[nabs-l] First Class Citizenship

Tue Apr 12 18:59:13 UTC 2016

So true Anna!
I do agree with what others have said. Whining or talking about how unfair the world is isn't going to change our problems. But that doesn't mean that it won't be difficult to face those barriers. It also doesn't mean we are first class citizens. I too was discouraged from majoring in biology for a very long time. It was only by proving my abilities in my biology classes that I started to be encouraged to pursue this major. I think we need to be seen as just as valuable as our site appears. That may mean we have to do more work, but we are definitely not first class citizens yet!

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 12, 2016, at 1:48 PM, Anna via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Why did the professionals in my school's disability office tell me not to major in Biology because I can't see?  Because they see me as an intelligent, valuable member of this field of science?  No, they would have seen me as that if my eyes work.  This is not first class treatment.  Why did the guy begging for money ask everyone for money but me?  I look just like everyone else, but I have a white cane.  This is not equal treatment.  Why did my friend recently get denied a job that he was qualified for than the person who got it?  He used a cane, the less qualified person hired did not.  You can't tell me we are being treated like first class citizens.  We are treated like less than the person next to us.  
> 
> Anna E Givens
> 
> 
>> On Apr 12, 2016, at 11:56 AM, Munawar Bijani via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> This Email is very well written; you articulated an important point eloquently. We cannot expect change if we refuse to change ourselves. Many of us tend to find excuses or start blaming the system for what is wrong with our respective situations, when in reality the problem could be ourselves for not trying hard enough or whining about how unfair the world is.
>> 
>> We have to jump through hoops because society's expectations of us is very low. There is no changing this fact. As blind people we have to be ready to jump through whatever hoops we need to so that we may prove a point. If we sit back and whine about how things ought to be, we will never get anywhere. Just because we have to work a little harder than our sighted counterparts does not mean we are second-class citizens; it only means we have an avenue for achieving equality by working harder, so we must take it.
>> 
>>> On 4/12/2016 12:00 PM, Christina Moore via nabs-l wrote:
>>> No group in society has every achieved the equality they have without putting in a lot of effort themselves.
>>> As a population we need to show the world that we can be successful.  The more of us that go against perceptions of our abilities the closer we get to this status.
>>> Personally, I believe we do have equal access as others in this country.  Yes, we have barriers but we can choose to face them or let them define us.
>>> We have to meet each other halfway.  We cannot expect the rest of society to do all of the work.  At first we may have to do more than them but this has been the case throughout history.
>>> God Bless,
>>> Christina
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Darian Smith via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Tue, 12 Apr 2016 08:51:46 -0700
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] First Class Citizenship
>>> 
>>> How do we secure this  level of citizenship for ourselves?
>>> On Apr 12, 2016, at 5:37 AM, justin williams via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> The same as our counterparts who are nondisabled.  I shouldn't half to jump
>>> through more hoops to prove anything.
>>> Justin
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Darian Smith
>>> via nabs-l
>>> Sent: Monday, April 11, 2016 6:21 PM
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Cc: Darian Smith <dsmithnfb at gmail.com
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] First Class Citizenship
>>> 
>>> Do you believe  that there is more then a right that we should demand? Do
>>> you think there is a responsibility we have as well?
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