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

Thu Aug 1 18:48:01 UTC 2013

I would call it helping the person to sort out what that person wants and
needs in travel.  I would state that a travel agent is advocating with that
person for the best travel.

Margo and Arrow

-----Original Message-----
From: Travelandtourism [mailto:travelandtourism-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of cheryl echevarria
Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2013 1:47 PM
To: travelandtourism
Subject: Re: [Travelandtourism] Discusssion Blind people can travel anywhere
with the right planning

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@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: 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@echevarri
> atrave 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@echevarri
> atrave 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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> Travelandtourism:
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> > an
> > dmaxx%40hotmail.com
>  		 	   		  
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