[nagdu] Usining a cane at Helen Keller

[Larry D. Keeler]

Jee Marilyn, educated blind folks are really dangerous!  That Helen Keller 
place sounds about as primative as those places that won't let deaf folks 
use sign language!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "marilyn" <t21114 at optonline.net>
To: "nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2011 11:23 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Usining a cane at Helen Keller


> Hi Everyone,
> Back in the 80's when I attended the Helen Keller School for the Blind in 
> Hempstead , NY I was told I can't use my dog in the building that she had 
> to be put in a kennel there, no canes allowed in the building and every 
> blind person walks on the right and hugs the wall.
> I went there for computer classes. Needless to say that didn't go over 
> very well with me. When I spoke to the person in charge Ed Romano he said 
> if you don't abide by our rules you can't attend this school. I commuted 5 
> and half hours a day to spend 31/2 in a class room. I took 4 trains , 
> walked 11 blocks and took two buses and a taxi sometimes in one day. I 
> called up GDF and told the head trainer what I was told.  My dog stressed 
> out in this big metal dark box (prison). The O&M teacher would come to get 
> me out of the class as my dog was whining and got a bloody nose as she 
> kept hitting it on the metal .  GDF was ready to get involved when a 
> friend gave me the phone number of CBVH in Albany and spoke to the head 
> man. He was surprised I got his private number. He told me the next 
> morning he would call down state NY and things would be changed 
> immediately. The people at Helen Keller didn't tell the students that the 
> rules were changed a year before and guide dogs can accompany you from 
> class to class and you can use canes inside the building. Needless to say 
> when I walked in the following morning I was not very well liked by some 
> of the staff. Then I complained it cost me $19 dollars a day to commute 
> there and asked if I could get reimbursed when I arrived in the morning. 
> Back than that was a lot of money to lay out. I told the woman  that I 
> know Helen Keller has petty cash and can give me back my money as they use 
> to reimburse you for traveling every two weeks. They were shocked to see a 
> blind person knew about petty cash. I told them I worked with book keeper 
> on accounts payable and receivable.  I was called in the office and the 
> social worker and some staff called me a Suffolk County Trouble maker. I 
> told them that's not a bad thing to be called because I stood up for my 
> rights while the other blind people were afraid but I got the policy that 
> was changed the year before enforced.
> Marilyn and Anna
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/lkeeler%40comcast.net