[nabs-l] NFB and Independence

[justin williams]

It's almost like I've never had true equal status except in spots, and it
wasn't without great effort.  I'm not trying to complain or anything; it is
what it is. 
-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Arielle
Silverman
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 11:24 AM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NFB and Independence

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
>
>
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