[Nfbf-l] Get Ready NFBF!!! National ConventionOrlandomanyyearsto come!!!

Sun Jul 10 15:48:52 UTC 2011

Well said Bill.  I couldn't have said it any better.

Although I understand completely the statements others have made concerning 
adjustment to blindness, navigating around the hotel, etc., I think the 
bottom line here is we are all individuals, with different skill levels, and 
perceive things differently.  I don't think its fair to judge someone, 
especially when we don't really know them as an individual, or what their 
abilities are.

Personally, once I figured out the layout of the hotel, I did not have too 
difficult of a time navigating , although I still got turned around once or 
twice, especially in the lobby area when there was tons of people all over 
the place.   and I was trying to locate the elevators.

What I WILL say though, to you Mat, is from knowing you for many years, you 
do have a tendency to see the glass half empty, rather than half full, and 
this is probably something you should work on.  Life can be challenging for 
all of us from time to time, but having a positive attitude sure makes it a 
whole lot easier to overcome those challenges .
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Kociaba" <williamkociaba at comcast.net>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 9:13 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Get Ready NFBF!!! National 
ConventionOrlandomanyyearsto come!!!

> Hi Matt,
> I don't know you at all and have no idea how long you have been blind or 
> what you do now or what you did before.  I  will totally aggree with you 
> that the lobby area really offers very little in landmarks.  I read that 
> descriptive article about the hotel prior to leaving and was expecting to 
> hear a bunch of squacking birds in that birdcage.  I figured that was 
> going to be an obvious landmark to work from but never heard a peep from 
> it.  Once out of the lobby area though things weren't really too bad.  The 
> lower lobby was pretty simple if you kept your ears open and the 
> convention area as well.  I did have the advantage of a very smart dog who 
> knew how to find the elavators though. At least most of the time(LOL). The 
> fact that there were sevral sets of glass doors leading outside did make 
> it very hard to locate the relief area near the meeting rooms as well. 
> And no matter how indipendent everyone claims to be I heard plenty of 
> people asking, "where is...." right up to the last day. There were plenty 
> of hotel staff around and if you were having trouble and chose to not 
> ask...well then thats just being prideful and foolish.     On the other 
> hand I really found people screaming, "escalators over here" over and over 
> more of a distraction than a help. When things were quiet the sound of 
> those escalators was pretty obvious. I have been in hotels that were both 
> easier and more difficult to work through and always survived.If you hated 
> this one, don't try any of the casino propertys in Vegas or Reno that are 
> actually designed to make it hard to find your way out!  If this hotel and 
> its challenges keeps you away from the convention in the future that is 
> sad.  I came in contact with sevral O and M people during the course of 
> the week and I am sure that if you were to make contact with one of them 
> that they wouldn't mind spending a bit of time with you helping you to get 
> a better handle on things.
>
> On the subject of being "well adjusted"..I thought that one had been 
> exhausted already but if not, being well adjusted to anything does not 
> mean you are always happy and glad you have that issue it means accepting 
> it!  I heard someone use the word embrace it...I don't know how you can 
> embrace losing your sight but you surley can accept that it has happened 
> and at the moment there is nothing you or any of us can do about it...
> Can we please put the well adjusted and how bad the hotel was topics to 
> rest.  Seems they are getting beat to death.
>
> Bill Kociaba
> CRUISEONE
> Bill at Ycruise.com
> 954 227 7772 or Toll Free 877 227 7775
> 7600 Wiles Rd, Coral Springs, FL 33067
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Matt Roberts" <blindbiker at yahoo.com>
> To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 7:55 AM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Get Ready NFBF!!! National Convention 
> Orlandomanyyearsto come!!!
>
>
>>I need to respond to this.  YOu folksw on this group don't know me very 
>>well.  You think you do but you don't.  From now on, I'm simply going to 
>>keep my mouth shut! I won't say anything!
>> This place was extremely complex for me as an individual.  I was told by 
>> another blind person who has been at events here this place is difficult 
>> to navigate.  Places I see as complex take me a while to grasp.  If I 
>> can't form a mental picture in my mind of something, the item makes no 
>> sense to me.
>> IF you know *ONE* person who is *TOTALLY* adjusted to their blindness I"d 
>> certainly like to meet them.  You never can be totally adjusted to 
>> anything 100% of the time.
>>
>> Matt Roberts
>> 386-679-1986
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Jul 9, 2011, at 1:27 PM, "Kirk" <kvharmon54 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Matt my friend, when will you start to accept your blindness and move
>>> forward without complaints? I have been listening to you complain about
>>> everything you are in contact with ever since you started commenting on 
>>> this
>>> site again. I have knoown you for many years and you have always had 
>>> such a
>>> negative attitude about most everything and it is truly not what is your
>>> perception of your surroundings as much as it is you and your negativity
>>> about life in general! Please get counseling or something so you can 
>>> start
>>> to move forward without such a negative attitude and perhaps your 
>>> comments
>>> would be more enjoyable to read. I had many friends of mine that were 
>>> there,
>>> as was I, and even the Totals with  me said once they learned their way
>>> around they thought it was easy to do and they loved the Hotel.I have to 
>>> say
>>> however, they all have a very positive attitude about life and have 
>>> accepted
>>> the fact that ,YES, they are in fact totally blind and things are 
>>> different
>>> but it doesn't have to be miserable to enhjoy their lives. You need to 
>>> get
>>> help to learn how to think positive about your life and quit complaining
>>> about all that  is around you. Once you embrace your blindness and it's
>>> lifestyle, then my friend, I feel you will  start to smile more and 
>>> frown a
>>> lot less! Matt, Just  one man's observation of you since I have known 
>>> you,
>>> and want you to try and understand that none of us need negativity in 
>>> our
>>> lives unnecessarily. Please try and change your attitude not just for
>>> yourself, but for all that is around and in contact with you! Your 
>>> friend in
>>> the cause, Kirk Harmon
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Holly" <hbeanie at gmail.com>
>>> To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2011 10:22 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Get Ready NFBF!!! National Convention 
>>> Orlandomanyyears
>>> to come!!!
>>>
>>>
>>> I agree , a positive attitude always helps. One may not like a situation 
>>> but
>>> the only thing you have control over is the way you react to it.
>>> Holly
>>>
>>> Holly
>>>
>>> On Jul 9, 2011 10:07 AM, "Denise Valkema" <valkemadenise at aol.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> You can take a brown car right out lobby entrance for $5 for everyone in 
>>> car
>>> or ask a friend  who drives to take you to Publix.
>>>
>>> You can hook up with member or friend and get around together. You have 
>>> two
>>> years to work on solutions. A positive attitude helps, too.
>>>
>>>
>>> Denise
>>> -- Sent from Denise's Palm Pre
>>>
>>> On Jul 9, 2011 12:11 AM, Sherri <flmom2006 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I thought the hotel was really ...
>>>
>>> From: "Matt Roberts" <blindbiker at yahoo.com>
>>>
>>> To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nf...
>>> > On Jul 7, 2011, at 4:28 PM, Tara Prakash Tripathi wrote:
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>> >> What did you not like about this hotel?
>>>
>>> >>
>>>
>>> >>
>>>
>>> > I found the layout extremely confusing.  I spent 1 hour just trying 
>>> to
>>> get
>>>
>>> > from the registration table to the elevators leading to my room. 
>>> When
>>>
>>> > you're trying to figure out where you are, where you want to go, 
>>> and
>>> dodge
>>>
>>> > people it's difficult.  I have no problem traveling, but from what 
>>> i
>>> can
>>>
>>> > tell there are no landmarks.  A week is not enough time to learn 
>>> this
>>>
>>> > hotel.  I'd need to spend a lot of time, and practice over and 
>>> over.
>>> I'm
>>>
>>> > with some friends and one of them is sighted.  I do let him guide 
>>> me,
>>> but
>>>
>>> > I should be able to pick up routes, since we always go the same 
>>> way.
>>> NOt
>>>
>>> > this hotel!
>>>
>>> > The food is very expensive, and there aren't any eating 
>>> establishments
>>>
>>> > nearby.  If you want to not pay a lot of money for food, you need a
>>> car.
>>>
>>> > I know Publix is across the street, but you have to get out to the
>>> road.
>>>
>>> > With my physical disability, I would not risk trying to walk that 
>>> far,
>>>
>>> > especially when no sidewalks exist.
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> > Matt Roberts blindbiker at yahoo.com
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>> >
>>>
>>> > ________________________...
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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