Hi, Richard!  Awhile ago you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

RW>  HE admitted to me he didn't even think about some of those
RW>  ramifications at first.  HIS main concern was getting music
RW>  to me with enough lead time that I could get it in braille.
RW>  I think he also spoke with the band director at the school
RW>  for the blind, and understood that I'd work out the tools I
RW>  needed to perform competently.


           I get the impression he was basically on the right track, but
found his own learning curve rather steep at times.  When our daughter was
about two years old I noticed that she was devising some good educational
strategies for herself in many areas.  She still needed help in certain
areas, of course, and so did I.  But in general I'm inclined to agree with
the teacher at the school for the blind in that a bright & articulate
student such as you would probably have more understanding of what works
for him than others would by the time he reached junior high.  One of the
problems Dallas & I have often encountered as parents is (as Nora puts
it) "I try to tell them, but they don't listen".  :-(



RW>  often in these days when inclusion is the norm the systems
RW>  are set up to be inflexible, and therefore don't force the
RW>  student to think about his or her own needs and therefore
RW>  develop the tools to independently get the work done.


           Give a man a fish, and he will have food for a day... teach him
how to fish, and he will have food for a lifetime (Chinese proverb).  As a
teacher my inclination is to make people think, but not everybody
appreciates that!  I had students who pleaded for stuff they could copy,
memorize, and regurgitate. Knowing what I know now I recognize this
learning style as the preferred style of about 40% of the general
population.  The percentage among bureacrats is, I suspect, even higher. 
Regarding "the system" one also has to contend with the bean
counters whose idea of efficiency is hiring whoever will work for minimal
pay doing things to or for a client, where some folks might eventually be
able to do these things for themselves with a larger investment up front...
(sigh).



RW>  Ask many blind college students, and they'll tell you that the
RW>  disability services office on campus is both bane and boon.


           I could say the same of many services here... (wry grin).



RW>  YOu'd be surprised the number of blind college grads that do
RW>  not have effective techniques for hiring training supervising,
RW>  and paying readers.


           Nah.  It takes more than that to surprise me....  :-))

           Trying to synthesize what I know (or think I know) with what
you've said about readers, however... the library at UBC uses volunteers to
record at least some material.  In this case different chapters of a book
are often read by different people who are probably not identified by name.
 Thus the student can't say to person xxx "I like your style... will
you work for me privately?" as we did with a few of Nora's therapists.
 And in my experience a person with special needs generally doesn't have
all of them met by one organization.  :-)



RW>  Even if rehab or somebody else picks up the tab good
RW>  programs put the power to hire fire and train, as well
RW>  as the responsibility for submitting vouchers and other
RW>  requisite paperwork to get the reader paid directly on
RW>  the user of the reader.


           Dallas & I managed to find a few good programs and obtain
help with certain expenses.  In general, however, we had to do our own
research WRT such matters... and we tolerate the endless paperwork in order
to get the most bang for the buck.  We have the power to hire & fire
& train our own employees now, but we are older & more experienced
than the average university student.  It's important to remember also that
many people (regardless of age) prefer to have others take care of all the
arrangements and/or tell them what they should do. If you're not like that
it may be more difficult to get what you want....  ;-)



RW>  MOre later, I have to run a network on the ham radio
RW>  later this morning so better organize myself .


           And in view of what's been going on in Japan & various other
places I'm completely supportive of what you're doing!  First we have to
survive on a physical level, then we can afford to ruminate on what makes
people tick.  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+