[nabs-l] Could someone lend me a hand, please? (Question about juggling multiple items)

[Serena]

I'm truely sorry you had to drop your classes.  Your Commission for the 
Blind is being absolutely insane!

Serena


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jewel S." <herekittykat2 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 8:48 AM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Could someone lend me a hand, please? (Question about 
juggling multiple items)


> Well, because of the lack of equipment (don't even have JAWS now, nor
> even Microsoft Word), I had to drop my classes. If I left right after
> classes, I didn't get home until 6:30pm, so staying after school to do
> homework was not possible with my chronic fatigue, and the trips back
> and forth just to do homework were driving me crazy already, and it
> was just the first week! I told DSB that if they were not going to get
> my equipment until the end of the semester, I would have to drop my
> classes until they *did* get my equipment. I've been told that I'll be
> lucky if it comes in by December...totally ridiculous, isn't it? Four
> months?? I've never heard of anyone having to wait four months to get
> equipment for school.
>
> Anyway, for the first week, I just carried a bag on my back (since I
> only had my binder, paper, voice recorder, and slate and stylus). That
> worked, though my shoulder hurt by the end of the day. Still not sure
> what I'll do when I have the equipment I need...DSS just won't do it,
> saying they don't have the resources.
>
> ~Jewel
>
> On 8/26/10, Serena <serenacucco at verizon.net> wrote:
>> I really don't see why the DSS office can't find a volunteer to carry 
>> your
>> backpack for you.  After all, they don't have to spend anymore money to 
>> do
>> that.  Since you have a mobility impairment, having someone carry your
>> backpack is similar to using a reader, except maybe, the person won't get
>> paid.  Other than that, I don't have any creative ideas myself.  However, 
>> I
>> have a good friend with a mobility impairment who might have some ideas.
>> I'll ask her ...
>>
>> Serena
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jewel S." <herekittykat2 at gmail.com>
>> To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 4:47 PM
>> Subject: [nabs-l] Could someone lend me a hand,please? (Question about
>> juggling multiple items)
>>
>>
>>> Hi everyone,
>>>
>>> As the title suggests, I need a bit of help...some advice, really. But
>>> I sure wish someone could literally lend me a hand. I need that third
>>> hand something fierce!
>>>
>>> Here's my dilemma. I will be starting school at the local community
>>> college in two weeks. I have a very nice High Sierra rolling backpack.
>>> It has a retractable handle with a T-grip which makes it easy to pull.
>>> However, I also have a long white cane and a T-grip support cane. One
>>> hand for the white cane, one hand for the support cane (I have tried
>>> carrying things in my right hand while using the support cane and I
>>> simply can't put enough weight on the cane to use it properly if I'm
>>> holding something...if it can hang on my wrist, and is not too heavy,
>>> I can do that, but it must be very light, such as a bag of light
>>> groceries {a bag of papertwoels, a bag with shampoo and conditiner,
>>> some small grocery items, etc.}, and one hand for the rolling
>>> backpack. That just doesn't add up to two!
>>>
>>> My primary doctor and my chiropractor have warned me several times not
>>> to put anything more than a few pounds on my shoulders or back, and
>>> definitely not a backpack full of books, so carrying the bag on my
>>> back when I use my support cane is out of the question. I have several
>>> slipped discs in my neck and severe misalignment in my back and hips,
>>> so I have to be careful not to carry too much. I also have problems
>>> with my arms and wrists; if I carry something heavy on my wrist or
>>> forearm, it will start tingling and sending lightning bolts of pain up
>>> and down my arm. Further, with my bad hips and knees, using a waist
>>> harness of some sort to pull the backpack seems out of the question as
>>> well.
>>>
>>> I brought this concern up to the Disability office at the college and
>>> they and I together could not think of anything to solve my problem. I
>>> suggested a volunteer pulling my bag from class to class, but they
>>> said they do not have the means to find someone or schedule such a
>>> volunteer's time. I am going to ask my VR counselor and my O&M
>>> instructor about it tomorrow, but I wanted to ask here. Surely I'm not
>>> the only one who has had this dilemma? Are there any of you out there
>>> who use both a white cane and a support cane with no hands for rolling
>>> backpack or other items?
>>>
>>> Any advice, suggestions, or ideas would be invaluable to me, as I'm
>>> truly at a loss. I didn't even think of it until yesterday when I was
>>> at the college and tried to do it and couldn't, and was in no
>>> condition to walk without my support cane without stumbling and/or
>>> falling often.
>>>
>>> ~Jewel
>>> Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
>>> Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
> -- 
> ~Jewel
> Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
> Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com
>
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