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

Thu Aug 1 17:47:12 UTC 2013

Thank you Margo for that.
And just to say, I don't ask about the person's disability as a negative in anyway, I ask because, like myself I use, Guide Dog, cane and sighted guide. I also offer if someone is traveling alone or with others, do you want a specialty tour meaning, do you want a tour operator that just offers services to people with disabilities, some may feel more comfortable that way.
Some do not, and that is fine as well.
It is all about asking what you want and your needs.
Thank you again.

Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 of NY StateLeading the Way in Independent Travel!
Cheryl Echevarria, Ownerhttp://www.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations@echevarriatravel.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: margo.downey at verizon.net
> To: travelandtourism at nfbnet.org
> Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2013 13:39:18 -0400
> Subject: Re: [Travelandtourism] Discusssion Blind people can travel anywhere with the right planning
> 
> 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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> > dmaxx%40hotmail.com
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