[nabs-l] NFB and Independence

[Joseph C. Lininger]

Well, I have immediate examples I can present for both the second and 
the third phase. First, the balanced independence.

I work on an Air Force base. I could certainly get there by bus if I had 
to, but there are problems. First, the route would take me over an hour 
each way, even though I only live about 15 minutes from the base just 
because of how the buses run. Second, the bus does not enter the 
military base so I would have to walk from the gate to the building I 
work in. I have a family member who drives me to and from work. To 
compensate her for this, I pay her auto insurance payment every month, 
as well as gas if she needs it. (sometimes the gas is not just for my 
trips, it's for others she makes as well) Some would argue it's 
dependence, but I see it more as compensating for the fact I don't have 
a car. I'm simply exercising one option for dealing with that fact. A 
sighted person who couldn't or simply didn't drive might do something 
similar.

Now, the militant thing. I'm not overly aggressive about this, but I 
hesitate to ask people in the office for rides. I'll accept one if it's 
offered, like if everyone in the office is going to a social function or 
something like that. However, I won't even ask for a ride to the gate or 
to one of the other locations on base. The reason for this is that I 
know peple tend to make snap judgements about blindness, and I don't 
want to give anyone in the office an excuse to do that by asking for a 
ride or something like that. It's probably a bit irrational, honestly, 
because there are other things I will sometimes ask for help with and 
it's never a problem. For instance, they put a keypad with raised 
buttons at the entrence to the two main buildings my department uses. 
The standard one is this touch sensitive thing, and it makes it hard to 
enter the PIN once I swipe my access card. I could do it if I had to 
using my very limited sight and a little luck, but this way makes it so 
I can do it much faster. Most people in my office know precisely why at 
least one door in each of the buildings has a keypad like that now where 
it didn't before. So yeah, I'm probably being rediculous about the not 
asking for rides policy.

Joe