[blparent] [Bulk] Re: [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions(braille menus)
Tammy, Paul and Colyn
tcl189 at rogers.com
Mon Jun 8 14:06:13 UTC 2009
Hi,
That's just too funny! I should try that. lol Especially next time
there's a large group of us out.
Tammy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto" <jopinto at pcdesk.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 12:27 AM
Subject: [Bulk] Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their
impressions(braille menus)
> Why is it that if
> restaurants have braille menus--a lot of the chains do, but sometimes the
> wait staff don't know the braille menus exist, or even what braille
> is--they're usually way out of date, and often they don't list the prices.
> The restaurants wouldn't make much money if their print menus were out of
> date, missing the prices, or came in pieces with no binding.
>
> As far as people speaking to my companions, I usually just say, "Hmmm, I
> think *she* will have coffee, please." I've even been known to turn to my
> baby or my guide dog and say, "Hmmm, sweetie, what do you think she'll
> have today?" Once I turned to the person sitting to my left at the table,
> and I said, "Hey, Al, what's she going to have?" Al turned to the person
> on his left and said, "I don't know. Deb, what will she have?" And so it
> went, all the way around the table, till it got back to me. Then I said,
> "I believe she'll have a Belgian waffle." If I can make the waiter or
> waitress laugh a little, I usually get friendly service after that. If I
> get really great service, I make it a point to tell a manager or fill out
> a comment card or leave a note, so that it is brought to people's
> attention in a positive way what people with disabilities expect. It
> seems better than just complaining when service is substandard.
>
> Jo Elizabeth
>
> "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed
> until it is faced."--James Baldwin
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Veronica Smith" <madison_tewe at spinn.net>
> To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, June 07, 2009 9:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions
>
>
>> Like the other night, my sighted husband and I were at Red Lobster and
>> the
>> waitress asked if "she" wanted a Braille menu. So my husband told her
>> she
>> would have to ask me. She did and then brought me one that was in
>> pieces.
>> The binding was missing. V
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Jennifer Massey
>> Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 9:14 PM
>> To: blparent at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions
>>
>> that is true, My soon to be husband is blind and I have 2 small children.
>> We were on our way to Kings Dominion last year with my 3 year old son.
>> We
>> stopped in Quantico to get something to eat we were getting hungry and
>> the
>> man who waited on us was very rude. He would ask me all of the questions
>> and I finally had enough of it. First, I politly asked him if you have a
>> question for my partner please ask him directly. Of course the next time
>> he
>>
>> came over to ask something he ignored Dustin and I asked to speak to the
>> manager. When the manager came out Dust told him what the man had done
>> and
>> we ended up with a free dinner that night.
>>
>> Jennifer and Dustin
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Leanne Merren" <leemer02 at gmail.com>
>> To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 9:12 PM
>> Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions
>>
>>
>>> But that is why we can't sit back and let them ignore us. My mom has
>>> gotten in the habbit of telling people to talk to me, not her. She
>>> tells
>>> them that I'm the parent. My mother-in-law does too. We deserve the
>>> same
>>
>>> respect and recognition as parents. We just have to earn it, instead of
>>> it coming naturally like it does for so many other parents. Blind
>>> parents
>>
>>> aren't the only parents in this position, I'm sure.
>>> Leanne
>>> "Faith is being sure of what we hope for
>>> and certain of what we do not see."
>>> Hebrews 11:1
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Eileen Levin" <eileenlevin at comcast.net>
>>> To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 4:14 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions
>>>
>>>
>>>> Like JoElizabeth my sighted husband was there and we received no visit
>>>> from
>>>> a social worker at all. I hadn't taken any classes, asked to leave the
>>>> day
>>>> after my son was born, and the staff all seemed to be directing their
>>>> lessons to my extremely anxious sighted husband. The staff's tendancy
>>>> to
>>>> ignore me while teaching my husband never meant anything to me since I
>>>> already knew how to change a diaper and bathe a baby from helping my
>>>> mother
>>>> with my two younger sisters. I think there was a note posted on my door
>>>> from
>>>> the staff about my blindness which my husband questioned as soon as he
>>>> saw
>>>> it.
>>>>
>>>> So, is there discrimination? From all this anecdotal evidence it
>>>> appears
>>>> the
>>>> answer is YES YES and YES.
>>>> Eileen
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>>> On
>>>> Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
>>>> Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 12:56 PM
>>>> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
>>>> Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions
>>>>
>>>> I was lucky enough not to get much interference from social workers
>>>> when
>>>> Sarah was born. I don't know if it was because her sighted father was
>>>> there
>>>>
>>>> most of the time or what. There was a doctor who asked if I would have
>>>> help
>>>>
>>>> at home. I said yes, and he didn't ask any more questions.
>>>> (Personally,
>>
>>>> I
>>>> think whether there will be help is a valid question for any new mom,
>>>> sighted or blind, especially now that I've been through the newborn
>>>> phase
>>>> myself.) Nobody asked me if I had everything ready for the baby, which
>>>> I
>>>> did, and the nurses spent a lot of time trying to help me get nursing
>>>> established, with no comment about my blindness. The only social
>>>> worker
>>>> I
>>>> saw asked me about financial issues, but Gerald and I made too much to
>>>> qualify for the hospital's sliding scale. It was nice to have such a
>>>> positive experience at the hospital. I think part of the reason
>>>> everything
>>>> went so well is that I took not only the childbirth classes, but also
>>>> the
>>>> baby care and breastfeeding courses, and I had a tour of the maternity
>>>> ward
>>>> and asked a lot of questions, so by the time I delivered my baby, I was
>>>> kind
>>>>
>>>> of a familiar face to many of the staff, and they knew I was taking my
>>>> new
>>>> role as a mother seriously.
>>>>
>>>> Jo Elizabeth
>>>>
>>>> "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be
>>>> changed
>>>> until it is faced."--James Baldwin
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Melissa Ann Riccobono" <melissa at riccobono.us>
>>>> To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 6:47 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> It's interesting about hospital social workers. I actually was lucky
>>>>> enough
>>>>> to have a good experience with the social worker who visited me after
>>>>> Austin
>>>>> was born. She seemed to stick to standard questions. She did ask if
>>>>> I
>>>>> had
>>>>> everything ready for the baby; actually she didn't quite put it that
>>>>> way.
>>>>> She asked if we had a crib or a bassinette, a car seat, etc. I could
>>>>> hear
>>>>> that she was taking notes and checking things off a list. The
>>>>> hospital
>>>>> where Austin was born often deals with high risk and very poor moms
>>>>> and
>>>>> dads, so I felt a lot of the questions were based on the fact that so
>>>>> many
>>>>> people who pass through really do need a lot more help and services.
>>>>> I
>>>>> was
>>>>> also offered WIC. I don't know if this was standard or not, but I
>>>>> just
>>>>> said
>>>>> I knew we made too much to qualify and I was left alone. The person
>>>>> who
>>>>> made me the most nervous was a doctor--not the one who delivered
>>>>> Austin--who
>>>>> kept asking if I had help at home, and if I thought I could manage
>>>>> because
>>>>> of my "handicap." Luckily, even though I was still in labor and not
>>>>> in
>>>>> the
>>>>> best mood, I managed to answer him calmly and firmly and nothing else
>>>>> was
>>>>> said. Then there was this extremely annoying nurse who was completely
>>>>> thrilled because I could find the toilet paper in the bathroom and I
>>>>> "navigated so well!" She questioned my ability to nurse because it's
>>>>> "a
>>>>> very visual thing to know when the baby's mouth is open so you can
>>>>> stick
>>>>> the
>>>>> nipple in. Are you really committed to nursing?" Thank goodness I
>>>>> knew
>>>>> my
>>>>> sister, who is also blind, nursed three babies successfully, and that
>>>>> I
>>>>> was
>>>>> committed to nursing unless there really was a reason I couldn't--such
>>>>> as
>>>>> my
>>>>> body not making enough milk, or Austin really having difficulties of
>>>>> some
>>>>> other kind. So, I was firm on that point as well. It is amazing
>>>>> though
>>>>> simply how uneducated the public is! I love the people who ask me if
>>>>> I
>>>>> had
>>>>> someone come in to "adapt" my house for the baby. Yes, there are
>>>>> child
>>>>> proofing companies and they are great if you want to use them, but I
>>>>> think
>>>>> it's crazy for people to believe that just because we're blind we
>>>>> don't
>>>>> know
>>>>> what is dangerous for a baby or small child.
>>>>> Melissa
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> blparent mailing list
>>>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> blparent:
>>>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/eileenlevin%40comc
>>>> ast.net
>>>> No virus found in this incoming message.
>>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>>>> Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.54/2158 - Release Date:
>>>> 06/06/09
>>>> 05:53:00
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> blparent mailing list
>>>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> blparent:
>>>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/leemer02%40gmail.c
>> om
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> blparent mailing list
>>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> blparent:
>>>
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/renandstimpy3%40co
>> mcast.net
>>>
>>> _______________________________________
>>> No viruses found in this incoming message
>>> Scanned by iolo AntiVirus 1.5.3.5
>>> http://www.iolo.com
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________
>> No viruses found in this outgoing message
>> Scanned by iolo AntiVirus 1.5.3.5
>> http://www.iolo.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blparent mailing list
>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blparent:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/madison_tewe%40spi
>> nn.net
>>
>> No virus found in this incoming message.
>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>> Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.54/2159 - Release Date:
>> 06/06/09
>> 18:04:00
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blparent mailing list
>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blparent:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/jopinto%40pcdesk.net
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blparent mailing list
> blparent at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blparent:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/tcl189%40rogers.com
More information about the BlParent
mailing list