[nabs-l] How can NFB better include people with multiple disabilities?

[Desiree Oudinot]

Hi all,
Joe, this message was excellent. I couldn't agree more with you. That
was actually going to be my first suggestion, forming a peer network
of blind people who have other disabilities.
I'm particularly interested in seeing such a hotline exist for those
who are blind and mentally ill. While we're certainly free to call
crisis lines if needed, or seek out therapy/medical intervention, I
feel that there is often a divide between us and our sighted
practitioners. For example, if you are suicidal and call a crisis
line, assuming you're not on the verge of hurting yourself, most
likely the volunteer is going to tell you things to do to distract
yourself. They may very well tell you to get out of the house and do
something to take their mind off how they're feeling. For the blind,
that's not always easy or practical, particularly if you live in a
rural area. But the helping person may just become frustrated with
this explanation, and make judgments based on the fact that a blind
person is living alone, which, in a situation like that, is much more
stressful than the person might be able to handle at that moment in
time. I believe that, in circumstances like these, it would be
extremely helpful to have someone available to call who would be more
sensitive to this kind of thing.
Even in situations where the need is less urgent, it's very possible
that a therapist you may be seeing doesn't always know how to deal
with the areas where your blindness and mental illness overlap. I'm
not trying to say that they won't make an effort, or be deliberately
ignorant, but I feel that it's a distinct possibility that the
therapist will either focus exclusively on your blindness when
treating your mental illness, believing it to be the cause, because,
well, who wouldn't be depressed about having no vision? Taht's how
many sighted people think. Or they might focus exclusively on treating
the symptoms, not necessarily realizing the day-to-day frustrations we
as blind people face that can be stumbling blocks in our treatment.
Again, there are therapists who achieve this balancing act, and those
who, after some initial frustration and discussion with their clients,
learn what their client needs and try to provide that to the best of
their ability. But how great would it be to have a support network in
which you could discuss the frustrations that being blind brings up
during the course of your treatment, without having to break down
those walls?
Now, there are things that exist already, like a very well-run email
list for those who are blind and mentally ill that I have personally
taken part in. But sometimes, you need more than to just vent your
spleen in writing. It would be nice to be able to be connected to
resources.
I know that I'm making this all sound very dire, and that the people
on this hotline would have to be trained counselors. While this would
certainly help, and I do think each volunteer should know about crisis
counseling, not every situation would call for such heavy
interventions. For example, I know that a lot of blind people,
particularly teenagers, have suffered from that foot-in-mouth syndrome
that comes from shooting off your mouth, not realizing that the person
you're talking about is nearby and has heard every word you said. Let
me elaborate. When I was about 14, I was sitting at a lunch table with
my friends. I asked if a girl that I didn't particularly like was
sitting with us. my friends said no. It turned out that they did this
deliberately so that I would talk about her while she was sitting
there. When I confronted them later, they got angry with me, saying it
was my fault for not liking her and how you should never say anything
bad about anyone.
Whoever you ascribe blame to in this situation, what would have
resolved this for me would have been being able to discuss my
humiliation with a fellow blind person who had perhaps been in a
similar situation, or known someone who had. If I'd known that other
people have done it, I might not still be faced with the problem, 10
years later, of wincing every time I'm talking with someone, and they
ask me if a particular person is around. Even though the question is
usually innocent, if the person in question is in the room with me or
within hearing range, I find it difficult to even say so.
I learned much later that others have done this accidentally, but now
it's too late to reverse that damaging effect quickly.

I think that the NFB would be in a unique position to provide such a
service. Those in the NFB are seen as strong and would have the power
to promote this service far and wide. No matter anyone's feelings
about the organization itself, no one's going to turn down a
much-needed service. It's kind of like how blind people of any
affiliation truly appreciate the Newsline service. I sincerely hope
that one day this will actually come to pass.