Darkness. Poverty. Helplessness. And loneliness. They are elements in the imagery that’s long been associated with blindness. But a new generation of blind people is steadily replacing those pictures–not least through an Outward-Bound style of rehabilitation that tries to downgrade blindness from a crippling handicap to a sort of nuisance. Scattered around the States the upstart rehab centers are run entirely by blind people. Their innovative, tough, often controversial methods have earned them the label: “boot camps for the blind”.
The opposition says their training method is unsafe; they say it works. Fred Schroeder, who was handpicked by President Clinton to run the Federal rehabilitation service, is himself blind: he’s not only an advocate of the gritty, can-do training philosophy but a product of it as well. Fred Schroeder’s mission-changing what it means to be blind–is this hour on The Connection.
(Hosted by Christopher Lydon)
Guests:
Fred Schroeder, Commission of Rehabilitation Services. Joanne Wilson, Director for the Louisiana Center for the Blind.