[Community-service] Discrimination in volunteering based onblindness

Mon Oct 13 20:45:36 UTC 2014

All:
 I don’t disagree that discrimination isn’t “out there”. To say this simple statement, however is much like saying that there is oxygen around us. 
 Discrimination is  faced by people who are of many different  ethnic backgrounds,   religious beliefs,  sexual orientations and so-on.
 Our purpose as members of  the Federation is to change the minds and hearts of those who won’t let us live the lives we want. We do this not only for ourselves, but for every     other blind person who has or  is going to have the same issues. I suspect there are those on this list who have those concerns, but are not quite ready to speak up.  I know that I do this for those people, and I hope that people such as Cindy and Ashley do the same. After all, whats the point of talking about what’s wrong if we don’t think up a saoutio solution to fix it?
  Darian            
On Oct 12, 2014, at 2:25 PM, Cindy Ray via Community-service <community-service at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Yes, I agree with Ashley here. Discrimination in the volunteer field is
> alive and well. I am not sure they "have" to do anything. At the Hospice
> where I volunteer, when I offered to learn the phone system so I could help
> with that, the woman said she hadn't the time to show me. She wouldn't teach
> me how to turn patients or fix the oxygen tank. Actually, volunteers
> shouldn't be doing this anyway. They once refused to let me sit with a baby
> because I wouldn't be able to see the instruments. Well, I think often you
> can tell there is a problem, but also, the baby simply was not going to
> live. I needed the experience myself to discover if I had the fortitude to
> sit with a newborn aby that way. There is plenty of discrimination out
> there.
> 
> Cindy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Community-service [mailto:community-service-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Ashley Bramlett via Community-service
> Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2014 4:36 PM
> To: Darian Smith; Community Service Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [Community-service] Discrimination in volunteering based
> onblindness
> 
> Darian,
> What you say should be true. As members of the public we should have equal
> opportunity. But places do think us a liability.
> When I tried to volunteer with our fire department as an administrative
> volunteer, I was told in our meeting after orientation thatthere was some
> hazardous stuff I might trip on or wander in the wrong rooms.
> 
> I ended up not getting the opportunity more so because they did not need
> admin volunteers, not due to the attitude thing. They were also up front
> with me they may not have enough admin work I could do, so I was not
> surprised to hear this.
> 
> I'm trying to get a volunteer position now with kids so we will see if that
> works out; I'm waiting for a call back.
> 
> Ashley
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Darian Smith via Community-service
> Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2014 10:18 PM
> To: jonathan franks ; Community Service Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [Community-service] Discrimination in volunteering based
> onblindness
> 
> Jonathan and all,
>  I believe that while there is no requirement that a place where you
> volunteer need make accommodations  such as screen readers and screen
> magnification, they are  to allow you the opportunity to volunteer in that
> if they allow members of the public to come in and  volunteer, they ought to
> allow a person with a disability to do the same.
>  in short, you ought not be disallowed a  place you desire to volunteer
> simply due to your blindness.  You need to be able to be competent and show
> that you can be, but  they can't assume you a liability and not give you the
> chance.
> 
>  Darian
> On Aug 31, 2014, at 9:48 AM, jonathan franks via Community-service
> <community-service at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
>> Greetings everyone,
>> I wanted to get people's experiences and thoughts on this topic.
>> 
>> Last year, I was to find a volunteer agency to do 45 hours of 
>> volunteer work for one of my Social Work courses. I had ran across an 
>> agency dealing with children and I wanted to offer my services there.
>> During the initial interview portion of the volunteering process, I 
>> was told that based on my blindness that I could only do 
>> administrative work. The reason I was given was that the children in 
>> this agency often got into fights and that if there was a fire, they 
>> were worried that I could not get out of the situation for my safety.
>> Even though I expressed that I had orientation and mobility skills, 
>> they refused to let me volunteer with the children in this agency.
>> 
>> I felt as though I had been discriminated at this point and felt as if 
>> it was a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, my 
>> Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor explained to me that since it was 
>> not an interview for compensated employment, that there was a loophole 
>> that they could do this.
>> 
>> Luckily for that semester I found a great alternative place to 
>> volunteer. I was hoping to get other people's experiences so that we 
>> can all come up with strategies to advocate for ourselves so that we 
>> can show our sighted peers we are efficient contributors to society.
>> 
>> I hope everyone is well.
>> 
>> Jonathan Franks
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> Jonathan Franks
>> Austin Chapter Board Member
>> National Federation of the Blind of Texas www.nfbaustin.org
>> 
>> Hook the Cure Board Member
>> Social Media Manager
>> The University of Texas at Austin
>> www.texashookthecure.weebly.co
>> 
>> Diabetes Action Network (NFB)
>> National Board Member
>> https://nfb.org/diabetics
>> 
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