Back in the 1980s and ’90s, when Bobbi Moore was working as an accessories expert in the fashion industry – and advising people, via live seminars and promotional TV appearances, on how to put their best feet forward – she may not have imagined switching gears from fashion to crime prevention. “But you know what?” she asks, rhetorically. “I can talk about anything.”
She’ll do more than just that when she presents “Safety and Self Defense for the Visually Impaired” during an information session at VISIONS 2012 on Friday, June, 29. Crime prevention has been Bobbi’s professional focus for the past decade – partly by accident, partly on purpose, as explained in the Q&A below. She’s also a big supporter of the Foundation, for which her daughter, Suzi, serves as president of the Jacksonville Area chapter in Florida. Bobbi assists Suzi as local media chair.
“Suzi’s son, my grandson, has choroideremia,” Bobbi explains. “Four generations of my family have it.”
As for protecting one’s self, “a lot of it is common sense,” she says. “But not everyone thinks that way when they’re out in public. I’m just raising the levels of awareness and education.”
How’d you get into teaching crime prevention?
I moved to Florida in 1994 – after spending 14 years in Dallas, Texas, where I’d worked in the fashion industry – because Suzi, my daughter, was having her second child, and I wanted to be close. Then, because I’m a motivational speaker by trade, I had an opportunity to help out with a seminar on crime prevention. But I didn’t like the way the people running it were talking down to the senior citizens. So I created my own company, Be Safe Always, and started doing it myself.
It has been, by far, the most satisfying thing that I’ve done in my career, for the simple reason that, when somebody who’s attended my sessions calls up and says, “Bobbi, I saved my own life,” it just gives me chills. I felt I could do it from the start because, in my business travels, I realized there were so many people totally unaware of how to protect themselves. There’s a real deficit in guarding against being a victim of crime.
Have you personally been a victim?
No, because part of it is confidence, how you carry yourself, which I teach. But I’ve also learned most of the techniques from law enforcement. As much as I talk, I listen twice as much. It’s learned from the FBI, the state of Florida, the county sheriff’s department where I live, local police. In fact, I’ve worked in tandem with police officers in seminars for anyone from school kids to older folks. The police say to me, “Bobbi, we know what we’re doing, we’re good at it, but you get it across much better than we do.” And sometimes attendees are intimidated by the uniform of the officer, whether it’s a male or a female.
How does your approach differ from theirs, and how did you get into teaching the visually impaired?
In general, I teach what law enforcement advocates – to not be paranoid, but to be aware of your surroundings. Otherwise, I don’t know – it’s my humor, my attitude, my loving, caring feeling. I just know there shouldn’t be anyone not aware of how to protect themselves. It’s not martial arts, what I do; it’s just things you need to know depending on where you’re coming from.
For instance, I’ve taught children with disabilities. I did a class, years ago, where all I taught these kids was that the cops are OK and, in the case of an emergency, you have to dial 911. That’s how intimidated by the police they were. And that’s all I did in 45 minutes – convinced them they needed to do this.
I got into teaching the visually impaired because I come from four generations of choroideremia [a rare inherited disorder that causes progressive loss of peripheral and central vision]. I’m a carrier of the gene that causes it. Men and women carry, but only men get it. My dad had it, and so does my son, and my sister’s son has it. And one of my daughter’s two sons has it. So I’m used to helping them. And when I did fashion presentations, I literally taught blind women how to apply makeup.
Since I teach everyday solutions, I was asked by ILAB, or Independent Living for the Adult Blind, at Florida State College, and the Florida School for Deaf and Blind to develop a curriculum for low vision and blind high school seniors going on to college or out in the world. I taught this course over 11 weeks at both locations. It was a very well-received and attended optional program.
Everything I do is solution-oriented. If there’s a way to make life better, simpler, easier for someone, I’m going to find it.
So you’re teaching a combination of behaviors and techniques?
No matter whom I’m teaching, whatever the age or ability, general rules apply. But those who can’t see – when it comes to being a witness of a crime, for instance, they have to know how to listen for details. You have to be more careful, and you have to take the responsibility for that.
You can also catch a perpetrator off-guard. I teach people the basics – to scream, kick and run. I tell them that if he tries to put his arm around your neck, you put your hand around your neck first, so you have room to breathe and maneuver. Or you scratch his eyes. And, of course, there are places you can grab or kick that are quite effective.
I also talk about the sound they should make to ward off an attacker. Women have a tendency to let out a high-pitched scream. But it needs to come from down low. The sound should be guttural. That does throw the attacker off. He’s not expecting it. Little old ladies have told me they’ve used it, and sent teenagers running.
I’m teaching them the attitude of body language. If you’re going around like a little wimp, you’re asking to be a victim. You’re setting yourself up. There are ways to behave, ways to walk around, attitudes to have. And of course, especially if you’re visually impaired, you never go around without anyone. I’m a big believer in being in twos. My grandson has what we lovingly refer to as his “seeing-eye buddies.”
I cover prevention, too. Even if you can’t see, when you’re at home, the lights go on. The front porch and back porch lights need to be on whenever it is dark or dusk. Use motion sensors. And you shouldn’t have greenery or bushes covering the views from windows. And never leave the garage door open!
Sounds like common sense.
Yes, but it’s also making them understand that they have to follow these rules always – because I know that, especially those who still have some vision, it’s hard to accept the loss of independence. So I advise them on how to travel as a blind person. Many times the best thing you can do is ask for security to help you go wherever it is you have to go. You shouldn’t put yourself in jeopardy because you are afraid or embarrassed to ask for help.
It’s great that you’re independent, but this world today is not one that you can go down the primrose path. Criminals are going to go for people who appear the easiest to victimize.
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