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

Tue Oct 25 17:59:04 UTC 2011

You talk about technology that does some damage to our independence,
Steve.  I was just writing a letter to the White House, and they have
a really good audio captcha, which it took me two tries to get right.
lol
Beth

On 10/25/11, Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at visi.com> wrote:
> 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
>
>
>>_______________________________________________
>>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/steve.jacobson%40visi.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/thebluesisloose%40gmail.com
>