[Blindtlk] Introduction.

Mon Jan 31 17:02:36 UTC 2011

Hi Mary,

I would love it if we could hold someone responsible. When I was a little girl I got myself into some serious trouble, because I used to tell people that I had some vision, or that I would soon have an operation that would enable me to see. My parents were angry because I was lying, and the school tried to convince them that I had mental health issues. They were partially successful in this arena.

What I now realize is that I was not getting the message that it was respectable to be blind. I was getting quite the opposite message from those charged with my education, and I thought vision was the only thing that would make me as good as the other kids. It is really very sad. I too still have residual insecurity issues, but that is to be expected I guess.

Yes. Thank God for the NFB, and all that it has done to correct much of that damage, and to prevent similar damage to our blind children of today.

Diane Graves
Civil Rights Specialist
Indiana Civil Rights Commission
Alternative Dispute Resolutions Unit
317-232-2647

"It is service that measures success."
George Washington Carver

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-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mary Mc Gee
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 11:37 AM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Introduction.

Dear Diane;
        You're absolutely right when you say those schools did a great
disservice to those of us who have a little bit of vision!  I can tall you
from first-hand experience that the whole "partial vs. blind" concept messed
me up!  Yes, I thought I was "better" than the "blind" students, who learned
Braille, particularly because faculty and staff expected more of me than of
them.  Then, I went to public school, found out that I was "worse" than the
others and had a real culture shock, you could say.  To this day, I still
sometimes whether I belong with the sighted world or the blind world.  I'm
more at peace in the blind world, but I'm stuck in the sighted one, so the
N.F.B. is the answer.
        I may still have residual identity issues, but I was mean enough I
guess to try to accomplish what I wanted, even though it was terribly
difficult.  The attorney in me says it's too bad we can't hold someone
accountable for the entire "hierarchy of sight" business, but that's no
doubt an irrational thought based on pure emotion.  I should just be
thankful that we have the N.F.B. philosophy, shouldn't I?
Sincerely,
Mary

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Graves, Diane
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 1:33 PM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Introduction.

Hi Mary,

Oh, yes, I don't know the whole story, but, I think, after the big upheaval
in Iowa when Dr. Jernigan tried to make some changes, we, in Indiana,
inherited some of the people he ran out of there.  I think our school for
the blind got Superintendent Durward Hutchinson from Iowa, and a couple of
the teachers. I guess he couldn't get rid of all of them huh? (smile) I sure
would loved to have known him personally.

We still have a major problem with the school for the blind proclaiming that
those with residual vision do not need Braille. You know, growing up, I
always longed for just a little bit of vision, because, even at the school
for the blind, it was made clear that those with vision were of a higher
class than those who had none. But, as an adult, I am really glad that I had
none, because the school had no choice but to teach me Braille, and I am an
excellent Braille reader today because of it. They did so many blind
children a disservice, and, from what I understand, are still doing so.

I think they did a lot of the partials a disservice in other ways too. While
they were at the school, they got the impression that they were "all that
and a bag of chips." LOL But, when they got out into the real world and
realized that nothing could have been further from the truth, it caught them
off guard, and many of them didn't go on to accomplish anything in their
lives.

It is interesting that you were at the Iowa civil Rights Commission in 1990.
That is when I started at the commission here.

Diane Graves
Civil Rights Specialist
Indiana Civil Rights Commission
Alternative Dispute Resolutions Unit
317-232-2647

"It is service that measures success."
George Washington Carver

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-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Mary Mc Gee
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 12:40 PM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Introduction.

Dear Diane;
        So, there's another ICRC out there!  I did a law school internship
at the Iowa Civil Rights Commission in 1990 and like it.  I reviewed files
and wrote memos recommending whether the cases were "winners" or not
according to current caselaw.
        I practice pretty much every kind of law except bankruptcy and
family law.  It's interesting that I connected to this net right now because
I'm considering slowing down the practice a bit.  The economy of Iowa has
caused changes for a lot of attorneys; the work is just plain harder to find
than it was a few years ago.
        I don't ever plan to get old either--just try to adapt and overcome
things that I can't change, e.g. a body that wants to save every calorie it
eats for a time of starvation that will never happen.  It seems sometimes
life just isn't fair, does it?  At any rate, I plan to FEEL young forever!
        We certainly DO owe a lot to Kenneth Jernigan!  I've heard about how
bad life was for blind people in states other in Iowa.  Well, before he
came, it wasn't good in Iowa either!  I'm old enough that I had to take
segregated education at our Braille School because the public school made it
clear to my parents that they wouldn't take me.  Moreover, the Braille
School was NAC Accredited!  I can remember a set of books on a table in the
Home Ec dining room that included all those NAC standards.  The books were
even in Braille, so the students would be able to read them!
        I never had a travel lesson at the school and I never learned
Braille there--you know, the "usual" for those schools.  I was a "high
partial" and could SEE, believe it or not.  I sure found out I couldn't see
when I went to public school those last two years.
        I can also say that, in 1970, the Superintendant of the school,
Frank Rocco, did everything in his power to convince us students that
Jernigan was bad because he wanted to turn us all into "blind people."
        Thank God circumstances sent me to the Orientation Center!  Dr.
Kernigan taught me many things like not to be afraid to light a fire in a
fireplace.  We still have the relish dish he and Anna Kathryn gave us as a
wedding gift.  Yes, I met my husband at the Orientation Center!
        For anyone reading this, if you want to write something you don't
want the entire NFB to read, please use one of my private email addresses.
Sincerely,
Mary

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Graves, Diane
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 12:51 PM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Introduction.

Welcome Mary,

My name is Diane Graves, and I work as a mediator for the Civil Rights
Commission in Indianapolis, Indiana.  It is great to meet. You.

You know what they say. You are only as old/young as you feel. (smile)  I'm
not far behind you, and I refuse to get old.

What a privilege it must have been to work with Dr. Jernigan. I never met
him personally, but have read many of his speeches, and have a tremendous
admiration and respect for him. We all owe him a lot.

What kind of law do you practice?

Diane Graves
Civil Rights Specialist
Indiana Civil Rights Commission
Alternative Dispute Resolutions Unit
317-232-2647

"It is service that measures success."
George Washington Carver

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-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Mary Mc Gee
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 12:37 PM
To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Introduction.

Hello, Fellow Federationists!

            I'm new to this net, so I want to introduce myself and ask any
of you who wish to do so, to either post a response or email me, as I'd like
to take my desire to correspond into the twenty-first century.

            I practice law in Des Moines, Iowa and have done so since 1992,
when I became licensed.  Prior to that, I worked for an insurance company
because I had to work for the money to pay for the law school without taking
loans.  Before that, I trained at the Iowa Orientation Center when Kenneth
Jernigan was Director there.

            It might be interesting to note that, when I was in Orientation,
we had no computers-we had IBM Selectric typewriters.  At the insurance
company, I used one of those MagCard machines to do policy administration.
The Kurzweil Reader was only an experiment then.

            I had the segregated education of the Iowa Braille School for
ten years, then finished public school with no accommodation whatsoever.

            As you can tell, I'm fairly "old".  Consequently, I wrote a
narrative for the Iowa History of Blindness project, which the Department is
currently doing.  Isn't the N.F.B. working on something similar?

            Believe it or not, I don't own a cell phone!  Can you believe
it?  I just don't see the economic feasibility of it, since we have to keep
phones turned off in court, etc.  I guess I figure, if someone wants to find
me, they can leave a message on my regular phone and I'll return the call.

            Since I have some vision, I never learned Braille at the Braille
School.  Sounds strange, doesn't it?  Anyway, I learned it at the
Orientation Center, but let it go over the years.  This winter, I'm
relearning it so I can actually read it fast.

            I'm currently Chair of the Access Advisory Board of the City of
Des Moines.  The Board's function is to advise the Mayor, City Council, and
the public with respect to accessibility matters in City programs and
facilities.  Right now, we're working with the Art Center and I.D.B. to post
a tactile map at the entrance to a sculpture park so that blind people will
be able to get a full perspective of the park when they visit it.

            There's one aspect of the art park that I haven't really figured
out yet.  We're not supposed to touch the art.  The excuse is that the oil
in human skin will damage the finish.  What?  This doesn't make sense to me
because I can testify that the birds touch the art and they leave deposits
behind that you'd think would be more damaging than skin oil.  Go figure!

            The assistive tech I use includes a Freedom Scientific Topaz
CCTV, ZoomText with Speech, and some kind of genius device that lets me use
the Topaz screen as a monitor for two computers.  Michael Barber and Curtis
Chong know everything there is to know about this tech stuff, believe me!

            I live only a few blocks from the I.D.B., so I walk there to
check out and return library books.

            As I said, I'd be interested in hearing from any of you.

Sincerely,

Mary L. McGee, Attorney

mmcatitude at gmail.com

mlmcgee at q.com

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