[Travelandtourism] What's important to you as a blind air traveler?

Tue May 5 20:55:30 UTC 2015

Bus wise, the Greyhound iPhone app is totally inaccessible.  
Air travel wise there needs to be more and better training of the customer service agents who come to assist.  I find that all airlines are different, and I have had the most success with used to be Northwest, Continnential, and Southwest getting assistance wise.  Delta, US Air and American I have had problems with assistance.
Jordan

-----Original Message-----
From: Travelandtourism [mailto:travelandtourism-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Phil via Travelandtourism
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2015 11:09 AM
To: NFB Travel and Tourism Division List
Cc: Phil; Milton Taylor; john Tebockhorst; Steven Hastalis; Jemal Powell; miltjotaylor at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Travelandtourism] What's important to you as a blind air traveler?

Hi all, thanks for sharing your views on this! Many good points so far.
Besides things that frustrate you, what are some things that airlines and airports are doing well that are important to you and that they should keep doing or expand? Please feel free to cite both domestic or international examples.
Also, what are some things that are done well for blind bus and train travelers that you wish were also somehow available for blind air travelers?
Thanks a lot!
Phil

On 5/5/15, Cheryl Echevarria via Travelandtourism <travelandtourism at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> It was a statement in general, where looks are deceiving and that you 
> should educate and advocate.
>
> Don't sit back and let them force you into a wheelchair.
>
> Today many people at the airport do not do this any longer. If you 
> show that you are confident and professional and not rude or mean 
> about something and calmly. This is not saying that I am responding 
> directly to Trevor on this topic.
>
> Learning myself, I have fought tooth and nail in a rude and nasty 
> attitude in the past to the rude and nasty people at the airport, it 
> gets you nowhere.
>
> If you patient, educated and instill your rights not just at the 
> airport, but anywhere, then they will be less likely to treat you like 
> a person they don't respect. To that person they respect and will 
> learn from and take that back with them to work.
>
> Case in point, nothing to do with the airport.
>
> During Meet the Blind Month of October 2013. Travel & Tourism did 
> there 1st Fundraiser Trip to Las Vegas & Utah. The tour company we 
> used never knew anything about the blind, and what we could do or how 
> we could explore the areas around us.
>
> We had an experiment with all travelers on our 1st full day, while we 
> were at one of the State Parks.
>
> We got out and walked around, somewhere wondering, we cannot see 
> anything why are we here.
>
> I said to everyone stop where you are, what do you hear?
>
> Some heard birds and the horses in the air because this park was also 
> a place they people came to ride their horses.
>
> Some people said they heard nothing and were happy about it, because 
> where they live, it was all noise, that it was peace full.
>
> I said, mend down and touch something. Some felt the desert plants or 
> flowers, the red clay dirt.
>
> We ate lunch together as a picnic, that was tasting.
>
> We got to climb up to where the original settlers heading north carved 
> their names and dates on the side of the canyons at the park.
>
> Some couldn't climb so they slid down on their butts, like myself.
>
> The point I am trying to make is, that we are also teachers to one 
> another and to those around us.
>
> So getting back to the airports, and sensitivity of having people run 
> after you with a wheelchair, or not getting your off the planes fast enough, etc.
>
> Remember that we represent all blind people and not just each other.
> Educating that we don't need a wheelchair or an arm, or fighting to 
> sit anywhere with a guide dog on a plane, like Secretary - Margo 
> Downey did a few years ago with her dog.
>
> Or the arrest of people for sitting in the an emergency exit seat of a 
> plane.
>
> So, the response may not be fully to answer Trevor about looking 
> blind, or anything else. It has to do the general questions this 
> morning about the airlines.
>
> We have had people arrested for sitting in areas of the planes.
>
> The point is that we need to stand up for ourselves. So other will follow.
>
> We are in our 75th Year, let's keep up that fight. If we do not want 
> something and we didn't ask for it, then do use it.
>
> If we did then take it.
>
>
> Cheryl Echevarria, President
> National Federation of the Blind's Travel and Tourism Division A proud 
> division of the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND - "Live the life you 
> want"
> www.nfbtravel.org
> 631-236-5138
> cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
>
>
> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the 
> characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the 
> expectations of blind people, because low expectations create 
> obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life 
> you want; blindness is not what holds you back.
>
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> Travel is our specialty and offering the best of meaningful travel for 
> all ages is our passion!
> http://www.echevarriatravel.com
> reservations at echevarriatravel.com
> 631-456-5394
>
> Visit my website to get my FREE report, “Top 5 Good Reasons to Use a 
> Travel Professional”
>
> I build my business on referrals. Please pass my details on to friends 
> and family members that deserve the best vacation that they can 
> imagine
>
> P.S. – Families of all sizes is my specialty. Whether you are just 
> starting out and looking for that romantic destination for your 
> destination wedding or honeymoon. Booking that planned family vacation 
> to Walt Disney World or that bucket list trip that Grandma  & Grandpa 
> are planning for the family, I would love to help you.
>
> We have partnered with Braille Smith. www.braillesmith.com for all her 
> braille needs.  Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tattenberg at gmail.com [mailto:tattenberg at gmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2015 9:58 AM
> To: NFB Travel and Tourism Division List
> Cc: Cheryl Echevarria; Milton Taylor; john Tebockhorst; Steven 
> Hastalis; Jemal Powell; miltjotaylor at gmail.com
> Subject: Re: [Travelandtourism] What's important to you as a blind air 
> traveler?
>
> Not sure what your point is with reference to what I said. I did not 
> talk about appearance of blindness.
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On May 5, 2015, at 3:23 AM, Cheryl Echevarria via Travelandtourism 
>> <travelandtourism at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Trevor:
>>
>> No one knows until we tell them.
>>
>> No one knows I am blind because I don't look blind, or I am not blind 
>> enough.
>>
>> I don't look diabetic, but I have had low blood sugar and shake for 
>> no apparent reason.
>>
>> We need to educate and advocate. If we don't then there is no reason 
>> for the NFB. We will always have to be polite and better than the 
>> other person to educate them.
>>
>> Also, put your foot down! If they still don't do what you ask, ask 
>> for management.
>>
>> Cheryl Echevarria, President
>> National Federation of the Blind's Travel and Tourism Division A 
>> proud division of the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND - "Live the 
>> life you want"
>> www.nfbtravel.org
>> 631-236-5138
>> cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
>>
>>
>> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the 
>> characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise 
>> the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create 
>> obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life 
>> you want; blindness is not what holds you back.
>>
>>
>> Cheryl Echevarria
>> Travel is our specialty and offering the best of meaningful travel 
>> for all ages is our passion!
>> http://www.echevarriatravel.com
>> reservations at echevarriatravel.com
>> 631-456-5394
>>
>> Visit my website to get my FREE report, “Top 5 Good Reasons to Use a 
>> Travel Professional”
>>
>> I build my business on referrals. Please pass my details on to 
>> friends and family members that deserve the best vacation that they 
>> can imagine
>>
>> P.S. – Families of all sizes is my specialty. Whether you are just 
>> starting out and looking for that romantic destination for your 
>> destination wedding or honeymoon. Booking that planned family 
>> vacation to Walt Disney World or that bucket list trip that Grandma  
>> & Grandpa are planning for the family, I would love to help you.
>>
>> We have partnered with Braille Smith. www.braillesmith.com for all 
>> her braille needs.  Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Travelandtourism [mailto:travelandtourism-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
>> On Behalf Of Trevor Attenberg via Travelandtourism
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2015 2:39 AM
>> To: NFB Travel and Tourism Division List
>> Cc: tattenberg at gmail.com
>> Subject: Re: [Travelandtourism] What's important to you as a blind 
>> air traveler?
>>
>>
>> What an excellent  question.
>> I would like airport and airline staff to be less condescending and 
>> overbearingly custodial. They should provide directions when asked 
>> instead of insisting on following the blind customer around or 
>> calling for a wheelchair. They should thus know how to provide verbal 
>> directions.  It should be assumed that blind people do not need a 
>> wheelchair unless it is specifically requested. It should also be 
>> assumed that blind people can board the plane without assistance and without boarding before everyone
>> else. Special assistance should be requested and not expected.   Staff at
>> the security check points especially need to remember such protocol. 
>> Blind people are allowed to bring their cane through the metal 
>> detector. Blind people should not be grabbed, pulled, or pushed 
>> without permission. If rules are being broken then blind people 
>> should be vocally warned before physical contact. It should be 
>> assumed that blind people can move through the airport unescorted; 
>> and they can use stairs, escalators, and moving walkways just like everyone else. They do not necessarily need elevators.
>> I realize that many blind people, including several on this list do 
>> have additional needs, and thus require extra assistance. But a good 
>> universal policy is to allow people to ask for help rather than 
>> allowing assumptions of relative helplessness to prevail. I also know 
>> that sometimes it is very helpful if not necessary for blind people 
>> to get personal escorts from place to place in an airport; but again, 
>> blind people need to be allowed to practice free will. And I would 
>> like to see airport staff and other people home their verbal skills.
>> Best,
>> Trevor
>>   .
>>
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On May 4, 2015, at 9:59 PM, Ivonne Mosquera via Travelandtourism 
>>> <travelandtourism at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> It would be helpful to have an independent way of calling or texting 
>>> for assistance, once a flight has landed, to facilitate with 
>>> connections or exiting the airport. This is typically left up to the 
>>> flight attendants or the gate agents, and they often forget or take a long time to do it.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Ivonne
>>> www.iminmotion.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>> On Tue, May 5, 2015 12:49 AM EDT Phil via Travelandtourism wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>
>>>> My name is Phil. Hope everyone is doing well. This is my first time 
>>>> posting to the Travel and Tourism list but certainly not my first 
>>>> time posting to nfbnet lists. smile I’d like to hear your opinion 
>>>> on this… I’m doing a research project on blind and visually 
>>>> impaired people’s air travel experience. In particular I’d am 
>>>> trying to compile a list of things that you consider would make an 
>>>> booking website, airline or airport “blind-friendly”. Besides 
>>>> obvious things like not barring a blind passenger from boarding, 
>>>> accessible kiosks and accessible apps, what other things are 
>>>> important for you as a blind or visually impaired traveler? It can 
>>>> be both things that are already being done or you wish someday they 
>>>> would do, and it can be both technology-related or staff or 
>>>> corporate policy or even marketing.
>>>> I’m trying to look at this from all 360 degrees and compile a long 
>>>> list, so please feel free to list as many things as you can think 
>>>> of and as brief or detailed as you wish!
>>>> Let’s share and see what each other think!
>>>> Thanks everyone!
>>>>
>>>> Best,
>>>> Phil
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
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