[blparent] Intro and Question about city accessibility

Sat May 16 02:44:53 UTC 2015

I'll bet if you were to talk with Stargazer and Jo in person, you would 
probably feel very differently.  The practical advice they gave is 
no-nonsense from blind parents who have had to move, and have been 
successful.  I think they meant to help you with another perspective.  I 
remember when I was younger, though single with no kids, I liked the idea of 
moving to a totally new place, and did some checking into places around the 
country I thought sounded interesting, and wrote letters to prospective 
employers.  A move at that time in my life sounded exciting, a break from 
what was going on.  I was teaching school then.  I did like it, but I was 
looking at other life possibilities.

Well, I ended up meeting my now-husband of 34 years.

Looking back on it, I'm glad I stuck with my job for as long as I did and 
glad I didn't make any of those moves.

Of course that was my situation, don't really know what is driving yours. 
But, whether or not you decide to tell us, put a lot of thought into this, 
and definitely do a lot of in-depth internet research.  Even then, the best 
search may or may not give you the answer for the place you truly want.  I 
think part of the answer is finding the place, then the rest of it is 
working and commiting to make it your home.  Speaking as an ex Air Force 
brat.

Judy

-----Original Message----- 
From: Amanda Matheny via blparent
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2015 2:40 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Cc: Amanda Matheny
Subject: Re: [blparent] Intro and Question about city accessibility

Nevzat,

Thank you so much for making a reasonable suggestion without getting
rude about it. It is very much appreciated.

I have lived in Austin before, and I'm not particularly fond of the
idea of returning, for a variety of personal reasons I'd rather not
discuss here. However, I do know Austin is pretty accessible and
friendly, and I believe I heard they are expanding their
transportation, so that is good. They did however destroy my favorite
mall! lol. Anyway great suggestion, but as I said for personal reasons
unfortunately it won't work out for me.

On 5/15/15, Nevzat Adil via blparent <blparent at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Amanda, come to Austin. It is a great city with everything you
> specified - most liberal city in Texas, but not too liberal; diverse
> population; university; public transportation including metro access
> plus Lift and Uber; friendly people; and blind felowship with the NFB
> Austin chapter. I settled here almost four years ago and Love it. Lots
> of cultural activities and festivals.
> Nevzat
>
> On 5/15/15, Amanda Matheny via blparent <blparent at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I had joined this list before, but left when things got very hectic
>> and I needed to reduce my list mail. I am back now and I have a
>> question, but first I will briefly introduce myself.
>>
>> My name is Amanda. I will be 31 in a month and a half and I have a
>> 4-year-old son. I am a single mom. We're currently living in Texas,
>> but I don't feel like this is where I belong and am planning to move
>> after I finish my Bachelor's degree. I was originally planning to move
>> to Portland, Oregon, and may still, but there are some problems with
>> Portland that are forcing me to reconsider my plans. Speaking of
>> which, that is the other part of this email.
>>
>> At present, I have three possible options, though there are advantages
>> and disadvantages to all three. Let me describe myself and what I am
>> looking for in a place, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of
>> my current options, and if you think you know a place that fits the
>> bill, please suggest it and why you think it fits. I will then
>> research all the options in an effort to make a good decision for
>> myself and my son.
>>
>> I am not religious. I consider myself agnostic. I am visually impaired
>> and my son is fully sighted. Both socially and politically I am middle
>> of the road. I'm direct middle of the road politically, neither
>> republican nor democrat. Socially I am leaning slightly liberal. I
>> like to tease that I am too liberal for Texas, but quite likely too
>> conservative for Portland, which is very liberal. I love the outdoors
>> and I have a good independence level. I prefer to do things without
>> assistance whenever possible. I am a Special Education major. Here are
>> some basic criteria I want in a city to move to. I don't expect any
>> city to meet these perfectly, but it should do so as closely as
>> possible.
>>
>> 1. I'd like to have friends there. Of course there are lots of places
>> I don't have friends, but if I don't have them already, it should be
>> pretty easy to meet and connect with other people, including those who
>> have kids in my son's age range because I'll need to make friends for
>> both of us. Of course a city where I already know at least a couple
>> people will be most likely given priority, but if one that does not
>> already have people I know fits these criteria better, it will still
>> be considered.
>> 2. Must have good public transportation. The fixed route system should
>> span the entire city, possibly even suburbs, and should run
>> frequently, no more than every 20 minutes on weekdays, 30 on Saturdays
>> and hour on Sundays, and if it's better than that, so much the better.
>> A couple of light rail options doesn't hurt either. Paratransit should
>> be reliable when needed for appointments and such.
>> 2. Low crime rate, especially violent crimes and sex crimes. I do not
>> want to put myself and my son in an unsafe environment. Any city is
>> going to have some level of crime, but it should not be overrun by
>> crime.
>> 3. Very little drug use, and drugs should be illegal. Part of the
>> problem with the northwest is the legalization of drugs, like
>> marijuana, not only for medical use but for recreational use. I heard
>> they're even planning on putting pot stores on the streets, like
>> liquor stores, and a few people I know that live up there have said
>> more people are using drugs and doing so publicly for all to see. This
>> is intolerable to me and I will not expose myself or my son to it. I
>> hate smoking of all forms and if I could help it, I wouldn't expose
>> myself to cigarettes either, but they are everywhere so that is
>> unavoidable. However, if you live in a place where smokers are at
>> least respectful of non-smokers, and tend to stay clear of them,
>> especially children, then it might be worth considering.
>> 4. People should not be judgmental. I know that in some cities, people
>> are more open minded toward the blind than others. That is actually
>> one of Portland's advantages. Around here, they're nothing but
>> patronizing, with very few exceptions. I want to live in a place where
>> I can put my degree to good use and not be assumed incapable based on
>> my blindness.
>> 5. Should have a university. This is a must as I intend to pursue my
>> Master's degree in Special Education with a focus on visually impaired
>> students. My current focus is mild/moderate as that is all that is
>> offered by my online university, so I'll need to transfer to a
>> physical one for a VI focus.
>> 6. Reasonable climate. Texas gets a lot of flash flooding and
>> thunderstorms. One of Portland's advantages is that while it gets
>> rain, it's usually not as heavy or violent. Salt Lake is another
>> option I've considered that I like, but I don't like the snow,
>> especially when the sidewalks are not plowed. That doesn't rule them
>> out, but it's something to consider. I'd prefer a nice, moderate
>> climate, very little extreme weather problems such as hurricanes,
>> tornados, and absolutely no earthquakes! I couldn't handle those.
>> 7. Ideally should have Section 8 wait lists open or apartments with
>> open wait lists that do project based section 8 or similar state based
>> programs. Money is tight for myself and my son, who are currently
>> living in a mobile home and only paying lot rent. Unfortunately we
>> can't take the mobile home with us or we could just find an accessible
>> community there, and we can't afford to buy a new one, so when we move
>> out, we'll have to go section 8 or similar until I finish college.
>> We'd prefer a 2 bedroom section 8 or similar so we don't have to share
>> a room since he's used to his own now, but that actually should be
>> easier since most 1 bedrooms get a lot more full than 2 bedroom ones.
>>
>> I'm sure there are other things I'd like but these are some of the big
>> ones. Now here are the possibilities for the three cities I've
>> considered and their advantages/disadvantages. One of them has been
>> entirely ruled out and I will tell why in its description.
>>
>> Portland Oregon: Advantages - great public transportation system,
>> friends in and near the area, some with kids my son's age, almost
>> everything accessible, easily navigable address system, people seem
>> open to the ability of the blind, Portland State University, mostly
>> reasonable weather. Disadvantages - A bit too liberal for my comfort,
>> legalized recreational marijuana along with expanding public use and
>> the emergence of pot shops, severely limited blind services, though
>> Portland residents can acquire services from Vancouver Washington if
>> needed.
>> Salt Lake City, Utah: Advantages - Another great transit system,
>> friendly people, easy to navigate, know the area from living there
>> before, University of Utah, my son's old pediatrician from when he was
>> a baby if she still works there, who I trust and often tease that I'd
>> like back, some friends there, though none with kids. Disadvantages: A
>> little too conservative and religious, though not so bad in the main
>> city, snow and often unplowed sidewalks during the winter, making
>> travel more difficult, ex's family lives there (haven't figured out
>> yet if this is actually an advantage or a disadvantage.)
>> Plano, Texas: Advantages - Friends from high school, even several
>> sighted ones that don't tend to judge, most with kids around my son's
>> age, I know my way around since I grew up there, weather is usually
>> okay but can get bad at times. Disadvantages - limited public
>> transportation so need to walk most places, no university
>> (dealbreaker)
>>
>> I know this is kind of long, but I'm trying to be thorough. I'd prefer
>> a place I've visited before as well, but I haven't visited too many
>> places so that may or may not be doable. I'm going to have to do some
>> thinking, researching, and soul searching, because wherever I go, I
>> want it to be final and where I end up settling. Feel free to make any
>> suggestions you think might fit the bill. Thanks!
>>
>> Amanda
>>
>> --
>> Amanda Matheny
>> Website: www.craftyfrugalmom.com
>> Twitter: @craftyfrugalmom
>> Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/craftyfrugalmom
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>>
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>
>
> --
> ❝"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his
> head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his
> heart."❞
> ‒Nelson Mandela
>
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-- 
Amanda Matheny
Website: www.craftyfrugalmom.com
Twitter: @craftyfrugalmom
Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/craftyfrugalmom
Facebook fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/cfmfanpage
Stumbleupon: http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/craftyfrugalmom
TSU: http://www.tsu.co/craftyfrugalmom

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