[nabs-l] Legal system not supporting blind people
Chris Nusbaum
dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
Fri Nov 25 17:22:42 UTC 2011
Right on, Loren! Let's be a part of the solution; not the
problem!
Chris
"The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The
real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that
exists. If a blind person has the proper training and
opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a mere physical
nuisance."
-- Kenneth Jernigan (President, National Federation of the Blind,
1968-1986
The I C.A.N. Foundation helps blind and visually impaired youth
in Maryland say "I can," by empowering them through providing
assistive technology and scholarships to camps and conventions
which help them be equal with their sighted peers. For more
information about the Foundation and to support our work, visit
us online at www.icanfoundation.info!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Loren Wakefield" <isaiah5719 at mchsi.com
To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:38:28 -0600
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Legal system not supporting blind people
With the help of nfb and so on, we can start to change things
here. At
least we have a chance to change it. If there's a better
country, go to it.
But good luck changing it.
As to losing your child just because you are blind, there's not
even flawed
logic to that. And hopefully that will change in time as well.
I just
became a grandpa for the first time on the first of this month.
Someone
mentioned on this list that a family was separated for the first
two months
of a baby's existence. The comment was made that that is a very
long time
and lots of changes happen during those first two months. How
true.
There's been so many changes in the first three weeks of Zander's
life, it
is unreal. (By the way, if I may boast a little bit here, my
grandson is
vcuter than yours.) Having said that, I cannot imagine losing
your child to
a bureaucrat, just because you are blind. That's one reason, I
will fight
to make sure such things do not happen anymore. So let me lend
my voice to
those in the federation who are helping to make this change
happen. My
second grandson will be born in the next month. I get a second
grandson
that is cuter than yours, and both in the span of a couple
months. Keep
fighting people.
-----Original Message-----
From: wmodnl wmodnl
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 10:52 PM
To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Legal system not supporting blind people
SO, the taking of the baby thing is not all uncommon. Here in
NYc, a blue
law exists on the books that demands this to happen. Yea Lovely
country
prowd to be an AAmerican (not), then we wonder why the world
hates us. We
should look back at us as a whole. We are our own wurst enomy.
People have
been abusive to children; so, we are paying for someone elses
problems.
Let us take the example of how every add on tv is to lidigate
someone or a
company. Many of them say:
"If you are disabled..." People have abused disability just like
they have
abused other things.
I am not saying that this is an excuse for real discrimination;
however, I
think that some of our problems happen b/c someone else has used
disability
or blindness to get over.
Last week, I was walking downtown. Someone in a rage saw me and
became mad
saying that his taxes go to my "free ride." Look at that
annomosity. It is
going to take years and maybe a whole genoration to change
things.
From: bpollpeter at hotmail.com
To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:54:39 -0600
Subject: [nabs-l] Legal system not supporting blind people
Chris,
Again, based on technical definitions, you're absolutely
correct,
however, as I stated, our official government system is listed
as a
democracy. We don't follow the technical attributes of a
democracy- it's
not a one man, one vote system, but nonetheless, we're
considered a
democracy. And as Jedi said, we're a representative democracy.
You say that you always have to correct people when they claim
America
is a democracy, but why, since we are taught this in school, and
America's official government system is listed as such?
Now, we have adopted anti-discrimination laws, but my point is
that we
live in a country that has always, from it's inception, claimed
to be a
country based on equality, but this equality hasn't always
extended to
every citizen, or even person, living here. Yes, we have
drafted and
adopted anti-discrimination laws, but it took years to do so.
It took a
hundred years, from the Civil War, to allow racial/ethnic
minorities
true equality in this country. Again, women weren't allowed to
vote
until the 1920's, and we're still paid less, on average, than
men no
matter the position. How long did it take to give people with
disabilities rights? We're still fighting for many of these
rights. And
hello, gay rights? Regardless of where you stand on this issue,
it's
very clear that gays are still very much discriminated against.
despite of certain current wins for rights and equality for the
blind,
first, we shouldn't have to fight for them to begin with, and
second,
what about equality to accessing information, use of technology,
provisions to take LSAT exams, and other exams, in a method
equal to our
sighted peers? If our legal system supported us, we wouldn't
have to
file law suits like this.
And hello, what about the young couple in Missouri? Just two
years ago a
couple in MO had their baby taken by CPS and the only reason was
their
blindness. A foster-parent raised the baby for two months,
leaving the
parents with no memories of the first-two months of their
child's life.
If you don't have children you might not understand this, but
it's a
huge deal. Where the laws protecting them? No
anti-discrimination law
helped them. CPS, to my understanding, still has not apologized
or even
admited to any wrong doing. This is a perfect example of how a
popular
mindset is supported by our legal system, whether willing or
unwilling.
Had a law said that blindness alone isn't a reason for CPS to
investigate a couple, this baby and her parents would have been
together
from the beginning just like most sighted parents and children.
How is
this not a legal issue?
And what about Braille legislation? We hear over and over how
only ten
percent of blind students are taught to read and write Braille,
so where
are the laws allowing us to choose the right medium for us? An
instructor of teachers going into the field to work specifically
with
blind students said, and I almost quote, that students and
parents
aren't allowed to choose what medium they learn for reading
writing;
instead, data developed by educators helps "professionals"
figure out
what is "best" for a student. As we know, this "data," or
criteria, is
flawed and gives blind students no right to select what is best
for
them. Again, where are the laws backing us instead of backing a
flawed
education system that has failed blind students for years?
While we've adopted anti-discrimination laws through the years,
we still
support certain discriminatory behavior and ideas with our legal
system
because of the lack of laws supporting us. And I point out once
again
that no one- blind, black, gay, etc.- should have to campaign
for fair
and equal treatment. We should have the same rights and be
treated on
equal terms no matter personal feelings. If our legal system
supported
all minorities in this way, society wouldn't have a legal basis
in which
to discriminate against anyone.
People are as racist as ever, but laws now say you can't deny
service
based on skin color or ethnicity. People still hold ideas that
certain
minorities are not as equal, but laws keep these people from
segregating
and discriminating, at least doing so with legal support.
So where are the laws supporting the blind? Why can't I have a
child
without having CPS show up at my door to double check my child
is safe?
Most sighted people take a child home and no one contacts CPS,
but just
because I'm blind, this is a potential issue? And why can't I
learn
Braille to help me read and write? Technology is great, or my
eyes may
be able to see some large print, but Braille would make me so
much more
efficient. And yet no laws make it illegal for the education
system to
deny me this knowledge.
Many of our problems, though stemming from societal attitudes,
exist
because we have no legal basis in which to demand rights, and be
treated
equally, with issues taken for granted by many. This, my
friend, is
completely a legal thing, and our government fails us each time
we are
denied a right, discriminated against and have to lobby for
legislation
putting us on an equal footing. We could have laws supporting
us so,
though people will always discriminate, there would be no legal
basis
for people to get away with this behavior.
Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
"History is not what happened; history is what was written
down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan
Message: 11
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:57:34 -0500
From: Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing
list<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Blindness and other minorities
Message-ID: <4ec6d4f7.2673340a.5d11.7b12 at mx.google.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
Hi Bridgit,
I'm sorry I took that too literally, as it wasn't meant to be
taken that way. A lot of people get those two forms of
government mixed up, and I have to explain to them that we're
not
a true democracy. If we were, all decisions would be made by
the
people. Well who knows, maybe that would be better. LOL
Anyway,
I don't think the discrimination that we are currently faced
with
in this country is not because of the laws and system of
government because we now have a lot of anti-discrimination laws
in place; the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Rehabilitation Act
of
1973, The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA,)
and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.) So, what laws
that
haven't been repealed are supporting discrimination against us?
We almost had one in the subminimum wage bill, but thank God
that
was voted down. Now we just need cosponsors for the replacement
bill, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. Has
anyone on this list contacted their Congresspeople? If so, what
were your experiences?
Chris
_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
info for
nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/wmodnl%40hotm
ail.com
_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
for
nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/isaiah5719%40
mchsi.com
_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
for nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/dotkid.nusbau
m%40gmail.com
More information about the NABS-L
mailing list