[nabs-l] [Nfbnet-members-list] Threw Our Eyes interview, Ride into History, Race for Independence, Wed. June 22, 8:00 pm EDT
T. Joseph Carter
carter.tjoseph at gmail.com
Mon Jun 27 18:38:13 UTC 2011
Carly,
I’ve had two soft tissue sarcomas in different spots that look nearly
identical under a microscope. Odds are even as to whether one is
metastasis of the other, in which case I’m stage 4 and aside from the
possibility of a spontaneous remission, it’s likely to kill me
whether I live six year, sixteen years, or sixty years.
The other possibility is that the two tumors are unrelated. We chose
this hypothesis since that allowed for possibly life-saving treatment
in the event that it happens to be truly the case.
It’s pretty much even odds, though. The tumor didn’t spread to my
lungs, which is what these things usually do. If it had, chemo would
be my only option. But the odds of survival if it does that aren’t
good. It didn’t do that, and it almost always does when it spreads,
which is why they suspect I might have had two separate and unrelated
tumors.
I’m too stubborn to go easily or quietly. I’ll fight it till I
can’t, and then I’ll fight it some more.
I found out last year on June 21st, so I didn’t get to attend
convention. In fact, the first tumor was excised on July 8th. The
second was identified January 12th and removed on the 20th. If we
found another tumor tomorrow, I don’t care, I’m GOING to convention
this year!
Joseph
On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 04:41:56AM -0700, Carly Mihalakis wrote:
>
>
>Good morning, JJoseph,
>
> What is the nature of your continued fight with cancer? And,
>on that focused, can-do attitude I do believe the Federation is on to
>something. I live in the city where it all began with Dr. TenBroek
>and Dr. Jernigan's having held professorships, at Cal.:
>>I have a Master’s degree that is completely useless because of
>>discrimination. I am deeply in debt and looking for employment in
>>unrelated fields. If anything, my degree is an impediment to
>>employment because people see it and presume they cannot afford to
>>hire me with my educational background. The way I see it, if our
>>alternative techniques aren’t effective enough to do the same job
>>and in roughly the same time frame, then we need to improve either
>>the technique or our mastery of them, because they are not yet
>>suitable alternatives to really compete with our sighted peers.
>>After battling a couple of cancers, I’ve really had to ask myself
>>what limitations I’m willing to accept others placing on my life
>>because of my disability, and whether I’d place any of my own.
>>The answer was the same to both: I won’t accept limitations just
>>because I can’t see. I just walked into a testing environment
>>today. I brought with me what accommodations I thought I’d need,
>>and a few I thought I probably wouldn’t. They were in no way
>>prepared for me as a blind person to be there, and tried to figure
>>out what sort of adaptations I might need. But as it happens, I
>>didn’t, because I was prepared. I took the same examination
>>everyone else did, aided only by a little bit of technology (and
>>not exactly high tech either!) It worked, I took the exam,
>>finished in relatively similar time to my peers, and I passed.
>>Would other accommodations have been more useful? Yes. Would they
>>have been possible given time to arrange them? Yes. Did not
>>having them stop me? No. Because I’m no longer willing to be
>>stopped. I will get it done, one way or another. If we couldn’t
>>find a way to do that tonight, we would have done it at the next
>>opportunity. Joseph On Sun, Jun 26, 2011 at 10:03:06PM -0400,
>>bookwormahb at earthlink.net wrote: >Joseph, >Yes most people work
>>through college. But as Kirt rightly points out, >we have barriers
>>to doing those little part time jobs. One of them is >that our
>>studying and alternative techniques take longer. We cannot >glance
>>at a graph; we cannot skim a book or cut many corners in >studying
>>as sighted students do either because their lazy or in a >time
>>crunch. >In theory we should work and be like everyone else. But
>>sadly, >without that BA degree >our opportunities for office jobs
>>are very limited. Aren't you >looking for work with a degree? If
>>so, you know the job market is >tough and competetive. > >Kirt said
>>>"School is preparing me to work a regular job-since my alternative
>>>techniques require lots of time work isn't really practical for me
>>>while I go through school. I suspect that's why you applied for
>>SSI >in the first place. " >That's right. SSI could be seen as a
>>handout, but if its used >temporarily and a blind person intends to
>>use his/her schooling to >secure competetive employment, then that
>>is alright. After all, your >years of work paying taxes you will
>>contribute to the system like >most Americans. > >I agree with Kirt
>>that its not too practical to work through school. >I could go on
>>and on. I'm sure some people do it to earn extra cash, >and if they
>>are lucky to find a good job with an open minded >employer, that is
>>great. But how many blind people do you know with >only high school
>>diplomas working part time? How many do you know who >cansay work
>>typical college part time jobs at cash registers, as a
>>>salesperson, or front desk? No, I don't know any because those
>>jobs >are too visual. Being a hostess, server, or table cleaner are
>>other >common jobs. Again, a blind person cannot wait tables; oh
>>maybe they >could bartend, but that requires a special license and
>>I think you >have to be 21. >There are some jobs a blind student
>>can do with skills, but again you >have to have someone willing to
>>hire you with no, I repeat no >experience; and most employers won't
>>do that and you don't even have >the schooling to back up what you
>>want to do. >Jobs such as babysitting, tutoring, being a
>>receptionist, >telemarketer, or customer service representative are
>>jobs we can do. >These jobs don't require a college degree, if you
>>work for certain >employers. > >Joseph, if you decide not to take
>>SSI, I hope you still have food >stamps or your family or friends
>>can loan you money. I would not want >you to go hungry. Food
>>pantries don't give out full meals; only soup >kitchens do and most
>>soup kitchens only serve one or two meals a day. >Good luck with
>>whatever you decide. >Ashley > >-----Original Message----- From: T.
>>Joseph Carter >Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2011 9:03 PM >To: National
>>Association of Blind Students mailing list >Subject: Re: [nabs-l]
>>[Nfbnet-members-list] Threw Our Eyes interview, >Ride into History,
>>Race for Independence, Wed. June 22, 8:00 pm EDT > >Wait, are you
>>saying the system is designed for us to sit on our >collective
>>duffs and mooch off of others while we piddle around and >do
>>nothing? Does that seem like an appropriate system to you? > >You
>>know how most people get through school? They work. Why should
>>>we be different? Yes, I know we ARE, but why should we accept
>>that? >We cannot work through school because the very act of going
>>through >school takes us longer. Why? Because we haven’t got
>>the skills to >keep up. Why? Because the same system that is
>>giving us our little >handout (for which I’m told we should be
>>grateful) has actively >interfered in our efforts to be and do
>>better than that. > >As for suing, how, whom, and why? My benefits
>>were never actually >stopped, only threatened. Just enough to keep
>>me jumping for my >government slavemasters. I was entitled to,
>>had, and won each of my >appeals, so the system worked as designed.
>>> >I’m just no longer willing to be a slave. > >Joseph > > >On
>>Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 01:18:23PM -0600, Kirt Manwaring wrote:
>>>>Joseph, >> You make great points, and I really do feel for you.
>>That's >>aweful...like, maybe get a social security lawyer kind of
>>aweful. >> All I'm saying is, the way the system is intended to
>>work (and the >>way it works for a lot of us), SSI is necessary
>>income. I'm using it >>so I don't starve through school; the
>>minute I get out and find a >>full-time job, I'm saying goodbye to
>>my SSI for good. That's how it >>should be-use it to get yourself
>>able to work then cut the cord. I >>know lots of people abuse it,
>>I know it's poorly managed, and I know >>you're getting screwed by
>>the system. But the way I see it, it's >>designed to be a boost up
>>to equality, not a handout. Of course, >>everyone doesn't use it
>>that way. >> In any case, best of luck. I hope things work out for
>>you. For >>what it's worth, I'm sorry you're going through all
>>this crap. >> Best wishes, >>Kirt >> >>On 6/25/11, T. Joseph Carter
>><carter.tjoseph at gmail.com> wrote: >>>Kirt, >>> >>>Social Security
>>and SSI are still a handout, and they come with >>>strings attached
>>that make getting off of them pretty difficult. >>>Especially if
>>you live in subsidized housing, collect food stamps, >>>receive
>>utility subsidies, etc. If you do and you go and find >>>yourself
>>a job that doesn’t pay enough, you will have a sudden net
>>>>>reduction in your income that already doesn’t pay the bills.
>>>>> >>>I’ve decided I’m getting off this roller coaster even if
>>it makes me >>>homeless in the process, because I’m sick and
>>tired of living in fear >>>that they might take away my benefits!
>>I’ve gotten three letters to >>>that effect in the past two
>>years, in the midst of cancer treatment >>>for two of them, all
>>with the customary 30 day appeal I’d better take >>>advantage of
>>if I want to be able to survive another month! >>> >>>I’m tired
>>of getting paid to NOT work. I’m tired of living in places
>>>>>where the government intrudes upon my home three times a year to
>>make >>>sure my landlord isn’t complete pond scum (but allowing
>>them to be >>>one level removed from pond scum!) I’m tired of
>>being told that if I >>>start working, my rent will suddenly be
>>120% of what anybody in their >>>right might would ever pay for
>>this dump. And I’m tired of being >>>told that they’re sorry,
>>but I just don’t qualify for the work >>>incentives, or the
>>better medical coverage, or the exemptions that >>>might possibly
>>allow me to save a few hundred dollars with which to >>>actually
>>get out of here! >>> >>>Your not-a-handout Social Security and SSI
>>have made slaves of far >>>too many of us. Perfectly able to work,
>>but afraid to try for fear >>>that we’ll lose what little we’ve
>>got. We are trapped in a prison of >>>learned helplessness, and
>>the only way out is to see these things—all >>>of them—for what
>>theyhey are: Government handouts designed to keep us >>>docile,
>>afraid, and living in poverty. >>> >>>I’m done playing that game.
>>>>> >>>Joseph >>> >>> >>>On Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 09:13:21AM -0600,
>>Kirt Manwaring wrote: >>>>Carley, >>>> First off, I've done a bit
>>of really light research and I was way >>>>liberal about what I
>>thought the cost of this would be. It's probably >>>>going to be
>>in the neighborhood of $100 million, so I was way off. >>>>That'll
>>teach me not to make outlandish statements with no proof. >>>> But
>>still, the point I made in my last message stands. Of course I
>>>>>>don't want the government to write out a check for all of us-I
>>was >>>>trying to point out that trying to make all the cash out
>>there more >>>>"blind-friendly" is not necessary. Just like we
>>don't need government >>>>handouts (I'm not counting SSI as a
>>government handout because that's >>>>money lots of us genuinely
>>need), we don't need the government >>>>spending $100 million
>>redesigning currency we can already use with >>>>pretty much no
>>problem. Honestly, if you think you can't afford an >>>>iBill,
>>there's probably something you're buying with your $680 a month
>>>>>>that you really don't need. >>>> Just a thought, >>>>Kirt >>>
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