[nabs-l] Freshman year

Wed Jul 18 12:07:24 UTC 2012

I have been told that my cane looked like a fishing pole before. Now, having held and used a fishing pole before, I cannot imagine why someone might think this. 

Aleeha 

On Jul 18, 2012, at 3:10 AM, Desiree Oudinot <turtlepower17 at gmail.com> wrote:

> A ping pong paddle? That would be pretty impossible! I've been asked
> why I was carrying a golf club around, but this is by far the funniest
> story involving my cane that I can think of.
> So I was walking down the street one day and this guy came up to me
> and said, excuse me, ma'am, does your stick have magnets in it?
> I just kind of looked at him like, what are you talking about? He
> said, well, you have to be able to tell where the curb is somehow.
> What that has anything to do with magnets, I have no clue.
> 
> On 7/18/12, Joshua Lester <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu> wrote:
>> Some people choose to remain ignorant, even after I try to tell them.
>> I can't stand those kinds of people!
>> Blessings, Joshua
>> 
>> On 7/18/12, Carly Mihalakis <carlymih at comcast.net> wrote:
>>> Hi, Josh,
>>> 
>>> Don't you believe it more productive all around to dispell people's
>>> ignorance, rather than getting up tight about it?At 09:59 PM
>>> 7/17/2012, you wrote:
>>>> LOL!
>>>> It annoys me when someone calls my cane my "pole," "stick," etc.
>>>> Here's a funny story, that actually happened at church!
>>>> I had a straight cane, (not an NFB cane,) but a graphite cane.
>>>> I had a roller tip on it, so one of the teenage boys who wasn't all
>>>> there mentally asked this question about my cane.
>>>> "What's that, a ping-pong paddle?"
>>>> Good grief!
>>>> Blessings, Joshua
>>>> 
>>>> On 7/17/12, Brandon Keith Biggs <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> Hahahaha! I need to have them walk off with my cane! How do you feel
>>>>> having
>>>>> 
>>>>> your stick touched? XD
>>>>> Most of the time it happens while I'm going sighted guide with a store
>>>>> person, someone in the airport or something like that.
>>>>> So I'm already holding their arm. I 'm fine if people grab my cane on
>>>>> the
>>>>> bus, because they can excuse their grabbing as an accident, but people
>>>>> grabbing the cane to guide me is a no no!
>>>>> I'm asked if the cane helps me get around and I say yes, it's like my
>>>>> eyes,
>>>>> 
>>>>> so possibly people maybe think that my cane guides me. I have no idea.
>>>>> I
>>>>> feel so horrible without my cane, I don't know how sighted people
>>>>> stand
>>>>> it... I don't know a comparison other than saying that they're
>>>>> touching
>>>>> my
>>>>> stick, can they please get their hands off...
>>>>> I once said that the guide was blinding me, but he didn't get it.
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> 
>>>>> Brandon Keith Biggs
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Ashley Bramlett
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 9:19 PM
>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Freshman year
>>>>> 
>>>>> Brandon,
>>>>> I just ask them not to grab my cane. I say I'd rather take their arm.
>>>>> If
>>>>> they persist, it depends on my mood; I either again insist that they
>>>>> leave
>>>>> the cane alone or I simply decline their assistance and walk off
>>>>> elsewhere
>>>>> and get someone else's help.
>>>>> 
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Brandon Keith Biggs
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 10:37 PM
>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Freshman year
>>>>> 
>>>>> Hello,
>>>>> This will also happen, especially when you go shopping, but I haven't
>>>>> found
>>>>> a way to prevent it.
>>>>> When people want me to follow them, they grab my cane. Even when I'm
>>>>> holding
>>>>> their arm, I often have people grab my cane when we're approaching
>>>>> stairs.
>>>>> I feel really offended and defensive when people touch my cane, and
>>>>> it's
>>>>> on
>>>>> the top of my least favorite things. It is probably about as offensive
>>>>> to
>>>>> me
>>>>> as if someone randomly started touching me inappropriately on purpose.
>>>>> Has anyone figured out a way to keep people from touching our canes?
>>>>> Because
>>>>> it's really an insult along with everything else. I can't cuss them
>>>>> out,
>>>>> because it wouldn't do good for the blindness image. I ask them nicely
>>>>> to
>>>>> please not touch my cane and pull it out of their grip, but I still
>>>>> feel
>>>>> violated and some people will grab it again after I asked them not to.
>>>>> I feel this is one of the more cereous misconceptions about blindness,
>>>>> but
>>>>> I
>>>>> really have no idea how to prevent it.
>>>>> If anyone has any idea, please let me know!
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> 
>>>>> Brandon Keith Biggs
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Carly Mihalakis
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 6:14 PM
>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list ; National
>>>>> Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Freshman year
>>>>> 
>>>>> Evening, Katie,
>>>>> 
>>>>> Remember that most folks don't actually get to see blind people
>>>>> functioning in person. By demonstrating what we are and yes, are not
>>>>> capable of is a great means of educating. Thus, I believe it pretty
>>>>> counterproductive to get up tight about being stared at. As much as
>>>>> people wrap about blindness being an "inconvenience" a truth is
>>>>> that,, blindness remains an enigma to most and you could be educating
>>>>> the unsuspecting sighted person  by means of not objecting to a
>>>>> little staring wich, I remind is not at all intrusive. What do people
>>>>> think of this?
>>>>> At 05:39 PM 7/17/2012, Patrick Molloy wrote:
>>>>>> Katie,
>>>>>> Having just finished my freshman year this past May, I can tell you
>>>>>> that people are very accepting for the most part. Once you show people
>>>>>> that you're just as capable as they are, your actions will speak for
>>>>>> themselves. True, people will be watching you more than they would a
>>>>>> person with sight. But you have to use that as a way to educate them.
>>>>>> When people ask you questions on campus about how you do this or that,
>>>>>> take it in stride. That's actually how I met my best friend: I was
>>>>>> walking down campus going to a building and he came up and asked me
>>>>>> how I knew where I was or something like that. We had a great
>>>>>> conversation and things just rolled from there. Feel free to send me
>>>>>> an e-mail off list if you have any questions as things come up.
>>>>>> Patrick
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On 7/17/12, Joshua Lester <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu> wrote:
>>>>>>> LOL!
>>>>>>> That's a good one!
>>>>>>> I also quote Fanny Crosby and tell them that one good thing about
>>>>>>> blindness, is that I never have to see the clouds in the sky.
>>>>>>> Blessings, Joshua
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On 7/17/12, Sophie Trist <sweetpeareader at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>> When people first find out about my blindness, I always point out
>>>>>>>> that I will never have to pay a speeding ticket. I also joke that
>>>>>>>> God short-changed me in the vision department, but I won't be
>>>>>>>> asking for a refund any time soon. Haha. I find that if you act
>>>>>>>> like it's no big deal, other people will feel that way too.
>>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>>> From: Liliya Asadullina <lily2011a at gmail.com
>>>>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> Date sent: Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:21:08 -0400
>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Freshman year
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> And I agree about adding in humour.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> On 7/17/12, Liliya Asadullina <lily2011a at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>> Hi Katie,
>>>>>>>> My name is Lily and I am going to be a freshmen in college as
>>>>>>>> well.  I
>>>>>>>> understand you have had bad experiences in high school, after
>>>>>>>> telling
>>>>>>>> people that you are blind.  I have dealt with a few myself.  As
>>>>>>>> far as
>>>>>>>> I have heard from some of my blind and sighted friends who are
>>>>>>>> already
>>>>>>>> in college, they say that people are more accepting in college.
>>>>>>>> It's
>>>>>>>> more of a time when people our age or around our age learn to
>>>>>>>> grow up.
>>>>>>>>  Of course you will not meet all mature people, but just be
>>>>>>>> yourself
>>>>>>>> and tell them that you can't see.  Express to them that even
>>>>>>>> though
>>>>>>>> you are blind, you can still accomplish as much as they can.
>>>>>>>> Get
>>>>>>>> involved with a few extra curricular activities and prove to
>>>>>>>> them that
>>>>>>>> you are an independent, and smart individual.  The most you can
>>>>>>>> do is
>>>>>>>> educate them about blindness and be outspoken.  You will have to
>>>>>>>> get
>>>>>>>> out of your comfort level, but I am sure by the end of your 1st
>>>>>>>> semester you wil have a good sullection of caring friends.
>>>>>>>> Another thing, make sure you advicate for yourself in class and
>>>>>>>> where
>>>>>>>> ever you choose to go outside of the academic area.  For
>>>>>>>> example, I am
>>>>>>>> emailing my professors ahead of time and letting them know that
>>>>>>>> I am
>>>>>>>> blind, but that I have the capability just like anyone else to
>>>>>>>> get my
>>>>>>>> work done and learn.  I will explain to them how I will be
>>>>>>>> taking
>>>>>>>> notes in class and what kind of tecchnology I'll be bringing
>>>>>>>> with me.
>>>>>>>> I will be meeting with my professors a week before classes
>>>>>>>> begin, and
>>>>>>>> will be asking them if they have any questions for me.
>>>>>>>> Outside of class, just reassure your peers if they have any
>>>>>>>> questions
>>>>>>>> for you about blindness to feel free to ask.
>>>>>>>> Like I said, just be yourself and make the most out of your
>>>>>>>> year.
>>>>>>>> Be confident in you!  You've got this!
>>>>>>>> College is full of diversity and if someone does not accept you
>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>> who you are and because of your blindness or lack of some
>>>>>>>> vision, then
>>>>>>>> they aren't worth being friends with...
>>>>>>>> People come to college from all different areas around the world
>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> each student has something unique about them.   So just reach
>>>>>>>> out to
>>>>>>>> those around you and show them that no matter what, you can
>>>>>>>> succeed.
>>>>>>>> I understand what you are going through in your mind though.
>>>>>>>> I am saying this to you, but at the same time I am nervous for
>>>>>>>> college as
>>>>>>>> well.
>>>>>>>> Beeing that I had some blind skills training at the Colorado
>>>>>>>> Center
>>>>>>>> For The blind though, I do feel more confident about going to
>>>>>>>> college
>>>>>>>> and in myself too.
>>>>>>>> Also, I am not as nervous to be dorming with a random room mate
>>>>>>>> away
>>>>>>>> from my home town and family.
>>>>>>>> Good luck with starting this fall, I believe that you will do
>>>>>>>> well!
>>>>>>>> If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me any
>>>>>>>> time
>>>>>>>> at: Lily2011a at gmail.com.
>>>>>>>> Or my school email: lasadull at masonlive.GMU.edu
>>>>>>>> Cheers!
>>>>>>>> Liliya
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> On 7/17/12, Katie Cl <katminecce at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>> Hi my name is Katie and I am going to be a freshman in college
>>>>>>>> this fall.
>>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>>> was wondering how other people handled telling others they
>>>>>>>> couldn't see.
>>>>>>>> In
>>>>>>>> high school I had a bad experience and don't want it to happen
>>>>>>>> again. Any
>>>>>>>> advice would be helpful.
>>>>>>>> THANKS
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> <3 Princess Cy-I <3
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>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
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