[nabs-l] [Nfbnet-members-list] Threw Our Eyes interview, Ride into History, Race for Independence, Wed. June 22, 8:00 pm EDT

bookwormahb at earthlink.net bookwormahb at earthlink.net
Mon Jun 27 22:11:36 UTC 2011


Joseph,
What is your masters degree in?  I'm sure some of your knowledge can be used 
somewhere.  Many
skills and knowledge are transferable from one area to another.
Sorry to hear about the discrimination.  I believe alternative techniques 
are useful and efficient, but you won't convince me they are just as fast. 
I've been through too much to think that.  Like I was trying to find a 
certain term or concept in an electronic book to no avail and a sighted 
person can look it up in the index/glossary. I had a grammar book with huge 
tables; the tables showed various conjugations of words. Again, a sighted 
person could easily skim the 10 colums and get the pattern or main ideas 
where as I had to have a reader explain it and in more detail to get it. 
Still I did what I had to do and succeed in the class.

Ashley


-----Original Message----- 
From: T. Joseph Carter
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 4:10 AM
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

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 they 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
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>nabs-l mailing list
>>>nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>nabs-l:
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kirt.crazydude%40gmail.com
>>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>nabs-l mailing list
>>nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>nabs-l:
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/carter.tjoseph%40gmail.com
>
>_______________________________________________
>nabs-l mailing list
>nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>nabs-l:
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%40earthlink.net
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>nabs-l mailing list
>nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>nabs-l:
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/carter.tjoseph%40gmail.com

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nabs-l:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%40earthlink.net 





More information about the NABS-L mailing list