[nabs-l] Lives Worth Living disability documentary to air

[Steve Jacobson]

Bridget,

Please allow me to reply to this note since I somehow didn't get the note that you addressed to me last 
night sent to my work machine.  I want to make it clear that I didn't think you were diminishing 
anything that our founders did, and that I do think we need to be sure we understand other efforts made 
by persons with disabilities.  It has always confused some, in my opinion, why we in the NFB didn't get 
more excited about the Americans with Disabilities Act because they didn't understand that we had gotten 
some of what the ADA represented into law through our white cane and other legislation years before.  I 
worry some that people may loose sight of how the general disability movement has helped us but also how 
it sometimes makes things more complicated for us.  I read another post on this subject that seemed to 
express some frustration that much money was spent on making a building accessible but little was done 
to make it accessible to the blind.  This, in my opinion, is an example of how our thinking has been 
negatively impacted by the general disability movement.  It really fits into the example I wrote about 
last night.  Some of us have been made to feel that since building accessibility is extremely important 
to much of the disability community that it has the same importance to us.  Braille room numbers and 
such can be helpful, but the lack of such did not stop us from getting where we needed to go as the lack 
of ramps and elevators impacted those in wheelchairs or walkers.  This point was really brought home to 
me once when a number of us who were blind when with a friend of ours who was in a wheelchair to a 
restaurant where it turned out the elevator was out of order.  The elevator was the only way to get into 
the restaurant without walking down a wide staircase with perhaps fifteen stairs.  The staff felt very 
badly and offered to get a couple of people to carry her and her wheelchair down the stairs.  She was 
rightfully uncomfortable with that and made sure we knew that she was all right with us eating at this 
rastaurant and that she would go somewhere else.  Well, we decided not to eat there and find a place we 
could all enter without her having to be carried down the stairs by people she didn't know.  The 
restaurant was a generally accommodating restaurant and the elevator being out of order was not typical.  
Still, what it brought home to me was that this was a show stopper for my friend, and while an attempt 
to be accommodating was made, it involved her taking a physical risk, something that was on a totally 
different level than is ever experienced by my not having braille room numbers, for example.  On the 
other hand, I have seen examples of web accessibility where attention is paid to a number of things that 
affect other disabilities where we are specifically excluded because the pages used technology that 
could not be easily repaired.  Like you, I've known other disabled persons who truly did not understand 
that I could be independent.  However, I also recognize that there is a great deal I don't know about 
other disabilities as well.  While I believe I may understand some of the frustrations experienced by 
other disabilities, it would be wrong for me to think I can make decisions about them simply based upon 
an understanding of their frustrations.  The same is true the other way around.  Our commonness with 
other disabilities has to be tempered by our respective uniqueness.

I do not see you as arguing with any of my points, but I've seen other postings that indicate to me that 
people don't keep what we all have common and what might be specific to blindness in perspective.  Your 
note was simply the motivating factor to write about this some.  

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:47:31 -0500, Bridgit Pollpeter wrote:

>Dave,

>I agree, and the reason I bring up any other leader in the movement is
>because others here have stated others as the "father" of the disability
>rights movement. I would certainly agree that Tembroek, and later
>Jernigan, were probably fathers of the early blind rights movement, and
>of course they contributed to the movement as an entirety, but again,
>when broadening the picture, others were equally instrumental in
>establishing a firm voice seeking independence and equality for all with
>disabilities.

>And it's very true that we all have built upon the work that has come,
>and is happening, to support the cause as a whole. My intention was
>never to imply otherwise; I'm just concerned that some, not all,
>consider the Federation as the only organization to do anything pushing
>for the disability rights movement. This isn't diminishing the role of
>the NFB, but rather adding the other puzzle pieces to the picture.

>I think a lot of people seek a poster-child promoting all disabilities.
>I've found myself in similar circumstances before, and it is
>intimidating  trying to speak on behalf of all disabilities; it must be
>how the president feels when trying to serve all the various groups,
>parties and peoples of this country.

>Our over-all goal and message may be similar- independence for all, and
>with certain accommodations and positive mindsets, we can all achieve
>personal levels of independence. But when dealing directly with
>individual disabilities, a lot of variables are in play and the
>accommodations are equally varied. What I might require as a blind
>person isn't necessarily what a paraplegic requires or someone with CP.
>We can't exactly put one face to this collective.

>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: 12
>Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:06:35 -0500
>From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
>To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>	<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Lives Worth Living disability documentary to air
>	on PBS
>Message-ID: <auto-000033563712 at mailfront3.g2host.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

>Bridgit:

>It would probably be difficult, if not impossible to name one 
>"father" of the disability rights movement.  Each person builds on 
>what others before him or her accomplished.  I have heard of Ed 
>Roberts, and he certainly did a lot for the Independent Living 
>movement, particularly for those in wheelchairs.  Most of this was in 
>the 70's.  If tenBroek, and others hadn't done what they did in the 
>40's, the IL stuff might not have happened, people wouldn't have 
>thought it possible.  That is why I say each of us builds on what 
>came before us.  It is impossible to say what caused what etc.

>You are right that we tend to be blind-centric in the NFB.  On the 
>one hand, it may close us off from other things that we could benefit 
>from, and on the other hand, it is part of the reason we have 
>accomplished as much as we have for blind persons.

>For a brief time in the early 1980's I was heavily involved in an 
>Independent Living Center.  I got involved because of some assistance 
>they gave me, and I wanted to help them some.  I soon found myself 
>being put in the role of being a spokesperson for all disabled 
>persons in that area.  I was not comfortable with this -- as I didn't 
>know what the problems were for other disabled groups in any detail.

>Dave


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