[Blindtlk] Blindness Misperceptions from kids

Mon May 2 17:50:04 UTC 2011

Well, no offense, but that does seem to be a prevalent NFB practice. I
have a friend who described a similar experience, and when his mother
found out she took him home faster than you can say turtle soup.

On 5/2/11, Nikki Wunderlich <nikki0222 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I agree, that would be very scary! I can see some, and I get nervous if I do
> not have my cane with and I go some where unfamiliar to me.
>
> On Mon, May 2, 2011 at 7:59 AM, Graves, Diane <dgraves at icrc.in.gov> wrote:
>
>> Chris,
>>
>> How horrible that must have been for you and the other kids. I can't say
>> that I've ever had an experience like that, but from the sound of it, they
>> war, and, if the practice is still ongoing, still are, leaving themselves
>> open for some major lawsuits.
>>
>> The things that you're describing would be potentially unsafe for sighted
>> children as well. I don't know what their security practices were, but it
>> would have been incredibly irresponsible of them to leave a sighted
>> six-year-old alone and unsupervised in the middle of an unfamiliar
>> building.
>> Were the blind children even using canes, or were they expected to
>> maneuver
>> without them?
>>
>> I ask, because when I was six-years-old, they weren't giving blind
>> children
>> canes. I didn't get one until I was a teenager about 13. Then, of course,
>> I
>> was worried about what I looked like to others, and wanted nothing to do
>> with the cane. I had been given the message that sight was superior, so I
>> wanted to look as sighted as I could.
>>
>> Just thinking about the scenario you are describing, about being around
>> all
>> of those steps without the use of a cane is very scary.
>>
>> 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
>>
>> Confidentiality Notice: This E-mail transmission may contain confidential
>> and/or legally privileged information intended only for the individual or
>> entity(ies)
>> named in the E-mail address. If you are not the intended recipient, be
>> advised that any unauthorized disclosure, copying, distribution, or acting
>> in reliance
>> upon the contents of this E-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have
>> received this E-mail transmission in error, please reply to sender to
>> arrange for the return and proper delivery of the transmission.
>> Subsequently, delete the message from your system immediately.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Chris Nusbaum
>> Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2011 12:04 PM
>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Blindness Misperceptions from kids
>>
>> Thank you, Gloria! I totally agree! I went to a camp at Blind
>> Industries and Services of Maryland when I was 6 at this big, old
>> building in Frederick with a bunch of steps going every which
>> way.  Without  any orientation or any O and M teaching whatsoever
>> in that building, they expected a bunch of six and seven-year-old
>> kids to find their way everywhere totally independently, without
>> * anybody * there, blind or sighted.  I remember the first day we
>> got there, the councelors were almost shooing the parents away,
>> saying "They (the kids) can carry their suitcases up those steps
>> by themselves!" Oh, not to mention those bags weighed more than
>> me at the time! Also, we had a campfire there one day where the
>> children's librarian at the Maryland LBPH came to do
>> storytellers, and she happened to be a family friend of ours.
>> The camp director dropped me off in the middle of the building
>> and told me to find my way outside and meet the rest of the camp
>> at the campfire.  Fortunately, the librarian finally came in
>> looking for me and helped me find my way out there when I was
>> really late.  As you can imagine, I never went back to that camp
>> again.  Have any of you had this experience?
>>
>> Chris Nusbaum
>>
>> "A loss of sight, never a loss of vision!" (Camp Abilities motto)
>>
>>  ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Gloria Whipple" <ladygloria at webband.com
>> To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 07:34:12 -0700
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Blindness Misperceptions from kids
>>
>> That reminds me of my childhood.  My baby brother stuck up for me
>> also.
>>
>> Another thing that bothered me was when my parents went out, my
>> younger
>> brothers had to baby set me and my twin brother.  I hated it and
>> couldn't
>> wait until I went back to the state school for the blind.
>>
>> My mother expected me to do everything for myself, but how do you
>> do that
>> when you weren't taught.  I learned though.  I just decided to
>> try different
>> things on my own and I think I did surprise her years later.  I
>> wanted to
>> show her that being blind didn't stop me when I made my mind up
>> to it.
>>
>>
>> Gloria Whipple
>> Corresponding Secretary
>> Inland Empire chapter
>> nfb of WA
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of nikki Wunderlich
>> Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 06:43
>> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Blindness Misperceptions from kids
>>
>> I can totally relate to that story, because my younger sister
>> does the same
>> thing, she's also sighted.  She had to stand up for me in
>> preschool, and ever
>> since she's tried to act like the older sibling.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Sherri
>> Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2011 11:43 PM
>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Blindness Misperceptions from kids
>>
>> This is a very personal story that happened to me.  It still
>> emotionally
>> bothers me.  I have a sister about 17 months younger than me who
>> is sighted.
>> Up until ai was about 5 years old, we were pretty much equals,
>> playing
>> together and she didn't seem to see me as different.  We moved to
>> a new house
>>
>> and went down the street to a park to play.  I must have been
>> about 6.  In
>> those days, parents could let children do that sort of thing.
>> anyway, some
>> kids started throwing dirt at me, especially at my face.  I
>> remember not
>> being able to dodge the dirt and stuff they hurled.  My sister
>> grabbed my
>> hand and we ran home.  My mom was very upset and from then on, my
>> sister felt
>>
>> she had to take care of me.  She still tries to act like the
>> older sibling
>> even today.  It's amazing how the actions of a few thoughtless
>> children
>> changed her whole attitude about me.
>>
>> Sherri
>>
>>
>>
>> Please check out the link below and help blind people in your
>> local area
>> achieve their dreams by visiting
>> http://www.raceforindependence.org/goto/Sherri.Brun
>> Thank you.
>>
>> Character is the side of yourself you choose to show the world.
>> Integrity is
>>
>> what you do, what you say and how you act when you think no one
>> is paying
>> attention.
>> Sherri Brun
>> flmom2006 at gmail.com
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "nikki Wunderlich" <nikki0222 at gmail.com
>> To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 10:20 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Blindness Misperceptions from kids
>>
>>
>>  Hello,
>>
>>  My name is Nikki and I encounteredsome of the same stuff you're
>> talking
>>  about, so when I was younger, I used to do blindness
>> presentations at the
>>  public school that I used to attend.  And even as an adult I've
>> done one or
>>  two blindness presentations to help kids learn about blindness
>> and some of
>>  the different things we use in our daily life such as the white
>> cane,
>>  computers with speech software, electronic note takers such as
>> the Braille
>>  lite, ect.  Then after I do my presentation I let them ask
>> questions, and I
>>  answer them to the best of my ability.  When I am in public and
>> some one
>>  asks
>>  me about my cane, I simply tell them that my eyes do not work as
>> well as
>>  theirs, and that my cane helps me see.  I hope this helps you
>> out.
>>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>  Behalf Of humberto
>>  Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2011 10:11 PM
>>  To: blindTlk at nfbNet.org
>>  Subject: [Blindtlk] Blindness Misperceptions from kids
>>
>>  Hi dear listers:
>>
>>  Some time ago, somebody in here posted a really really
>>  interesting message with an interesting question that caused
>>  threads that hit the list with high fever and great discussions.
>>  Today I'm here to ask you another question and to share my
>>  opinions.  My concerns deal with the statement written in the
>>  subject line, blindness misperceptions coming out of children.
>>  First of all, I have found an essay that was really interesting
>>  that someone posted on the National Students Division (Nabs)
>>  mailing list, that explains that adults have these outdated
>>  negative views about blindness, and kids have better views about
>>  it than adults, especially when they were raised or growing
>>  around blind people.
>>  This person explained that her nephews had a more positive
>>  attitude around her and that they thought she was cool and could
>>  do everything by herself.  They even think that it's not such a
>>  big deal being blind.
>>  In my personal experience, this is not true.  Often kids, when
>> I'm
>>  walking by, think I am weird and ask me a whole bunch of
>>  questions that I don't know even how to respond to.  Some kids
>>  think I can not walk, and some even say my disability
>> (blindness)
>>  is an illness, which makes me upset and wanting to advocate them
>>  and their parents.  One day when I was living in California, I
>>  went to a social gathering with my family and one of their
>>  friends had two kids.  I was sitting down and I had my wonderful
>>  trusty white cane folded with me at the side, and one girl asked
>>  "Why is he carrying those four sticks, and why are there for?"
>> Of
>>  course she asked her mom but we quickly told her what it was and
>>  what it was used for.  At the time I didn't know anything about
>>  NFB philosophies and my blindness philosophy was not the one
>> that
>>  it is now, so my Mom had to explain everything.
>>  But now, when I'm walking down the street or even doing
>> something
>>  that other people would do regularly, kids still ask me "Why the
>>  heck you have a stick in your hand?" Some other kids will just
>>  stare at me like non-sense and run away.  Some others will talk,
>>  but yes according to myself, they would talk to themselves
>>  because I don't know if they are talking to me until I tell them
>>  "Are you talking to me?" And yet, when I was little, one day one
>>  kid even tried to hit me with a small rock, because of no
>> reason,
>>  or maybe just because of a sign of disrespect toward people with
>>  disabilities, and even more, blind people.  (or that is what I
>>  think now.)
>>  The problem with kids, I suppose, from my personal experiences,
>>  is that their parents inherit those misperceptions of blindness
>>  into them and / or the kids get them from other people, or
>>  they've never been around blind people before or something.  I
>> can
>>  understand how they have never been around people who are blind
>>  before, but the parents issue is what gets me straight the most.
>>  Yet I don't even have the right time to advocate these kids in a
>>  diplomatic way patience being one of the factors.  But the times
>> I
>>  try to educate them about my blindness and being just a regular
>>  person, I don't know how to start engaging them, and they keep
>>  asking dumb questions.
>>  Any opinions on how to say to them about positive attitudes of
>>  blindness, or how to diplomatically explain them? Have you had
>>  any similar experiences? Any stories you want to share? Any more
>>  concerns or issues? Any help is appreciated please.
>>
>>  Cheers, Humberto
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
>>  blindtlk mailing list
>>  blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>>  To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>> info for
>>  blindtlk:
>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/nikki02
>> 22%40gmail.
>>  com
>>
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
>>  blindtlk mailing list
>>  blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>>  To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>> info for
>>  blindtlk:
>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/flmom20
>> 06%40gmail.
>> com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindtlk mailing list
>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for
>> blindtlk:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/nikki02
>> 22%40gmail.
>> com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindtlk mailing list
>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for
>> blindtlk:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/ladyglo
>> ria%40webba
>> nd.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindtlk mailing list
>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>> for blindtlk:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/dotkid.
>> nusbaum%40gmail.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindtlk mailing list
>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindtlk:
>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/dgraves%40icrc.in.gov
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindtlk mailing list
>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blindtlk:
>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/nikki0222%40gmail.com
>>
>
>
>
> --
> I thank you for the emails
> nikki
> _______________________________________________
> blindtlk mailing list
> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindtlk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/turtlepower17%40gmail.com
>