[nabs-l] questions about fitting in.

[Kristen Steele]

Hi, Ana--

So sorry to hear this, but I had a lot of the same experiences with a
church group when I was in middle school. It's kind of ironic that a
church youth group would be so cliquey. They only guided and talked to
me when my mom was around; otherwise, the other girls would whisper
and forget I was even there.

Hang in there, though, because true friends will come, those who will
love and accept you for who you are. Are there any other visually
impaired people around your age near you? Sometimes, those are the
friends who are easiest to connect with.

Best of luck, and let us know what happens!
--
Kristen

On 11/13/16, Anna Givens via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hey lovely,
>
> So it seems that these people have not interacted much, if ever, with blind
> people.  Unfortunately, it has become your task to make them comfortable
> with you being blind. I wonder if there is some way you can casually educate
> these people, making them more curious and more comfortable.  For example,
> if you guys are having a discussion about something in the youth group, you
> could throw something in there about how you as a blind person do something
> that's relevant.  Or if some event is being planned, offer a new idea that
> you will take charge of.  Or you could have a game night or something fun
> that you set up and ask people if they would come.  As we all know, you are
> a delightful young lady with a wonderful and warm personality.  So I am sure
> if you can get there attention and show them something, they'll come around.
>  Maybe you could even invite some of them to volunteer at the center or
> something?  I don't know.  But I am just thinking, get them more comfortable
> with blind people.
> If all else fails, you can always go elsewhere.  Some church congregations
> just aren't super welcoming to anyone....
> Let us know how it goes.
> You are not the only one who struggles with this.
>
> Thank you for reaching out here to talk about this issue.
>
> Hope others will give their input.
>
> See you soon! :)
>
> Anna E Givens
>
>> On Nov 13, 2016, at 9:36 PM, Alosha Moore via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Good evening Ana:
>> I'm sorry to hear of your struggle, but if it's any consolation, many
>> people struggle with this, blind or not. My suggestion is to look for
>> additional ways to get involved and get better acquainted with the  group.
>> I don't believe they seriously intend to make you feel unwelcome, but
>> simply aren't aware that interaction with blind folks is no different than
>> with anyone else. You might consider using humor to ask why everyone looks
>> at you as if you're in a zoo when you speak, to open dialogue on the
>> subject. The important thing is not to get discouraged or stop trying. It
>> will get better.
>> Best wishes, Alosha.
>>
>> J.D. Candidate Class of 2017
>>> Washburn School of Law
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>>
>>> On Nov 13, 2016, at 8:38 PM, Ana Martinez via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> hey guys, hope everyone had a good weekend. I have a question and I'm not
>>> sure if it's OK to ask it in here, so in my church there is a youth group
>>> for college age students. I've been involved with it for the last 2
>>> months, I've done some social activities with the group and I go to mass
>>> with them every Sunday. for some reason I feel that I don't belong there
>>> though, nobody talks to me unless I talk to them first. and whenever I
>>> try to join a conversation everyone gets quiet and I feel that they are
>>> stareing at me, has any of you had this experience? how can I fix this?
>>> thanks☺️
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
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