I AM ROBERT LESLIE NEWMAN. With the assistance of my friends at both "thoughtprovoker.info" and "whitsacre" I created this website in September of 1998 and now my own domain. I feel this WWW site is a great blend of my professional interest of counseling and my hobby of writing. I am the sole moderator of what is included within its pages. What follows are personal facts about who I am. From this I am sure you will have a good idea as to why my website is what it is.
ADJUSTMENT TO BLINDNESS AND VISUAL IMPAIRMNET: I am totally blind due to a car accident at age fifteen; that was 1964. Today, as I tell people, I see just as good out of the back of my head as I do the front. When blindness came, I did not, nor did my family receive any worthwhile counseling and/or major support to assist us with our understanding of and/or adjustment to blindness. What did happen is, I was shipped off to the Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped. I was given some blindness skills and awareness at the school, but I needed more. So for me, my adjustment came hard and slow.
The major thrust for this website is to help others to have an easier adjustment than I did. I see These web pages as having a great value in "peer counseling," which I and many others know to be one of the most important actions a person can take to further adjustment to blindness. Other support systems that should be in place are, a supportive family, meet other blind people who have successfully adjusted, develop a philosophy of blindness/life, seek out training programs for adjustment to blindness, learn the necessary blindness skills, get experience and consider taking a hand in helping others to learn about living with blindness. Using the WWW in your effort to fulfill any and/or all of these requirements is a smart move.
PROFESSIONALLY: I am a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. I am employed by the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired and have worked with them for the past thirty-two years. I began as a Placement Counselor and when that position was phased out, became a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, eventually a District Supervisor, next to the position of an Assistant Director of Vocational Services and for personal reasons converted back to a counselor in the field. And, I still like Monday’s.
PERSONALLY: I am married and am a father. My wife’s name is Bonnie and she is a second grade teacher. I have a teenaged daughter, Emily, who is a college student. We live in Omaha, Nebraska, where we own our own home. We have 3 small dogs and a cat.
For travel I am a long White Cane user. As for reading for pleasure and/or work, I use a mix of talking books and Braille (mostly reading my Braille books via WebBraille from the National Library Service on a PAC Mate BX40 and its refreshable Braille display). On the computer I mainly use JAWS for Windows, though I am familiar with Window eyes as well.
At home I share in all house hold duties from cooking, washing dishes, laundry, vacuuming, washing windows, scrubbing floors, pulling weeds, trimming bushes and trees, washing the car, painting, electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, shoveling snow, etc.
EDUCATIONALLY: I have an undergraduate degree for teaching the mentally handicap, gained from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1973. Also under my belt, I have various graduate hours and workshops relating to adjustment counseling, job placement, diseases of the eyes, etc.
Philosophically: I believe in the potential of us all to be what we can be. I find that it takes knowledge, attitude and opportunity to be successful. This certainly includes taking personal responsibility, having a willingness to work on your part to make a change and at times be open to receive and/or give support to others.
I am a long time member of the National Federation of the Blind. I presently belong to the local chapter here in Omaha. This organization works for me and I recommend it to all others.
I plan to keep up this website for as long as it works for me and those who are willing to participate. I encourage any questions, comments or suggestions that you may have.
Finally, know that I am seeking funding to better develop this project. I could use new equipment, faster access and it would be my dream to provide my employer with the resources to fund my efforts to better pursue this website and my short stories and novels; all to due with blindness. If you are aware of any potential resources please do pass on that knowledge and thank you very much.