The Blind
Learn To See
Through I he* of forts of many in¬
terested toaeliors, tlie .students
at tlie blind seliool are learning'
to ’‘see." The lilind are also giv¬
ing lessons in character to their
teachers.
By EMILY S. COUNCILMAN
DURING my three year» n< teach¬
er of violin and assistant or¬
chestra director at the North
Carolina School for the Blind, I
learned that vision does not depend
upon physical sight, but upon a cour¬
ageous light within. The blind see
with what they have; their remain¬
ing senses, the imagination, the will
to see. and often a wealth of spiritual
resources which enable them to find
horizons far beyond the most of ns.
We often hear people express the
opinion that they could never teach
the blind, “because it would
1ю
too
depressing.” but I found the opposite
to be true. My first feeling was one of
inspiration and of challenge which
the blind brought to me. They thought
not in terms of their handicap but
of their opportunities, and they kept
busy, learning and living. It was to
be my privilege to guide them. How
could I be depressed in the face of
their courageous efforts and in the
light of their possibilities! Then I
discovered that the blind, in reality,
were normal people. I have never
known them to be neurotic. Instead of
indulging in self-pity, they try to be
like other people. Pity is the last thing
they desire from others. They want to
he able to shoulder the responsibilities
of life.
Л
former teacher of the school
brought this thought to me, which
helped me to go to the blind prepared
to treat them with respect rather than
with pity. It was easy to do. for they
are like normal people. It come» nat¬
ural to speak our language to them —
to talk to them of looking at things,
not feeling them. When we recognize
that blindness does not make thorn es¬
sentially different from other people,
we help them to realize that we all
belong to the same world and we can
learn to see together.
North Carolina can be justly proud
of the training made available to the
blind of our state and of those who
have been responsible for developing
the high standards of the school. The
outstanding character and achieve¬
ment of its graduates demonstrate tin-
inestimable value of this work. The
school offers classes beginning with
kindergarten and extending through a
fully accredited high school. The
senior students, in state examinations,
often show superiority to those in
the high schools of the state, and about
fifty per cent of the graduates con¬
tinue to study in colleges, universities
or conservatories.
Begin in Kindergarten
In the kindergarten the children
begin the study of Braille, which is a
system of dots made with a slate and
pointer on heavy paper and rend bv
touch. In tlm fifth, sixth, and seventh
grades they study typing which en¬
ables them to type their written as¬
signments. Vocational training is
rightly made available to all stu¬
dents — mat tress -making, chair-caning,
and piano-tuning for the boys, and
home economies courses in sewing,
cooking, and handicrafts for the girls.
Л
well-equipped gymnasium provides
exercise and recreation for all 'In¬
dents. They play many varieties of
ball games and become proficient in
swimming and diving. The music de¬
partment has a staff of six teachers.
Public school music is begun in the
first grade and all interested children
are allowed to begin the study of
piano while in the primary grades.
In elementary music classes they learn
to write and read Braille music and
study the fundamentals of theory and
harmony. After two or three years of
piano study many of these student*
Mr. Cader Cox and Miss Gertrude
Fisher, two of the outstanding teach¬
ers at the blind school. They have
been engaged in this work more than
40 years. Both are blind.
are recommended for violin. Cello,
wind instrument*, and later for voice.
The music department develops in¬
strumental and voice ensembles in
small groups, as well as the high
school glee club and the school or¬
chestra. I beliovo the quality of work
•lone by these students would compare
favorably with most high schools or
college groups. A representative or¬
chestra repertoire will include
Brahms' Hungarian Dances, VI and
VII. DcKoven's Sod urn. Straus*’
I rtists life, Sousa's El Capihin and
Haydn’s Surprise Symphony.
Music teaching methods are prac¬
tically the same for the blind a* for
seeing pupils. The difference come*
mainly in the necessity for the blind
student to commit everything to mem¬
ory. This necessarily limits the amount
of work done, but obviously it tends
to improve the quality. There i- a
popular belief that teaching music to
the blind is mostly a slip-shod meth¬
od of allowing them to learn by ear.
Nothing could he farther from the
truth. While some music is available
in Braille, a part of the teaching ma¬
terial must bo dictated to the pupil,
who transcribes it in Braille. In
either case he must memorize it.
usually a phrase at the time, before
he can begin to play it. We are ama/« 1
at the prodigious amount of infor¬
mation and skill which a blind stu-
( Continued on page (rtnlyiwo)
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