[nabs-l] being scholastically social?

Wed Mar 24 04:58:51 UTC 2010

It's not just a blindness thing precisely. It's not uncommon for 
minority groups to have difficulty making friends on the job or in 
school: things are cordial at work, but there's often lack of access to 
informal social networks which can, in some cases, become a real 
obstacle even during work hours. Causes might include anything from 
just not knowing what to say to a minority group member to feeling a 
large gap between minorities and their non-minority counterparts. There 
really is no right way to handle this problem because it affects us all 
so differently. If it concerns you that you're feeling left out, it may 
be worth addressing to someone who you feel will most likely hear you.

Respectfully,
Jedi

Original message:
> I am currently in high school. I don't do much in terms of clubs or other
> school activities in school. I briefly joined the stage crew for a play, but
> I was kind of in the way. No one talked to me, about anything other than
> professional questions about things of a technical nature. I did my job
> well, but I clearly did not fit in. people were afraid that if they talked
> to me they would offend me or something like that.

> Because I don't do many activities in school, I am involved in the boy
> scouts, life teen, and the NFB. Even at places such as boy scouts and life
> teen, most of the conversations I have are professional or technical in
> nature. I really don't have many sighted friends. I don't know if this is
> blindness related, or what.

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jamie Principato" <blackbyrdfly at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 8:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] being scholastically social?

>> In middle school, I would jump at the opportunity to get involved in as
>> much
>> as my parents would allow. I did Student Government, Jazz Band, and a
>> Youth
>> Leadership organization that focused on competitive debate and public
>> speaking (think like a junior Toastmasters International). I couldn't wait
>> for high school when I'd have even more interesting groups and activities
>> to
>> choose from.

>> When I got to high school, I encountered a lot of...problems...with the
>> school's Vision department (which is sad since I only went to this high
>> school because we were told it offered the most for visually impaired
>> students). I could go on all day with the details here, but I'll spare you
>> that. One of these issues was the fact that blind students at this school
>> tended to be very...disconnected from the rest of the student body,
>> avoiding
>> activities and student events. I learned shortly after joining Model UN
>> and
>> Psychology Club, attending the first Freshman dance, and planning to go to
>> a
>> pep rally that the Vision department wasn't happy with the fact t I joined
>> and attended these clubs without telling them first, and that if I was
>> going
>> to keep attending, they'd need my mother to write up a permission note (no
>> other student needed to do this) and they would have to first find a
>> teacher
>> to stay late in the day and basically babysit me while I attend these
>> activities. Oh, and I wasn't allowed to go to that pep rally unless I sat
>> with my TVI and the other teachers, not in the Freshman stands with my
>> class. My mother and I told them that all of this was unnecessary, and we
>> complained to the principal, but between this and a number of other
>> issues,
>> we just ended up taking matters into our own hands.

>> We registered as a home schooling family, and joined a home school support
>> group with about 70 or so other families in the county. I took advantage
>> of
>> my new freedom and got involved in a ton of extracurricular activities in
>> my
>> community, even sports (something that never would have flown at that
>> school). Now that I'm in college, I try to get involved on campus and in
>> the
>> city when ever I can. I joined the university's fencing club, a volunteer
>> organization, and I'm currently applying to Psi Chi. I also try to get the
>> most out of campus cultural events like plays or concerts, and make use of
>> campus facilities like the gym. THe only issue I've been having is that
>> transportation in my city. The only bus that comes near by house recently
>> changed its schedule and now stops running early in the evening. The only
>> way to really go out in the evening for any sort of event or get home from
>> a
>> club meeting is to take a cab or ride with a friend, but you need to get
>> out
>> a bit first to make those sighted friends. I find that if money is tight
>> one
>> month, it's pretty unlikely that I'll be doing much outside of attending
>> class, including attending free activities or events. I guess that's just
>> one price of living off campus though.

>> On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 4:28 PM, Darian Smith <dsmithnfb at gmail.com> wrote:

>>> Hi list,

>>>  I'm curious to  here what  people's thoughts are about  becoming
>>> involved in  clubs and campus  activities in school (high school or
>>> college). do you  jump at the oppertunity to meet new people? do you
>>> feel nervous about it. have you met some of your  best friends at a
>>> ralley,  social club, campus society? how did your  self- identity as
>>> a blind person factor into  your interactions with people? how did
>>> people interact with you?
>>>  Thoughts?
>>>  Best,
>>>  Darian
>>> --
>>> Darian Smith
>>> Skype: The_Blind_Truth
>>> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
>>> The National Federation of the Blind has launched a nationwide teacher
>>> recruitment campaign to help attract energetic and passionate
>>> individuals into the field of blindness education, and we need your
>>> help!   To Get Involved  go to:
>>> www.TeachBlindStudents.org

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