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

Tue Jun 28 20:47:28 UTC 2011

Joseph,
I'd say putting 60 hours  into a legal battle and being a full time student 
shows time management and the ability to withstand pressure.
I'd say that battle was a full time job even if you weren't paid for it!

-----Original Message----- 
From: T. Joseph Carter
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 12:52 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

Carly,

When going through school as an undergraduate, I stupidly believed
that I could not work.  I continued to believe that my first year of
graduate school.

In my second year, I could have worked if I were otherwise just a
normal (blind) student in a normal graduate program.  The fact was
that I was not.  In my second year of graduate school, from September
through June, I was involved in a time-consuming and costly legal
battle with the university.  I spent between 60 and 80 hours a week
engaged in that battle, and I was a full-time student besides.  In
fact, in the first quarter of the school year, I had student teaching
during part of the day (after negotiating inter-city public transit
of course), classes in the evening afterward, and I got to have my
approximately 60 hour a week legal battle in my off-hours or in
between.

Needless to say, I didn’t sleep as much that year as I was previously
accustomed to doing.  Had it been the full 80 hours a week I put into
the process during winter term during the fall term, I could not have
kept up.  The university did not know how close I was to being unable
to keep up with their crap—but I managed to hold them off of the
really heavy stuff until January.  I exchanged more than 1,000 emails
with university faculty between September and January 16th.  Another
1,000 by August.

If I could do that, in a hostile environment, with professors
actively looking to fail me on every single assignment or find some
way to manufacture some trumped up disciplinary action or something,
then I most certainly could have dropped chicken strips into a deep
fryer for a living.  Indeed, the fact that I could make time for that
legal battle when I had to is what caused me to realize that I could
have made time for a job down at KFC or something.

If you don’t want to work, then don’t.  But the option exists, and
lots of people manage somehow to make it work receiving nothing but
federal student aid without a separate government check every month.

Joseph

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 06:26:18PM -0700, Carly Mihalakis wrote:
>
>
>Hi, Kurt,
>
>'Thought I had missed where Joseph edified the list, as to which jobs he 
>himself has had, while going to school. At 03:04 PM 6/27/2011, 
>bookwormahb at earthlink.net wrote:
>>Joeseph, Ah, sighted people have so called handouts too like food stamps 
>>and if you are poor enough, Medicaid. This philosophy doesn't match 
>>reality. The reality is it takes longer to study college material, 
>>particularly visual subjects since we got to have descriptions or a reader 
>>make tactile diagrams. The reality is that many colleges such as the 
>>community college do not have updated screen reading software making it an 
>>unlevel playing field. The reality is that if you are not writing that 
>>short essay yourself, it takes longer, I mean longer, to dictate it to a 
>>scribe. Oh then that scribe has to read it back to you with punctuation to 
>>ensure you have it as you want it, where as a sighted person can read it 
>>silently. Maybe you took all your tests electronically, and used jaws 
>>fast, but not all of us have that resource. Bottom line it takes longer to 
>>study and as Kirt said working while in school is Not practical for many 
>>reasons. You never said what part time jobs we could do anyway. You 
>>yourself haven't had many interviews even with a college diploma. Remember 
>>most college students are servers or are selling something like tickets. 
>>When I took interpersonal communication we did introductions and like a 
>>fourth of the class was waiting tables part time at restaurants; a few 
>>were pizza delivery drivers. Now a blind person can't perform the duties 
>>of those jobs.  I said before you can work part time if you find the right 
>>employer; you could work as a tutor, babysitter, dog walker, or maybe even 
>>as a receptionist.  But its hard to find an open minded employer without 
>>that college education and I contend that its harder to find little odd 
>>jobs to work through school. So seems to me you really are not practicing 
>>what your preaching. Show me some blind students who work part time and 
>>how they do it.  Come on, is an employer really going to say, buy jaws 
>>when the employee is only working 20 hours a week and won't be there for 
>>the long term?  Do you really think that employer will invest $1000 for 
>>that part time receptionist or customer service representative?  That 
>>money goes toward a screen reader. I do hope you find work soon though so 
>>you won't have to deal with the government. Ashley -----Original 
>>Message----- From: T. Joseph Carter Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 4:26 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 Actually, the 
>>system supposedly provides an income to people who are incapable of 
>>working.  Thatâ€™s what permanently disabled means.  You get government 
>>money because you meet the definition of being unable to engage in 
>>substantially gainful activity (i.e., a job). The only way we achieve 
>>equality is when a person is not thought to be unemployable just because 
>>they are blind.  Now, I know how far we are from that day.  There are a 
>>good number of us who canâ€™t seem to find employment largely because of 
>>that one simple fact. All Iâ€™m saying is that we shouldnâ€™t delude 
>>ourselves and start thinking the system is anything other than what it is: 
>>A handout to the disabled, because in the eyes of the government weâ€™re 
>>pitiful and helpless, unable to work for a living.  If stripping away the 
>>mask makes people angry, it SHOULD make them angry. The social security 
>>system to us represents the scraps we are given to placate us.  To keep us 
>>content that we still have a living, even though we do not have access to 
>>the skills and opportunities that would allow us to succeed, excel, and 
>>compete for the same goals that our non-disabled peers do. Absolutely we 
>>should use it when we can as a stepping stone to something greater, but so 
>>many of us fall into the trap of believing that it is what we deserve. 
>>No, thereâ€™s no dignity in that kind of life, and if we deserve anything 
>>at all it is dignity.  So therefore I conclude that we deserve far better. 
>>And for myself at least, I intend to find better. Joseph On Sun, Jun 26, 
>>2011 at 07:22:22PM -0600, Kirt Manwaring wrote: >Joseph, >  I think you 
>>make very good points.  As I understand it, the system >is designed to 
>>give financial support to those who, because of >disability, have a 
>>difficult time working.  The only reason I'm on SSI >is because doing my 
>>school work, on average, takes a substantially
>>>longer time than it would if I were sighted because the
>>alternative >techniques I use often are slower than using sight. 
>>(readers, test >scribes, needing to feel all the details on braille graphs 
>>vs. being >able to look at it all at once and glance at what I need later, 
>>etc.) >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.  The system is not designed to take people who are >perfectly 
>>capable of working and make them in to couch potatoes-I >think that's an 
>>unfortunate side effect of the whole deal.  Rest >assured, once I get a 
>>full-time job, I'll cut the chord with SSI. >Permanently. >  I can only 
>>speak for me, and how I see the system.  I don't think it >was ever 
>>intended to be a handout or something to keep able people >from working. 
>>It's unfortunate many people abuse the system and, I'll >admit, it makes 
>>me angry!  But do you have a better idea to make sure >we're able to get 
>>the education we need to work?  And anyway (I'm not >talking about you, I 
>>don't know your situation), if someone's able to >work a full-time job, 
>>what business do they have getting SSI?  Best, >Kirt > >On 6/26/11, T. 
>>Joseph Carter <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com> wrote: >> 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 havenâ€™t got the skills to >> keep up.  Why?  Because the same 
>>system that is giving us our little >> handout (for which Iâ€™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. >> >> Iâ€™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 doesnâ€™t pay enough, you will have a sudden net >>>> 
>>reduction in your income that already doesnâ€™t pay the bills. >>>> >>>> 
>>Iâ€™ve decided Iâ€™m getting off this roller coaster even if it makes me 
>> >>>> homeless in the process, because Iâ€™m sick and tired of living in 
>>fear >>>> that they might take away my benefits!  Iâ€™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 Iâ€™d 
>>better take >>>> advantage of if I want to be able to survive another 
>>month! >>>> >>>> Iâ€™m tired of getting paid to NOT work.  Iâ€™m tired of 
>>living in places >>>> where the government intrudes upon my home three 
>>times a year to make >>>> sure my landlord isnâ€™t complete pond scum (but 
>>allowing them to be >>>> one level removed from pond scum!)  Iâ€™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 Iâ€™m tired of being >>>> told that theyâ€™re sorry, but I just 
>>donâ€™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 weâ€™ll lose what little weâ€™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.
>>>>>> >>>> Iâ€™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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