Today, as never before, blind people are leading normal productive lives. There are many reasons... but one of the most important is the role that blind people are now playing in changing their own destiny. Through self-organization in the National Federation of the Blind, the blind are changing the course of services and programs for blind persons from traditional custodial approaches to innovative and exciting ones which stress self-sufficiency and independence. THE LOUISIANA CENTER FOR THE BLIND is one of the leaders in a handful of these new programs.
“I am now 23 years old and finishing up at Louisiana Center for the Blind, a training center which uses the teaching philosophy of structured discovery learning. My outlook on being blind has changed completely due to training I have received here at the center and with my involvement with the National Federation of the Blind. I am proud to carry a cane and call myself blind. What makes me most proud is I can read without struggling and straining my eyes. I somewhat knew the Braille alphabet before coming to LCB, now I can read about 90 words per minute, which is faster than my print reading speed. Instead of sitting in front of a CCTV leaning into the screen, I can relax anywhere I like with a Braille book.”