[nfb-db] More Travel Questions...

Tue Apr 16 00:01:33 UTC 2013

Hi Everyone:

Okay, I appologize. I was by no means in any way saying that if you
choose to take someone's arm to cross the street you are less
independent.
I was just simply stating what I prefer to do.
I would never tell someone they are less independent because they do
things another way.
I know federationists who are that way, but I am definitely not one of them.
I think everyone should push themselves as hard as they can, and not
let their disabilities stop them.
To me, getting out there and not letting your disabilities stop you is
independent.
Marsha, you are definitely right. Sorry;I was a bit tired when I wrote
that post. Most intersections are not straight across.
Who knows;I'll probably have to take someone's arm at some point as
well and that is fine. All I was saying is that I prefer to use my
cane. That is just me.
Again, I would never question someone's independence for doing things
differently than i or anyone else.
Thanks, and hope this clears things up. Again, I appologize if I
insulted anyone or anything like that. I was just telling people what
I prefer to do and what I had been taught at training.
Thanks,
Kerri

On 4/15/13, Janice Toothman <janice.toothman at verizon.net> wrote:
> 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/>,
>>>> Twitter<http://twitter.com/#!/OHRSC/>,
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>>>>
>>>>
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