[blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions
trishs
slosser at metrocast.net
Tue Jun 9 11:58:48 UTC 2009
We have to expect and demand it.
> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Leanne Merren" <leemer02 at gmail.com
>To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 21:12:48 -0400
>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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