[nfb-db] Questions About Getting Assistance Across Streets

[Kerri Kosten]

Hi Everyone:

First, I wanted to say I successfully graduated from the Louisiana
Center for the Blind on Thursday, January 31.
It was wonderful. I would not change my decision to go to LCB one bit.
It was the best decision I ever made.
It was hard and challenging, but I learned so much.
And, to those who are wondering, I can't speak to the other two NFB
centers, but I can definitely say that LCB does work with people with
severe hearing loss. I am a much much better traveler now than I was
when I started at the center. I recomend anyone and everyone go there
for training!
If you have any questions about training, or what it is like going
through training at LCB with hearing loss, please do not hesitate to
ask me either on here or off-list!
Okay, now for my questions.
I live on a street now called University Avenue. I live very close to
a Dollar General which of course sells everything and which I am
extremely excited about!
However, in order to get to this Dollar General, I have to cross
University Avenue. University Avenue is a two-lane road which has a
ton of traffic. My parents, and travel instructor at the center think
it would be safest for me to get assistance to cross because of there
being so much traffic.
There is a restaurant that is across the street from this Dollar
General. I can get to the restaurant from my house because I don't
have to cross University to get to it.
I was thinking of going into the restaurant and seeing if someone
could help me across.
Then, I figured when I am finished at the dollar store, I could ask
someone at the dollar store to help me back across.
How have you found people's reactions to be when asking someone like
an employee of a store or a restaurant to help you across a street?
Is it usually a problem for them?
Does it burden them or inconveenience them in any way?
Should I feel guilty at all for wanting to go to the dollar store
which is across a pretty busy/heavily traveled street?
I guess I am just struggling with this a bit because in Ruston when I
used the sign it was different because there were no stores or
businesses around.
I guess I feel a little more guilty here because I don't want to
inconveence anyone.
In Ruston they were used to seeing students crossing these streets I
needed help with.
Here, everyone and I mean everyone drives.
Nobody just walks to the dollar General.
So, it makes me feel guilty/embarrassed having to ask people to walk with me.
But, at the same time, I live very close to this dollar Store and I
feel I have a right to walk there as much as someone else has a right
to drive there.
Also, since everyone on this list has hearing loss and so theirfore
likely needs to get assistance crossing certain streets, how do you
prefer to get assistance?
Do you find it's easier to go into a business and ask someone such as
an employee or someone to help you or do you find using the sign/card
easier?
I live on University Avenue, and I'm sure I'll need to cross it for
more than just the dollar store so I guess I have to get used to this
asking assistance thing lol.
Like I said it went extremely well in Ruston, but it was different there.

Thanks,
Kerri