Edward Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC
Latest posts by Edward Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC (see all)
- The Elephant in the Room - July 24, 2020
- Leading Voices of Diversity and Inclusion - June 17, 2020
- Keeping Up With Your Braille Knowledge At This Time - March 27, 2020
- SurveyGizmo and PDRIB Power Ground-Breaking Research on Blindness - February 27, 2020
- Making a Distinction: Teachers of Blind Students - August 12, 2019
Leading Voices of Diversity and Inclusion
Lift Every Voice…
By Dr. Sheena Manuel
Future Reflections, a magazine for parents and teachers of blind children, published their latest journal focusing on ethnic and cultural diversity. Great timing! The leading voices of this journal revealed the mission and vision of the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University. We take pride in educating and preparing those who are called to be educators, consumers, counselors, and change agents in the blindness field. Several authors in the journal’s Special Issue bear the fruit of our labor.
Leading Voice Rosie Ramirez Carranza introduces the issue as one that explores and examines issues related to blindness along with identity, ethnicity, and culture. She urges us to engage in self-reflective practices in hopes that we transform into people who search for a deeper understanding of the world around us. She reminds us of the importance of “recognizing the continued and intensified segregation by race and class within the United States public education system.” She’s leading us toward the goal of equity. Read Navigating Toward Equity for the full story.
Equity is freedom from bias, favoritism, partiality, and prejudice.
Leading Voice Colin Wong is a 2017 Louisiana Tech graduate and an NOMC (National Orientation and Mobility) instructor. He speaks to us about Chinese American culture. He informed us that in his culture blindness is viewed as life-ending. Despite the cultural norms, his father taught him that success involves facing discrimination and prioritizing education.
Colin engaged us in dialogue about the myth of the Model Minority and how this theory created an educational resource gap for him. Dealing with expectations, Colin revealed that “his personal high expectations as a Chinese student seemed out of reach due to the lowered expectations his disability created.” Through living, learning, and the strength he drew from his family, he knows that he is not a model minority, he is not a broken sighted person, but he is a leading voice for staying true to his cultural foundations and overcoming the systemic barriers of the education system. Read My Education Narrative: Negotiating School and Culture as a Blind Chinese American for the full story.
Leading Voice Justin Salisbury is a 2013 Louisiana Tech graduate an NOMC (National Orientation and Mobility) instructor. He leads the conversation about Indian (also known as indigenous) culture. He stated that “it is vital to start [the conversation] by explaining
settler colonialism, the act of replacing the original population of a territory along with replacing the customs and culture of the people.
Justin believes that attempts to invalidate identity exist within the Indian culture as well as the blindness field. He understands that as Indian and blind the public has many misperceptions and stereotypes about both minority groups. He warns, “my culture is not a costume!” Justin hopes to live in harmony with the privileged majority groups and make his dreams a reality by working together. Read Reflections from Turtle Island: The Intersection of Blindness and Indigenous North American Identity for the full story.
Leading Voice Conchita Hernandez Legorreta is a 2012 Louisiana Tech graduate and teacher of blind students (TBS). She speaks to us about Latinx culture and immigrant backgrounds. In her article, Educating Blind English Learners: A Conversation with Conchita Hernandez Legorreta, she allowed us to get a view of her life as an immigrant with a disability. She learned from her family the importance of support, mentoring, and modifications. She understands the difficult decision her parents made when they migrated to the United States for her to receive better resources and services. Conchita stated that she is bearing the fruit of her parents’ labor.
One fruit in particular is mentioned in her article, Cambiando Vidas: How a Small Group of Friends Started a Movement, where she details how her and a group of friends started a movement. As they planned a trip to visit a school for the blind in Guadalajara, they created and founded METAS (Mentoring, Engaging, and Teaching All Students), a nonprofit organization. Their organization and movement focus on educating and supporting blind Spanish-speaking individuals and their families. Conchita is another fruit of the labor at the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness.
As an African American woman from a single-parent home in rural Louisiana, I, Sheena Manuel, can attest to the systemic barriers in public education. From personal experience, I know how low expectations from others influence our lives. I am also aware of the desires of those who look to replace my culture. Like our former graduates, I value family and my support system when staying true to myself while fighting for the rights of myself and others.
We at the Institute on Blindness are committed to providing leadership in creating methods, techniques, and programs that empower blind individuals.
Want to become a leading voice…
Visit www.pdrib.com to find out more about our degree programs and research work.
Edward Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC
Latest posts by Edward Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC (see all)
- The Elephant in the Room - July 24, 2020
- Leading Voices of Diversity and Inclusion - June 17, 2020
- Keeping Up With Your Braille Knowledge At This Time - March 27, 2020
- SurveyGizmo and PDRIB Power Ground-Breaking Research on Blindness - February 27, 2020
- Making a Distinction: Teachers of Blind Students - August 12, 2019
