Moving about poses the greatest problem
Campus life not hard for blind students
Blind students enjoy KU
Blind since birth, Susan Haller, Wichita, freshman, leaves Oliver Hall on her way to class. She is one of a number of blind students and instructors at KU.
By GENELLE RICHARDS
Imagine what it would be like to attend class on the Hill and only be able to see partially or not at all.
This confronts several persons on the KU campus including Susan Haller, Wichita freshman; Gerald Hansen, teaching assistant in business administration; and Dominick Palazzotto, Middle Village, N.Y., graduate student.
"I think basically my problems are the same as anyone else," said Miss Haller. "The buildings are laid out so as not to be much trouble to get to."
Resident writer here
Herbert Gold will be writer in residence at the University of Kansas Tuesday through Nov. 24.
Kansas Tuesday through Nov. 24.
Gold will conduct a class in fiction writing and confer with students about their writing. A public reading of his works will be given at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Kansas Union Forum Room.
Gold has also been a visiting professor at Stanford University, Harvard University, University of California at Berkeley and Cornell University.
His awards include the 1957 Award of American Institute of Arts and Letters and the 1959 Longview Award.
Gold's published books are "Birth of a Hero," 1951; "The Prospect Before Us," 1954; "The Man Who Was Not With It." 1956; "The Optimist," 1958; "Therefor, Be Bold," 1961; "Salt," 1963 and "Fathers," 1967.
AUTO INSURANCE
NEW YORK—Insurance costs only 1.4 cents of the total 11 cents per mile needed to operate an automobile, says the Insurance Information Institute. I.I.I notes that the car owner pays more for parking and tolls than he does for auto insurance.
Miss Haller, who has been without sight since birth, finds the response of people to her blindness better at KU than anywhere else. This response, according to Miss Haller, is much better than at other schools she has visited.
"The people here are more willing to accept you for what you are inside and not just on the outside," said Miss Haller. "People here are more receptive."
"I don't know if it's the maturity here or not, but in high school I felt like an outsider."
Nov.14 1969 KANSAN 15
Has varied interests
Miss Haller classifies her interests in human relations, the arts and social sciences but has not yet chosen a major field.
She is also interested in drama and music and feels that if she wasn't blind perhaps she would go into these fields.
Miss Haller, who takes 13 hours of class and works on a dorm committee in Oliver Hall, must make the usual adjustments common to most freshmen.
Some of her books for classes are on tapes but she also hires readers. These persons are hired "to be my eyes. They read and if something needs to be written, they write it for me," she said.
"The KU-V has been really great and so has the Oliver College staff." Miss Haller said.
Gerald Hansen, who came to KU in August, noticed that there was no organized volunteer reading services for the blind at KU.
Causes mobility problems Hansen, who has been near blind for three years, finds his blindness causes some difficulty especially in mobility.
Causes mobility problems
Going from light to dark he finds his vision is zero but still believes mobility the most difficult problem.
"Lack of mobility dampens your sense of independence. It makes you dependent on others for many day-to-day activities, which I don't mind, but it becomes tedious," said Hansen.
Hansen believes he is assisted by the fact that he could see previous to his blindness.
"I am comforted by the fact that I have travelled over much of the west coast and was exposed to much of the scenic beauty," said Hansen.
Hansen, who has taught full time for the past two years, finds that his near blindness has improved his lecturing.
"I learn my material better and don't rely on notes as much as other professors," he said. "Some professors may say four words, then talk, look down at their notes again and then talk again in this manner continuously."
Although he is classified as legally blind he is able to maneuver and read, sometimes assisted by a magnifying glass.
Eyes not appreciated
Many times it is said that persons don't really appreciate their eyes until they aren't able to see. This is not the case with Hansen who says that he has been "most sensitive for a long time.
"I don't think I would have done things differently except perhaps to have read some more things," he said.
Dominick Palazzotto, Middle Village, N.Y. graduate student, is on the KU campus for the second year.
Palazzotto, who has been blind for five years, finds that people who are aware of it tend to categorize him and give him special consideration and help even though he may not ask for it.
He finds that any problems that develop are "nothing I can't handle or overcome."
Being legally blind results in his being considered blind by society, business and social groups.
He finds that he must tell people about his background before he can "be just a person."
Must prove something
Must prove something
Palazzotto attended the University of Colorado before coming to KU. Comparing the response of the people at the two universities, he finds that people here "want you to prove something to them.
"They want you to prove that you can handle yourself. You must prove this academically and physically before they accept you."
Palazzotto received his master's degree while blind and is now working on a Ph.D. Before going blind he had received a bachelor's degree in art and was preparing to continue for a master's degree. He says that if was not blind he would still be in art.
This shows the plight of three blind or near blind persons on the KU campus. Perhaps there are more and people don't realize it. If the services and organizations at KU were more extensive, people here would know more about blind students and instructors.