I love to drive, and think it a grait opertunity that sadly blind people
dont get.
have a good day
mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "vashaun jones" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by
the blind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 4:40 AM
Subject: Re: an article
Mike, you're doing a great job! I have driven once before too and my
mother said a handicap is only in the mind. This was said after she
took her car keys back after a 1 hour drive.
On Mar 16, 2008, at 3:00 AM, Michael Babcock wrote:
for the lists that this does not belong on, sorry, but i figured some of
you might want to read this. to keep comments off list, feel free to go
to the url:
http://gwfans.net/?p=106
and comment.
thanks
i'm currently feelling: amused
i'm currently listenning to: something on tv
this article was written about me a few months back. I want to thank aeon
for getting the article, george for bringing it to me, and sabrina for
typing it. thanks all…
BLIND STUDENT ACCEPTS ART CHALLENGE
Communication and adjustments are vital, he says
BY GEOFF PARKS
Special to the statesman Journal
Mike Babcock is blind, but he also is the independent sort, preferring to
try to live his life as if he had no disability at all.
That self-reliant attitude was on display recently when the 18 year- old
freshman computer science major at Western Oregon decided last term that
his choice for a required humanities elective would be Art: 2-D Design.
Not being able to “see” drawings in two dimensions was one problem, but
differing shades of light and dark would elude him as well, so he fell
back on his strong suit: communication.
He determined early on that in order to be as successful in life as his
peers he would have to try to push aside his disability as much as
possible.
To do that he and others would have to communicate and adjust.
“I’ve always known that it means to have accommodations made for me,”
Babcock said. “But I’ve also tried to be as active as my peers my whole
life, from riding bicycles, hunting — I’ve even driven a car. I live in
the regular dorms here (at WOU) and get back and forth around the valley
by the bus.”
He said he always learns a lot from challenges such as the 2-D Design
class turned out to be. But Rebecca Chance, his instructor in the course,
said she and his classmates learned as much from him as he did from them.
“When he first expressed an interest in thee class, I thought there would
be a lot of modifications I would have to make, but that turned was the
key.
Because of Babcock’s presence, an assignment to draw and work with the
variations of light and dark became “an assignment that had more to do
with the density of textures,” she said.
Babcock cut out paper and created three-dimensional versions of two-
dimensional renditions, or what Chance called a “tactile version” of the
concept.
“He made it not so much a study of light and dark but matters of degree,”
she said.
A wicked sense of humor — represented by a T-shirt he refusal to be
offended by the slights of the sighted world are a hallmark of Babcock’s
personality.
“A lot of blind people don’t like to work with their professors about
their disabilities and disabilities,” Babcock said. “ I prefer it because
I know my abilities and disabilities better than anyone else. The art
class worked out well for me.”
“ It was a rich experience for all of us to have mike in that class,”
Chance said. “It made us all think in different ways.”
MICHAEL ALEX BABCOCK, BRINA'S BOYFRIEND!
"THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE UNSEEN, THAT'S WHY WE CLOSE OUR EYES WHEN WE
KISS, CRY, AND DREAM"
myspace: WWW.myspace.com/CREEPYBLINDY
MY YEARBOOK: WWW.MYYEARBOOK.COM/CREEPYBLINDY
msn: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
aim: ginnyslove2007
personal blog: www.gwfans.net
THANKS A LOT.
