[Nfb-krafters-korner] Educating the public, was: So cool!

[Dixie]

And I can completely understand what you are saying.  But, you are not in a
wheel chair because you are blind.  You are not hard of hearing because you
are in a wheel chair.  Each of your differing abilities is separate and
distinct from the other.  Granted it may feel like they are all integrated
as you are living with all of these challenges, but one is not blind because
she is in a wheel chair.  One does not need assistance standing because she
is blind.  Each is a separate issue.  And for the medical profession of all
professions to stereotype us as such is in my mind ludicrous!



If the technitian had said to me I understand that you are blind, are there
any adaptations you will need me to make for you?  , will you need some
assistance? I would not be ranting right now.  


Now to bring this back to crafting...

Saturday night I went to a dinner for the Conneticut Sheep Breeders
Association.  We discussed some ideas for teh upcoming years Spinning Bees
at the fairs.  They are talking about doing a blindfold spinning bee...
hehahahahaha!  gotta love it!!!  Bring it on!!!
  Another one they were talking about would be a real challenge.  Spinning
with rubber gloves on.  Talk about making this blind woman even blinder!!
I will have to practice that so if they pull that one I will not be stumped.

 Dixie
~  @-> ~ <-@  ~



-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of qubit
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 12:06 PM
To: List for blind crafters and artists
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Educating the public, was: So cool!

Hi again --
You know, I am afraid I inadvertently match some of those stupid stereotypes

because I have multiple disabilities -- for example, the idea that blind 
people can't hear and need to be spoken to loudly -- well, I have a severe 
hearing loss that is mostly corrected by hearing aids, and so I sometimes 
ask people to speak up. Another one: blind people can't find their way 
around.  Well, I used to walk, but I have always had my brittle bone problem

and after a string of catastrophic broken bones and surgeries, I chose to 
use the wheelchair all the time except to get in and out of a car or 
whatever.  But indeed, even when I was walking, I am breakable -- another 
stereotype.  All I can say is, sorry people! I can't help this conbo of 
problems.  Now if Becky Frankforter  is reading this, she has strategies for

mobility in a wheelchair, but in general, it is a trick, and the strategy 
has to be adjusted to fit each person -- no one size fits all.  I typically 
always get someone to push me when I am outside in unfamiliar territory, 
mainly because in the event I were to fall down off a curb or something, I 
would most certainly break something.  So I am just afraid.  And I have 
flipped down off curbs accidently in a wheelchair, and it is not fun.
On a more positive note, I considered taking a  class in college, back when 
I was walking.  But the first day when I went into class, I encountered 
another nightmare environmental factor: slippery floors.  There was 
something like dust on the floors that turned into a frictionless surface 
when wet, and so it was worse than walking on ice for me to get around in 
class.  I dropped the class immediately, even though the instructor was 
excited for me to be there.
Now if I had gone in my wheelchair it wouldn't have been a problem.

Happy krafting all!
--le