[nabs-l] Lines

Tue Apr 2 04:05:24 UTC 2013

My dog is very impati-that about waiting he can't wait in line at 
the bank very good without geting restless let alone a theme 
park.  Besides, when you don't cart the lines at theme parks 
you're lucky if you get to ride like 4 rides because our 
amusement parks  are only open like 8 hours at the most.

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Julie McGinnity <kaybaycar at gmail.com
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 1 Apr 2013 22:45:07 -0500
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Lines

Hi everyone,

I remember getting those special bracelets that let me cut in 
line at
6 Flags here in St.  Louis.  I didn't know better as a kid, but 
as I
got older, I've wondered about the logic of such things.  we are
physically capable of standing in line.  Well, there are those 
who are
blind and have other disabilities that may prevent them from 
doing so.
 I just didn't get it.

Now I use a guide dog.  I don't think I've ever chosen to take 
her to
an amusement park.  If I had to bring her to an amusement park, I
suppose it would be better for her to cut in line.  I don't think 
I
would ever bring her outside in the heat like that for a long 
period
of time.  If I went to an amusement park all year round, like it 
seems
Sarah does, it would be a different story though.  Then I don't 
see
why my dog would have a problem waiting in line.  I'm not sure 
though.
 Haven't tried it.  Lol

Also the Disney parks have a place where people can keep their 
dogs
while they're riding rides.  I don't know much about it, but it's 
an
option.

On 4/1/13, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
 Hi all,
 Thank you Kirt for making such a great point.  When I was 
growing up my
 parents and friends often pressured me to use my blindness so 
that we
 could cut lines and sometimes my parents even required it 
without
 giving me a choice about it.  I used to try and justify our 
behavior
 but in  the end when I did this I always felt a deep sense of 
shame
 and anger, but I could never figure out why.  Since then I have 
learned
 about self-perception theory in psychology classes and I think I
 understand why it bothers me (and many of us) so much.  
Basically,
 self-perception theory posits that we draw conclusions about 
ourselves
 by observing our own behavior.  I think whenever I used my 
blindness as
 a reason to get a guest pass and skip the line, it made me start 
to
 see myself as a handicapped or crippled person, which was very
 upsetting.  For some people who have trouble standing for long 
periods
 of time, or who have guide dogs who get uncomfortable standing 
out in
 the sun, cutting in line seems legitimate.  But if we can 
physically
 handle the lines, accepting the special passes doesn't do us any 
real
 favors.  I insist on standing in line with everyone else because 
I want
 to see myself (and my fellow blind friends) as strong, healthy, 
normal
 people.  I feel I have little to gain by skipping the lines, and 
much
 to lose in terms of self-esteem and self-respect.  I think every 
time
 we take an accommodation, we need to think about what we are 
gaining
 from that accommodation vs.  what we are potentially losing in 
terms of
 normalcy.  If an accommodation like a piece of technology is  
truly
 necessary, it will give enough benefit that it's worth the 
self-esteem
 hit.  But if an accommodation isn't really needed, I think we 
have more
 to lose than we have to gain by accepting it.  For this same 
reason I
 also do not write off blindness as a reason to claim a tax 
deduction.
 I am proud to be (barely) earning enough income to be required 
to pay
 taxes and paying taxes just like anyone else in my income 
bracket
 makes me feel good about myself and where I belong in the world.
 There's also the argument that if we want to be allowed the same
 rights sighted people get, we need to be willing to saddle the 
extra
 responsibilities.  If we want to be allowed to ride amusement 
park
 rides without discrimination, we need to be willing to wait in 
line.
 It sends a mixed message to skip the line and then insist on 
equal
 treatment by the ride operators, just like it sends a mixed 
message to
 request unnecessary extra time on tests and then ask for a 
professor's
 letter of recommendation.
 Again, though I'm not a dog user, I think having a guide dog is 
a
 legitimate reason to not wait in lines.
 Arielle

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--
Julie McG
National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16

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