[Nfbf-l] Deaf, blind priest grounded by airline

[BROOKE6358 at aol.com]

Oh dear goondess! Do we laugh or do we cry at dodd-heads?  We take a  deep 
breath and we 'teach'. Right on the spot.
 
I've been told 'it is politically incorrect' to 'correct' a  professional.  
Hello? Are you kidding me? No, that part of society is not  kidding, 
unfortunately.
 
Neither am I kidding! So, gently and firmly I am bold in advocating for a  
truer understanding among us all.
 
This 'educator' you and your wife encoutered is not uncommon. It is a catch 
 twenty two as to how to handle each and every situation--but i take a deep 
 breath and let my smiley words flow. lolz  Most people truly are  
appreicative when given 'new tools' to ply their craft, in this case the  principal. 
Oh my word, what is it like when a 5th gader is standing before 'this  
mind-set' because of some small playground infraction, I wonder!
 
Here's another one! 
DBS office supervisor (manager-whatever the head position is called) had a  
potential 'job' for me. At a Walgreen's Distribution Center. 30 hr wk, 
standing  on my feet, pulling coded items off a shelf, place into basket and 
send down the  conveyer belt. 
When I heard the part..'sending items down converyer belt'--all I  could 
'see' in my minds-eye was the old Lucy and Ethel skit working on the  conveyer 
line packing chocolates (candy), which got away from them and they were  
eating the candies, stuffing in pockets, etc to keep up with the fast ractory  
line pace--it was a very fast converer belt. 
 
My 'vision' strikes me funny. I know it isn't polite to laugh in someone's  
face, especially when a possible job is at hand. I decide to tell all 5 
people  at this DBS job meeting that the Lucy and Ethel memory came to mind and 
I  began to laugh, as did 4 others at the table, all DBS employees.  Ah, 
but  the 5th person, the DBS office manager, brought her very professional 
self up a  little straighter in her chair, leaned into the table towards me and 
said, "why,  Brooke! you will not be working with candy--you will be...." 
need I explain the  rest?  My sons have a word for people like her, not 
suitalbe here.  lolz
 
All of this needs our diligence to meet the need of the public  ignorances. 
 I DID give the entire DBS staff at this meeting what I deemed  another 
level of self advocacy perhaps helping someone not to be some stupid  next time!
 
The job? I was, at the time, 72--yes, you heard right, 72 and was not  
enthused about working for $5 or $6 an hour, as this was a 'work assessment'  
then would morph into 'work experience', both of which does NOT pay minumum  
wage.  
 
I digress!  
 
Be bold, friends, educate 'them'. I would have said something to the  
principal, did you say anything? I can 'see' your wife sliding down the  
walls...hall...to get away. Speak up.... all in the name of helping 'them' who  do 
not understand what we do about blindness.   bre