[nabs-l] Freshman year

Wed Jul 18 18:08:27 UTC 2012

Good morning, Desiree,

these days, as someone also having prosthetics, it does not seem in 
any way negative to expose little kids to a reality of some of us for 
reasons such as cancer or an accident, having prosthetics. Granted, 
as a child I was deathly mortified of people knowing of an 
inanimate  nature of my eyes,  so much so that when my friend from 
out of state came to visit, , and I had to go to the ocularist for 
some adjustment, I was mortified, made her go in a different room I 
think. Yet today, I have no problem with my close 
friends/acquaintances, knowng about it or taking my eyes out  in the 
public bathroom to wash. Is it because I live in Berkeley, I don't 
know but, as I have come to see it, though our eyes happen to not be 
animate, they are still part of us and ought be regarded as such.
>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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