[Colorado-talk] Folska in Post

[Beth Taurasi]

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On 10/4/2015 10:59 AM, melissa R green via Colorado-talk wrote:
> Oh my!  SMH!  > > > Warmly, Melissa R. Green and Pj It is 'where we are' that should 
make > all the difference, whether we believe we belong there or not. > 
 > > -----Original Message----- From: Colorado-talk > 
[mailto:colorado-talk-bounces@ nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dan Burke via > 
Colorado-talk Sent: Sunday, October 04, 2015 10:16 AM To: NFB of > 
Colorado Discussion List Cc: Dan Burke Subject: [Colorado-talk] > Folska 
in Post > > I'm pasting below a portion of an article on a girl scout 
outing at > Union Station yesterday, and a general public activity there 
of some > kind.  The article is kind of out of focus, but this section 
is > clearly in focus.  Every time I read of one of these activities by 
 > the RTD board member, I feel sick to my stomach - literally. The > 
message of the Post article on this item anyway is very clear - it > 
would be scary to be blind and blind people have to learn to be > 
dependent. Folska's purpose, as quoted by the Post is to show what > 
blind people have to "go through" every day.  She is doing much > damage 
to blind people. > > > Here's the portion of the article: > > A gaggle 
of Girl Scouts from the metro area made a pit stop at Union > Station 
during a morning lesson from Colorado women transportation > engineers. 
 > > "We are teaching young ladies about transportation engineering and 
 > introducing them to STEM concepts so they see that this can be a > 
career option for them," said Cassie Slade, a transportation engineer > 
with Fox Tuttle Hernandez. > > Another lesson came when RTD board 
director Claudia Folska, who is > vision-impaired, wanted to show the 
children the struggles that > those who are blind face every day. > > 
Donning blindfolds and nervous grins, the girls were led around the > 
transit station platform by a guide buddy. > > "It felt kind of weird 
because I thought I was going to fall over," > said 9-year-old Brynna 
Hoff of Aurora. "When we went down stairs, it > was kind of scary. > > > 
Sophia Garcia, 9, said she felt like she better understood some of > the 
obstacles those with visual impairments face. > > "I learned to do 
teamwork and that it's fun to help each other out," > she said. > > > >

It is definitely not scary being blind, but it is scarier when you can't 
get to places on time like on Acess A Ride. Girl scouts should be 
learning the benefits of blindness for Heaven's sake. Like not having to 
see half the weirdness that occurs on buses. I've heard things. Not only 
good things about our transit, but a Miami friend told me of weird stuff 
on his buses. And my boyfriend said stuff about Phoenix buses, trust me, 
a benefit of being blind is that you don't have to actually look at the 
crowds of homeless people that crowd the bus. On our transit, I got 
scared not because I was blind, but because one guy would not show a 
pass or fare and got thrown off the bus. Sadly, I see how it can be 
treated as a guilded carriage for the rich, which it isn't. Pay a fare 
or get suspended. So how do homeless people even in this city travel 
long distances? What about disabled homeless people? I've seen a handful 
of those. But no, my point is that it is not scary being blind, but the 
barriers and social prejudice are scary and dangerous and must be 
uprooted from girl scout curriculum and from this RTD board member's 
mind. She should resign or be reeducated, her choice, but if she does 
any further damage to us, I call for her resignation because such a high 
position demands that all disabled passengers be seen as a person first 
who just so happens to have this or that disability, then we must 
educate the board about the real barriers to us such as employment and 
transit. Trust me, even around the country, we are experiencing 
barriers. For instance, I have barriers on West Ninth Ave. I hate this 
building, hate the location because of Access A Ride's refusal to pick 
up except for when it's convenient for them, and when it's convenient 
for the fixed route buses, which do not run well on Sundays therefore no 
matter how loud I cry, I will not be able to get safe rides to church at 
no cost or lower cost without inconveniencing my friends. I feel 
terrible about this board member and I implore her to resign before she 
makes it impossible for us to properly educate the public.