[nabs-l] Wheelchairs was Re: Why is it important to join anorganization of theblind?

[Nicole B. Torcolini at Home]

Then why hasn't anyone talked to the airports about this?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ignasi Cambra Díaz" <ignasicambra at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 5:00 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Wheelchairs was Re: Why is it important to join 
anorganization of theblind?


I know this email is old but still… What happens with airports is that the 
only way they have on their system to indicate that a passenger needs 
assistance is to ask for a wheelchair. Most of the time they perfectly know 
I don't need the wheelchair, but they say it's the only way to make sure 
someone will show up. Sometimes I try not getting any assistance, but if I'm 
trying to make it to a rehearsal on time or something it just makes things 
faster.
On Jan 18, 2012, at 12:57 AM, Nicole B. Torcolini at Home wrote:

> OMG, there is nothing that I hate more than when people think that I need 
> a wheelchair. At some point I plan to do research on this, but it might be 
> that when you tell the people at the airport on the departure end that you 
> will need assistance at your destination, they think that this means that 
> you will need a wheelchair.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Arielle Silverman" 
> <arielle71 at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 9:23 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Why is it important to join an organization of 
> theblind?
>
>
>> Hi Chris and all,
>> This is a good topic. Like others have said, it's important to respect
>> the range of preferences people have with regard to joining
>> organizations and giving up their time toward causes. Some people,
>> sighted and blind alike, are not joiners at all. Some join a few
>> social groups, some join one or two advocacy efforts, some juggle
>> several organizational memberships and some seek leadership roles in
>> one or more of these groups. Some people who join our Federation
>> choose to participate only in the social and networking aspects, some
>> do fund-raising, others work primarily on legislation, and some are
>> able to give their time to all aspects of the organization. In other
>> words, there is no one best or right way to become affiliated with the
>> blind community.
>> I think it's clear that we need to form advocacy groups because we
>> have not yet achieved full equality with the sighted. We have the
>> potential to be equal but that potential has not yet been realized. As
>> a group we are underemployed, undereducated, we miss out on social and
>> recreational opportunities and there are whole classes of work and
>> play activities that are still not accessible to us. This comes
>> largely from psychological, societal and environmental barriers that
>> can be changed, so our task as a collective is to figure out how to
>> bring these barriers down.
>> Yet I don't think the only reason to organize is for advocacy. There
>> is also something very affirming and empowering about having social
>> connections with other blind folks. As individuals we are often
>> inundated with messages from others telling us we aren't as good or as
>> competent as sighted people. Support from a group of blind friends can
>> help us recognize our own capacity and worth even when important
>> people in society do not. When someone pats me on the arm as I'm
>> walking down the street and tells me I'm doing a nice job, or when the
>> airline attendant wants to herd me into a wheelchair, it's really
>> great to know I can laugh about it with other blind people, that I'm
>> not the only person who has experienced this and that the stranger's
>> condescension doesn't actually mean anything about my capabilities.
>> Most of the time when we go through school and work we are visibly
>> different from everyone else around us, and are usually quite aware of
>> this fact. There is something special about being one of many who are
>> like us and who don't treat us differently or like we are inferior
>> because we are blind. I believe this is a large part of the "magic"
>> that many of us describe happening during NFB conventions. We feel the
>> excitement of the advocacy cause, of knowing what we can do to change
>> what it means to be blind, but we also feel the joy of being in a
>> situation where we are in the majority and where the community around
>> us doesn't make assumptions about us just because we are blind.
>> There are also concrete, practical benefits each of us can get from
>> joining an organization of the blind, whether it be NFB, ACB or
>> another group. As others have pointed out, we learn a lot from other
>> blind people who have been in similar situations. We also benefit when
>> other blind people advocate on our behalf. I think most Federationists
>> I know could list at least one concrete opportunity they gained as a
>> result of joining the NFB. Some people gain jobs they didn't know a
>> blind person could do before they joined up. Others gain access to
>> tests or licenses, or get their babies back from Social Services. I
>> could list two specific opportunities I got as a direct result of
>> joining the NFB. First, I gained the opportunity to attend the
>> graduate school of my choice in a state I had never lived in before.
>> Prior to joining NFB, I thought that for a blind person, learning
>> one's way around a new city was an arduous task requiring years of O&M
>> lessons. I doubt I would have attempted it if I had not met
>> Federationists who did it with no problems, and if I had not attended
>> LCB, which I learned about from Federationists. Second, I have to say,
>> I went through high school and most of college without experiencing
>> any, um, romantic opportunities. True, there are things I could have
>> done differently in those days to get some action, but I know I'm not
>> the only blind person who has had this difficulty. After hanging out
>> in NFB for a few years I met a few blind guys who didn't immediately
>> write me off as a romantic partner because I was blind, and so I was
>> able to experience the joys of dating and intimacy. Even though I am
>> now dating someone sighted (whom, by the way, I met at my
>> aforementioned grad school) I am very appreciative of those
>> experiences and all that I learned from them. (And of course we can't
>> forget all the happy couples out there whose meeting would be
>> impossible without NFB).
>> So, in short, organizations of the blind help us attain equal
>> opportunities. They help us collectively through legislation,
>> education and other means, but they also help us as individuals, by
>> enabling us to share experiences and by acting as a forum for
>> emotional support and empowerment. The question remains, If we reach
>> the day where the blind are truly equal in every way-when none of us
>> ever experience discrimination, when everything is nonvisually
>> accessible and when people never use blindness as a basis for judging
>> our abilities-will we need organizations of the blind? I suspect
>> probably not, though we might still enjoy hanging out with others who
>> use Braille and canes just for the heck of it. I think anyone can
>> benefit from joining an organization of the blind, but some don't feel
>> drawn to do so and I would respect their preferences on that. We also
>> don't have to be at the top of the organization or putting in
>> tremendous amounts of time to make a difference in the lives of other
>> blind people. We can make a difference just by sharing our
>> experiences, by listening to and supporting one another.
>> Best,
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 1/17/12, Bridgit Pollpeter <bpollpeter at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>> Chris,
>>>
>>> You pose very interesting and valid questions. Most of us have met
>>> people who are blind and adopt a similar attitude as the people you
>>> describe. There are many reasons why people do and do not join an
>>> organization, but we must look at what the purpose of these
>>> organizations are.
>>>
>>> First, sighted people do develop, promote and advocate for many issues.
>>> Now, most of these groups have a blend of people with plenty of
>>> diversity, but many ethnic and racial groups have organizations
>>> dedicated to serving minorities and the issues and causes important to
>>> them. As a type 1 diabetic, I've been involved in diabetic groups
>>> advocating for better care, encouraging research and providing
>>> education; I did this sighted. There are other health-related groups
>>> doing similar work. And the list goes on and on. We often fail to see
>>> the other perspective especially with blindness. People focus on this,
>>> forgetting many organizations exist doing similar work. The Federation
>>> is not unique in terms of an advocacy group promoting causes and
>>> initiatives.
>>>
>>> Now, the initial goals of the Federation were to promote independence,
>>> work towards changing attitudes and serving as a political platform for
>>> blind causes led by those with the experience of being blind. So, first
>>> and foremost, a group like the NFB is dedicated to political activism
>>> and advocacy. Despite the growing number of divisions within the
>>> Federation catering to various interests, the priority of the Federation
>>> has always been to promote and advocate the ideas and causes important
>>> to Federation members.
>>>
>>> That we meet other blind people, having opportunities to network, is
>>> essential to the growth and success of the Federation because we need
>>> each generation to adopt healthy, positive mindsets about blindness. The
>>> social aspect, however, is secondary to the political element. Not
>>> everyone joins to be politically active. In my experience, a majority of
>>> people join the Federation purely for social reasons, though many
>>> eventually come to understand the importance of an active voice
>>> advocating for equal rights and fair treatment of the blind. This has
>>> been debated again and again, but at the fundamental level, an
>>> organization like the NFB is similar to those groups fighting for
>>> equality among other minority groups. We've been labeled second-class
>>> citizens for years, not always given opportunities and our abilities are
>>> questioned and doubted. So we stand up and demand equality.
>>>
>>> That we have a chance to network and ask questions of those with
>>> experience, is a benefit to joining the Federation. You have a support
>>> system backing you, ready to help in any way. For example, we've heard a
>>> lot about law students denied bar exams in an accessible mode they
>>> prefer. The Federation has stepped in to take legal action, assisting
>>> those law students and others to come. The couple in Missouri whose
>>> newborn was taken by CPS a couple of years ago for no reason other than
>>> both parents were blind. The Federation also stepped in to help take
>>> legal action along with the couple. As technology grows, we struggle
>>> more and more as blind consumers to use current technology due to the
>>> lack of accessibility. Again, the NFB is fighting to change this,
>>> demanding equal access for all consumers. As well as taking legal
>>> action, the Federation provides advocacy and education.
>>>
>>> Many feel Federationist are Nazi-like in their fervor about
>>> independence. True, many are more combative which does not lead to a
>>> nurturing environment allowing others to adopt independent ideals. The
>>> truth is, though, that the NFB supports independence in any way
>>> providing you with efficiency. Unfortunately, many of us could benefit
>>> from alternative techniques, which many refuse to learn or use on a
>>> regular basis. In my experience, and having once been a "partial," often
>>> the alternative skills truly do make one more efficient than using
>>> useable vision, and this is why the Federation seems, at times, to be
>>> against sight, but it's actually the contrary. If you're being
>>> independent, living your life, not caving into stereotypes and negative
>>> attitudes, the Federation supports this way of life. The Federation
>>> expects us to grow and challenge ourselves as ours peers challenge us
>>> likewise. This is one of the huge differences I see between the NFB and
>>> other organizations of the blind; we're not expected to stay where we
>>> are; we're urged to move forward, carving a path before us, challenging
>>> ourselves to strive for new and greater heights.
>>>
>>> So why am I a Federationist? Because I'm not content to sit idly by
>>> letting others make decisions for me. I'm not content to feel entitled
>>> to services, legislation and technology that I had no say in, no
>>> contribution to changes. I don't want to watch a chef cook, I want to
>>> roll my sleeves up and get my hands in the mix. Networking with fellow
>>> blind people and learning what we are all doing is great, but I want to
>>> affect change, and I want to be a part of that change. It's not about
>>> isolating ourselves from society and forming an elite group made up of
>>> people who are blind; it's in fact about encouraging and fostering
>>> integration. We are people with dreams, desires and interests; that we
>>> are blind is but one attribute of our being. I wasn't always blind, and
>>> when I lost my sight, I didn't change who I am. My interest and goals
>>> are the same; I now just accomplish certain things with different
>>> methods and tools at times.
>>>
>>> We all have to decide what we believe in and why. I believe it's
>>> important to analyze and question beliefs and ideas in order to truly
>>> digest it. Only then can we form decisions based on our own ideas and
>>> opinions rather than any thoughts and opinions thrust on us whether
>>> unwillingly or not. I think we all need to understand that the
>>> Federation's priority is advocacy and education; when we know this, it
>>> can make it easier to explain the Federation and its purpose. Despite
>>> the plethora of members affiliated predominantly for social reasons ,
>>> this does not change the goals and direction of the collective group, of
>>> the heart. We've not been accepted as equals, as people just as capable,
>>> so we created an organization dedicated to breaking barriers and
>>> demanding equality just like many other groups. Anyone curious about the
>>> Federation, wanting to join, should understand that first and foremost,
>>> the Federation is a political group determined to use advocacy,
>>> legislation and education to change what it means to be blind, and fight
>>> for our equality.
>>>
>>> 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: 6
>>> Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:36:38 -0500
>>> From: Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com>
>>> To: NFB Talk List <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>, NFB Blind Talk list
>>> <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>, NFB NABS list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] why is it important to join an organization of the
>>> blind?
>>> Message-ID: <4f14d0d5.54dfe00a.0ef7.ffffd34b at mx.google.com>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>>>
>>> Fellow Federationists,
>>>
>>> As I have become more and more active in the blind community and
>>> have met more and more blind people, I notice that a lot of blind
>>> people are not affiliated with any organization of the blind, for
>>> one reason or another.  Some say they are put off by the
>>> political arguments between the NFB and ACB; some say they don't
>>> want to be "tied" to one organization; some say they don't agree
>>> with either organization's philosophy and don't want to identify
>>> themselves with either organization and their philosophy, and
>>> there are other reasons as well.  I try to explain to them the
>>> value of the Federation in my life, and how joining an
>>> organization of the blind connects you with a diverse network of
>>> resources, who can help answer almost any question they would
>>> have related to blindness.  I also try to explain to them that if
>>> they had any problems, being a part of an organization would help
>>> them with their advocacy efforts; the more people you have
>>> advocating, the more effective the advocacy is.  But they still
>>> don't want to be affiliated with an organization.  So I want to
>>> get your thoughts on these questions; why do you think it is
>>> important to be a member of an organization of the blind? Of what
>>> benefit/value is an organization to its members, and to blind
>>> people at large? Some people have said to me, "Sighted people
>>> don't have any organizations dedicated to their concerns as
>>> sighted people; why should I join an organization dedicated to
>>> blindness?" Still others have said, "Don't you (Federationists)
>>> want to be equal with sighted people? If so, then why do we
>>> (blind people) need to be organized in some kind of organization
>>> exclusively of and for the blind and people associated with the
>>> blind?" These are some interesting questions; what would your
>>> responses be to those people? I look forward to hearing your
>>> thoughts on this!
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Chris
>>>
>>>
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>>
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