Category: the Rant Board
This week, I believe in readers forum, there was an article about college age kids not getting around on campus. The person writing this seemed rather opinionated about how kids used paratransit and guides to get from point A to point B on the campus she was on. From what I have read here, this person is completely off base. In my opinion, the article needs to be contradicted.
The way I see it is as long as they're getting where they need to go on time and as long as it works for everyone involved it's nobody else's business how they get there. I got flack from Joke Rehab for that, as if an employer or a teachher is really going to care how I get to school or work as long as I get there on time...and as long as it's legal as well.
Perhaps you should post the article, a link to it, or at least the title so others can look it up. All we have right now is your biased description and opinion of it.
Personally, I don't care how other people decide to get around. If that is what is sufficient for that person, why does it matter. Some people are okay with being completely or somewhat dependent on others to get around. Why is it a big deal?
Exactly. I don't understand this idea of criticizing how other blind people choose to get around... I say use whatever method works best for you. It shouldn't be a big deal.
Read it in the ziegler on the phone. It was this week's issue in readers forum.
Should add I read ziegler through nfb news line on the phone. Easier than reading it on line in my opinion. Category 7 in magazines, blindness specific section. Should have explained that before.
Well, I don't read the Ziegler, simply because of the way a lot of their articles are written. They often do portray blind people in a negative light. So why should this particular one shock you?
This is where my support ends, though. I agree with everyone else who has responded so far. It shouldn't matter how people choose to get from point A to point B. Are they doing their work? Are they successful in the work they're doing? Are they constantly disrupting their classes to demand loudly that their every need should be met? If so to the first two questions, and if not to the last, I say leave them alone. They're not hurting you, unless you're an NFB member, in which case I guess it hurts your precious organization's pride, and in essence, hurts your pride, which never has, and probably will never, make any sense to me.
At the end of the article, the author said, "no wonder 70 percent of the blind are unemployed." You're right. They put us in a negative light, and i didn't know how much of one until I read that article. On the author's behalf though, she did say if there are other handicaps, it is understandable if more assistance is needed. Sure a change from when I went to training centers. It was either get around or sit home. No paratransit. No guides from class to class. I just thought some young people here could give the author some positive feedback on how well some folks get around on a college campus. I'm impressed with what I read here about that.
Oi! We're not handicapped, we're handy-capable! JK.