Radio Curious revisits a conversation with Laura fogg, author of âTraveling Blind: Life Lessons from Unlikely Teachers,â a memoir of her experiences and the people she met teaching blind students, in Mendocino County, Ca for 31 years.
Barry Vogel, Attorney and Counselor, is the Host and Producer of Radio Curious. Christina Aanestad is the Assistant Producer.
The ways different creatures, especially us humans, use our senses to guide ourselves through life has long attracted my curiosity. Iâve often wondered how blind people seem able to orient themselves, and also wondered about their dreams.
From time to time, over the years, I would see an attentive woman walk past my office window next to a young person of student age. They would walk together talk, and the young person almost always carried a white cane with a red tip. Laura Fogg is this woman, the author of âTraveling Blind: Life Lessons from Unlikely Teachers,â and our guest in this archive edition of Radio Curious.
Laura Fogg worked as a Mobility and Orientation Instructor for the Blind in Mendocino County for over 35 years beginning 1971. She pioneered the use of the red tipped white cane with very young blind students some of whom had multiple impairments. She traveled long distances over the rather spectacular back roads of Mendocino County to work with each student his or her home.
When she visited the studios of Radio Curious on December 1, 2008, I asked her about the lessons that she learned that have changed her life.
The book Laura Fogg recommends is âMy Year of Meats,â by Ruth Ozeki. Published in 1999.
Radio Curious is a half-hour, weekly, long-form interview program, now in its 27th year. We interview people on a curiously wide variety of topics about life and ideas. Our website is www.radiocurious.org. If your station airs Radio Curious please let us know curious@radiocurious.org, we will add you to our list of syndicate stations. We also welcome questions, feedback and program ideas. Radio Curious 280 N. Oak St. Ukiah, Ca 95482. (707) 462-6541.