[Travelandtourism] Discusssion Blind people can travel anywhere with the right planning

Thu Aug 1 17:39:18 UTC 2013

Cheryl, let me start this way.

I have used travel agents before your help.  Those agents asked me where I
wanted to go, how I planned or would like to get there, was I going for
personal, family, business, all of the above, what I wanted to do, and they
asked everyone they told me about any things they needed to know like
special diets, other special things, etc.  

I do not believe your questions or the things or the info you wish to obtain
is out of order.  You probably shouldn't ask the disability but you can ask
what accommodations or needs the person has or needs.  

So, the blind are more rude than the sighted?  Uh, I think the blind are
part of the same world as the sighted and you can find sour grapes
everywhere and good people, too.  

To the person who sent the email:  And I do not know who you are, but,
listen up.  Ms. Echevarria of Echevarria Travel and I have done business
together, discussed travel, discussed disability, gone on a working trip of
disney, been to conventions together, participated in various meetings
together, and I can tell you that she deeply cares about the customers.  She
asks the questions she needs to ask in order to help the traveler have the
very best trip possible.  She is not trying to meddle; she is careful not to
do so.  She is careful about confidentiality.  She has been known to go over
and above to help someone finding themselves in a crisis situation in
another country and helping sort all that out.  Cheryl is constantly
educating herself about travel, disability, regulations and rules and laws,
geography, and so on.  

Someone said this difision is failing?  You could have fooled me.  I am the
Secretary and I registered people for our last Division meeting in orlando
and we had lots of people either join or renew or just there to see what
we're about.  It was great!  The folks I talked with were very enthusiastic
about what we were and are doing.  This Division is moving
forward--sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly and we're constantly figuring
out who we are, what we are,and where we want to go.  

Cheryl's message to all of us is we can travel anywhere we want to travel
and we can find all kinds of ways to do that and to have an awesome time of
it.  The other travel agents affiliated with this division or otherwise have
the same message.  

So, yes to our division, yes to its long life, yes to progress, yes to
everyone who contributes in all kinds of ways to make it what it is and will
be.  Bring it on, I say!  Let's keep moving along and having a great time of
it.

Margo andArrow

-----Original Message-----
From: Travelandtourism [mailto:travelandtourism-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of cheryl echevarria
Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2013 1:17 PM
To: travelandtourism
Subject: Re: [Travelandtourism] Discusssion Blind people can travel anywhere
with the right planning

Oh one other thing. This person also said this division is failing, whatever
that means.

Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 of NY StateLeading the Way in
Independent Travel!
Cheryl Echevarria,
Ownerhttp://www.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations@echevarriatrave
l.comhttp://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
Affiliated as an independent contractor with Montrose TravelCST -
#1018299-10 FL CST T156780Your old car keys can be the keys to literacy for
a blind child.  Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking
https://nfb.org/vehicledonations or call 855-659-9314.Echevarria Travel has
partnered with Braille Smith. http://www.braillesmith.com for all her
braille needs.Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama

> From: cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
> To: travelandtourism at nfbnet.org
> Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2013 13:14:22 -0400
> Subject: [Travelandtourism] Discusssion Blind people can travel anywhere
with the right planning
> 
> Hello all:
> I am writing this post in reference to start a topic of discussion with
everyone.
> Someone from this list, and I will keep the person's name off of it
because it didn't turn out very nice, and I said thank you, and left it like
that, but this is a good discussion point for this division.
> Someone sent me an e-mail a few days about about trips for a blind person.

> So I asked more questions and gave the advise that blind people can go
anywhere with the right planning, yes I even ask about someones mobility as
well, in a way, that is not condescending, but I would do that for anyone
traveling. Also from experience, when I booked someone to Israel last year,
told me that they traveled the world all by themselves and only needed from
time to time verbal directions. But this was not the case at all, the person
was traveling by themselves, and as soon as they got to Israel wanted to be
hand-holding the whole time with the tour operator.
> So, I ask respectfully. I say that blind people can travel anywhere in 
> the world, and I ased who, what, where, when and why (why because it might
be a family reunion, an anniversary and I can set up some extras at the
point of where they are going, same with birthdays, etc.) The response I got
today was basically not what I expected. I am not going to post the whole
e-mail, but was told that this person was looking for professional advice
and not that blind people can go anywhere in travel and that I was rude and
condescending, and this person says that the blind are more rude then the
sighted. And that they are a fellow NFB person and I should know better.
> I should have offered things like accessible museums, etc.
> But how can one offer these things when one doesn't know where the person
wants to go. They have these things available all over the world and can be
arranged for anyone, anytime.
> Case in point, our trip to the National Parks in October that this group
is doing, also we are starting to plan for next year as well. 
> We also went to Walt Disney World as a division.
> I have also taken the NFB of New Jersey back in April for a fundraiser to
Bermuda, we had accessible things for us. Been myself to St. Thomas, Puerto
Rico, Bahamas, and other places in the world.
> Now my question to all of you finally, and this is for discussion. If the
person who wrote the issues with this wants to chime in as well.
> Now as people who are blind as myself, and this can possibly help others
like myself or Vice President Shackelford, as well as Anahit LaBarre, who
are all travel professionals help you more. We know the questions to ask,
the who, what, when, where and whys of the dialogue to help people, and I
have been doing this since 2009.
> How do you feel this should have gone down?
> I am not going to post the original e-mails. For respect of the other
person involved.
> A few rules on this list and on all NFBnet.org lists.
> No rudeness, no cursing, etc.
> Please respect one another as well.
> Sincerely,
> Cheryl Echevarria, PresidentNFB Travel and 
> Tourism631-236-5138www.nfbtravel.orginfo at nfbtravel.org
> 
> 
> Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 of NY StateLeading the Way in
Independent Travel!
> Cheryl Echevarria,
Ownerhttp://www.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations@echevarriatrave
l.comhttp://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
> Affiliated as an independent contractor with Montrose TravelCST -
#1018299-10 FL CST T156780Your old car keys can be the keys to literacy for
a blind child.  Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking
https://nfb.org/vehicledonations or call 855-659-9314.Echevarria Travel has
partnered with Braille Smith. http://www.braillesmith.com for all her
braille needs.Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama

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