[nabs-l] Looking for information on transportation in cities around the U.S

Mon Sep 19 00:34:23 UTC 2016

Greenville where?  We have a Greenville South Carolina, you are not talking
about that are you>
 Justin

-----Original Message-----
From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti Shelton
via NABS-L
Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2016 7:06 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Looking for information on transportation in cities
around the U.S

Hi all,

Thank you for the feedback thus far.  I'll try to respond as in order as
possible to the last few messages.

I'm afraid Michigan is completely out as there aren't any other internship
sites that I'm interested in; most are hospice-related and there is a school
system in Detroit, but it requires significant driving from school to school
in each day so it would not be feasible.

As I said in my original message, I am taking a variety of factors into
consideration from the clientelle served, to the knowledge and expertise of
the supervisors, to the amount of driving or travel time required in a day.
The bottom line is that I could pick an internship that is a great fit for
me, but I won't be able to take it if I don't have a reliable and affordable
way of getting there and back to where I'm staying, as well as to places
like the grocery store or pharmacy I will need to travel to on a weekly or
bi-weekly basis.  I also simply cannot take jobs that require a lot of
driving; sometimes MTs or interns will drive all over a state to see
clients, which for me would just take too much time and reliance upon other
people's schedules for me to have any kind of for sure consistency.  Part of
what will make or break the fit for me will be my ability to navigate the
area, no matter how well the internship site fits into the other categories.
Of course I won't take an internship that won't be such a good fit just
because the city might have some great transportation, but it is something
my professors and I need to pay attention to.  AS for looking into crime and
the decline of some of the cities on the list, that's the whole reason why
some of those sites are there---to serve under-served people in those areas
who don't otherwise have access to resources provided there.  Many
internships either have housing worked out for a low cost, or they can help
by providing resources to get set up with housing nearby.  If I get my top
choice, that internship site has an agreement with host families who I would
pay room and board to, I think.  I have thought about seeing what my voc
rehab agency might be able to help out with in transportation, but I won't
have a ton of money to be able to hire drivers as much as what a lot of the
sites would require (For example, that's why I'm not taking the ones that
contract out through school districts and require interns to travel from
school to school throughout the day; I'd basically need a driver to shuttle
me to new places every 45 minutes or so the whole work day for most of the
time).

The news about Yonkers is encouraging.  I've also been to Rodchester before
and unless it has changed in the last few years since I have been there, I
remember them having a good system in place, too.  I might take you up on
your offer for more information if I pursue my sites in those cities.

On 9/18/16, Taylor Arndt via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> The only city that really good in Michigan for transportation is 
> Kalamazoo the zoo or grand rapid
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Sep 18, 2016, at 12:51 PM, Elizabeth Mohnke via NABS-L 
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hello Kaiti,
>>
>> I applaud you for being proactive in your internship placement. 
>> However, I think narrowing down your internship selection based 
>> solely on transportation is a lot like selecting a college or 
>> university based solely on the level of accommodations offered by a 
>> disabilities office. I do not believe either one of these approaches 
>> work well as there are usually a number of different factors that go 
>> into these types of decisions.
>>
>> I noticed some of your selections in your list of possibilities 
>> include places that are known for being places of manufacturing that 
>> are now in decline. As manufacturing jobs decline, the population of 
>> these places decline, and the rates of crime increases. This may be 
>> something worth considering that is just as important as transportation.
>>
>> Also, Chicago might be good in terms of transportation, but it has a 
>> high homicide rate due to gun violence. However, this is not to say 
>> that all parts of Chicago are like this though. But I would imagine 
>> that the nicer parts of the city may also be a lot more expensive 
>> than your current way of living. I think these are also important 
>> things to consider for your internship placement.
>>
>> In terms of providing future opportunities for your career, I would 
>> suggest either Minneapolis or Indianapolis. I have heard a lot about 
>> how these two cities have grown over the past several years in terms 
>> of attracting and retaining young professionals. I do not know 
>> anything about Indianapolis beyond what I have heard about it. 
>> However, I know Minneapolis has a good transportation system provided 
>> you can withstand the frigid cold winters there.
>>
>> In terms of working in a smaller city, especially if it is anywhere 
>> in the Midwest, you would most likely need to give up living in a 
>> place that has good public transportation. I do not know of any small 
>> towns or cities that have much in terms of providing public 
>> transportation. However, I do not see why hiring your own driver 
>> would not be an option if you are interested in working in a smaller
city.
>>
>> I have never been to Greenville before as I do not know of a way to 
>> get there using public transportation. However, transportation is not 
>> all that great here in Michigan given the reliance and culture of 
>> automotive manufacturing. I would imagine this would be the same in 
>> other places where automotive manufacturing has been a predominant 
>> part of the culture.
>>
>> While I completely understand the need for reliable and affordable 
>> transportation, I would focus more on what the internship itself has 
>> to offer in terms of providing future possibilities for a career. So 
>> I would say that you should narrow down your internship possibilities 
>> down to where you could picture yourself living and working five years
from now.
>> If you cannot picture yourself working and living there within five 
>> years, then it might not necessarily be the best internship placement for
you.
>> This is the criteria I would use in determining an internship 
>> placement where I have some sort of say in the decision process.
>>
>> Anyway, I hope this helps you in selecting the best place for your 
>> internship. I am confident that regardless of where your internship 
>> takes place that you will make the best of the circumstances, and 
>> gain the most out of your internship.
>>
>> Warm regards,
>> Elizabeth
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti 
>> Shelton via NABS-L
>> Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2016 10:47 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list 
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com>
>> Subject: [nabs-l] Looking for information on transportation in cities 
>> around the U.S
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'm beginning to delve into the pre-application process for my 
>> required post-graduation internship, and I could end up anywhere 
>> around the country.  My professors thankfully are conscious of my 
>> needs and have remarked a few months ago before I even said 
>> something, "We'll have to get you something with a bus line."
>>
>> Naturally, a ton of factors are going into my decision-making process.
>> I know I want to work with children and adolescents and the types of 
>> settings I would be interested in working in.  I am also considering 
>> who the supervisor is and what their background is, the theoretical 
>> orientation of the facility (humanistic or behavioral for example), 
>> and if they have a stipent or housing available.  However, 
>> transportation will play a major role in my decision as well as I 
>> will need a way to get to work and to places like the store from wherever
I end up living.
>> Unfortunately this means some really good sites might need to be cut 
>> from my list simply because they're in rural areas or request 
>> students with cars who can drive to multiple locations for sessions 
>> during a given day, but such is life.
>>
>> I'm wondering if anyone else has been in this position and has found 
>> a way to research what public transportation options are available in 
>> various cities and states.  I do have paratransit where I go to 
>> school now, but as the internship is 6 months there I might also need 
>> to look into gaining long-term access to those services if they are
offered.
>> Naturally, I'm leaning more towards cities that are larger and that I 
>> know have well-established public transportation systems like Chicago 
>> and Minneapolis-St. Paul, but I'd like to find more information to 
>> see if the ones I'm looking at in smaller towns are also doable.  Any 
>> strategies or web sites with information would be helpful.
>>
>> In case anyone has experience with transportation in the areas I'm 
>> checking out at least for now, here is my list of possible locales.  
>> I still have yet to meet with my professors and get their views on 
>> where I should go so the list will dwindle for sure, but I'm trying 
>> to be as proactive as possible.
>> Illinois:
>> Oaklawn, Park Ridge, Chicago (I'm assuming downtown based on the 
>> information I have), Lisle, Countryside, Evanston.
>> Texas:
>> Dallas.
>> Ohio:
>> Cincinnati (don't need info on that one as that's my hometown).
>> Columbus, Cleveland.
>> Michigan:
>> Greenville.
>> Indiana:
>> Indianapolis, Fishers.
>> Minnesota:
>> Minneapolis.
>> Iowa:
>> Dubuque.
>> New York:
>> Yonkers, Rodchester, Harris.
>> New Jersey:
>> Peapack.
>> Tennessee:
>> Jackson.
>>
>> --
>> Kaiti Shelton
>>
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--
Kaiti Shelton

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