[nabs-l] Exclusion of blind persons with secondary disabilities

[T. Joseph Carter]

The real question is, what defines a significant additional 
disability?  I have several candidates.  I have Albinism, which 
results in particular sensitivity to light and I don't do well out in 
the sun for very long at all.  It is also the source of my blindness.  
I have Asthma and allergies which provide their own limitations.  
There are other issues as well.  Collectively, they are far more a 
disability than blindness ever could be.  Yet only the Asthma even 
approaches the traditional definition we use to determine whether or 
not someone has a disability.  Mine isn't bad enough for that.

Oh, and I'm dyslexic.  You'd never know it unless you specifically 
tested me for the learning disability.  I cope with dyslexia almost 
better even than I do with blindness.

I didn't comment on this because what caught my eye even before the 
attitude of the blind being "not really disabled", I noticed the 
apparent ageism.  In Oregon, it is not uncommon for students to be in 
college for five or six years rather than take 18 credits per term as 
an undergraduate in 11 week classes.  I'm speaking of sighted 
students, mind you.

Not only that, many families have no means to send children to 
college, but technically too much of an income for financial aid 
grants.  Loans don't pay for everything, and it is harder for a 
person with a disability to simply work their way through college for 
a number of reasons.  More than a few with disabilities don't get the 
opportunity to start college until age 24.

Even when not starting as a non-traditional student, it's not exactly 
highly common that blind students graduate from high school at age 
18.  Typically graduation happens between 19 and 21 for Oregon's 
blind students.

Can you imagine trying to enter the job market at age 28-30, having 
never held a job and only a four year degree to show for education?  
I know some who don't have to imagine.  This could be ideal for them, 
but they are excluded.

(Actually, it seems NABS itself wishes to exclude such people, based 
on comments made by a former president of the organization suggesting 
that us old fogies just can't relate to you young whippersnappers, or 
something to that effect.  We'd rather include the ACB than our own 
proud student Federationists if they're over 25.  But that's a whole 
separate discussion that I'm sure we're not going to have.)

Joseph


On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 01:21:43PM -0400, Sarah J. Blake wrote:
> I'd like to see the entire program description. I communicated with BJ  
> (RRRTC director) about the possibility of attending their Master's degree 
> program. She (wisely) advised me against it because of my medical issues. 
> MS State is located 90 miles from a major cityy. If I had medical needs 
> which became serious--and I sometimes do--it would be challenging to get 
> them met appropriately.
>
> Unfortunately, some issues which appear to be discriminatory are not. 
> When dealing with blindness and additional disabilities, there are very 
> important things to consider. The ability to meet the needs imposed by 
> the particular disability is a significant issue that should not be 
> discounted.
>
> Sarah J. Blake
> Personal email: sjblake at growingstrong.org
> http://www.growingstrong.org