[nfb-db] More Travel Questions...

[Janice Toothman]

Hi Marsha,
I totally agree with what you had said on the NAGDU list and here. I get 
frustrated by the NFB philosophy and others interpretations have taken 
it to imply that the dependence is bad. However, I feel that each of us 
know our own disability, what our strengths and weaknesses are and how 
best to cope. In this way, we are independent because we exercise our 
autonomy not only to act and choose for ourselves so that we can achieve 
and aspire to do whatever we want. However, if we need help in 
accomplishing these things, this does not diminish my value or worth 
because this is how I am a self-reliant Deaf-blind woman.
Janice
On 4/15/2013 1:02 PM, Marsha Drenth wrote:
> Carrie,
> Not every street is straight across, streets can be offset. I live in Philadelphia, with little hearing, and the amount of noise inner city can have, I have to have someone help. By no means do I do this for every street. Nor am I scared of crossing streets. I said for sighted guide because I use a guide dog, and some times my pup, if a stranger is not use to following that person. Nor do I want my pup to just follow random peoeple. I lived in Baltimore too, streets there aren't straight and square, I can think of more offset intersections than I can think of normal square ones.
>
> To each there own, but I won't allow people to say because I need help, or because I ask for help, to say I am less independent. I was having this same sort of discussion on another list. Independence should not come from the NFB or from LCB or any organization. Now don't get me wrong, I have been an NFB member for my entire life. But there is a huge huge huge misconception, that if I don't think exactly what all the other NFB members do, then I am dependent. this is not true. I do what I need to do, I always get where I need to go, and how ever I do that, with or without help, does not make me less independent. Independence should come from within each of us.
>
> Marsha drenth
> Sent with my IPhone
>
> On Apr 15, 2013, at 11:28 AM, Kerri Kosten <kerrik2006 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi:
>>
>> First, beth, I am really curious. If you do not mind me asking, what do you do?
>> Do you teach cane travel?
>> I'm so glad you also use the NFB straight cane like me and like me
>> prefer to follow the person. I'm also glad you prefer your clients to
>> use the straight NFB cane. I feel it is much better than the folding
>> canes!!
>> Marsha, if you are lined up properly when it is time to cross you just
>> go straight across the street. Unless you veer badly, you always just
>> go straight across the street.
>> My street crossings are usually very straight.
>> So, I don't really need to necessarily listen for the person.
>> The thing is, when I got to LCB like Beth talked about I was also very
>> afraid because I had no experience using my cane and had always been
>> guided all my life. I also was very afraid to cross streets...any
>> street. I had to work for several months at getting over my fears, and
>> to be honest when it is a street that is very very busy I still become
>> a little afraid. I'm honestly afraid that if I begin letting people
>> just lead me across the street or I take their arm I'll slowly begin
>> to develop those fears again.
>> Marsha, my instructor did tell me once that if it was too noisy for me
>> to hear a person it as okay to take their arm if I absolutely could
>> not hear. But, it has to be very noisy for me to have to do this and I
>> haven't had to do this yet.
>> For example, if I am at a game or something, and the crowd cheers and
>> I can't hear the person to follow them maybe then I'll take their arm,
>> but I want to be very careful about when I do this because I do not
>> want to redevelop my fears again.
>> Thanks,
>> Kerri
>>
>> On 4/15/13, Sammons, Elizabeth <Elizabeth.Sammons at rsc.ohio.gov> wrote:
>>> All,
>>>
>>> I have been following the conversation on crossing streets safely with
>>> interest. I guess I can offer a bit from both perspectives, since I am very
>>> low vision and use a cane, but because I am hearing more or less still, I am
>>> sometimes asked by other blind or d/b friends to go out, etc.. I can tell
>>> you from the more or less sighted-hearing perspective, it is extremely
>>> stressful for me if someone does *not* take my arm. This is because (1) I am
>>> not sure where they may be otherwise and (2) if they are low-hearing or
>>> there is simply a lot of noise, I am not sure I can communicate with them
>>> safely and in the case of a street crossing, in a timely way. (3) I am
>>> booking it across the street, and I do not want to be slowed down by someone
>>> slower than I am unless they have a mobility impairment that prevents them
>>> from keeping up with me, because again, the crossing time may be limited. So
>>> I would like you to think about taking someone's arm if they invite you to
>>> do so. I do agree about not having them take your arm.
>>> Hope this perspective does not offend anyone, and I am just sharing for a
>>> different view.
>>> Thanks,
>>> Elizabeth from Ohio
>>> Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission -
>>> www.rsc.ohio.gov<http://www.rsc.ohio.gov/>
>>> Click to follow us at
>>> Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ohio-Rehabilitation-Services-Commission/155300754532533?sk=wall/>,
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>>>
>>>
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