[Blindtlk] "Its not safe for someone who can't see"

Thu Jul 28 14:16:43 UTC 2011

Sorry about my email response getting cut off. I hit send by accident. Here
is my complete response
-----

Thank you everyone.  I thought I had posted this in blindkid and not here
but I like your imput too.   It actually is good.  I wanted to say the
reason I mentioned my daughter was blind was because I was excited.  It
seemed like a perfect class for her and my son (who is sighted) to do
together.

  It was a comment i just threw in there because seemed like such a great
way for her to understand the process. (I believe they are making casts of
the kids hands)  As a parent i look for ways to give my child a greater non
visual way of understand and doing things.

The irony is my daughter has some vision.  (she has little to
no central vision) She could have taken the class and they wouldn't have
known. Well they may have figured it out with her cane.  I have honestly
never had some respond like this before.  I know it happens to others. I
knew it would happen to her in the future I was just shocked of all the
things and all the activities it happened here.

I will at least be calling and talking to a ranger and/or administration.

Thank you so much for the responses.  Again wrong list serv but a good
mistake.

On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 9:49 AM, Penny Duffy <pennyduffy at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you everyone.  I thought I had posted this in blindkid and not here
> but I like your imput too.  It actually is good.  I wanted to say the reason
> I mentioned my daughter was blind was because I was excited.  It seemed like
> a perfect class.
>  On Jul 28, 2011 9:41 AM, "Graves, Diane" <dgraves at icrc.in.gov> wrote:
> > Penny,
> >
> > (big hugs) First of all, you should never feel that you are over reacting
> if someone implies that your Abby is unwelcome, or less competent than any
> other child. I completely understand how you feel. Keep in mind that this is
> coming from a person who is very much driven by her emotions, (smile) but I
> will try to step back here and offer a constructive response.
> >
> > You might simply have responded to the artist that Abby's blindness made
> no difference in her ability, and that she was no more unsafe than any other
> child. She just has to employ different techniques to compensate for her
> loss of vision. You've already said that the artist was "odd," so who knows
> what she would have said or done. But, it is also my understanding that she
> wasn't in charge of the enrollments and didn't necessarily have veto power.
> >
> > I understand that you are no longer interested in the class, but if you
> were, I would then go enroll Abby in the class, take her, and try to educate
> by example. If you were turned away, I would then go to a local Civil Rights
> agency and file a complaint with them. As a remedy to that complaint you
> might request that the employees of the park and the administrators undergo
> some education regarding such discrimination and stereotypes.
> >
> > There is just so much I want to say here... If you enrolled Abby in the
> class and weren't sure whether she would be accepted, you might just prepare
> her a little bit. Just talk with her a little bit about the fact that many
> people don't understand that blindness doesn't mean that she is less
> capable, and that they might have these prejudices and might not want her to
> try. Emphasize the fact that these perceptions are wrong, and that people
> sometimes need to be educated, and held accountable when they refuse to be
> educated. Unfortunately she'll meet with this ignorance throughout her life,
> and will need to understand how to handle it, while holding her head up high
> and not letting it stop her. Do you know what I mean?
> >
> > Even if you don't want to have her take the class now, you might still
> call the park administrators, let them know what happened, and find out
> whether this is actually the attitude of the facility, or whether it was
> just the odd artist talking off the top of her head. I think the park needs
> to know that this happened, and that it wasn't acceptable.
> >
> > 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 Penny Duffy
> > Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2011 9:11 PM
> > To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> > Subject: [Blindtlk] "Its not safe for someone who can't see"
> >
> > I am still very upset over this but I want to know what a good response
> > would be.
> >
> > Today I had a wonderful visit to an historic site that is part of the
> > National Park service with my son Sam. My daughter Abby who is blind is
> > away this week at the Perkins School. There was an artist in residence
> > there. She was a little odd but i heard her mention that they where
> having
> > a class there for children . the children would make casts of their
> hands.
> > It seemed like a great activity for Abby.
> >
> > The artist didn't know if there was space or if they where even having
> the
> > class (due to no enrollment) really she didn't know anything (there is a
> > number you call to make reservations) When I mentioned my daughter who is
> > blind would really love to go to this class she told me she would NOT
> > recommend it. That it was unsafe for blind person and said but your son
> is
> > welcome to take part if there is space and its sill going on. I should
> have
> > responded right away I should have went right to visitor center and
> > complained. I was shocked. I am still shocked. The only reason I didn't
> > talk to someone there is the day was about my son Sam and having an "Abby
> > Free" day. That and honestly I was so taken back by what happened. I
> spoke
> > with Sam in the car so he understood that what was said was WRONG.
> >
> > I really don't feel this artist was projecting official national park
> policy
> > but she is still an employee of the park so she should have just not said
> > anything. I would never have mentioned Abby's blindness when making
> > reservations because I would have seen it has irrelevant. If its safe for
> a
> > sighted child 6 to 11 then it would be safe to a blind child 6 to 11. We
> are
> > talking about an art class not driving a car over a single lane bridge
> over
> > glass.
> >
> > We are not really interested in the class anymore (we have a lot of stuff
> > going on) I am just really upset over comments by this artist. I have
> never
> > had any one say Abby couldn't do anything. I know there was people who
> > thought that but no one ever pretty much implied "Your child is not
> welcome"
> > Mind you I am only been dealing with Abby being blind for a year.
> >
> > I feel I should say something. I just don't know what is a proper
> response
> > and what is me over reacting.
> > --
> > --Penny
> > ----------
> > Adventures with Abby - visionfora.blogspot.com
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-- 
--Penny
----------
Adventures with Abby - visionfora.blogspot.com