[nabs-l] First Class Citizenship

Tue Apr 12 19:07:46 UTC 2016

And, I've experienced a loss of a grad school career, my first one, even
though I did the same thing as the other students, but got different results
due to blindness. 
Granted, I should have done a better job researching the program, but I was
left out of Graduate assistantships due to blindness.  I didn't get a push
from the professors or anything.  Was I the perfect grad student, of course
not.  However, I was not aloud to make the same mistakes, nor have the same
opportunities as the other students.  I worked hard, made good grades, and
did my best to contribute and participate. I'm not wining, I'm just  stating
the facts.  And while I understand that I do have to work a little harder,
that does not make it right or fair.  I don't mind the working harder, but I
do mind getting screwed or discriminated against. I'm not blaming anyone, or
a system.  You work with what you've got.  I've admitted that my
investigation skills should have been more on point.  But man, the second
class citizen status cost me my first real career opportunity. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Anna via nabs-l
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2016 2:48 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: annajee82 at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] First Class Citizenship

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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