Looking for orientation and mobility specialist or retired orientation and mobility specialist!

By Chelsey Zumpano

I’ve already posted this on various social media‘s, but I want to post it here because it’s extremely important. I’m also going to post my reasoning behind it.

Orientation and mobility! (I’ve also posted this on my personal Facebook).

I’ve came up with an awesome idea! I need to help build my confidence with orientation and mobility skills again and just refresh my skills. I want to create a Facebook group where some orientation and mobility specialists can give people feedback on videos that they post

I got this idea from doing homeschool the dog, which is a dog training program I’m going through with Hazel. I watch videos and then I post Hazel and I working through the training game. Then I post a Video in the Facebook group and people give me their feedback. Plus I can watch the videos through and write my own observations on it. It is really helped me gain confidence in dog training and it has helped hazel gain more confidence.

I thought this would definitely help me gain confidence in my orientation and mobility skills by creating this group, so please let me know in the comments if you know someone who would be willing to help or if you’d like to join it.It is really helped me gain confidence in dog training and it has helped hazel games more confidence.

I thought this would definitely help me gain confidence in my orientation and mobility skills by creating this group, so please let me know in the comments if you know someone who would be willing to help or if you’d like to join it.

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Thankful My Dogs Have A Better Relationship!

by Chelsey Zumpano

So my little dog Lucy did not get along with my Husky Hazel. She growled, barked, and showed her teeth. Hazel just jumped around her and wanted to play. It wasnt that big of deal when my Ginger was still alive because Lucy had her Mom to hang out with, so we just kept them seperated. We did try to introduce the three of them, but Ginger would growl at her and all that stuff. I don’t blame her because if I was a Chihuahua, (who was old and not feeling well), then I wouldn’t want a puppy to be bugging me either.

Then when Ginger past away; Lucy didn’t, (and still doesn’t), want to be alone! She cries and won’t stop scratching at the door, if we put her outside to run around, (we can’t even let her out to go potty. I’m not going to lie, but it was extreamly stressful, (especially because Lucy only wanted/wants to only be with me or my Mom), so it meant that it was harder to split my time between the two dogs.

So how did I get them to get along? By using calming signals! You might be wondering what that is? Calming signals are how dogs communicate with each other and us humans can use some of them too. Dogs will use calming signals to to calm dogs down and to let them know, “Hey, it’s okay.” Dogs will also use calming signals at us if they are being yelled at and want us to calm down. Some examples are licking their lips, yawning , sighing, and slow blinking. You can learn more about calming signals by reading the book, “On Talking Terms with Dogs,” linked at the bottom of this post.

The other thing that helped was to be relaxed and not panic when the dogs were together because they can sense that and sometimes feed off it. Now Lucy and Hazel can be in the same room together. Lucy will still get agitated by Hazel, but it’s getting better. I think the reason why it worked for my dogs is because Hazel just wants to play and wasn’t trying to fight Lucy. So please talk to a trainer if your dogs are full on fighting. It’s one of thoughs things that will take time and won’t work for all dogs, but I’m extreamly thankful it has helped my dogs.

Let me know what things have helped your dogs have a better relationship in the comments!

http://a.co/gQxxsGS

If you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see next for Nanowrimo, please let me know in the comments or send me an email to: viblindresources@gmail.com

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Favorite Memories Of My VW Bug!

by Chelsey Zumpano

Image description: Chelsey standing infrunt of a yellow bug with a yellow tandem bicke nex to it.

(piture credit gose to my Mom).

We sadly decided to sale my bug, (my car we’ve had since my first day of high school), and you can watch that vlog down below! My Dad got me a car just like how he got my brother his car. He knew bugs were my favorite car, (because of Herbie), and even though I couldn’t drive it, didn’t mean I couldn’t have a car.

Now here are my favorite memories of my car!

• riding in it to school.

• The time my twin brother took me driving in my bug! It was so fun being able to drive my own car!

• That one time a bunch of kids were crowded around my bug after a fire drill at my high school and I was able to point out to my friend that, that was my bug!

• Being able to know that was my car because of the bright yellow.

• My Dad and I taking Hazel for a ride in it. She curled up on my lap, (like the little dog she thinks she is), and I wish I had a picture or video of that.

My brother’s favorite memories are when we use to drive it to school, my little sister’s favorite memories are when she got picked up in the bug from school, my dad’s are when he first got it for me and just driving around in it, and my mom’s is just driving me around in it and how happy it made me.

If you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see next for Nanowrimo, please let me know in the comments or send me an email to: viblindresources@gmail.com

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My Adventure In Kitten Sitting! #BrakingStereotypes #BrakingMissConceptions

by Chelsey Zumpano

As you might have seen in my most recent vlog, (which will be linked at the bottom), I pet sat a little kitten. Her name is Amaya, (i realize now I never called her by name in the vlog), and she was so tiny that she fit in both of my hands. She was so soft and extremely vocal. As Amaya slept I watched videos from “Kitten Lady” and she taught me lots.

1 Kittens should be fed laying on their bellies’ because if you feed them like a human they could aspirate, (get the formula in their lungs).

2 You have to stimulate the kitten to go potty by using a tissue.

3 When they are first born, (and for a few weeks or so after), kittens can’t regulate their own body temperature so you should provide a heat source.

4 Kittens open their eyes around 9 or so days old.

5 Kittens can not retracked their claws right away.

You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to foster a baby kitten her size and be able to bottle feed and with Amaya; I was able to do that. She was like having a little baby. Watching her reminded me of when I use to pet sit. It was one of the most amazing things and I’d love to foster or at least babysit again.

The Vlog!

If you’d like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this Blog and YouTube please send me an email to: viblindresources@gmail.com

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World CP Day

by Chelsey Zumpano

(I found this interview in my drafts from last year and it must have gotten lost or something, but here it is now).

This post is in honor of world CP, (Cerebral Palsy), Day that was on October 6th, so I’m interviewing my friend and fellow Blogger and YouTuber Sam.

1 Do you have other disabilities besides CP?

Yes I have other medical conditions other than cerebral palsy. The one that stands out the most however is autism spectrum disorder and for me I fall under extremely high functioning but makes it so that I am very hyperactive. I have nystagmus ( repetitive uncontrollable eye movement) in my left eye which makes tracking very difficult. And it also means I have no depth perception in my eyes at all. Most people when they hear that I have no depth perception think that I am blind. This is not exactly true. My right eye compensates for what I cannot see, (corners, ledges, Etc). I also have kyphosis scoliosis which makes it so my back is curved not one way but both ways.

2 Do you consider yourself to have a visual impairment?impairment? Yes I do consider myself visually impaired because almost everywhere we go has something that makes it difficult for me to see what I’m doing or where I’m going. And a lot of times I have to rely on what things sound like just here in our home to know what they are. My parents joke and call me sonar because I can hear anything and everything inside the house. I am supposed to be wearing glasses. But they would only serve to enlarge things for reading or writing. They do not correct the depth perception problem which is my biggest and visual difficulty.

3 How Does CP effect your dayly life?

CP does affect my everyday life and it will indefinitely. This is something I will live with for the rest of my life. And here are some of the ways that it affects me personally. I am wheelchair-bound and have never been able to walk. However once a week I do attend and intensive course of physical therapy. The purpose of this is to better my balance and eventually make it so that my ability to accomplish simple everyday tasks such as pulling myself up to a sit or stand position is made easier so that I can transfer on my own someday. I need help with almost everything in my daily life. Anything from toileting to making a meal I need help with. My family does their absolute best to encourage me to be independent regardless of the fact I need help with just about everything in my life. On a regular basis my mom and I both take care of my animals and do the gardening together. Just doing that is usually enough to exhaust me even after 2 hours of being in my wheelchair. CP is very difficult because even just two hours sitting up is like somebody able-bodied doing a whole day’s workout. Despite the fact of the difficulty of this condition, I still do find time and space Within a day or week to do one to two outside the house activities. My favorites include Church, shopping, and actually believe it or not, physical therapy.

4 Do you use any assistive technology?

Yes I use several assistive devices to get through a day. The biggest of which is my power chair…. By the way just FYI for anybody out there never use the term Electric chair to describe a power chair. It is not only disrespectful it will put negative connotation in somebody’s head that does not understand what you’re talking about. If you want to use those words use the words electric wheelchair. Never just electric chair alone. Other than my power chair I actually do use my cell phone for a lot of my needs throughout the day. For example just to turn my light on and off we have a specific light bulb in my ceiling fan from the homebrite company. The light bulb connects to a mesh which connects 2 an application on my phone… This allows me to independently from my bed turn the light on and off when I need it. Also my everyday life has simple things in it for example our frigerator has the fridge side door is broke into two sections. It is one that has a smaller door with the Press of a button in the top and then you close that to open the Charger door which opens the entire refrigerator. Our freezer has an ice machine attached to it which also has a water machine attached to it and helps me get water when I need it. Instead of running to a sink faucet several hours a day. My television in my room is a smart television for many different reasons. It has the capability to actually tell me what I’m clicking on without having to see it. But as for other medical equipment I use a hospital bed at the moment. This is helpful with positioning myself when I don’t want to ask for help period that comes in handy especially late at night when everybody’s asleep. I have a laptop here at home that helps me right longer letter is when I cannot get my wrists to operate. The computer also has tell it type it features as well as the other Target features I have mentioned on my phone and television.

5 How do your dogs help you?

My dogs are my world. My oldest Lylah and youngest is a boxer named Dixie. Lylah is an ESA and Dixie is the family dog. They are 15 weeks apart. Both help me with my anxiety disorders. Without them I wouldn’t be able to make it through the day.

6 What advice do you have for others who want to start YouTube or a blog?

The advice I would give to anyone trying to start a social media such as a blog or a YouTube channel is to just be yourself. Be as honest. Don’t pressure yourself to put something out there every day. Well I’m not as active as I would like on these platforms as made for myself, that does not take away from the fact that they remain active. Many people still love to read or watch my content. And so many are inspired by it. And as anyone will see on my blog page my goal and all of this was to encourage and style and uplift anybody who read or watched any content I put out there.

Blog:

https://conqueringcpblog.wordpress.com

YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCTZZ5sZP-RD8qvsz0cb0n3g?reload=9

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My Favorite LGBTQ Books

by Chelsey Zumpano

Since pride month is going to be over tomorrow; I figured I’d give you some of my favorite LGBTQ books.

1 Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan

I had to put this one first on the list because although it’s not an LGBTQ centered book; it does have Alex Fierro. She/he is my all time favorite character ever! She’s gender fluid and transgender; she mostly uses she/her pronouns, (until stated otherwise). When Alex first meets Magnus and the others; she just comes out and it’s not a big deal.

“I’ll admit that I was staring. Suddenly my whole perspective had flipped inside out, like when you look at an inkblot picture and see just the black part. Then your brain inverts the image and you realize the white part makes an entirely different picture, even though nothing has changed. That was Alex Fierro, except in pink and green. A second ago, he had been very obviously a boy to me. Now she was very obviously a girl.”

— Magnus Chase, The hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan

The thing I love about Alex is that even though she’s a shape shifter his gender doesn’t change like that. Alex’s gender identity isn’t the only part of her character, she likes hiking, books, and he’s the love intrest for Magnus. The thing I love about Magnus’ crush on Alex is the fact he likes her when she’s a girl and when he’s a boy. Magnus never says what his sexuality is and he simply likes Alex. It isn’t until Alex kisses him at the end that he thinks, “Alex is a boy right now and I’m okay with that…,” or something along those lines.

This is one of those book series I can find myself living in and coming back to again and again.

2 Carry On

It’s one of those books where boy likes boy who thinks he’s ploting to kill him. Yeah, enemies to lovers aren’t my favorite type of story to read because the realationship isn’t the healthiest out there. But Baz and Simon’s relationship isn’t that bad. A lot of people say “Carry On” is the gay Harry Potter because it’s got magic and war and a big prophecy. I like the magic system and will probley make a blog or video more about it. For right now the thing I really love about this book is that even though Baz is supposed to hate his roommate and his family has tried to have him kill Simon; he still has a crush on him from when they first meet at 11. Even though Simon believes that Baz is out to get him he still helps him find his mother’s killer. At the beginning of the book Baz gets kidnaped and the only thing that helps him through it was thinking of Simon; like that’s how far gone in love with this boy he is. Simon’s love for Baz comes into prospective slower. But the one thing I love about this book is that at the end Simon’s therapist says that it’s okay if he doesn’t figure out his sexuality and that he doesn’t have to.

“I let myself slip away… Just to stay sane. Just to get through it. And when I felt myself slipping too far, I held on to the one thing I’m always sure of – Blue eyes. Bronze curls. The fact that Simon Snow is the most powerful magician alive. That nothing can hurt him, not even me. That Simon Snow is alive. And I’m hopelessly in love with him.” 
― Rainbow Rowell, Carry On

3 Annie On My Mind

I love the fact that the two girls are best friends who slowly fall in love. It does talk about coming out and others reactions to their relationship, but it’s mainly about them falling in love. I just find this book beautiful and messy.

“There’s a Greek legend—no, it’s in something Plato wrote—about how true lovers are really two halves of the same person. It says that people wander around searching for their other half, and when they find him or her, they are finally whole and perfect. The thing that gets me is that the story says that originally all people were really pairs of people, joined back to back, and that some of the pairs were man and man, some woman and woman, and others man and woman. What happened was that all of these double people went to war with the gods, and the gods, to punish them, split them all in two. That’s why some lovers are heterosexual and some are homosexual, female and female, or male and male.” 
― Nancy Garden, Annie on My Mind

4 Symptoms of Being Human

This is about a teen who is gender fluid, (I’m not sure of what pronouns Riley uses, for now I’m going to use they/them), and they are dealing with trying to except themself. I do want to add a trigger wornning for sexual assault. It’s probably one of the first books I read where a character has anxiety and Riley just is very relatible, (even though I’m comfortable in the body I was born with), they just speak to me as a character.

“As for wondering if it’s okay to be who you are–that’s not a symptom of mental illness. That’s a symptom of being a person.” 
― Jeff Garvin, Symptoms of Being Human

5 The Trials of Apollo

I love Apollo because he really grows as a character. I have major feelings about this book series and specifically “The Burning Maze”, it just mest me up! (I’ll probably do a whole video on all the books at once. Apollo is Bisexual and makes no secret about it. Then there’s his son Will and his boyfriend Nico, (they are so adorible and it’s great to see Nico happy). Then there’s Emmy and Joe, (probably spelt their name’s wrong), but they are Lesbians and they have a kid together.

“Nothing is more tragic than loving someone to the depths of your soul and knowing they cannot and will not ever love you back.” 
― Rick Riordan, The Hidden Oracle

Here are some videos of mine about some LGBTQ characters.

1 Percy Jackson and the Olympians/heroes of Olympus review

2 WHY I ADMIRE ALEX FIERRO!

3 https://youtu.be/JZI2ql1PBWY

4 Book review of the ship of the dead By Rick Riordan

5 Love Simon versus Simon versus the Homo sapiens agenda

6 Book review of I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

If you would like to be interviewed by me or otherwise contribute to my Blog and YouTube; please send me an email to the following address. viblindresources@gmail.com

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Raw Pet App Review

by Chelsey Zumpano

So I was looking to see how accessible, “Raw Pet” was for a friend and dicided that I’d talk about it here. Raw feeding your dogs seems to be really popular at the moment and people say how good it is for your dogs. If I was going to do it I’d cook the food because my dogs lick my face and I don’t want to get sick.

I was able to put in my dog’s age, wheight and how many times a day I feed her. The thing I don’t like about the app is that it doesn’t have exact wheight and I can’t flick through the options. The buttons on the bottom of the screen are not labeled. The other thing is I don’t like the lay out of the app. It does however have a section with more information about raw feeding.

Let me know your thoughts and if you’d like to contribute to this YouTube or blog send me an email to the following address… viblindresources@gmail.com

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How my Dog Has Effected My mental Health!

by Chelsey Zumpano

A close-up picture of a black and white husky with blue eyes. The picture is taken from the side and her nose is pointed to the right and her ears are up.(Picture of Hazel and picture credit goes to Chelsey Zumpano).

If you’d been following me on YouTube; you’d know that I got a puppy back in December and I’m training her to hopefully be my service dog. She does take up a lot or all my time somedays. She gives me something to do and that keeps my mind busy. She’s helped me to realize that I want to be a dog trainer.

She can be really hyper and have to find ways to keep her busy. I let her run around in the back yard, play fetch, tug of war, I take her on walks, give her bones, and puzzle toys. It took me awhile to figure those were the things that helped her. But before then she was kind of overwhelming and now she’s better. Giving Hazel a job has helped.

Some ways Hazel has helped me with my anxiety!

1 She will lay on my legs at night and that helps if I’m having a bad anxiety day.

2 She’s helped me to learn more about dogs.

3 She gives me more of a reason to go on a walk.

4 She’s helped me to not be so anxious about going to the vet.

If you want to see some more of my new coping skills; please go watch the video below.

If you have a dog tell me a funny story about him/her in the coments. If you would like to be interviewed by me or otherwise contribute to my Blog and YouTube; please send me an email to the following address. viblindresources@gmail.com

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Review Of Postmates!

by Chelsey Zumpano

Food delivery apps are all the rage right now. They are especially great for us who can’t drive! It gives me more independence and the ability to order food when I’m by myself!

The app I used is called “Postmates,” and I used it for the first time by myself today! I used VoiceOver on my Iphone to make the order and I was able to click and read all the opptions. I ordered me a sandwich from Subway and everything was correct. The only problem that I’ve found is the app won’t let you do anything if you didn’t leave a tip and the opption won’t go away unless you click on a tip.

It’s great feeling to be able to do something by yourself that you would otherwise need someone to do for you.

I’m sorry it’s been way to long sense I’ve updated the blog, Hazel has kept me busy. I also want to let you know about a new series here and on my YouTube channel. The series is about stopping stereotypes for us who are blind, so send me some in the comments and I’ll do a video or blog about it.

If you’d like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this Blog or YouTube send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

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YouTube Can Be Overwhelming!

By Chelsey Zumpano

Image description: A black and white husky sleeping on her side and wearing a pink harness and gray leash.(picture creditgose to Chelsey Zumpano).

As you might know I started a new series on YouTube called “30 Days of Hazel,” about training my husky puppy. Well I don’t have the energy or time to edit a video each day! It’s hard to do that when you have a little puppy to take care of. Sometimes it’s over whelming to be on camera and sometimes Hazel doesn’t want to be on camera either.

I can write a blog post easier and edit it whereever. That’s why I was able to do Nanowrimo back in November. Part of why I’m feeling overwhelmed is because I’m recording and editing the videos all in one day, so I need to give myself a few days to catch up on recording. I originally was going to do 30 consecutive days, but I’m not sure if I can do that. I might just shoot for one day a week uploads and just record through out the week, (since I’m following a 30 day training book).

While you wait for me to upload: please go watch and vote by liking my video,Let’s shadow! #HolmanPrize2019,” so I can help increase employment opportunities for our community!

If you’d like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this Blog or YouTube send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

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