[Home-on-the-range] blind in Europe

[Dianne Hemphill]

As some of you know, Jack and I just returned from a 3 week tour of eastern Europe, traveling down the Elba River, concluding with a week in Paris. I share this with you to give some of the highlights I experienced regarding blind people we saw and talked to. during the trip.  The trip was amazing in so many ways, in that we traveled in what was behind the Berlin wall and other formerly  communist countries just 20 years ago. This was a 17 day guided tour initially going from Hamburg, Germany, Berlin, the Czech Republic, and ending in Warsaw, Poland...this included a very moving and heart breaking  tour of the Alswitz death camp ...though Jack and I did not see or encounter any blind people, obvious anyway by their use of white canes until day 15 when we reached Warsaw. This absence of blind people, of course, has implications that perhaps they are simply not getting out and around - I wonder what services are available for them... There was, unexpectedly many braille placards, tactile maps and mimaturized replications of city squares, for example, so many of these historical sites do recognize the need to have braille for the blind. Unfortunately, all the braille I encountered was either in Hebrew, Polish or French - would have liked to have Emily with me to help here - and she did generously volunteer to go with us ! In Warsaw is where Jack and I encountered at least a half dozen Blind people traveling around the city independently using their white canes. There was a nun standing in front of a church and others moving around the city centers. These were not easily navigated areas as the streets were bumpy cobble stones and the areas were huge and very open. When I mentioned this to Donna, she thought the NFB has gone to Warsaw in some capacity- it seemed very likely to me as the use of white canes and independent travel very much reflected what many of our federationists around the U.S. model. 

Our last week was in Paris, on our own, we left our tour group once we flew out of Warsaw. Can I mention how much I loved Paris  -  I guess their are those that don't care for Paris but Jack and I are ready to go back anytime. Here we noted a number of independent white cane travelers around the city at different times. Getting off the metro (what they call their subway system) one evening, Jack described a blind man getting on and then off the metro with the huge crowd getting off work. I would guess he was going home after work as he held a brief case in one hand and his white cane in the other - Jack said his cane was in pretty bad shape and missing the tip - I would guess a well used and relied upon cane. He quickly maneuvered through the masses of people and quickly went up the many, many stairs up and out of the metro - did I mention that this part of the world believes that  stairs are the rule - be in shape when traveling Europe. Another blind guy we actually met in the Louvre. Jack and I started our amazing walk through this historic museum , formerly a palace, in a room filled with statue miniatures that allowed hands on viewing. Each also had braille descriptions - Emily  where were you when I needed you?! Jack introduced himself to Patrick, a blind gentleman using a white cane  also going through the displays, and we all began an interesting though somewhat challenging conversation - I must say his grasp of English was much better than my high school French- thank goodness. I asked him about his training and overall services for blind in France. There is a focus in the schools, as there is here for children growing up blind. He went blind about 20 years ago and appears to have received some pretty good skills training though I could not tell where he received them. He loves to travel and has been to the U.S. a couple of times though never to a NFB convention. However, he is interested in knowing more about the upcoming convention in Dallas and we exchanged e-mails to provide needed info. Wouldn't that be exciting...

One of the last, but certainly not least places that we visited in Paris was the Pantheon. This is a huge mosoliem where historically famous French can be entombed. This is the resting place of Louis Braille and of course, we made our way there first - not that easy as it is huge, multi leveled and a maze of vaulted  halls. Wifely had to ask directions and we were immediately led to a wonderful tribute to braille. There a bust available for hands on exam; a headphone available which had an audio of his story and several tributes to him and his contributions. One was the speech written by Hellen Keller following the 100th anniversary of his death. Again, braille in French - why didn't I keep in French those many years ago?! The Pantheon has an audio tour available and several statues for hands on exam...they are very ready and welcoming to their blind visitors. Susie went to Braille's home town about 20 years ago on a special tour with Dick Edlund and Linda and Harold Snyder. Perhaps she will share her memories on a future e-mail to us. We did not have the time to travel  to Braille's home town of Coppery which is several hours outside of Paris, however. An interesting, though somewhat creepy fact is that a number of years ago Braille's body,  was moved-  minus hands and reburied at the Pantheon. His hands remained in his home town. There was some controversy regarding Braille's reburial in the Pantheon because he was not necessarily considered that famous by much of the French determining who might have the option of being buried there. The two most important criteria for determining this privileged few is that they must be French and famous - though some are French only by marrying someone French, including Madame Currie - born in Poland. After much controversy about the level of fame of Braille, the rest of world persuaded those in charge that this humble man had indeed changed the world for the blind . 

I hope you find this of interest and gives you some of my impressions of the blind in Eastern Europe and Paris. It would be interesting to hear from others that have had exciting and interesting opportunities to travel and see how the rest of the world for the blind is doing. It has been just under 2 weeks since our return and I still am amazed and encouraged at how received, for the most part, the blind are around the world. Emily said to me before I left that in France, the blind are included as a matter of being the rule rather than the exception to the rule. What great memories. Dianne