Dear Sir/Madam,

        My name is Laurie Borowski and I am a senior student at Waterloo
Collegiate Institute.  As part of my sociology course I am conducting a
survey of families with a blind parent or two blind parents and how it
affects the family.  I would greatly appreciate your cooperation in
completing a survey.

        Attached is a short survey that I would appreciate your taking
the time to complete.  Please do not write your name on the survey, as
it is strictly confidential.  Please check only one answer per question,
unless otherwise specified.  There is a space after each question where
you may make comments but this is not necessary.  There are two surveys
attached the first is for blind parents and the second is for their
children.  Please fill in one or the other and if possible have family
members fill out surveys if they qualify.

        Thank you for your cooperation and time.  Please return surveys
to [log in to unmask] before January 3, 1999.  If you have any
questions or concerns please contact my sociology teacher, Mrs. Byers,
at the school at 1-519-884-9590.

Thank you,

Laurie

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Survey for Blind Parents

1. Are you a blind parent?
        Yes
        No


*******If you answered no please do not finish this survey*********


2. In what ways do you think having a blind parent affects you
children's interaction with other people?       (Select all that apply)

        Feel ashamed
        People pity you/your child
        You are discriminated against
        None
        Other_________



3. If and when discrimination occurs how do you think it affects your
children?

        Not at all
        Somewhat
        Extensively



4. How do you feel the lack of visual input affects your children's
self-esteem?

        Very negatively
        Negatively
        Makes no difference
        Positively
        Very positively
        Have not thought about it



5. Do you feel that your children miss opportunities because of your
blindness? How so?

        Yes
        No


6. In comparison to your friends' children, do you feel having a blind
parent affects your children's participation in activities?

        Yes
        No



7. If having blind parents affects your children's participation in
activities, please check why.
      (Select all that apply)

        Do not fit it
Cannot get places - lack of transportation
        Lack of money
Lack of fashion awareness or understanding in family
Accepted because you/your children are pitied
Increases participation because your children want to do what you could
not



8. How do you feel your family functions compared to other families?

        Better
        The same
        Worse



9. Is the frequency of family outings affected by your blindness?

        No
        Little
        Lots



10.  How do you feel that blindness affects your family overall compared
to other families?

        Positively
        Not at all
        Negatively

11.  Do you feel that your blindness causes inconvenience in your family
and to what extreme?

        Not at all
        Little
        Lots


12.  How do you feel blindness affects the closeness of your family?

        Pulls it together
        Not a factor
        Pulls it apart



13.  Do you think your children have _______ than children of sighted
parents?

        More responsibilities
        Average responsibilities
        Less responsibilities



14.  How do you think your blindness has affected your children's social
skills?
(Interaction with others, behaviors, manners, etc.)

        Has a positive effect
        Has no effect
        Has a negative effect



15.  If you could change one thing about yourself would it be your
disability?

        Yes
        No

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Survey for Children of Blind Parents

1. Are your parents blind?
        Yes
        No


************If you answered no please do not finish this
survey************


2. In what ways does having a blind parent affect your interaction with
other people?
       (Select all that apply)

        Feel ashamed
        People pity you/your child
        You are discriminated against
        None
        Other_________



3. If and when discrimination occurs how does it affect you?

        Not at all
        Somewhat
        Extensively



4. How does lack of visual input from parents affect your self-esteem?

        Very negatively
        Negatively
        Makes no difference
        Positively
        Very positively
        Have not thought about it



5. Do you feel that you miss opportunities because your parents are
blind? How so?

        Yes
        No


6. In comparison to your friends, do you feel having a blind parent
affects your participation in activities?

        Yes
        No



7. If having blind parents affects your participation in activities,
please check why.
      (Select all that apply)

        Do not fit it
Cannot get places - lack of transportation
        Lack of money
Lack of fashion awareness or understanding in family
Accepted because you/your parents are pitied
Increases participation because your children want to do what you could
not



8. How do you feel your family functions compared to other families?

        Better
        The same
Worse



9. Is the frequency of family outings affected by your parents'
blindness?

        No
        Little
        Lots


10.  How do you feel that blindness affects your family overall compared
to other families?

        Positively
        Not at all
        Negatively

11.  Do you feel that your parents being blind causes inconvenience in
your family? To what extreme?

        Not at all
        Little
        Lots


12.  How close do you think your family is?

        Very close
        Average
        Far apart


13.  Do you think you have _______ than children of sighted parents?

        More responsibilities
        Average responsibilities
        Less responsibilities


14.  How are your social skills?     (Interaction with others,
behaviors, manners, etc.)

        Excellent
        Average
        Poor


15.  If you could change one thing about your parents would it be their
disability?

        Yes
        No



______________________________________________________
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