[Nfb-editors] Nfb-editors Digest, Vol 77, Issue 5

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Gary and others,

I am fairly new to the "blind game."  I was fully sighted until the age
of 22.  Losing my vision was no picnic, and I certainly had my moments
of frustration and worry, but some spark inside me refused to believe my
life had peeked.  I did not believe limitations were as prevalent as
many told me.  Perhaps it is due to the defiant streak that plagued my
parents for years, or maybe it is my highly over-imaginative mind that
spurred me on, but at 22, I was not ready to give up, and I was not
ready to accept limitations.

I figured there was a way to do a lot of things, I just needed to learn
how to do it.  Due to some lingering side effects of the illness that
caused me to lose my vision, I was not able to leave for training right
away.  I started to figure things out though.  In those early days,
there was very little anyone had to help me with.  I think I truly
learned how to be independent after becoming blind.

I was eager for training, and even I could not have imagined the sense
of empowerment I would find after training, or realized just how few
limitations the blind have.  Leaving for the Iowa Department for the
Blind in 2005, my life changed in so many ways.

Many of you will relate to this-- My shock over those unwilling to
accept, yes accept, that they were not worse off from those with sight.
Instead of embracing their abilities and the positive idea that the
blind can do almost anything just like the sighted world, they embrace
limitations and are content to live on the benevolence of those sighted
people who will tend and care for them.  I did not understand this, and
I still do not understand it.

It is not my inability to sympathized, or that I am an uncaring,
insensitive person, but prior to becoming blind, I did not have exposure
to blind people or blind philosophies.  And yet I found a sense of
imdependence on my own.  I did not think this the worse event to happen.
I have discovered that my personal experience with blindness is a bit
unique.  I can't understand because I did not undergo a similar
experience.  I try to be patient, and as I grow older though, my temper
and impatience are hampered.  I still don't understand.

We still deal with societal perceptions and stereotypes; we still
encounter a system prepared for the dependence of those with
disabilities, but still catching up to the fact that many of us are
ready to tend to our own needs; we have accomplished much over the
years, but more often than naught, we continue to be our own worse
enemy.  For every blind person I know who exemplifies the definition of
independence and equality, I know ten who, I will admit, embarrass and
anger me.

In the eight years that I have been blind, I have struggled more because
of the actions of my fellow blind people.  Whether it be school, work,
family, my community, many try to treat me based on the expectations
other blind people set.

"Well, a blind student I had before didn't do this section of the course
work because it was too hard."
"I knew a blind kid who lived on my block, and they always needed a
companion to walk around the block with."
""We had security escort this blind employee around the office so they
wouldn't hurt themselves."
"I couldn't believe my friend didn't spread jam on their blind friend's
toast.  I always did that for my blind uncle."

I don't know why so many blind people find it difficult to accept more
independence than they currently live with.

One of my chapter members has never taken the bus on their own.  They
rarely do anything without a sighted companion.  They do not work, and
over and over I have heard them say independent travel is not possible
for them.  They are a healthy, middle-aged person who has raised kids,
who are expected to be a helper-monkey,  and finds the time to exercise,
though god forbid they do this outside their home, or without a sighted
person, spend time online and find willing donors to cover the expense
of European holidays and new pieces of technology, though they are
unemployed.

My brother-in-law is preparing for the day when he will lose all sight.
He has no training, and does not feel it is important.  He currently
works for a national park-- in fact, he is the head administrator.
Thirty-seven with RP, he already is losing his ability to do daily task.
Last year he broke his leg walking around his backyard.  He will marry
his girlfriend of 12 years in May, and the only sign of affection I have
ever witnessed between them is her filling his plate at meal time,
driving him to and fro, walking around in unfamiliar environments and
providing narration during movies.

These two, and there are many more, hold me back because the sighted
people in our lives have their fears and perceptions reinforced by these
actions and attitudes.

This overwhelms me, I must confess.  It seems like every step we take
forward, we continue to take two steps back.

I see online technology replacing the technology of the past.  This is
not just a blind issue, but it may be more detrimental because we are
only replacing one evil with another.  It is easy for anyone to feel
"plugged in" with social media, but in particular for blind people, many
who never have had social interaction, or who find it difficult to
engage with society.  We now feel productive and socially active simply
by sitting on the computer all day.

We certainly deserve equal access to all communication, but there is a
fine balance.  I hope our hard-earned equality does not turn into
another form of dependence that acts like productivity.

Says the girl on the computer.

I don't want to be all doom and gloom, but when I look at the climb
before us, it is steep and winding still.  I am amazed by the work
leaders like Gary, Mike and Robert have done, but the doors you have
opened seem to lead to more unopened doors.

Yes, I hope, and even believe, work like our publications can open doors
that lead to hallways, but it doesn't mean the work isn't daunting.

The best we can do is to live our lives and encourage others to adopt
strong, positive philosophies.  Entering my thirties, I do not want to
remain standing still.  My generation and the one after, and the one
after that, must keep the flame alive-- not smoking and smoldering to
embers or dying.

Bridgit

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2011 12:06:42 -0700
From: "Wunder, Gary" <gwunder at nfb.org>
To: Correspondence Committee Mailing List <nfb-editors at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [Nfb-editors] Purpose of a NFB publication
Message-ID:
	
<5D835FCE86C94346B617F04A46A43140082BC5A4B6 at VA3DIAXVS651.RED001.local>
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Hi Bridgit. One of the things I like in your note was your observation
that "We now have the opportunity to explore a future of our own making.
Jobs, school and families are not dreams we long for, but are realities
within our reach." 

One of the questions I've been struggling with is how to start a
dialogue, probably in the Braille Monitor, about whether these are still
the widely-shared dreams of blind people. I read the statistics about
our unemployment, and in my job searches have certainly encountered
discrimination, but I can't tell you of very many Missourians who are
actively out looking for work. Neither can I tell you about many who are
employed.

In my younger days there were blind people who were smart and articulate
who simply would not tackle the challenge of going to get a job. Some of
them were amateur radio operators and spent their days doing good by
taking Western Union style messages and sending them free of charge
across the country and the world. The message might be as simple as
happy birthday or as complicated as "I'm going in for surgery tomorrow.
I will let you know how it goes. I will appreciate your prayers." Still
other amateur radio operators would connect their telephone and radio
and help people talk to loved ones. This, of course, was before the days
of free long distance. 

The thing I want to focus on here was that the folks who spent most of
their time doing this substituted these volunteer tasks for employment.
They were not seeking jobs. They were getting fulfillment but from a
very different source because our society, whether through SSI, SSDI I,
the Missouri blind pension, or some other program, was perfectly willing
to give them at least a minimal level of support and didn't challenge
them with the tough question "Why aren't you employed?"

Today I think I see our young blind folks substituting the Internet for
ham radio. Maybe they are all about building websites to communicate
something special they believe they know about blindness. Some do their
own radio shows. Some make podcasts. The shows and topics seem to be all
over the place. On one podcast I follow, which is usually technical in
nature, one person put up a recording demonstrating how to change a
diaper, while another produced a podcast of his dog guide popping the
bubbles that are found in shrink wrap. Both were similar--lots of
rustling plastic but not a lot of information. I do not object to what
anyone wants to do for entertainment, but my concern is that these
playtime activities are being substituted for what I see as a major life
activity and responsibility, that being to earn a living and do these
other things as time allows.

I think the question I would like to explore is whether the work ethic
which burned in so many folks of my generation still is prevalently
found today. If not, who put out the fire and how do we rekindle it? Is
our safety net frequently being used as a means of permanent support,
and, if it is, is there something we can and should do about it? 

Some folks I know claim they had to do upwards of a hundred interviews
to get their first job. Is this still true today? If so, I'm not hearing
about it. My fear is that, with all of the civil rights protections and
advances in technology, we still have a significant number of
intelligent blind people who aren't taking advantage of a world which is
more receptive today than ever it has been in the past to getting us
employed and accepting us as capable human beings in society.

I think the dream we share is worth dreaming and that what we dream of
is attainable. Are there more effective ways for us to sell this dream?
If so, how can our newsletters and our Braille Monitor help?  As I look
at the most recent issue of the students late, it is perfectly obvious
to me that some still buy the dream. The question really is how many,
and are there better ways for us to sell the dream of equality so that
more young folks act on it?

Gary