[nabs-l] backpacks are unprofessional?

[Jamie Principato]

I can kind of see where your professor is going, but at the same time I
don't think he understands how inconvenient and impractical it is for a
blind professional to carry around a messenger bag or briefcase. I don't
know where I'd be if I was suddenly told I couldn't carry my backpack on my
back. A messenger bag throws me off balance and I tend to move diagonally to
the side the weight is on if it's heavy (which we all know it would be.). It
also makes it more difficult to use my cane, and the weight can be rather
painful and potentially harmful. I can understand if I was driving into town
to do this work, but if I'm walking and using public transit, it just isn't
practical... And frankly, our bags are heavier (usually) than a sighted
persons, what with the weight of any braille or large print materials we'd
be carrying, laptops, note-takers, magnifiers, things that may be needed for
the dog (not sure about that one since I don't use a dog, but I imagine it's
a possible added weight). It just makes more sense to use both shoulders
instead of one or just your hand.

I don't think it looks unprofessional to be carrying a backpack. I mean, if
a blind person was doing business with me and they had on a barbie doll or
spider man backpack, or it had stickers and buttons all over it advertising
their favorite bands or college sports teams, I have to say that would look
very unprofessional and may lead me to take this person less seriously. But
a simple, organized adult backpack is fine, in my opinion...

However I am not the majority, and I find time and time again that my views
on blindness and other matters differ greatly from those of the majority.

On Wed, Jan 28, 2009 at 11:39 PM, Martha Harris
<latinanewschic at hotmail.com>wrote:

> Hi Everyone,
> I'm a journalism major; as part of our magazine production, we have to go
> out in to the community to sell ads, talk to Lions Clubs, have tables at
> local events, ETC. We have two conditions: dress professionally, and don't
> wear a backpack. I totally understand the dress professionally, but what do
> you all think about backpacks? Do they make us look too much like students
> and not professionals, and if so, why? As a blind student, would I not be
> taken seriously because "she doesn't know that everyone else has different
> bags?" or something like that?
> Personally, I prefer the backpack. It is painful to have the strap of a
> messenger bag, satchel, or large purse on my left shoulder with the bag on
> the right side of my body, and having the strap on my right shoulder with
> the bag hanging on the left gets in the way of my hand with the dog. Our
> professor says that since our target audience is permanent residents between
> 35 and 55 years old who live in the two surrounding counties and not
> students like the traditional college magazine, we shouldn't look like we
> come from the university when we go into the town. Thoughts?
>
> Thanks,
> Martha
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