[nabs-l] NFB and Independence

[Arielle Silverman]

I was also bothered by the stages presented in that speech for similar
reasons as Desiree. I don't really like stage models in general
because I think everyone's experience is different and few people will
move in a nice clean sequence from one stage to the next. I know I
have exhibited rebellious independence at times, but it usually
happens when I feel like my basic dignity is being threatened. When I
was at the Louisiana Center for the Blind I didn't experience
rebellious independence much at all because my basic dignity was
affirmed. However, when I was a teenager I think I showed both fearful
insecurity and rebellious independence at the same time because I was
conflicted about whether or not I was deserving of independence and
dignity.
I have also felt that the blind-from-birth experience isn't always
given due attention in NFB literature, and in some ways our
experiences are a lot more complex than those who become blind later
in life. In many ways being born blind is like being born an alien on
a foreign planet where everybody else has some capacity you don't
have. It's a lifelong process of adjusting to this foreign world, and
your marginalized status within it, not a process of adjusting to any
kind of loss.
Arielle

On 4/11/13, Joseph C. Lininger <devnull-nabs-l at pcdesk.net> wrote:
> 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
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/arielle71%40gmail.com
>