[Travelandtourism] Response to the Blindness Research question posted by David Andrews

Sun Feb 3 19:26:14 UTC 2013

I have contacted the person that sent the e-mail to David Andrews
Dusty Waltner on this, and told her that I was willing to talk with her.
See the full lenth of our e-mail conversation below.
Cheryl EchevarriaPresidentNFB Travel and Tourism Division

From: dwaltn1 at tigers.lsu.edu
Subject: Re: President of the National Federation of the Blind Travel & Tourism Division wants to ask you some questions as well
Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2013 10:37:59 -0600
To: cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com

Hi Cheryl,
Thank you for your response, I guess I should have clarified in my message about my mother-in-law. I didn't mean it to sound like I was ignorant, as I am doing doctoral research. I have been researching blindness for many years. I am very aware that the blind are extremely independent just as anyone else is. I don't think there are any limits to what anyone can do, I only meant that I have experience with blindness and the social constructs of how others perceive blindness because I have traveled quite a bit with my mother-in-law. I married my husband over 15 years ago and have been on many holidays in which others think that she has a whole host of disabilities, like speaking to me rather than to her, or think she cannot do something because someone thinks her physical body is impaired, when she is only blind. She has no impairments whatsoever and is totally capable of traveling alone, but enjoys traveling with company. I regret that everyone jumped at the assumption that I am ignorant on the matter (I don't know if it was from my statement about being a companion which is true or from David's comment which was unfair) but it is unfortunate because as you said that went out to over 50,000 members and this is my entire dissertation research. Maybe I am wrong in this (I do appreciate him sending the message out) but I don't think it was all that necessary to state "I hope he doesn't think that the only way blind persons travel is with a sighted companion"  because that immediate stuck in everyone's mind and many would not have read my message that way if that had not been stated. 
So no, I am fully aware that many blind travel alone, I just want to clarify that.

But, just as everyone assumed that I thought the blind people only use companions, David automatically assumed by my name that I was a male, and I am all female here. Email is a hard thing to decipher.
Unfortunately I cannot undue anything, my research may be dead before it start and I may have picking a new topic now that everyone in the blind community thinks I am unaware of how blind people travel. Thank you for your insight however.
Cheers,Dusty

"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." – Walt Disney

Dusty Leigh Waltner
Louisiana States University
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Department of Geography and Anthropology
227 Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803

On Feb 2, 2013, at 3:52 AM, cheryl echevarria <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com> wrote:

Dusty Leigh Waltner
dwaltn1 at tigers.lsu.edu
Louisiana State University
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Department of Geography and Anthropology
227 Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803
Dear Dusty:My name is Cheryl Echevarria, and I am the President of the National Federation of the Blind's Travel & Tourism Division.I am writing because you had written to someone from the NFB and it was posted to all of our members over 50,000 of us.  I do not know how long your mother has been blind or if you know anything else about the blind, but you do know that the NFB has the school for the blind in Louisiana and we are the oldest and largest non-profit organization run by the blind for the blind.Myself I have been blind since the age of 35 from complication from diabetes and kidney failute, being over 8 year post kidney transplant and owner of my own travel agency, I have taken lemons and turned it into lemonade, and now the Disabiled Entrepreneur of the Year for NY State.Curious to your conversation in the e-mail, it seems to me, and no rudeness intended here, that they only way that a blind person can get around is with a sighted guide and by voice command.  I do hope your mother can get around by herself, unless she is 80 years old and has other disabilities which would make it hard for her to travel independently.I would be interested in your contacting me sometime after February 7th, since I will be traveling by myself, hubby has to stay to work, to Washington, D.C.  Every year the NFB has there annual Washington Seminar with the Congress and the Senate.Many issues on the table every year.I welcome you to go to my website www.echevarriatravel.com and read all about me and what I do for the blind in the ways of advocacy and also talking people that we are independent even though we cannot see, and that blindness is more of a nuisance/Sincerely,
Cheryl Echevarria,Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 of NY State
Leading the Way in Independent Travel!SNG Certified - Accessible Travel Advocate!Cheryl Echevarria, Ownerhttp://www.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations@echevarriatravel.comhttp://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com2012 Norwegian Cruise Line University Advisory Board Member.
Affiliated as an independent contractor with Montrose TravelCST - #1018299-10Echevarria Travel and proud member of the National Federation of the Blind will be holding a year round fundraiser for the http://www.NFBNY.org after Hurricane Sandy and other resources. Any vacation package booked between November 6 2012-November 6, 2013 and vacation must be traveled no later than 12/30/2014 a percentage of my earnings will go to the affiliate.  Also is you book a Sandals for couples or Beaches for families and friends resorts vacation, $100.00 per booking will go to the affiliate as well.  You do not need to be a member of the NFB.org, just book through us.