[blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions

Mon Jun 8 19:28:33 UTC 2009

It doesn't happen all the time, but be assured it will. V

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Corey Cook
Sent: Sunday, June 07, 2009 10:03 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions

Luckly me and my sighted wife have not experienced much of this.
Most people speak to me.

Corey
Check out my blog.
http://www.blindrants.blogspot.com
----- 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 11:41 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
>>>>
>>>
>>>
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> om
>>
>>
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