[NABS-L] Barriers At Work

[Brian Buhrow]

	hello.  If you're a braille user and if the forms you're handing out are standardized, I'd
suggest making braille labels you can place under the forms you're handing out so that when
you're directing folks, you actually know which forms are where on the table.  The reason I
mention standardized forms is because you can make these labels in advance of the meetings and
re-use them for different meetings.  

	What you're asking is how to get yourself included in your groups as an equal peer.  This
is not an easy problem to fix in  many situations.  However, the way I've found to work around
the issue in many situations is to figure out where my colleague's knowledge is weakest and
then fillin that gap.  It may be that, for example, while your colleagues know what forms need
to be completed, they're les familiar with the questions on the form and how they should be
answered.  If you learn  how to complete those forms and can help visitors complete them more
quickly and accurately, then you're contributing to the overall operation of the meeting.  I
can tell you I've been in your situation many times and it's often awkward, but I can also tell
you that by spending some time thinking about the particulars of those awkward situations, I've
learned that there is usually a place where I can contribute something useful to the
proceedings.  For example, for some years, I participated in a day-long conference where food
was prepared and served for the attendees.  The person in charge of the kitchen was not
comfortable with my help in the kitchen, however, I determined I was going to serve in some
useful capacity in  that kitchen.  I noticed that no one liked doing the dishes, so, I began
washing dishes without asking permission.  As I stacked the clean dishes on the counter, people
began bringing me new things to wash and showing me where to put the clean dishes away.  And,
soon, I was the primary dishwasher; not the most glamorous of jobs, but certainly vital to the
smooth operation of the kitchen.

	Good luck and keep thinking and asking about the issue; over time, it gets easier, even if
the problem never entirely goes away.

-Brian