[Job-Discussions] Appropriate use of human guide in the worlplace

Thu Jun 8 19:02:01 UTC 2023

Hi Kelsey,

I think it was Dr. Jernigan who discussed this in the Nature of
Independence. He wrote about how he goes on walks with his secretary
and uses sighted guide with her so they could continue a conversation.
It wasn't that he couldn't walk on his own; it was that he wanted to
focus on talking without the distractions of navigation. You should
read through the speech; it's a good one.

I had a boss who encouraged this as well. She and I went on walks
every day. I had a guide dog then, so I did not use sighted guide. But
she was understanding when I had to stop to relieve the dog or when we
stopped at curbs as per our training. This is kind of similar. You
will likely have a colleague (or several) who are more than happy to
walk with you and will understand your reasons.

Julie

On 6/7/23, Dick Davis via Job-Discussions <job-discussions at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Kelsey,
>
> I think we have moved past the point of judging people for having the
> occasional limitation. Dr. Jernigan even wrote a speech called “The Nature
> of Independence,” in which he addressed the very thoughts you are having. I
> suggest you read it.
>
> To expand on my earlier point of members on this list needing to be
> supportive of others, I remember some of the people on our old jobs list
> were critical of some of the questions you asked when you were first seeking
> employment. Then one of our committee members, Jeannette, who has since
> passed away, realized how smart you are, took you under her wing and helped
> you get a job.
>
> Since that time, you have continued to advance in employment. Your jobs keep
> getting better and better. Your employers have respected your knowledge and
> skills and given you additional responsibilities. Your successes prove that
> a person does not need perfect skills to succeed as long as they have a good
> mind and a good heart.
>
> Best wishes,
> Dick Davis
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Jun 7, 2023, at 1:51 PM, Jordan Gallacher via Job-Discussions
>> <job-discussions at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Do as you wish. There is no shame in using a human guide. None at all,
>> despite what some of these organizations might say or think.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On Jun 7, 2023, at 11:29 AM, Chad Allen via Job-Discussions
>>> <job-discussions at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Everyone,
>>> Not only do I fully agree with using sighted guide but I have a story to
>>> tell:
>>> I am a performing magician. I appeared on Penn and Teller's Fool Us and I
>>> am currently booked at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, CA. I say all this
>>> only to show I am serious about this work.
>>> Last year, Mark Riccobono hired me to perform strolling magic at an event
>>> in New Orleans. I almost did not accept the job. Stage and closeup magic
>>> allows me to have complete control of my performing space however,
>>> strolling magic requires me to go table to table in a restaurant or
>>> cocktail party environment. I am a successful cane traveler and a
>>> successful magician but I cannot travel with my cane and perform card
>>> magic at the same time. I need both hands to perform magic.
>>> I told this to Mark and I was willing to help him find a magician but he
>>> said, no. We want you.
>>> Without skipping a beat, Mark said, why not go sighted guide? I thought
>>> about it for two seconds and immediately knew he was right.
>>> So, at the event, I walked through the party, without my cane and
>>> performed magic for everyone. It was a great success and something I now
>>> request for every strolling magic gig I get.
>>> Moral of the story? Do what's best to get the job done. I hope this
>>> helps.
>>> My best,
>>> Chad Allen
>>>
>>> As seen on Penn and Teller: Fool Us
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCcA5gR0DSI
>>>
>>>> On Jun 7, 2023, at 07:38, Frye, Daniel via Job-Discussions
>>>> <job-discussions at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Kelsey:
>>>>
>>>> I rarely answer posts on any of our jobs or employment lists, leaving
>>>> this venue for the benefit of Federation members, allies, and the like.
>>>> But your question has prompted me to answer you with my opinion. Of
>>>> course, I am a member of the Federation, but I am also a member of our
>>>> organizational staff, so I undertake to not consume space, in deference
>>>> to our volunteer membership.
>>>>
>>>> I think there would absolutely be nothing wrong with your taking an arm
>>>> of a team member (assuming that they are agreeable) so that you don't
>>>> get occasionally disoriented in a parking lot. I think you have a
>>>> thoughtful manager who understands the value of physical exertion as a
>>>> means of maintaining your productivity at work and your general health.
>>>> If walking with somebody gets you the exercise you require; helps
>>>> ultimately to acquaint you with the route, should you have to travel it
>>>> alone; and facilitates informal conversation with your colleagues that
>>>> could not occur, if you were walking alone; I think that these
>>>> advantages may present you with some social opportunities to integrate
>>>> yourself while at work.
>>>>
>>>> We are all, of course, encouraged to be as independent as possible to
>>>> preserve a positive public perception of blindness and simply to be
>>>> self-sufficient, but I think we must accept people where they are in
>>>> terms of orientation & Mobility. I have directional hearing issues from
>>>> time-to-time, and I used to worry that my reliance on somebody to walk
>>>> to a given destination with me might adversely impact the impression
>>>> that I leave with the individual and others that see me, but I've
>>>> learned to be sufficiently self-confident that I minimize this worry, if
>>>> it is in fact secondary to the other advantages inherent in a particular
>>>> project. IN summary, I think you should do what feels most productive
>>>> and useful to you, when considering the entire exercise, and not worry
>>>> overly much about public impressions that don't consider the nuances
>>>> inherent in your decision. Again, please don't use this as a rationale
>>>> for not learning the route, but if it helps you to engage with your
>>>> colleagues, stay safe and oriented, and learn what you need to know, I'd
>>>> make these my priority considerations. I urge you to dismiss those who
>>>> would be unduly judgmental of your decision to walk alongside another
>>>> colleague; I'm sure that your sighted colleagues do the same thing, for
>>>> the same reasons, all the time, without having to subject themselves to
>>>> a test of whether they are independent enough every day.
>>>>
>>>> I hope this feedback provides you with some solace and support as you
>>>> continue whatever practice feels most comfortable for you. Behaving with
>>>> integrity, ultimately, is what it is all about.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> With Kind Regards,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Daniel B. Frye, JD.
>>>> Director of Employment and Professional Development Programs
>>>> 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
>>>> 410-659-9314, extension 2393 | dfrye at nfb.org
>>>> Mobile: 410-241-7006
>>>> Pronouns: he, him, his
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and
>>>> friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every
>>>> day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Job-Discussions <job-discussions-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of
>>>> Kelsey Nicolay via Job-Discussions
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 7, 2023 7:25 AM
>>>> To: job-discussions at nfbnet.org
>>>> Cc: Kelsey Nicolay <piano.girl0299 at gmail.com>
>>>> Subject: [Job-Discussions] Appropriate use of human guide in the
>>>> worlplace
>>>>
>>>> Hello,
>>>> I work in an office environment in which our manager highly encourages
>>>> going for a walk outside at least once a day. Due to how the office
>>>> complex is set up, there are not sidewalks the whole way around the
>>>> building, so it is necessary to walk in a parking lot. The sound of
>>>> teammanes’ voices are usually enough to maintain orientation, but the
>>>> sound of traffic sometimes affects my ability to hear where they are, so
>>>> I have veered off course. I don’t go sighted guide in the building. Have
>>>> learned my way around, but would there be anything wrong with me taking
>>>> an arm to help stay oriented when we go for our team walks outside?
>>>>
>>>> Sent from Kelsey Nicolay’s iPhone
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>>>
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>>
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>

-- 
Julie A. McGinnity
MM Vocal Performance, 2015; American University Washington College of
Law, JD Candidate 2023