[Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello

Fri Jul 27 09:45:10 CDT 2007

Hello,
I recently retired. But before I retired, my employer was quite open  
to my having a wheelchair on the campus. If anything negative was  
ever said, I never heard of it.
Dan
On Jul 27, 2007, at 6:41 AM, Rob Kaiser wrote:

> Hello again. As you all know, I sent a message about my neuropathy,  
> and that
> I may have to go to a wheelchair soon especially if they have to  
> put in a
> morafeen catheter in my leg. in anyone's experiences, how do most  
> employers
> feel about having a blind worker in a wheelchair? Do a lot of safety
> questions come up. I am suppose to start a new job with Verizon  
> Wireless
> call center in Irvine, CA on August 6th.
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> Rob Kaiser
> PRESIDENT, NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF CALIFORNIA ORANGE  
> COUNTY
> CHAPTER
> HOME PHONE (714)289-9114
> CELL PHONE (714)323-5203
> EMAIL ADDRESS: rkaiser4 at socal.rr.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "dmgina" <dmgina at qwest.net>
> To: <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 8:58 PM
> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>
>
>> Dan,
>> Didn't you get down on one knee to ask your wife for marriage?
>> Ha, well now doing it again is romantic but don't work so hard at it
>> smile.
>> Hehehehehe.
>> Dar ----- source message -----
>> from: Dan <JazzyDan at sbcglobal.net>
>> to: Blind wheelchair users list <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
>> date: thursday Jul 26 2007, 18:52:56
>> subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hey Dar,
>>> I really would suggest that you walk as long as you can. Even when
>>> I'm in my house, where I can follow the walls, I walk some every  
>>> day.
>>> But one time while doing this, I fell down, right in front of some
>>> friends we had over for dinner. And you know what? They laughed with
>>> me, not at me, even my Wife and Son got in on the act. They also
>>> suggested that I might take my situation a little more seriously. I
>>> guess they are right. But still, when I can, I try to walk some.
>>> Dan
>>> On Jul 26, 2007, at 6:24 PM, dmgina wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi there,
>>>> I think it is grate.
>>>> I don't need a chair yet,
>>>> and hope that I can walk for as long as I can.
>>>> Good for you.
>>>> I don't understand terms of a chair, so if I ask, don't feel you
>>>> are doing
>>>> something wrong.
>>>>
>>>> --Dar
>>>> www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/5779
>>>> Every Saint has a past
>>>> Every Sinner has a future
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Kim & Sophie" <kim_and_sophie at yahoo.ca>
>>>> To: "Blind wheelchair users list" <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 5:04 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I knew through trial and error.  The first one I had didn't work
>>>>> for me at
>>>>> all!  It was too big, the seat was almost flat so I kept falling
>>>>> forward
>>>>> because I have no trunk control, and every part of it was just
>>>>> wrong.  I
>>>>> had worked with 5 "seating speacialists" when I had this chair.  I
>>>>> got
>>>>> measured by one and the other 4 tried to make things work for me
>>>>> but they
>>>>> never did.
>>>>>
>>>>>  The next chair I got was measured by myself and my boyfriend and
>>>>> it fits
>>>>> me perfectly.  I took 2 inches off of the seat width, had more
>>>>> "dump" in
>>>>> the seat so I could sit up without always having to lean on one
>>>>> arm, and
>>>>> changed every single measurement right down to the wheels.  I also
>>>>> got
>>>>> more camber on my wheels because I knew I would be more stable on
>>>>> slanted
>>>>> sidewalks and wouldn't get my fingers caught like I use to.
>>>>>
>>>>>  I guess it all comes down to finding out what works or don't work
>>>>> for you
>>>>> by trying things and making adjustments.  My first chair was a
>>>>> Quickie GT
>>>>> so everything on it was adjustable.  I kept tweaking it until I
>>>>> knew what
>>>>> I needed.  It still didn't work for me, but I knew from the things
>>>>> that
>>>>> didn't work what would work.
>>>>>
>>>>>  My new chair is a Invacare Top End Titanium and it has no
>>>>> adjustments at
>>>>> all besides the rear axle.  I love it because nothing comes loose
>>>>> and it
>>>>> takes a lot of weight off of the chair.  There are less things to
>>>>> worry
>>>>> about breaking and it only weighs 18fulbs including cushion,  
>>>>> wheels,
>>>>> backrest etc.
>>>>>
>>>>>  Try some differnt things out and don't let a "seating
>>>>> speacialist" force
>>>>> you into something without having a chance to test it out and see
>>>>> if it
>>>>> works for yourself.  If I had listened to everyone I would have
>>>>> been in a
>>>>> power chair in a nursing home with my guide dog taken away, but
>>>>> instead
>>>>> I'm living on my own half of the time (my boyfriend travels a  
>>>>> lot for
>>>>> work), I still have my guide dog and I use a manual chair, and own
>>>>> my own
>>>>> buisness.  I've also started wheelchair racing.  All because I
>>>>> made it
>>>>> perfectly clear from the beginning that it's my life and I wasn't
>>>>> about to
>>>>> give in to whatever I was told before trying things out.
>>>>>
>>>>>  Kim & Sophie
>>>>>
>>>>> dmgina <dmgina at qwest.net> wrote:
>>>>>  How did you know what to add to your chair to work for you?
>>>>> Or did you get professional help?
>>>>>
>>>>> --Dar
>>>>> www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/5779
>>>>> Every Saint has a past
>>>>> Every Sinner has a future
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Kim & Sophie"
>>>>> To: "Blind wheelchair users list"
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 11:55 AM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> I had this problem with my old wheelchair because I only had 3
>>>>>> degrees of
>>>>>> camber on my wheels. I would get my hand caught between doorways
>>>>>> a lot and
>>>>>> because I have no feeling in my hands I wouldn't realize until I
>>>>>> couldn't
>>>>>> move forward, or I couldn't pull my arm away from my wheel. When
>>>>>> I got my
>>>>>> new wheelchair I got 9 degrees of camber on my wheels and this
>>>>>> gives me
>>>>>> enough room so my hands don't touch door frames etc. because the
>>>>>> bottom of
>>>>>> my wheels can only touch the door frame leaving room between the
>>>>>> top of
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> wheel for my hand.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If you decide to add more camber to your chair you really should
>>>>>> consider
>>>>>> the width yoru chair will be at the base though. You don't want
>>>>>> to do it
>>>>>> and be too wide to fit through some doorways! It also adds a  
>>>>>> lot of
>>>>>> stability from side to side to your chair.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Kim & Sophie
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Laura Eaves wrote:
>>>>>> Hi Jen --
>>>>>> I crash into things with the manual chair too, but I have control
>>>>>> enough
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> stop. Perhaps with practice, the same would be true with a power
>>>>>> chair.
>>>>>> One annoying thing about using the manual chair is that I
>>>>>> frequently --
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> is, ininv* frequently -- get my hand caught between the chair and
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> furniture and so my hands and fingers are constantly bruised and
>>>>>> swollen
>>>>>> from little injuries, not to mention painful as heck.
>>>>>> Does anyone else have this problem?
>>>>>> I am fortunate in that I have full use of my arms -- I suppose
>>>>>> there are
>>>>>> some on the list that are more limited. I am also able to  
>>>>>> stand and
>>>>>> pivot,
>>>>>> but not walk.
>>>>>> As for how I stear, I just push with one arm and feel with my
>>>>>> feet and
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> other arm. I only carry the cane strapped to my chair for
>>>>>> identification
>>>>>> so
>>>>>> people know I'm blind. If I used a power chair I suppose I could
>>>>>> use the
>>>>>> cane for mobility more easily.
>>>>>> Comments welcome.
>>>>>> --le
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>> From: "Jennifer Aberdeen"
>>>>>> To: "Blind wheelchair users list"
>>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 10:12 AM
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Laura,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I know your question was to Dan, and I don't want to high-jack
>>>>>> the email
>>>>>> in
>>>>>> any way, but I just wanted to ask you how you got around in your
>>>>>> manual
>>>>>> chair? I have a manual chair right now, and I have a really hard
>>>>>> time
>>>>>> getting around unfamiliar places, which is just about everywhere
>>>>>> except
>>>>>> my
>>>>>> house. I have a one-armed gear manual chair, but I don't use it
>>>>>> the way
>>>>>> I'm
>>>>>> supposed to because I almost broke my wrist trying to steer the
>>>>>> chair
>>>>>> when
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> was learning how to use it. I'm hoping that my mobility will be
>>>>>> easier
>>>>>> with
>>>>>> the power chair, but if for some reason I can't drive it without
>>>>>> crashing
>>>>>> into things, I don't know what I'll do. I really need to be able
>>>>>> to get
>>>>>> around without people helping me.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Jen
>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>> From: "Laura Eaves"
>>>>>> To: "Blind wheelchair users list"
>>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:42 AM
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi Dan -- Welcome to the list!
>>>>>>> I am blind and use a manual chair.
>>>>>>> I tried a power chair at one point just to see how well it would
>>>>>>> work,
>>>>>>> but
>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>> pretty much demolished the furniture and took some paint off the
>>>>>>> wall. I
>>>>>>> suppose for a one-day trial with no experience that was to be
>>>>>>> expected,
>>>>>>> but
>>>>>>> I decided that for various reasons I preferred the manual -- not
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> least
>>>>>>> of which is that I don't need a van to travel, and if I need  
>>>>>>> a ride
>>>>>>> somewhere, my friend can throw my light weight folding chair  
>>>>>>> in the
>>>>>>> trunk
>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>> any car quite easily.
>>>>>>> I have a question -- are you total or do you have some vision?
>>>>>>> and if
>>>>>>> so,
>>>>>>> how much?
>>>>>>> When I was working, when my vision was better, I could see
>>>>>>> enough to
>>>>>>> stear
>>>>>>> in familiar territory. But now my vision is not good enough to
>>>>>>> navigate
>>>>>>> much at all. I do most all navigation by touch, or checking  
>>>>>>> out the
>>>>>>> light
>>>>>>> fixtures in the room (I have light vision) to know where I am.
>>>>>>> Take care.
>>>>>>> --le
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>> From: "Dan"
>>>>>>> To:
>>>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:26 AM
>>>>>>> Subject: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hello,
>>>>>>> I am a totally blind person who has been successfully using an
>>>>>>> electric wheelchair for over a year.
>>>>>>> I have a Jazzy-610 with a PG VSI 50 Amp controller mounted on  
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> left arm rest. This is a Center-wheel drive with Active Track
>>>>>>> Suspension and I absolutely love the Six-Wheels on the ground at
>>>>>>> all
>>>>>>> times. It really does give me tremendous stability.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I didn't need Rehab Seating. However I do have a High-Backed  
>>>>>>> seat
>>>>>>> with a Headrest and it also Reclines.
>>>>>>> While I can still walk some, I feel much safer in the  
>>>>>>> wheelchair.
>>>>>>> For guidance I use an extremely lightweight carbon fiber folding
>>>>>>> cane with a roller tip and it works great.
>>>>>>> Dan
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Blind-rollers mailing list
>>>>>>> Blind-rollers at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-rollers
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Blind-rollers mailing list
>>>>>>> Blind-rollers at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-rollers
>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
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>>>>> 1:16 AM
>>>>>
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>>>>>
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>>>
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>>
>>
>> Dar
>> www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/5779
>> every saint has a past
>> every sinner has a future
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Blind-rollers mailing list
>> Blind-rollers at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-rollers
>>
>
>
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