebraska. NFB stands for National Federation of the Blind. You can visit their website at www.nfb.org. This is the first time ever that I have attended a convention. It was very informative. I met some great people and had a good conversation with many.
One of the great things that this organization has done is create an OCR scanner app. The app is called KNFB Reader app. This app is a tool that you can use to read any type of printed text by having your smart phone scan the text and then have the phone read the text to you (text-to-speech). This app is very handy when you need to read receipts, mail, class handouts, memos and other documents. This app is available through Apple App Store or Android Play Store. Another app that you may be interested in is called Voice Dream Reader app. This app is also available through Apple App Store and Android Play Store.
There was a seminar using Voice Over on Apple mobile devices. You are able to do many things on the devices without needing to see the screen, for example email, texting, calling, note taken, browsing the Internet and many more things. I encourage you to visit Apples Voice Over webpage. There is a website that has Apple apps specific for the blind, the website is called applevis.com. Some of the apps that you may be interested in are apps that detect how much light there is in the room. These types of apps are good when you want to use an OCR Reader like KNFB app because you need to know if the room has good light to be able to scan the document. Another app that you may be interested in is currency reader. That type of app can tell you what the domination of the dollar bill is you have. My favorite app that you may be interested in is Tap TapSee. Tap TapSee is an app that describes the picture that you took. For example, you take a picture of a black cat with your smart photo and Tap TapSee will verbally say black cat. These are some apps that you can get for your smart phone to help you through daily life.
One of the guest speakers was Non 24, this company helps total blind people with sleep patterns and help the body sync with the 24-hour day. The disorder that they spoke of is called Sleep-Wake Disorder. Total blind people can get this disorder. The disorder is a result of a body clock that is out of sync. This disorder can cause exhaustion, difficulties of sleeping and staying asleep. When you are totally blind you may lose the rhythm of day and night and Non 24 can help you. You can call them at 1-855-856-2424.
Nebraska Association of Transportation Professionals spoke at the convention. They spoke about how they are trying to have public transportation from east to west Nebraska. They have started a new service in Scottsbluff Nebraska with a company name Liberty. This company is like Uber, but it is ran by Nebraska Association of Transportation Professionals and its mostly geared for rural areas.
Nebraska Library Commission Talking Books was one of the guest speakers. They talked about how a blind person can still read. These books are provided in a digital format. As a blind person you listen to these books. They have many different categories to choose from. Also you can get audio books from Book Share. Book Share is an accessible online library for people with print disabilities. A good resource to get news is from NFB Newsline. NFB Newsline is a free service to those who cannot read regular newsprint.
Nebraska Secretary of State's Office was one of the guest speakers. He spoke about how a blind person can vote. There are private forms that can be sent to you by mail. Also in each voting office there are person that can help you with the form. Two people will be with you all times, one who is republican and the other who is democratic that way they do not sway any votes.
One seminar that they had was called 1Touch. 1Touch is a self defense technique. These seminar was an introduction of basic movements and concept of the 1Touch system, including One Touch. One Step, Releases, Feeds, Basic Locks, Contouring and Touch Strike. These techniques can help you build confidence to effectively respond to the sort of unexpected situations that could impact a blinds personal safety.
I did not have a chance to attend but they had a seminar regarding Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance, Nebraska Work Incentives planning and Assistance, Medicare and Medicaid. These website are important if you are planning to advance into the workforce or you are needing state assistance.
If you are into learning you may want to consider Hadley Institute For The Blind and Visual Impaired. Their classes are free. Another option is Learning Ally they are looking to provide for all people to have equal opportunities to learn. The program that I am attending Commission For The Blind of Nebraska can also provide you with training experience.
I attended the National Association of Blind Student (NABS) business meeting. I became a member of the National Association of Blind Student because I will be a student end of November at the blind center in Lincoln Nebraska. That is when I will be doing my full training.
Adventures of Oskar and Klaus are good books for kids that are blind. Adventures of Oskar and Klaus was one of the guest speakers at the convention. He spoke about how the characters came to his mind. Oskar, who is a real cat, has visual impairment. Jamie, who is the owner of the cat put some videos on Youtube and people were commenting on how sorry they felt about Oskar. Oskar is a very playful and happy cat, so Jamie did not understand why people felt sorry for Oskar. So that is when he had the thought about the characters to show that there is no reason to feel sorry for Oskar. Few comments about a cat brought some good books that can teach kids about blindness and how just using some techniques you can live your life.
A boy that is in high school and his father told there story about how the National Federation of The Blind has helped them and with that inspiration how the boy is able to live his life rather than feeling sorry for himself. It was a very touching story. Another student who is the President of the National Association of Students spoke about how close and possible is for him to be able to reach his goals of becoming a director of music. Another story that inspires.
I attend the Annual NFBN Banquet. The president, vice president and board members spoke at the banquet. It was nice to meet and have a good conversation with many people. The following is the message they had for us.
Live the life you want
nobody can stop you,
Shoot for the sun,
break on through,
So your blind, you'll be fine. we've got good news,
you can live the life you want
we know the truth.
Grab a cane, get trained. gotta get moving.
Make a Change, earn a wage. that's what we're doing.
Come with me.
to live the life you want.
You and me, NFB
let's dream together,
NFB, you and me
lives on forever,
you will see.
You can live the life you want, nothing can stop you.
Shoot for the sun, break on through,
So your blind, you'll be fine, we've got good news,
you can live the life you want,
cause we know the truth.
you can live the life you want,
cause we know the truth.
The NFB is a great organization. They help may people to achieve their goals and encourages them to live the life that they want. With scholarships, partnerships, programs, federal and state Legislation and good people that like to help. I would like to give one example of how this organization does fight for the blind people. There was a problem with Uber drivers not wanting to provide service to people that have guide dogs. The NFB stepped in and worked with Uber on that issue. The NFB will continue fighting for the blind people like providing accessibility to kiosk. I have had great experience with the organization. To me it really seems that they do care for the people and they want to see people become successful.
On October 24, 2016 I went to Lincoln Nebraska to the Nebraska Commission For The Blind And Visually Impaired Lincoln District Offices Orientation Center. That is were I went for my three day stay to shadow couple students that are currently attending the blind center. Also this is the place were I will go for my 6-9 months training. While I shadowed the students I was wearing the sleep shades. Each class is two hours long.
The first day I met all the staff and students. I shadowed a student that will be graduating Friday the 28th. The first class that I did was cane travel. There was an intern that gave me the t1our of the blind center. After that he had me explore the blind center by myself. It was ok for being my first time. I did not get terribly lost. My second class was braille. Braille was a challenge for me because I am not too good at feeling the braille dots, but I did good. The first class I was able to learn A-J and read words that had only those letters in them. After lunch we attended a seminar about favorite mobile apps. They spoke about the same apps that they spoke about at the NFB Nebraska Convention 2016. This is the link to the section I spoke about those apps. My fourth class was home management, and we spoke about what the class was and some techniques of how to label food, cans and clothes. The most common technique is labeling with braille but can use other techniques like puff paint, safety pins, using bags or containers and you can come up with your own system that works for you. That was my first day. The hardest part was wearing the sleep shades for 8 hours and that included two 20-minute breaks. The only time we were able to take the shades off was for lunch and that was for an hour.
My second day I started the day with some cane travel. This time I went outside and with the intern and we went to the bus stop and to a bridge that is close to the blind center. I learned how to walk between cars and listen to my surroundings. I had the chance to practice my cornell directions. My second class was home management. In this class I cut some celery, cleaned the counters and washed the knife and cutting board. Also in this class I learned how to sew a bottom. It took me 3 times to get it right. It was very difficult because everything is so thin and skinny, is hard to find them and work with them under sleep shades. After lunch I had braille and I started learning I-T. It's harder to read letters that have I-T because there are more braille dots and they feel like they are in a clump. After class I asked the instructor how I did and she said that I am doing very well in just two days I learned A-T. We got early that day because the instructors had meetings.
On day 3 and last day of the 3 day stay we carved pumpkins. They gave us some ideas of how we can decorate the pumpkins. Some of the ideas was tracing a Halloween cookie cutter or a template that was stiff that way you could tape it to the pumpkin and trace the template. Another idea was to use a drill and make a design with the holes, or curve just the hard part of the pumpkin and leave the inside of the pumpkin, or do the old fashion way and curve the pumpkin. You can use tooth picks to make designs or if you make a mistake you can use the tooth picks to hold the mistake. You can use paint, glitter, puff paint, markers and glass beads to decorate the pumpkin.
The instructors shared few techniques with us to curve the pumpkin. The first techniques was to put a small foam plate through the stem and than you can feel the plate and cut around the plate while guide yourself around the plate. After you cut the top of the pumpkin make a small triangle on the pumpkin that way you know what way the top of the pumpkin should go on. After you do that you will take out the guts out of the pumpkin save the seeds if you like and use a big spoon to scrap the pumpkin insides to get all the goop out. When you are ready to curve the pumpkin go very slow with the knife and with the hand that you do not have the knife gently guide the knife from the back of the knife blade. While you are curving twist the blade of the knife to the side that is going to be cut off. When you do that you can feel the line that you cut and you can easily have an idea if you are going straight or not.
After curving the pumpkin I headed home. I enjoyed learning things without using my eyes. I really believe that this techniques will help me currently in my life and in the future. Really the only part I did not enjoy was having to wear the sleep shades all day long. That is the biggest complaint of everyone that has going through the program or is going through the program. They have told me that wearing the sleep shaded will not bother me as much after few weeks. I also have the normal emotions that everyone has like nervousness, anxiety, feeling that everything is hard but the most important one is excited. I can not wait until I have the complete confidence of doing things without using my eyes and have the satisfaction of completing the 6-9 month training. I will start my 6 month training on November 28, 2016. I will miss my wife and son but I am not just doing this for myself, I am doing this for my family also. We have a good life but I want them to have a great life and me achieving my goals I can provide that life to them.
On November 9 I meet with Angie for the first time after the 3 day stay. She gave me some pictures from FYI, the training I did in North Platte back in September. Click here to see me training under sleep shades. We also spoke about the instructors saying that I did a very good. We talked and went through paper work for the up coming 6-9 month training that I will be doing on November 28.
On November 18, I had a meeting with Jane who is the technology person for the commission for the blind. She showed me couple website where I can go through some lessons on how to use Jaws and NVDA. Jaws and NVDA (non-visional desktop access) are the screen readers that I will be learning in my 6-9 month training.
On November 23, I meet with Angie. We went on cane travel to the corner of Walgreens. When Angie was explaining to me how to cross the street on a green light, a man with his daddy came and asked Angie if she was training me how to do cane travel. Angie said yes. The man became blind a year ago. We spoke for a little bit. I told him that Commission for the Blind is a great program. He will contact Angie to become a client. That was a cool thing that happened because me being out there and him seeing me doing the cane travel and me telling him my experience with the Commission of the Blind, I feel that I helped someone. After that I practiced crossing all four corners of the intersection.
After practicing the intersection we went inside of Walgreens and Angie showed me how to follow a guide person. I took Angie's elbow and followed her through Walgreens isles. You can also hold onto the basket and the guide person will be in front of the basket and guide the basket. She told me how to shop with the guide person. It is the law that every store have the service of a personal shopper. Personal shopper is a guide person that will take you around the store and help you shop. Do not feel acquired because that is their job to help you shop. Be sure to have them hand you everything that way you can feel the item and decide if that is the item you want to buy.
On November 28 I left from Scottsbluff Nebraska to Lincoln Nebraska to the blind center for the full length training. The training is for 6-9 months. I am hoping to complete the program in 6 months. I will update Journey To A Career section every week. I will write a summary of my training and week.
It takes about 7 hours to get to Lincoln. When I got to Lincoln, the only thing I did was get the key for the apartment and unpacked.
On the second day went through the apartment guidelines and regulations. Also went to the grocery store. The Commission of the Blind provides you with $125 every month for groceries.
The third day was my first day of classes and was my birthday. I did some paperwork for the classes. My schedule is wood shop, cane travel, computers and home management. When any of the classes I mentioned have an office day than I go to braille.
On my fourth day we decorated a Christmas tree. I helped put up the Christmas tree and I put some balls on the Christmas tree. I also made microwaved peanut brittle. Click here to get the recipe for the microwave peanut brittle.
My summary of my week. In shop I started to learn the click rule. The click rule is a tool that a blind person to measure wood or other materials. Click rule has many lines that equal to 1/16. Every time you move to the next line it makes a click noise and that means you have gone to the next line or you have make the rode 1/16 bigger. This is a video on Youtube to demonstrate how to use a click rule.
I did some cane travel inside the training center. Started to re-learn the basic key strokes for the screen reader software Jaws. Jaws is a program that reads the screen to you. Click here to learn more about Jaws. In braille I finished learning the alphabet and starting to read real words. In home management class I practiced writing with writing guides. Writing guide is a black plastic paper with cut out fields that way you can be guided to write. You put the writing guide over the paper you want to write on.
In wood shop I learned how to measure pieces of wood and boxes with the click rule tool. Used the awl in wood shop. Awl is a tool to make lines on the wood. Used the the triangle square. Triangle square is a tool that lets you make straight lines. Also used a hammer and the awl to make holes. Used a crimper to measure drill bits.
In cane travel I walked to the bus stops by myself. I also learned a new cane travel technique that is called step slide. That is when you tap the cane and let the cane slide. That lets you feel more of the surface of the floor and curbs. Learned couple techniques to go up and down stairs with the white cane. When you go up or down stairs you tap the cane on the stair that you will be stepping on and tapping the cane on the opposite side of the foot that you will be step with. The second technique is hitting the lip of the stair that you are going to step on. I learned how to differentiate between street and drive ways. There are 6 ways you can tell street from a drive way. 1. curb and sidewalk slant. 2. Texture of the surface. 3. The street crown. 4. Gutter line. 5. Drive ways slant to the street. 6. there is a sim before the street where the poored the drive way after the street was there.
Still re-learning basic key strokes in Jaws.
In home management I cooked quesadillas. Learned how to chop onion, make sure the pan is in the middle of the burner, and flip the quesadillas. I also fried some tator tots. I learned how to use a fryer, put food into the fryer and how to season food. To guide you to put food into the fryer you use a fork. To season food you put your palm of your hand down and open your fingers. With your fingers you touch the food and sprinkle the season on top of your hand and let the season go through your fingers. That way you can feel how much you are seasoning. I also made Turtle Squares. Click here to view the Turtle Square recipe.
Still reading basic words in braille. Finished lesson 1 and starting lesson 2. Lesson 2 is punctuation. I started to learn the stylies and slate. Styles is the tool you use to make the bumps on the paper for braille. The slate is the tool you use to help guide you to write braille. I brailled out the alphabet and my name.
In wood shop I learned how to operate the table saw. It is not hard to operate under sleep shades but you need to follow the steps and go slow that way you will not get hurt.
In cane travel I went around the blind centers block. Also this week walked to the bus stop to go to the grocery store with my sleep shades. When we got dropped of in front of the grocery store, we got off the bus and walked through the grocery store parking lot and walked up to the grocery store. In the grocery store we got a personal shopper. We gave her our grocery list and we held onto the back of the grocery basket. She was in front of the grocery basket and steering the basket. She grabbed the grocery items for us and told us the price and brands of the grocery items. She helped us to ckeck out and walked us out to the front of the grocery store to wait for Uber. We put the grocery bags in the trunk of the Uber car and Uber took us back to the apartments. When we arrived at the apartments, we took out the grocery bags and took them up to our apartments. The travel to the grocery store and back to the apartments was a hard experience. When I was sitting on the bus and I could not see anything that made me think how very thankful for the sight that I have and also the fact that I did not feel independent when shopping made me feel strange. That feeling will go away in time. The first time of doing anything is hard.
In computers I started lesson 1 on dictation. It's hard for me because I am not use to listening to synthesised voice.
In home management I learned how to cut things in a baking pan with a cutting guide. Cutting guide is a piece of wood that you follow the edge of the wood with the knife. I made chocolate fudge. Click here to get the recipe.
In braille I started to read basic sentences.
On Thursday of this week we had a training activity. All staff and students went to the mall. We received $40. With the $40 we had to buy something for a $1, something blue, something that made me happy, a treat, a gift for someone, something that relaxes me and lunch. The activity was to spend the $40 and or close to $40 without going over $40. I but a lollipop for a $1, blue slippers for my son, bought chocolate that made me happy, bought a cookie from cookie company that was my treat, bought a ceramic coffee cup for my wife, bought a cappuccino that relaxes me and pizza for lunch. I spend $40 exactly, how I did that was went up to a kiosk and asked if I can spend $4.66 and that is when I bought the chocolates. It was a long but fun day. I learned how to navigate through the mall. How you do that is by smells, sounds and land marks. Learned how to go through small clothing isles. How you do that is by using a specific grip on the cane that is called pencil grip. What the pencil grip is holding the cane like a pencil. I also Learned how to use the escalator. The way you figure out were the escalator is by listening for the escalator, also by touching the black rubber rail of the escalator you can feel what way the black rubber rail is moving. The last thing I learned was how to carry a tray. The way you do that is by putting your arm underneath the tray and holding the outside of the tray with.
This week we started the week by wrapping gifts. It was a good activity because the goal was to wrap the gift and not worry about how prefect the gift wrapping was.
This week was my first time going on cane travel in snow and ice. There was many times that I almost fell, luckly I did not fall. Thing to keep in mind when traveling in snow and ice. When traveling in snow and/or ice be sure to keep your cane in contact with the surface at all times. By doing that you will get a lot more feed back from your cane. You will be able to feel the slickness of the ice and the depth of the snow. If it is possible walk on the grass rather than on the sidewalk because on the grass there is no ice and you will have more traction. If you do need to walk on slick surfaces, walk with smaller steps and be sure to steps with your full foot hitting the surface rather than just your heal or toes hitting the surface. If you do fall, tuck your chin towards your chest, point your fingers for, try to fall on your butt if that is not an option try to fall in a fetal position that is the best way to not get hurt.
We decorated cookies with frosting and sprinkles. We used a butter knife to spread the frosting and used our back of our hand with open fingers to sprinkle the sprinkles. We also put a rubber band around a bowl that way you can dip the face of the cookie and than slide the face of the cookie against the rubber band. When you do that it leaves a smooth face on the face of the cookie and drips the excess frosting into the bowl.
In braille I'm writing basic sentences.
In home management I cooked some pepper mint chocolate fundge. To get the recipe click Here.
I am back from Christmas break. In wood shop I learned how to use the hand drill. You put a wood of block next to the drill bit to be sure that the drill bit is straight up. When you get the drill bit straight, you remove the wood block and drill the whole. After I got confident in using the hand drill, I learned how to use the drill press. The drill press is a machine that you press the drill down and it will make the whole for you. You will put the wood on the table of the drill press. Be sure that the drill bit is above the spot you want to make the whole. When you are ready to make the whole, turn on the machine and turn the lever. Sometimes you are not able to put the wood on the table of the drill press that is why is a good idea to learn how to use the hand drill.
In cane travel I walked around the block by myself. This time it went better. I did not get lost. I walked around the block of 46 and 47th street. When I walked around there I ended up in a parking lot. A good thing that I heard a bus because I was able to follow the sound of the bus back to the center. I also walked down Valley Rd. to 40th street and back to the blind center. Valley Rd. is where the blind center is located. I was the shadower for the person who was doing the three day stay. I had the chance to teach her some techniques on cane travel.
In computer class I started to listen to some JAWS tutorials.
In home management, I finished my recipes and I wrote out my grocery list. I used a paper that has ridges on it. You write in between the ridges. I think is a good paper to use for notes.
I am going through lesson 3 in braille. is learning numbers and special characters.
This week we had a potential client that is doing her 3 day stay. A client that is attending school and I were the people that cooked for the 3 day stay meal. We cooked chili. We baked corn bread and cinnamon rolls. We also cut up some veggies. It was a lot of work but it was a good experience. I learned how to fry ground beef. open cans with the can opener and bake cinnamon rolls. Everything came out good.
This week started out with a ice storm. We had Martin Luther King Jr day on Monday and then on Tuesday we stayed at the apartments because of the ice storm. Thursday we stayed at the apartments because staff had training.
This week in cane travel I walked by myself from Valley Rd., wish is the road that the center is on to 44th street. It is a straight walk from Valley road to 44th street, however some how I crossed a road somewhere and ended up on someones drive way. I had to trace my steps back until I know where I was. When I figured out where I was I felt the sun on my left side wish was the south side. So when I thought about that, I just kept the sun on my left side and after that I did not have any issues.
In home management I made white rice with veggies. I sautéed zucchini, onion, jalapeños and green pepper. After the rice was cooked I mixed the veggies and the rice together. The veggies came out good. The rice came out ok, it needed more water and more time but was eatable.
In braille class I had to write 14 recipes. It was hard to write them, it was hard to come up with the recipes.
This week we had a seminar. The seminar was about Descriptive Audio. Descriptive Audio is used in Movies and TV shows to describe what is happening on the screen. This service very helpful for the blind because they are able to enjoy the TV show or movie and join there family and friends to watch TV shows and movies. Major TV networks have this service on many shows. Netflix offers this service. Also movie theaters have this service on many movies. When you go to the movie theater, you will want to have an employee test the equipment for you before the movie starts. If this service is not working on your TV, you will want to be sure that your TV is setup correctly. You can go acb.org for more information. If you need help to setup descriptive audio on Netflix please click here.
This week I did a Kuder assessment test. Kuder assessment is a tool that helps you figure out what type of jobs you would be interested in. They give you many questions and the result is based on how you answered the questions. Keep in mind there is no wrong answer, there is just a right answer and the right answer is answering the questions truthfully. The recommandation to me was business jobs and than computers jobs.
This week we had a seminar regarding "Why Community Service?". Community service is important to get involved in because it can provide you with many opportunities. Volunteering gives you a good feeling, gives you enjoyment of doing something that you love, it gives you a opportunity to get a job and build a social network. Do not think because you are blind you cannot get involved in community service. Show the community that blind people can make a difference and they can be independent. Strive to show your skills and perhaps gain some skills by volunteering.
This week in wood shop, I learned how to use and setup the table saw.
This week in cane travel, I explored and another student the block of Valle Rd. to 44th St. to A St. to 48th St. and back to Valle Road. Also we explored a street that is close to the center that is called Bryson Street. Bryson St. starts on 48th St. and curves back to Valle Road. We did not have any issue but its always easier to travel with someone else. On Tuesday I crossed F St. which is not busy but 48th St. is busy. The instructor gave me more techniques how to cross a street. We spoke about how to listen to the traffic. For example when 48th St. is on the right side of you, you are listening to the traffic that is coming towards you. If that traffic is going steady than you know that no one is going to turn into F St. or turn into 48th St. because there's traffic. The only traffic that is going to turn into F St. is the traffic that is coming towards you and you will be able to hear the car slow down and you know that the driver has a good view of you. That situation is when you are wanting to cross F Street. When 48th St. is on your left side you are listening to the traffic that is behind you because if that traffic is steady than you know that the only traffic is going to turn into F St. is the traffic behind you and you are able to hear the vehicle slow down. You are still paying attention to all side of traffic but you are paying more attention to the traffic that I mentioned above. On Wednesday I traveled in snow. It is difficult to travel through snow because you are not able to feel the texture of the surface. I ended up in multiply times in the road and on the grass. To help you travel through snow you have to move the snow with your cane. When the snow is deeper than 3-4 inches it is hard to move the snow with your cane. Through practice you will be able to feel if it is snow or grass.
This week in computers, I started to get into JAWS exercises. In the exercises I am learning how to read by letter, word, line, sentence and paragraph. I have learned more JAWS commands and windows keystrokes.
This week in home management, I cooked Carne Asada Tacos. The meat was already pre-seasoned, so I just had to cook it. The meat came out good but it was to salty for my taste. I also chopped cilantro, jalapeños and onion. On Tuesday I made bacon cheese hamburgers. I chopped jalapeños and onion. I mixed the jalapeños and onion into the ground beef. I fried the hamburger and bacon. The bacon is little more difficult to make than the hamburger because its hard to know how much more the bacon is going to keep on cooking when you put it on a plate. One of the techniques that I learned was to lay the bacon towards the handle of the pan that way if the pan moves you know where in the pan the bacon is at. Alos you can pick up the bacon and shake it, you will feel how cooked it is because if is not cooked it will wiggles more than when it is cooked. Another dish I made this week is red sauce beef enchiladas, to get the recipe click Here. The only part I was nerves about was transferring the enchiladas into the plastic container. An easy way to transfer the enchiladas to the container is use two spatulas. Use one spatula underneath the enchilada and the other one on top of the enchilada that way you have a good hold onto the enchilada, than quickly put it in the container.
This week in braille, I finished lesson 4. Lesson 4 was about math symbols like plus, percent, degrees and other ones.
We had a seminar regarding Uber and Lyft. They spoke about how these companies work and how they can make our travel easier. These two companies have an app that you can download onto your Android or iPhone. The advantages of using Uber or Lyft are that they provide faster service because the closest driver will pick you up. Another advantage is that they are much cheaper than a taxi and you can track your driver and pay on your phone.
We played Price Is Right for budgeting activity. They had an advertisement of a grocery store and they had us guess the advertised price of the item. We also talked about sometimes they say 2 for 5 and it's cheaper to get only one rather than 2.
This week I gave my first seminar and it was on "Observation". There was a short story told and than there was true or false questions after hearing the short story. If you did not completely paid attention to the question you got it wrong because the questions added details to the story that made the question false. This activity showed us that we need to observe and not assume. Not just blind people but everyone should observe your surroundings with other senses like hearing, smelling and touching. When you assume you can get into trouble and by observing you will get that detailed information that you need to make the correct decision. For an example, when you cross the street you observe the traffic and your surroundings. If you assumed that there was no traffic you could get hit by a car or bike. When you observe you learn and that can be the smallest thing but you have learned something.
On Wednesday I did my first "Drop". "Drops" is an activity that you do for cane travel once a month. The mobility instructor and a driver takes you to a place that you have travel to and drops you there. When you get dropped, you do not know where you got dropped off at. When you get out of the car, your job is to get back to the blind center. I got dropped of at 44th and B Street. The way I know that I got dropped of there was because when I got out of the car I heard the traffic on my right side and when I stepped onto the curb there was no sidewalk. That was the only place that I have traveled to that did not have a sidewalk. Also the wind was blowing from the north and that told me what direction I was facing. I was able to get back to the blind center with out an issue.
In braille this week I started on lesson 5. Lesson 5 has more symbols. These symbols are related to email or internet addresses.
In cane travel this week I worked on crossing streets with lights. I also walked to Randolph and 40th. That is 6 blocks away from the blind center.
This week in home management I used the George Foreman to grill some steaks. I also made smashed potatoes. I used a blender to smash the potatoes, that was the first time using the blender to smash potatoes. I also fried chicken. I had to cut the whole chicken into pieces and than roll the chicken pieces into the flour and than I fried the chicken in a frying pan.
These is me working on my braille homework when I went back home for a week.
In braille this week I finished lesson 6, 7 and started on lesson 8. Lesson 6 was learning more punctuation ("", '', (), []). Lesson 7 is about learning contracted braille. Contracted braille is where some words have shortcuts such as the letter 'c' that represents the word 'can'. There are many Braille contractions. Braille contractions will help you write in braille faster because you can just write the letter and not the whole word. This link can provide a further understanding of braille alphabet contractions. On lesson 8 I am learning contractions that means a syllable only at the beginning of a word. For an example, dot 2 and dot 5 (lowered c) means 'con'. You can use this on contracted.
In cane travel this week I boxed intersection of Randolph and 48th Street. They call boxing an intersection when you cross all four corners of the intersection. Also I boxed the intersection of A Street and 48th Street. This intersection is the busiest intersection I have boxed by myself. I went to the store and back to the apartments by myself for the first time.
In home management this week I started on writing my next 6 recipes.
In computers this week I worked on the standard menus and the ribbon menus of Word and Excel.
In wood shop this week I started to make my project. My project is a bench toy box for my son Michael. I started to make the legs for the box. The legs are 3 inches by 3 1/2 inches wide. To accomplish this I had to glue 3 boards together. Next week I will sand the glue off the sides and cut the boards to the correct size.
This week in cane travel we had a drop. I got dropped off on 45th and Randolph. I know I was on Randolph because that is the only street that I have been on that had light traffic but speed limit is greater then 25 MPH. On Randolph there is a hill that starts on 46th, when I go to that hill I know that I was on 46th. From there its a straight shot to the blind center. Also this week went to Walgreens on 48th and O Street. A client and I went and boxed the intersection of 40th and A Street. We also had to find what businesses were around that intersection. Going back to the center we got lost. The route we had to take was 40th to D Street and walk up D Street wish turns into Valley Road. We turned to soon, we did not check if there was a push button on the intersection wish that would of told us that it was D Street. This week I went to A Street Market to get groceries for Home Management but going there I had an adventure. It took me an 1 hour to get there and 3 buses to go 7 blocks. I got into the wrong bus and ended up at Walmart so I had to go to downtown to get another bus to take me to 33rd and A Street. It was a frustrating experience but I accomplished the goal of getting the groceries and getting back to the center. On Friday went walking in the snow, I got lost but I got myself back to the center.
This week in computers I finished learning the Microsoft Word's ribbons.
In braille this week I finished lesson 8 and started lesson 9. Lesson 9 are contractions in the middle of a word. These contractions are for double letters like bb and cc so on.
This week in home management I made Chicken Alfredo. I made the sauce for the noodles. It's not to hard, heavy cream, butter, cheese and seasons.
This week in shop, I scrapped off the excess glue of the board. I plank the wood, meaning that I made all the sides the same and all the piece to be flush. After I did that I cut my legs to 3 inches. To finish the legs I sanded the sides of the legs to make them smooth.
This week in braille, I finished lesson 9 and started lesson 10. Lesson 10 as the contractions of (and, for, of, the, with).
This week in home management, I cooked Lazy Potatoes. Lazy Potatoes is a casserole that has chopped potatos, onion, bell peppers and brats mixed with cream of chicken and seasons. I also cooked pepperoni pizza. It turned out good.
This week in home management, I cooked Mexican Rice. To make Mexican Rice you brown the rice first. There is not a good way to tell if the rice is browned. It is going to have to be a good guess. After the rice is browned you add onion and a small can of tomato sauce. After it makes a paste you add your water.
This week we went to a mystery and dinner theater. The thing that I enjoyed was how funny the show was. It was hard to follow the story because we did not have the clues. So we did not really know what was going. I would say it was a good experience but I would not do it again.
This week in wood shop, I started to cut the boards for the toy box.
This week in travel class, I took a student to catch the bus for A Street Market, which is A Street Market is on 33rd and A Street. From there my travel instructor and I walked back to the blind center, 46th and F Street.
This week in computers, I am doing a report for St. Patrick's Day. Also I working on Microsoft Word page layout activity.
This week in braille, I finished lesson 10 and started on lesson 11. Lesson 11 is contractions for (ch, gh, th, sh, and wh).
This week in home management, I baked a chocolate cake and frosted the top of the cake. I also made roast with potatoes and carrots.
For St. Patrick's Day we had a party. We had to cook, clean up and present our report. I made Irish Beef Stew. It came ok, maybe a different recipe would been better. I helped to clean. I gave a summary of my report.
In shop this week, I picked out the wood for the toy box. I cut the back, front, bottom and the side panels of the toy box.
In travel this week, I boxed the 40th and Randolph intersection. I also went to a shopping center of C Street and South Coltner Street. Coltner Street is just past 50th Street. I had little bit of problems finding Coltner Street. After problem solving I was able to find the shopping center.
In computer this week, I worked on formating an article in Word.
In home management this week, We setup a day for my mini meal. My mini meal is on April 7. For my mini meal I need to have 1 main item and 2 sides with a desert. I will be making Enchiladas with Mexican Rice and homemade beans. My desert will be Churros with chocolate sauce.
In braille this week, I finished lesson 11 and started on lesson 12. Lesson 12 has the contractions of (ed, er, ou, ow).
This week in braille, I started and finished lesson 13. Lesson 13 has the contraction of (st, ar, in, en, ing). I started lesson 14. In lesson 14 the contractions are (child, shall, this, when, out, still).
This week in shop, I started and finished cutting slits on the cut sides of the boards to put wood biscuit. Doing this will strengthen the board when I glue all the boards together to make the panels.
This week in computers, I setup my Gmail account in Outlook. I explored the settings in Outlook with Jaws. I went through email, calendar, contacts, task list and notes on Outlook. I also started to work in Excel. I did a monthly budget table exercise in Excel.
This week in travel, I had a drop. They dropped me at 40th and A Street. When I got out of the car I smelled gas. So I know that I was at a gas station. I found the gas pumps. I asked a lady "What street am I facing?" "She said 40th and turned my body to A Street and said that is A Street." So that is how I know that I was on 40th and A Street. This week was my first time traveling downtown. I explored the inside of a build that is called Golds. It use to be a inside mall.
This week in home management, I planned my Mini Meal. I made my grocery list and made a schedule of the day of my Mini Meal. Schedule is a guideline of what time to cook things.
I had a informational interview with the head of the IT department for the blind center. It went good. I learned many things about the job and his experiences.
This week in braille, I finished lesson 14. I started and finished lesson 15. Lesson 15 has the contractions of (be, in, enough, was, were, his). I started lesson 16. Has the contractions of (about, above, according, across, after, afternoon, afterward, again, against, almost, alright, altogether, although, always).
This week in shop, I glued the boards to make the front, back, bottom and the two side panels.
This week in travel, I walked around downtown for the first time. Found addresses for different businesses like Subway, The Cookie Company and the library. I went downtown by myself and found business like Starbucks.
This week in shop, I finished gluing the 5 panels. I also scraped the excess glue from the panels. I plained all the panels that way all the panels are the same depth.
This week in computers, I worked on learning Internet shortcuts. I also instructed some of the clients in computers.
This week in travel, I went downtown and looked for addresses. Also this week we had our drops. I was dropped off between 12th and 13th on P Street. I asked a lady where I was and she told me where I was. I did not have a problem getting back to the bus or to the center.
This week in braille, I finished lesson 16. Started lesson 17. Lesson 17 has the contraction of (blind, braille, children, could, conceive, conceiving, deceive, deceiving, declare, declaring, either, first, friend, good, great).
This week in home management, this will be my last week of home management. I have acquired the skills that I needed. Rather than going to home management I will be going to braille to try and finish the braille code before I graduate in June 16.
This week we had buffet and restaurant etiquette seminar. Some of the stuff we learned was how to set the table correctly. How to cut your meat. How to service yourself at a buffet.
This week in shop, I put on the back support on the back panel. I cut front, back and the two sides to the correct width and length.
This week in computers, I continued working on how to navigate the Internet with Jaws.
This week in travel, my instructor and I went downtown to the Hay Market. I went to Hay Market by myself and located addresses.
This week in braille, I finished lesson 17 and started and finished lesson 18. Lesson 18 is a start of volumne 2 braille book. Lesson 18 has the contractions of (him, himself, immediate, little, letter, much, must, myself, neither, ourselves, paid, perceive, perceiving, perhaps, quick, receive, receiving, rejoice, rejoicing).
This week in home management we BBQ. The home management instructor though us how to turn on the gas and start the gas grill. We used a fork to locate the lid of the gas grill and the grates of the gas grill. We learned how to BBQ chicken, hamburgers and brats.
This week in computers, I continued learning how to navigate the Internet with JAWS. Also continued helping instruct students in computers.
This week in travel, went downtown to locate address. I also crossed 48th and O Street. 48th and O street is a very busy intersection. That intersection has 9 lines of traffic. It is going to be the biggest intersections that they will have us cross. Many client do not get that advanced in travel to cross 48th and O Street.
This week in braille, I started and finished lesson 19. Lesson 19 has the following contractions (said, such, should, them, today, tomorrow, tonight, together, would, its, itself, your, yourself, yourselves). I also started and finished lesson 20. Lesson 20 has the following contractions (because, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond).
This week in braille, I started and finished lesson 21. Lesson 21 has the contractions of (day, ever, father, here, know, lord, mother, name). I started and finished lesson 22. Lesson 22 has the contractions of (one, oneself, part, question, right, some, time, under, work, young). I also started and finished lesson 23. Lesson 23 has the contractions of (character, through, there, where).
This week in home management, I made my salsa because one of the clients passed her citizenship test. We had a party for her.
This week in travel, I instructed a client in travel. We had to go to F Street than to F and 42 Street and than come back to the center on Valley Road. We got lost and had to ask a person for help. I felt bad because it should of been an easy travel route. I learned from my mistakes and gave me experience on instructing a student.
This week in computers, I continued working on navigating the Internet.
This Week in wood shop, I made my special cuts. Special cuts are cuts that make all the boards connect together and makes the corners look good.
This week in braille, I finished lesson 23. I started and finished lesson 24. Lesson 24 has the contractions of (upon, these, those, whose). I started and finished lesson 25. Lesson 25 has the contractions of (cannot, had, many, spirit, their).
This week in travel, I explored the north-west side of 48th and O Street.
This week in shop, I chiseled some corners on the back panel to sub-assemble the toy box. I sub-assembled the toy box. I sanded the panels of the toy box to make the panels smooth. Next I will need to start on the lid part of the toy box.
This week in computers, I played around on the Internet.
This week in braille, I started and finished lesson 25. Lesson 25 has the contractions of (ance, ence, less, ness, sion, tion). I started and finished lesson 26. Lesson 26 has the contractions of (ong, ful, ment, ity, ound, ount).
This week in shop, I finished sanding the box of the toy box. I glued the box of the toy box. I glued the legs on the toy box. Cut the wood for the lid. Made the slits for the bisquets for the lid.
This week in computers, I continued to help instruct a client in computers and continued working on navigating the Internet.
This week in travel, I went to Van Dorn Plaza on 48th and Van Dorn on the bus and walked back to the center. Van Dorn Plaza is about a mile and a half away from the blind center. Also this week we had drops. I was dropped off in the parking lot of the Dollar Tree, on 48th and O Street. I heard the shopping carts and followed the sound. I went into the store and asked; what was the name of the store. From there I know were I was. Traveled to 48th and cotner. I had to find the main entrance to Bryan Medical Center. I did not have trouble finding the entrance because I followed the cars to the parking garage and than from there followed the people to the entrance of the hospital. Going to 48th and Cotner and navigating through the beatifications I got turned around to the north and ended on Cotner. I asked a guy were I was and he told me at was on the corner of Cotner and 50th. From there I know were I was. I went to 56th and Cotner. That intersection is a 6 point intersection. I went around the intersection with the instructor and than by myself. It was not to bad. You have to learn how the street are going. When you learn that, you need to know when to cross with traffic or against traffic.
In shop class, I was not able to finish the toy box for Michael but I did go back few time to the center and finished the toy box.
I had a lot of fun making the toy box for my son Michael. I still need to stain and seal the toy box. I will stain and seal the toy box this spring 2018. After I completely finish the toy box Michael will have a lot of fun climbing on it.
This week in Braille, I finished the Braille book. That was a good accomplishment for me because it was the harder class for me. I am glad I finished the class before I graduated.
This week I did not attend computer class because my focus was on finishing the Braille class.
On Tuesday May 30, 2017, I graduated from Nebraska Center for the Blind. I completed 6 months of Blindness Skills Training. I also accomplished another certificate that day. I became Certified Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Blind (CVRCB). The certification is from State of Nebraska, Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
At my graduation party at the center I was able to take of my sleep shades off. It was a good feeling. The training was very helpful in giving me the skills and the knowledge that a blind individual can live there life as they want. Do not believe if you are disabled that you are not worth something in life. Yes, you will have bigger struggles and fights in life than almost every person that does not have a disability. Yes, you will need to work harder to accomplish success but what a great feeling it is to show and get the respect of people that never believed in you.
July 2017 I had the chance to go to the NFB National Convention in Orlando Florida. There were couple thousand's of blind people attending the NFB National Convention. That was my first time seeing that many blind people in one place. It was great to go because I meet many blind people and made many connections. It was a busy week with a lot of information. I attended few seminars and few meetings. NFB is a great organization they treat the blind people as an individual and fight for the blind people rights.
This was my first time going to the Business Leadership and Superior Training (BLAST). I enjoyed attending this training. They had seminars of how to build business confidence, build a financial portfolio, SSDI and What the Randolph-Sheppard Vendor Needs to Know, Maximizing Profits Through Rebates, Profit and Loss Strategies for the Blind Entrepreneur, Coffee Service 101 for the Blind Entrepreneur, Opportunities in Inmate Commissaries, Practical and Tactical Solutions to Loss Prevention Through Effective Hiring, Writing Effective Business Plans for the Randolph-Sheppard Facility and Micro-Markets and How They Can Increase Profits.
They also had meeting relating to issues, improvement and developments to the Randolph-Sheppard Act and to National Association of Blind Merchants (NABM).
After I graduated from the Nebraska Blind Center. I continued my education at Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I took the Hadley - National Association of Blind Merchants (NABM) Business Enterprise Program Licensee Training (BEPLT) course. This course is specifically designed to train people who are blind or visually impaired to become Randolph-Sheppard vendors. The BEPLT consists of a series of 11 Hadley online business modules, that cover the classroom portion of Business Enterprise Program training. The online curriculum is meant to maximize hands-on practice and to minimize classroom time. I received my Vending Facility Certification of License after 2 1/2 months of starting the course.
August 2017 I took an opportunity of becoming a vendor for the State of Nebraska, at the Nebraska National Guard Camp Ashland Training Site in Ashland Nebraska. I was the general manager and ran the Dining Facility at Camp Ashland. We served mostly sergeants that came to Camp Ashland for their upwards mobility training. There were other types of classes that soldiers came to Camp Ashland to take. Most classes would be 22 days straight. We served breakfast, lunch and dinner. In average we were feeding 200 soldiers every meal but some weekends we would be feeding 200-500 soldiers per meal.
It was my first time performing this type of work and having front row seats working with the military. This job challenged me and my business education and my leader experience. I enjoyed the work and I got some good and bad experiences with managing people, managing a cafeteria and working with the military. It's like any other job there are bad and good. You learn more from the bad experiences. You take those experiences and turn them into positive knowledge.
What made this good opportunity to not a favorable opportunity was the situation that I came into and the reasons I left Camp Ashland. I came to Camp Ashland dining facility to take over the current vendor that was running the dining facility. He was removed because of how he was running the dining facility. The employees that stayed were hostel towards me because they liked the old vendor. Through time I got there respect but around the same time we got noticed from the military that they were going to go GREEN in January 2018; that means that only military personal will be working and running the dining facility. This change was implemented through out the the US. The employees found out about the news through Facebook because the military was posting work positions on Facebook. After the employees found about the closure of the dining facility, I had a horrible time trying to manage the employees because they know that they were going to loss their jobs in January and they did not care about the soldiers or about their jobs.
The good experiences that I got out of this was getting my ServSafe Food Manager Certification. It's a certification that you need to have in the food restaurant industry to be a food manager. Another good experience is the learning process and knowledge of managing people, working with the military and managing a large cafeteria. I made some contentions and meet many good people. I will take this experience and apply it into other future opportunities and projects. The most satisfying of the whole opportunity was showing people that I am capable of running a large food service project and me knowing that I have the skills, knowledge and the want to run a business.
There maybe another opportunity to run an Air Force Base dining facility in the end of this year 2018. I do not have a lot of information on it right now. I will keep you informed.
I worked with Nebraska Commission of the Blind and Visually Impaired (NCBVI) and the Teaming Partner WGS Consulting and Investments from 2018 - March 2020 on the Offutt Air Force Base STRATCOM cafeteria. This cafeteria is called Deterrence Diner. I was appointed to be the Facility Manager. I created the business plan, employee manual, company policies, standard operating procedures, setup suppliers... everything except the facility equipment.
On July 8, 2019 was Deterrence Diner grand opening. It was a good grand opening because NCBVI staff helped to make it a good grand opening. Without them it wouldn't been. I emphasize this because they were the only people that provided me support.
My time at Deterrence Diner was short. I decided to step down from the Nebraska Business Enterprise Program or known as Randolph-Sheppard Program. I believe there were and are many irregularities, minipulation and non following of program bylaws. Those are reasons why I decided to follow another career.
Late 2022 I was asked if I would consider becoming a commissioner for NCBVI. By February 2024 I was on the board of commissioners servicing as a commissioner member. As Commissioner my responsibilities include employing an Executive Director for the agency and annually evaluating their performance. I provide guidance to the Executive Director in executing NCBVI’s mission and seek input from both consumers and staff through public meetings, surveys, and correspondence. I approve rules, regulations, and policies adopted by NCBVI, and maintain a working knowledge of the Rehabilitation Act (WIOA), along with other necessary materials for the operation of the commission. As a liaison between the public and NCBVI, I attend agency functions whenever possible and meet with the staff as often as feasible. Additionally, I review written and in-person agency reports and budgetary information, monitoring processes for efficiency. I also respond to inquiries from consumers, NCBVI employees, and the public regarding the commission’s programs, policies, and procedures, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information is provided. I make recommendations to improve NCBVI’s operations and services for consumers, and develop and maintain a Commissioner Information Packet to aid in training new Board members.
I have been able to attend National Federation of the Blind Nebraska Convention 2023 and 2024. I also attended the American Council of the Blind National Convention 2024. Nebraska Commission of the Blind and Visually Impaired Training Center celebrated 50 years on October 15, 2024 and I was able to attend.
Being a commissioner for the NCBVI has been a great and fulfilling experience. It gives me the chance to help make sure people who are blind or visually impaired get the support they need to live independently. I get to work with a team that cares about making a real difference, and I’m proud to be part of decisions that improve services for the blind community. It’s an honor to connect the public with NCBVI and help create a more inclusive world for people with visual impairments. This role has also helped me understand the challenges people face and inspired me to keep working to make things better.
I am going to University of Nebraska Omaha for my Management Information Systems (MIS) bachelor's of science degree. I like business and technology and this degree overs both of them. This degree will be my second degree when I finish. My first degree was in Business Administration. The MIS degree will be taking me around 3-4 years.
Fall of 2020 I took 3 courses. They are Precalculus, Introduction to Development, and Organization Application & Technology. All the classes are online becuase of COVID-19. I like the classes to be on online because saves time and you do the work at your own pace. I got an A grade on all 3 courses.
In Organizations, Applications, & Technology course, I wrote a paper that is called "How Education Has Been Affected by Technology". This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of technology on education. It discusses the evolution of education with technology, its influence on educational institutions' business processes, instructional technology, security, privacy, and its effects on communities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper emphasizes the widespread integration of technology in various educational settings, the use of instructional technology as an instructional tool, and the complex business processes involved in delivering effective teaching. It also addresses the significant effects of COVID-19 on the education system and the substantial investment in education technology to ensure continuity in learning. The paper offers a detailed exploration of the multifaceted relationship between education and technology, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read the entire paper by clicking here.
Spring of 2021 I took 2 courses. They are Calculus and Introduction to Java. All the classes are still online becuase of COVID-19. I am little intimidating of calculus because I am not familiar with some of the topics. Java will be my first oriented program that I will be working with. I got an A grade on all 2 courses.
Fall of 2021 I took 2 courses. They are Intro To Applied Stats For IST and Managing Database Environment. I am excited to takes these courses because I will be able to play around with data and databases. I got an A grade on all 2 courses.
In the Introduction to Applied Statistics course, I wrote a paper called "Should You Consider an Electric Vehicle?". The paper explores various aspects of electric vehicles (EVs), focusing on descriptive and inferential statistics related to EV price, acceleration, top speed, battery range, battery capacity, battery efficiency, and rapid charge. It provides an overview of the history and development of EVs, along with a description of the dataset used for analysis, which was obtained from Kaggle.com. The analysis emphasizes the importance of factors such as price, performance, and environmental concerns when evaluating EVs. The paper includes detailed descriptive statistics, covering aspects like price distribution, acceleration times, top speeds, battery ranges, capacities, efficiencies, and rapid charging capabilities. It also incorporates inferential statistics, such as hypothesis testing, to analyze EV prices and their affordability. This comprehensive analysis helps readers make informed decisions about whether to consider purchasing an electric vehicle. In the Introduction to Applied Statistics course, I wrote a paper called "Should You Consider an Electric Vehicle?". The paper explores various aspects of electric vehicles (EVs), focusing on descriptive and inferential statistics related to EV price, acceleration, top speed, battery range, battery capacity, battery efficiency, and rapid charge. It provides an overview of the history and development of EVs, along with a description of the dataset used for analysis, which was obtained from Kaggle.com. The analysis emphasizes the importance of factors such as price, performance, and environmental concerns when evaluating EVs. The paper includes detailed descriptive statistics, covering aspects like price distribution, acceleration times, top speeds, battery ranges, capacities, efficiencies, and rapid charging capabilities. It also incorporates inferential statistics, such as hypothesis testing, to analyze EV prices and their affordability. This comprehensive analysis helps readers make informed decisions about whether to consider purchasing an electric vehicle. You can read the entire paper by clicking here.
Spring of 2022 I took 2 courses. They are IT Infrastructure and Managing a Digital Future. In the IT Infrastructure was able to play around with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Managing a Digital Future was a lot of reading and writing case studies. There were 5 case studies and a PESTEL/SWOT analysis. I got an A grade on all 2 courses.
Fall of 2022 I took 2 courses. They are Web Application Development and Intro to Project Management. I got an A grade on all 2 courses. In the web application course, I was able to develop a small application. The application is called ShowFlick. ShowFlick app is an app where the user can search and perform deep filters to find the show or movie the user is in the mood for. The user can make a list and email the list. They can create, view, edit, delete shows/movies. Also, can create, view, update, and delete actors, genre, and streaming. You can read more and interact with the app by clicking here.
In my project management course, we explored the fundamentals of project planning, scheduling, and control. The curriculum also introduced earned value management techniques, project quality, risk management, and an overview of IEEE Standards for project management. The course aimed to equip us with the tools and techniques necessary to effectively manage projects and drive them to successful completion. The methods we learned are versatile and applicable across various project types, including software development and engineering projects.
Spring of 2023 I took 2 courses. They are Business Intelligence and Full Stack Development. I got an A grade on all 2 courses. In the business intelligence course, I wrote a paper called "An Analysis of Movie Data”. This paper covers various aspects such as dataset description, tools and techniques used, shortcomings and challenges, and outcomes. The analysis utilized tools like Excel, R Studio, and R Markdown, along with techniques such as data cleaning, visualization, and machine learning algorithms. The dataset consists of nearly 10,000 entries of successful movies, including information on budget, revenue, rating, genre, release date, and language. The analysis aimed to identify key factors in the success of movies and provide valuable insights for stakeholders in the movie industry. The paper also discusses the limitations of the TMDB API, including incomplete or inaccurate data, limited access to industry data, and restrictions on the number of requests. The outcomes section presents findings related to movie ratings' performance at the box office and the highest average quality ratings for different film ratings. The analysis was conducted using a combination of data mining tools and techniques to derive meaningful insights from the data. You can read the entire paper by clicking here.
In the full stack course, I developed a small application called MavTrack app. This application allows users to create a training plan. MavTrack will recommend a training schedule based on the user’s response to the questions. The user can view their schedule and mark them completely. The user can increase or decrease the training level. They can also view the progress of their training. You can read more and interact with the app by clicking here.
Summer of 2023, I took 1 course. I got an A grade in the course. It is Intro to Information Security. In this course I wrote a paper called "Unraveling The Menace". This paper focuses on the significance of reverse engineering in cybersecurity. It highlights how reverse engineering provides insights into the workings of software and systems, aids in the analysis of malicious code, and contributes to the development of robust defense mechanisms. The paper emphasizes the practical applications of reverse engineering in malware analysis, vulnerability analysis, and network security, enabling organizations to proactively address security weaknesses and minimize the risk of cyber-attacks. By leveraging the knowledge gained through reverse engineering, organizations can strengthen their cybersecurity posture and create a safer digital environment for all stakeholders. You can read the entire paper by clicking here.
Fall of 2023 I took 2 courses. They are Foundations of Cybersecurity and Information Systems Analysis. I got an A grade on all 2 courses. In the cybersecurity course I wrote an annotation bibliography that is called “Ensuring Cybersecurity in Connected Autonomous Vehicles”. This annotated bibliography explores the cybersecurity challenges of connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs). While CAVs promise to transform transportation by enhancing efficiency and accessibility through communication with other vehicles and infrastructure, they are susceptible to cyber-attacks targeting electronic systems, networks, software, and data. Ensuring their safety requires robust defenses and proactive measures. Research highlights vulnerabilities, countermeasures, and innovative protection strategies to address the complex cybersecurity landscape. Understanding and addressing these challenges is critical for the secure integration of CAVs into the transportation ecosystem. Peer-reviewed sources provide valuable insights into these issues, aiding in the development of effective solutions. You can read the entire paper by clicking here.
I also performed a tool review on OWASP ZAP Software. OWASP ZAP is a powerful and versatile tool. ZAP plays a vital role in identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities within web applications. This tool provides good experience and tools for beginners and professionals. OWASP community is a good resource and provides in depth documentation for web application vulnerabilities. You can read more and watch the entire presentation by clicking here.
In the information systems analysis course, I wrote a project management document for a user account system for an online game. This project document outlines the proposal for an online tabletop trading card game that will be developed. Gaming online is exploding, and the team will leverage the power of replicating the tactile and social aspects of strategic tabletop gaming while enhancing it with digital advantages like immersive online gameplay experience, accessibility, and convenience. Maverick Analyzers (class team name) will focus on having a secure, user friendly, and strong user account system that allows users to create an account, login, logout, reset forgotten password, access their profile page, edit profile page, view home page, and about page. Having a well-developed user account system is important to the success and the trustworthiness of the game. Maverick Analyzers will collaborate closely with our clients and partners to ensure that the account system meets their needs and exceeds their expectations. Maverick Analyzers will continue updating documents to provide up to date analysis. We will provide the design documentation to give the client a detailed overview of the context, flow, and functionality of the user account system. You can read the entire paper by clicking here.
Spring of 2024 I took 2 courses. They are IT Ethics and System Design & Implementation. I got an A grade on all 2 courses. The IT ethics course covered the development and need for issues regarding privacy and the application of computer ethics to information technology.
The system design course I wrote a project management document for a user account system for an online game. This project document is the continuation of the previous project document. This project document outlines the design and implementation of the user account system for the online game. Maverick Analyzers (class team name) will collaborate closely with our clients and partners to ensure that the account system meets their needs and exceeds their expectations. Maverick Analyzers will continue updating documents to provide up to date analysis. We will provide the design and implementation documentation to give the client a detailed overview of the context, flow, and functionality of the user account system. You can read the entire paper by clicking here.
In this course I also developed an app. The app is a User Account System app. The app allows the user to create an account, login, logout, reset forgotten password, access their profile page, edit profile page, view home page, and about page. You can read more and interact with the app by clicking here.
Fall of 2024 I took 2 courses. They are Information Systems Architecture and Organization and Distributed Technologies and Systems. I got an A grade on all 2 courses. I wrote a paper that is called "Draig Airlines Architecture". This paper/project focuses on the fictitious Draig Airlines company. Draig Airlines founded in 2023 and based in Omaha, Nebraska, operates a fleet of seven medium-sized airplanes, offering non-stop service to East and West cities in the United States. The airline aims to replace outdated systems with modern technology to support its growth and improve efficiency.
The project focuses on creating a scalable and reliable IT architecture. This includes moving to cloud-based systems for flexibility and real-time data access, ensuring all locations have instant updates. Cloud-hosted baggage handling systems will be accessible from any airport, while a hybrid storage approach combines local storage for fast, secure tasks with cloud storage for backups and scalability.
The architecture uses microservices to break down tasks like ticketing and baggage tracking into smaller, manageable parts, making it easier to update and maintain. The network design connects the headquarters and airports securely through firewalls and cloud services, ensuring smooth and secure operations. Staff and customer devices, such as terminals, kiosks, and mobile tools, will connect to the system for real-time updates and efficient service.
This new architecture aims to improve customer experience, streamline operations like baggage and ticketing, and provide a flexible system that can grow as the airline expands. You can read the entire paper by clicking here.
Distributed Technologies and Systems course introduced concepts, issues and tools needed to develop distributed computing systems. Topics include distributed systems architecture, middleware, Internet-based systems development, security and performance. Hands-on systems development using current technologies.
In Fall of 2020 I started earning my Bachelor of Science Management Information Systems degree. After 4 years in December 2024, I earned my Bachelor of Science Management Information Systems degree with a 4.0 grade point average.
In September 2024 I applied to the Workforce Recruitment Program. The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) by the Office of Disability Employment Policy helps connect students and recent graduates with disabilities to employers looking to hire. It helps people with disabilities find internships and full-time jobs by matching them with companies that want to hire them. The program gives employers a chance to find talented workers and helps people with disabilities get the opportunity for meaningful work. It's all about making workplaces more inclusive and offering equal job opportunities.
In January 2025 I also applied to Disability:IN's NextGen Leadership Program is designed for college students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to build their leadership skills and pursue careers in business and industry. Applicants should be currently enrolled in a degree program or have recently graduated, demonstrate strong academic performance, and have a passion for advancing inclusion and diversity in the workplace. The program is open to students from all academic disciplines who want to gain real-world experience, develop professional skills, and connect with potential employers. It is ideal for those who are committed to becoming leaders in their fields and contributing to creating more inclusive environments for individuals with disabilities.
I will be looking for employment and hopefully land something soon.