[nagdu] Blind Inc.

Fri Apr 2 21:34:29 UTC 2010

Those of us who are active in the Federation try to make it clear that what we know is blindness.  There are two aspects to what you have written below.  The first is 
that having one disability does not make any of us experts in all disabilities and we have to be careful not to make assumptions.  Beause we say "blind" in a lot of 
our litterature, you are taking that to mean that we are applying everything we say to anyone who has blindness as one of their disabilities.  I just do not believe that 
is the true intent at all.

On the other hand, there is no absolute line that suddenly makes a person "multipally disabled."  There are obvious circumstances, but not a line one suddenly 
crosses.  Some of us who have been around a while remember when sheltered workshops labeled people with very minor secondary disabilities as having "multiple 
handicaps" to make it easier to certify them as being payed less than the minimum wage.  I have also seen persons in wheelchairs at BLIND Incorporated learn to 
use a cane and travel more independently than they ever had before when it was not yet fashionable to do that.  While there has to be recognition of multiple 
disabilities introducing challenges that certainly people such as myself don't understand, there is also something to be gained to not just write people off because 
they happen to have disabilities in addition to blindness.  We as blind people have been held back partly because of the low expectations people have of us and 
because we are part of society, we often share those same expectations.  Part of what we do for each other in the Federation is to raise our expectations about our 
selves by looking at what others do.  Again, speaking only of blindness, seeing another blind person become a lawyer makes me feel I can do more, but that doesn't 
mean I will be a lawyer.  What I become is based on my abilities, my expectations, and my circumstances, not to mention a little luck.  Therefore, even within 
blindness, what we are trying to do is to have goals to shoot for, not uniform expectations.  If there is a single expectation, it is that we try to make the most of the 
abilities we have.  I would be a little down on a person who goes everywhere he wants to by making his child or spouse take him because he just doesn't see ay 
need to learn to use a cane or dog.  He has the right to make that choice, but I don't have to pat him on the back for it.  Howevr, someone who needs a personal 
aid because of other disabilities to get places but does it when it would be easier not to deserves  and gets my respect.

Too often, positions are defined in such a way that people can write them off without having to think about them.  

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Fri, 2 Apr 2010 14:21:41 -0400, Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC) wrote:

>Exactly. NFB seems to have no idea that there are people with other
>disabilities that also happen to be blind. 
>Also, NFB touts independence but only their flavor of independence. 
>Kind of like a parent saying to a kid "You can be whatever you want when
>you grow up, and I'll even let you choose which type of doctor you want
>to be". Promoting independence also means allowing people to make
>choices that and individual may dislike. 

>-----Original Message-----
>From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
>Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 11:55 AM
>To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind Inc.

>Marion, I think a person can live "fully and vibrantly" even if they
>don't
>have great cane skills.  I know a guy who often seems confused while
>traveling, but he gets where he wants to go.  More than that, he goes
>places I'll probably never go, like Iraq and Korea, as well as
>travelling
>all over the U.S.  Now he has retired his dog, and because of declining
>health has not gotten another, but he still gets where he wants to go.
>Isn't that what the oft-cited Nature of Independence speech was about? 
>Basically, stop judging each other on how we get where we want to go, so
>long as we get there?
>Cane skills are very handy, but people who don't have them can still get
>where they want to go, and that's what counts.  I do get tired of this
>veneration of the sacred long white cane.  It's just a long stick.
>Using
>it is not rocket science.

>I found what Rox said about her travel very interesting.
>Tracy

>> Jewel,
>>     If you are going to attend a center, I think it would be best if
>you
>> did
>> so before getting your guide dog. Their very intensive O&M training
>will
>> make you a superior guide dog handler. If you choose to go after
>getting
>> your guide dog, I would suggest you do so well after you and your dog
>have
>> bonded. During the day, you will be using your white cane. You will be
>> able
>> to see your guide dog during breaks and for relief, as well as before
>and
>> after training.
>>     Just for the record, there are those who will try to spin this
>policy
>> to
>> be an "anti guide dog" policy; however, I am of the opinion, from
>talking
>> to
>> and listening to what they believe and how each of the centers
>approach
>> this
>> issue, that it is not anti guide dog, rather it is pro sound O&M
>training.
>> I
>> am of the opinion that, like the general public, many blind people see
>a
>> guide dog as the answer to their O&M problems, rather than as an
>> enhancement
>> to them. Both the white cane and guide dog have their advantages and
>> disadvantages. Without the flexibility to choose the one that works
>best
>> for
>> a particular application, a blind person limits their independence and
>> their
>> ability to participate in all aspects of society and life! A carpenter
>> learns how to use a hammer, but cannot build a house with just one
>tool!
>> In
>> order for us to live fully, we must have several blindness tools in
>our
>> tool
>> box. Of course, if one is comfortable with limiting their choices,
>that is
>> their prerogative. My choice is to live fully and vibrantly. Sometimes
>my
>> guide dog is not a part of this choice. JMHO!
>>
>> Fraternally yours,
>> Marion Gwizdala
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jewel S." <herekittykat2 at gmail.com>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 10:36 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind Inc.
>>
>>
>>> Hi, this makes me curious. I am considering going to Louisiana Center
>>> for the Blind. Should I go before I get a guide dog? What are the
>>> rules at LCB for guide dogs?
>>>
>>> ~Jewel
>>>
>>> On 3/31/10, Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net> wrote:
>>>> Hi Martha.
>>>> There are people on this list who have been through the Colorado
>Center
>>>> with their dogs, or there used to be.  Jen was one of them, I
>believe.
>>>> She
>>>>  said it was fine.  I don't know if the dog arrangements are
>different
>>>> at
>>>> Blind Inc.  They have always appeared to me to be the most anti-dog
>of
>>>> the
>>>> bunch, but that's my opinion.
>>>> I wouldn't do it myself, but others have and it's been OK for their
>>>> dogs.
>>>> Tracy
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
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