[nabs-l] backpacks are unprofessional?

[Peter Donahue]

Good afternoon everyone,

    I carry a backpack all the time and really don't care what anyone thinks 
about it. It allows me to have both hands free to work my guide dog and for 
other things. It's up to me to live my life and not for others to live it 
for me. I've carried everything from school supplies to groceries in my 
backpack and it works for me just fine.

Peter Donahue


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <sarah.jevnikar at utoronto.ca>
To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 8:54 AM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] backpacks are unprofessional?


Hi,
I know a lot of sighted professionals who use backpacks. I sort of
understand, like Jamie, but I don't see any problem with it. Good luck.
Sarah

Quoting Jamie Principato <blackbyrdfly at gmail.com>:

> 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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