[nabs-l] cleaning up the snow within bus stops

Tue Jan 31 05:17:01 UTC 2012

Hi Humberto,
I know that convincing our parents to let us do things we want to do
on our own can be difficult and at times impossible. In this case I am
not sure if you will be able to convince them, though you can
certainly try. I do think that even if they won't let you navigate the
ice on your own this time, it would be good for you to learn how to
get around in snowy conditions since another snowstorm could happen or
you might move somewhere where snow is more common. If you still work
with an O&M instructor at all, perhaps you could ask him/her to work
with you specifically on traveling through the ice while it is still
there. Another good way to learn is to attend a training center that
is based in a cold area like the Colorado Center for the Blind or
BLIND, Inc.
I also think it might be nice if you could find a student or someone
else to drive you to and from school when the weather is bad, and pay
them a few dollars for gas. That way you would have a ride without the
awkwardness of being dropped off and picked up by your parents. You
could make an announcement in your classes, or even see if your
parents know people who might be looking for a little extra cash.
Best,
Arielle

On 1/30/12, Beth <thebluesisloose at gmail.com> wrote:
> The ice thingies are called Yack Tracks, and they are sold at
> REI.  My roomie has a couple and I use them on my snowboots.
> Beth
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Humberto Avila" <avila.bert.humberto2 at gmail.com
> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:53:22 -0800
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] cleaning up the snow within bus stops
>
> Well the problem is, I suppose, the ice, which is very, very
> slippery. And
> no, I haven't tried it out yet because, like always, my parents
> kept me from
> doing it. They say that it is too dangerous and the ice is very
> big, like it
> covers most of the area and it is accumulate as to form some kind
> of blocked
> path, which, they think, they aren't even sure how sighted people
> are
> crossing that. I'm going to see how it goes tomorrow and whether
> I can
> convince them to let me try it.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Arielle Silverman
> Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 7:25 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] cleaning up the snow within bus stops
>
> Hi Humberto,
> I totally understand your frustration with the snow and ice on
> the
> sidewalks and especially your discomfort about having your dad
> drive
> you to and from school. While I do hope that the sidewalks
> eventually
> get cleaned up, the good news is that you can walk safely to the
> bus
> stop and take the bus, assuming the buses are now running again
> on the
> streets. It will take a little practice to get the hang of
> traveling
> through snow, but it's entirely possible to do it safely and, in
> fact,
> many blind people walk around independently during winter
> weather. I'm
> not sure if you tried to walk to the bus stop already and had
> trouble,
> or if you haven't trried it yet because you are worried about
> slipping
> or getting turned around. If you haven't tried it yet I would
> encourage you to at least give it a try. You might find it's
> actually
> a lot less frightening than it sounds. Here are a few tips:
> -- If you haven't already, I would urge you to go out and get a
> pair
> of good snowboots. I think there are also things you can buy to
> put
> under the soles of your boots to give them more tread so they
> slip
> less on the ice.
> -- I think you are a cane user. When you walk on the sidewalks,
> use a
> sliding motion with your cane. You will be able to feel in
> advance
> whether you are coming up on snow or ice because the ice will
> feel
> slippery under your cane. If you feel ice approaching, sweep your
> cane
> out a little bit to the sides to see if there's a clear path
> around
> it. You might be able to avoid some or all of the ice by walking
> on
> grass or gravel. It might be snowy, but it shouldn't be as
> slippery as
> the sidewalk.
> -- Stepping on a pile of snow is inconvenient but it's usually
> not
> dangerous.
> -- I have really bad balance and while I don't have much trouble
> with
> snow, I do find walking on ice makes me nervous. If I have to
> walk
> through a very slippery area and there's no way around it (i.e.
> no
> grass) I will get down on my hands and knees and crawl over the
> most
> slippery spot, then stand up and keep walking when the sidewalk
> is
> more clear. This isn't the most fun, but if I really feel like
> I'm
> going to fall it allows me to keep going without falling.
> -- Also, if you happen to havve someone else walking by and you
> don't
> feel safe, I think it is fine to ask that person if you can hold
> on to
> their arm while you are crossing the icy patch. I do this
> occasionally, again because I have bad balance, which isn't even
> totally related to blindness. You shouldn't need to hold
> someone's arm
> for the whole walk-just the parts that are very slippery.
>
> Again, I think if you try doing your normal bus route even
> tomorrow,
> you may discover it's not as difficult as you thought. I lived my
> whole life in Phoenix and never dealt with snow at all until I
> moved
> to Colorado in 2008. I expected it to be very hard to get around
> but
> the adjustment was much easier than I expected. If you have tried
> getting to the bus stop and had problems, and can tell us a
> little
> more about specifically what went wrong, I'm sure many of us on
> the
> list (including those with more snow experience than I, which is
> most
> of us) will have plenty of suggestions for ways to work through
> those
> problems so you can regain your independence without having to
> bet on
> the weather to warm up or the city to clean it up.
> Best,
> Arielle
>
> On 1/30/12, Humberto Avila <avila.bert.humberto2 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>  Hello all,
>
>  I am running into a problem that has been bothering me to a
> point where I
>  want to try out my advocacy skills, and I would like to share it
> with you.
>
>  Well. here is the story.  a couple of weeks ago a major winter
> storm was
>  upon us here in Central Washington State, and it really affected
> my city,
>  Yakima. We had a snowfall that left about up to 5 inches of snow
> throughout
>  the city, and the first two days that happened it went nonstop
> for more
> than
>  24 hours. this left people unable to go to work and school for
> about two
>  days, and public as well as school routes for buses were reduced
> or
> limited
>  those days. this storm left me unable to ride the city bus to
> and from
>  school, making my Dad take me to and from school for the rest of
> next
> week.
>  today that still continued; My dad still drove me to school and
> back home.
>
>  While the roads and all highways are clean, many sidewalks
> including
>  sidewalks where there are bus stops and benches are still soaked
> into so
>  much snow and ice from two weeks ago. And you know what is
> worse? the
> people
>  or machines who clean the snow in the mornings or nights deposit
> all that
>  snow there, leaving the piles and trails of snow into those very
> places I
>  mentioned, especially at the bus stops. Now in fact, that snow
> has turned
>  into ice, and the sidewalks with bus stops are even more
> slippery and hard
>  to walk or step on.
>
>  With all this mess, how is a blind person going to walk to take
> their
>  desired public transportation? How am I supposed to step on all
> those
>  mountains of slippery ice waiting for the bus?
>  for once, this is driving me crazy and is putting my
> independence at risk
> of
>  going down the drain. Like I said, my parent has to drive me to
> and from,
>  every day, and if this continues to happen, I fear that I will
> lose
> practice
>  of traveling on the city bus.
>
>  what it's making things more bothersome is that, quite frankly,
> I feel
>  embarrassed by my Dad to pick me up at the college, right in
> front of the
>  main class building, and take me there because, well, about
> 99.2% of all
> the
>  college students can DRIVE and do DRIVE their own cars, and I
> don't know
>  what they think of me when my Dad has to do that. I am very
> disappointed
>  with them not being able to also clean up the snow and ice from
> the bus
>  stops and their sidewalks. I am also angry because they don't
> even think
>  about people, especially blind or disabled, depending on buses
> to take
> them
>  everywhere since they have to use those bus stops.
>
>  What should I do? Where should I start from in trying to put
> someone to
>  clear up those paths and sidewalks where there are bus stop so
> that I can
>  travel safely and independently once again? who should I tell
> about this?
>  which authority should know this?
>
>  I wonder how sighted people are getting off and on those buses
> with all
> this
>  sleek. I'm sure Ice can try out on those sidewalks and stops,
> however, it
> is
>  very cold and I doubt this will happen soon enough for me to
> ride the bus.
>  do you have any recommendations for me on this situation? Any
> ideas?
>  suggestions? tips?
>
>  your help and advice is welcome please. I'm tired of my dad
> having to
> drive
>  here and there every morning and spend his gas, and embarrassed
> that I am
>  one of those very few, or the only one, whose parents take them
> to
> college.
>  I'm sure no college student wants that since we are now adults.
>
>  Sincerely,
>  Humberto
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