[nabs-l] Freshman year

Wed Jul 18 17:23:02 UTC 2012

I, too, have been asked funny things about my blindness. I was at 
a park one day when this little girl came up to me and asked me 
why my eyes were funny. (I have prosthetics.) And I told her that 
God had just made them that way. Needless to say, I spent the 
rest of that afternoon trying to get away from a psycho 
six-year-old stalker. LOL.

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Desiree Oudinot <turtlepower17 at gmail.com
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Wed, 18 Jul 2012 03:10:36 -0400
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Freshman year

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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