[nabs-l] Flying out of the country

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

This is a really good question. I'm curious to hear other experiences
about traveling abroad. Airports may still hold to certain rights or
laws as we do in America, but countries themselves don't.

While visiting another country, a friend was outraged when he wasn't
allowed to enter places with his service dog. He ranted and raved about
rights and regulations, thankfully not in the presence of people from
this country, but I finally had to remind him that American laws don't
always apply in other countries. It was a sobering fact for a lot of
people because we hadn't really thought about it before.

Another blind person I know traveled to China to complete the process to
adopt a child from there. Disability, blindness in particular, is
apparently viewed as a curse in many Asian countries. I've never been
able to determine if this is an accepted concept, or just left-over
superstitious ideas steeped in a culture once adhering to such ideas, as
most cultures, ours included, once did. Regardless, it is now illegal
for blind people to adopt from most Asian countries.

Anyway, my friend and his newly adopted daughter were both blind, and
people would often follow them around shops or restaurants wiping
surfaces up they had touched to "get rid" of any trace of the "curse"
that could contaminate others. And this is if they were allowed inside
to begin with.

Let me follow this by saying I'm not posting with the intent to create
propaganda supporting racism or denouncing one culture; if this was my
intent, I'd begin with America. I simply am pointing out that once we
leave American soil, we don't always retain the same privileges and
rights afforded us here; of course many of these should be givens, hence
why I'd make America my first target on a pamphlet causing
anti-establishment propaganda . *smirk*

I wonder if others have encountered situations while visiting another
country, and how you handled it. I think it is important for us as blind
people to be aware of other cultures and how they view blindness, and
discover what, if any, rights we have to assert if finding ourselves in
sticky situations.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog for Live Well Nebraska.com at
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/

Message: 21
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:13:22 -0500
From: Ashley <cumbiambera2005 at gmail.com>
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
	<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Flying with a Cane
Message-ID:
	
<CA+nLGgyHibPDBeB+K90r5Y5BOdAPhrCJsv4h772zssxP6X8rEQ at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Arielle,

I too have traveled quite a bit in the past, and am a big fan of doing
so as independently as possible. There were many times I have refused
assistance in an airport setting, but was not aware of that act,
giving us the legal right to do so. This is interesting and I will
keep it in mind. However, I do have a question, and would like some
opinions on this. I have traveled independently countless times, to
conventions and suchh, aand the most was to Washington seminar.
However, I am going to be traveling outside of the country. I would
like to try to retain my independence as much as possible, and would
like some advice. I am traveling with American Airlines, which I have
not really used in the past. When i made my reservation, I requested
assistance, because I was not sure what things would be like, or if
they would be the same at all, especially in another country. However,
I would love to be able to increase my self asteme by doing what I can
independently. I feel more confident now than I did when i made the
reservation, would it be possible to let them know I wouldn't be
needing it? in that case, without it, what kind of advice can you give
me about independent tavel abroad. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.