Category: Let's talk
I'm looking for some disscussion on dayly living assistance from the blind and VI view. When do you get assistance and when not. Any thing goes.
do you mean assitance with cooking? or assistance with shopping etc?
Or do you mean with travel, like train or airport travel? If you give us some examples, we can do better to answer.
My thinking in a nutshell here is that if the task is reasonable, learn how to do it yourself. If not, there's no shame asking for asistance. Personally, I think that cooking your meals, cleaning your house, and taking care of your pets would be reasonable tasks, whereas traveling in an airport is not. Those are just some of my examples. Also, do you mean assistance learning how to do these things, or assistance actually doing them? This could seriously change the answers you get.
Or do you mean financial assistance, like SSI?
O yeah. I forgot about that one. Lol.
Yes, to the original poster, perhaps you'd get more answers if you narrowed down what you mean. Your question is so broad it's almost impossible to write any answers or views on it, because assistance is such a situational thing and there are so many different types of it.
here's my broad view.
If other blind people can do it, you can do it, so learn how to do it and don't keep believing that there'll always be someone around to do it for you. have some pride in the fact that you can be independent. You don't have to have assistance for everything, just the things you need.
In fact, best thing is that you should only get assistance for things you know you need. If your bank, or any other services have an online letter option, then go for it instead of having to get someone to read your mail for you. If you're going traveling, carry your own bags, even if they offer to do it for you. Buy a bag you know you can carry yourself while using a cane. Don't expect other people to just do it for you, and you do your friends a disservice by allowing them to do something that you know in your heart you're capable of.
You will find that your friendships are a lot more genuine this way, and you will get a lot more respect from people.
I am slightly proud of the fact that wherever I go, I only ask for the assistance that I need, and when offered more, I always refuse it because I do not need it, and people comment on this.
I agree with Swiss Griff completely. There's nothing wrong with it, when you really need it, but taking assistance just because someone offers it may make some people hesitant about becoming friends with you for the right reasons. I've had a few friends like that in Elementary and Middle school, where they would walk home with me from school, but we really lacked other things to do and say. As far as financial assistance is concerned, there's nothing wrong with asking for it if you can't find work, but if you can work, that should always be the better option.
Amen to all that, Loui! Well said!
I appologize for the question. I see that it was maybe a little to vague.
so I'll try to explain myself a little better.
What I was thinking is mostly the little help every body wants to give you.
Has any one experienced the situation where you're standing somewhere waiting or just solving the worlds misteries and than somebody has grabs your sholder and drags you to the nearest chair.
Or when you ask some one where some one else is the next thing you know is that the person that you asked is gone to get him. This kind of reaction can irritate me because really that's not an answer to the question. I think that can be the reason that blind people can be shy to ask where some one is?
Hope I explained myself better :)
to answer your question, that's why it's important to speak up at all times, and not accept help with something you know you're capable of doing. Loui, couldn't have said it better myself!! thank you.
Here here. :) Oh I'm not saying if my husband offers I refuse...LOL, isn't that what husbands are for? JK! Anyways, do what you can, speak up when someone steps over the line by doing what you did not ask them to do (but try to be polite) and don't have any shame in accepting help for what you can't do...And be realistic.
I couldn't have said it better myself, Cattleya.