[nagdu] understanding vs. respect

[Julie J.]

I wrote a bit about this a couple of weeks ago, but I've been thinking 
more on the topic ...I know scary!  LOL  Anyway I attended this 
diversity training seminar last spring.  It was a part of a larger 
training event on drug/alcohol prevention and not something I would have 
attended separately.  anyway the presenter talked about education and 
understanding different cultures and whatnot.  There was a lot of 
emphasis on what she called cultural competency, which I took to mean 
being educated about various cultures.

the whole time I'm sitting there listening to this presentation I'm 
thinking about the conversation we had about my hotel reservations.  
This particular presenter was the coordinator for the conference.  She 
made the hotel reservations for many of the attendees because the 
sponsoring agency was covering the hotel.  It's much easier to do the 
paperwork that way.  Anyway she knows I'm blind and that I have Monty.  
she also knows I can walk up and down stairs and whatnot.  Still she 
informed the hotel that I needed a first floor room and that I'd be 
accompanied by a guide dog.  she also assured the hotel that I'd be no 
problem that I was quite independent.  I have no words to express my 
feelings about this statement.  Unimpressed is about the nicest thing I 
can say.

So back to diversity training...she's talking about understanding and 
education and how important it is to know all about other people of 
various cultures, races, disabilities etc.  Immediately after this 
lecture we have a break where no less than three people come up to me to 
ask inappropriate questions or to pet Monty without asking.  Honestly 
I'm not opposed to answering questions, but when I'm engaged in a 
different conversation and you interrupt to ask how much I can see, well 
it's just rude.  It was at that moment that I realized that I don't give 
a crap about education or understanding or cultural competency or 
whatever you want to call it.  Sure if people understood, I mean really 
got it, about blindness that would be grand.  I don't need that though.  
What I really, really want is respect.

What do you all think?
Julie