[Jobs] Jobs and Juries

[rgomez at gigo.com]

Greetings, everybody,

I have to say, this thread is a disturbing one, not so much because a list
member has questions about the process of serving on a jury, but because
so many people seem to have lost the inherent ability to problem-solve
their way through simple situations.  This list contains a wide, diverse
group of people and can be an excellent resource for information.  I am
sorry to digress from the list’s primary focus – I guess I too am in
violation of protocol here – but I am deeply disturbed by some common
themes I am seeing amongst blind people, and it causes me to beg the
question, when did we suddenly turn into second-class citizens, even in
our own minds?  I can understand folks asking for clarification of a given
process, even calling ahead to obtain further information, but where is it
written that, for example, we shall not be permitted to serve on a jury
because of our blindness?  There are many instances wherein blindness may
prevent us from serving on particular cases in the event we can not access
information relevant to said case, however that is for the judges and
attorneys to decide
  There are many instances, however, wherein we are
selected; we can and do serve on juries when required to do so and our
blindness is not a factor.  Speaking only for myself, I would never dream
of asking someone if I will be permitted to engage in any activity or
perform any service because of my blindness!  Obviously, if it entails
driving a car or something which I physically can not do, I’m not going to
presume to be accommodated, however I am a citizen of this country, I pay
taxes in this country, and there is no way on earth I am going to stand
for being told that something of this nature is not accessible to blind
people.  I’ve been called for jury duty twice in my life now; the first
time I served, and the second time I was dismissed almost immediately,
probably due to the nature of the case, though I don’t know nor do I
really care.  My point is simply that it never occurs to me to allow
individuals to make assumptions about me solely because I am a voice on
the phone stating that I am blind
  That person doesn’t know anything
about me.  I am far more comfortable showing up and being prepared to do
whatever is required of me, and if it is not practical for me to be there
it will become apparent if there is a task I simply cannot perform for a
given reason.  It isn’t about heavy-handedness, it isn’t about NFB or ACB
or any other consumer organization, rather it is about dignity and
self-respect
  When did it become so commonplace for us to forfeit that
dignity and respect so quickly, simply because we’re blind people?  When
did it become so second-nature for us to always assume that our blindness
will bar us from things, just because it makes a large percentage of the
sighted population uncomfortable?  It’s crazy!  Part of educating people
means placing oneself in uncomfortable situations on a regular basis, it
means proving our capability, it means standing on the principle that we
are people first, and people whose eyes happen to not work at that, rather
than pawns for the sighted world to manipulate at will because we believe
this is what we deserve.  I can’t speak for anyone else on this list, but
I face difficult situations all of the time.  My heart is in my throat and
I’m nervous every single time I have to walk into an unfamiliar situation
like a job interview, or a courthouse to serve on a jury if I’ve never
been there before, for example, but it would never occur to me not to do
these things.  Why?  Because I have just as much right to be there as
anybody else, and I stand on that right.  It was suggested that in
individual was concerned about possibly showing up for jury selection too
early.  I, for one, would welcome such an opportunity.  I can’t say how
many times I’ve shown up for an appointment early, or taken a bus or a
train which would deliver me to a given area prior to my arrival time; it
gives me time to figure out exactly where I need to be, and permits me to
actually present myself on time and have a little bit of dignity when I do
it.  I’ve even gone to job sites days ahead of time, I’ve gone and scoped
out a given area on the weekend prior to an interview, just so I knew what
I’d be up against when the actual time came for me to be there.  It
permits me a little bit of time to get lost and figure out where I’m going
to need to go, and it takes a bit of the stress off of me on the actual
appointment date and allows me to concentrate on my reason for being
there, rather than having to contend with frustration about things like
traveling in an unfamiliar area while appearing comfortable and
self-assured to those around me who are doing the hiring.

I’m sure I’m going to have myself banned from the list and I apologize in
advance for not keeping my mouth shut on this one, but I just can’t do it.
 When we feel we have to call in advance for something other than asking
for directions or other relevant information, when for some reason we as
blind people feel we need to ask permission of those who know absolutely
nothing about blindness, simply because we are blind, I feel very saddened
because we have lost our ability to problem-solve our way through
difficult situations in favor of allowing us to be placed exactly where
the public, perhaps mistakenly, feels we belong.  I just can’t swallow
that, and God help me I hope I die this way and never forfeit the fact
that I am a human being first, rather than a blind human being.  We all
have to take some initiative, we all have to do things which make us
confused at times and which feel very awkward when we don’t have a grip on
how they work.  Rest assured, however, that that is the way things are,
and we can not be successful while we permit others to classify us or our
abilities solely on the basis of blindness.  We do not have to say, “Is it
OK for me to try this?”  Of course it is OK!  We’re blind and we have
rights like anyone else.  We also have expenses like anyone else, and
sometimes that means using a taxi and spending a little bit of money when
we have no public transportation, yet we want to be out of a particular
place and have no other option.  When we assume that sighted people don’t
have those expenses, I encourage anyone taking this tactic to go down to
any gas station and look at what it costs to fill up a car these days
 
Yes, it’s a pain, but life is all about things which are a pain.  It’s
always going to be.  What counts is what we do with those things, and how
much we are determined to live productive lives alongside our sighted
friends, families, colleagues, etc.  If transportation prevents us from
physically being able to travel somewhere effectively, it is grounds for
us not to go;  I’m not going to apply for a job if I can’t travel to its
location independently, nor will I serve on a jury if it means I have no
way to physically get myself there.  However arguing that I may arrive too
early isn’t a viable statement; sometimes, that just goes with the
territory!  Find out what else is in the area, see if you can grab some
coffee or some breakfast while you’re waiting, whatever, just to get
through it, however that early arrival can work like an asset and provide
any blind person with ample opportunity to figure out where he/she needs
to go, and present there on time with the rest of the public who are
required to be there at said time also.  It’s not always comfortable, but
we’re blind people.  It comes with the territory.  Our hardships can’t be
quantified by saying, “A sighted person wouldn’t have to do this.”  Their
hardships are different, but rest assured, sighted people have them also.

We can not make our way effectively in this world, or better the notions
which the general public holds about blindness until we truly decide that
we are not going to submit to the idea that we are somehow not as worthy
or capable as our sighted counterparts.  We can not be comfortable in any
situation once we have sacrificed our dignity!  It’s all about
problem-solving, and keeping a good face on situations even when we feel
them to be insurmountable, and that part is probably never going to
change, at least I don’t expect to see it change in my lifetime.  We can
not be successful at anything unless we simply decide we’re going to go
out and do it, hurtles and attitudes and misconceptions be damned.  It’s
perfectly OK to ask questions, but to permit ourselves to be sectioned
off, or even to think of ourselves as somehow set apart from the way the
sighted world does things is futile, especially if we intend to live and
work in that sighted world and earn money.  Many things are a struggle,
but where is it written that we have to give into that struggle, just
because those around us have convinced us that things are too difficult,
if not completely insurmountable?  It’s crazy!

I’m sure I’m going to take a lot of flack for writing this, and I
apologize in advance to the moderator and list-owner.  I feel very
strongly about this issue, however, and suspect it may be time for me to
unsubscribe.  I’m working in a job I’m not happy with and looking for
another one, I thought this list could be a resource for me and I’ve been
able to glean some great tips and tactics by reading some of the things
posted here.  I have a lot of respect for some of you on this list, and
don’t want anybody to feel like my comments are directed toward them or
intended to single out any one specific person.  This is a concept I’m
addressing, an attitude and a mindset.  It is in no way intended to
condemn anybody or to criticize any single individual.  Many people on
here do things differently than I do, and perhaps their methods just
wouldn’t work for me, but it doesn’t negate the value of their
contribution.  Some folks use Paratransit, for example, and while I’ve
never used it, it is a viable solution and a necessary one for many.   If
I were in a chair, I’d be thankful for services like that, but while I’m
still ambulatory I don’t really care too much.  I’m not willing to say
there is something else wrong with me other than my blindness when there
isn’t, just so I can qualify for the service, because I don’t want that
particular tag to follow me or be associated with me; I’ll never ask a
doctor to say that I can’t travel when I can, but that doesn’t mean others
don’t have issues with traveling or physical limitations making
Paratransit the only solution for them, so I don’t like to throw stones at
anybody.  Nonetheless, I live in a city with horrible public
transportation, and frequently I have to get somewhere an hour or two
early also, just because the alternative would make me late, so I am very
familiar with the problem via a different means.  If my bus is late or
doesn’t show up at all, or if it only runs once an hour, I contend with
the same timeliness issue, but this is just the way things are for me. 
The alternative is either driving a car, (something which, thankfully, I
can not do), or moving to another city, (which I’ve already done and am
not sure I’d care to do again).  These are facts of life, but they
shouldn’t ever preclude us from living it.

I’ll say one final thing which may not prove relevant for anybody else,
but it works for me.  Whenever I’m dealing with an awkward situation, or
one which even feels awkward to me but may not appear to be so to others,
I ask myself one question.  I take note of how stressed up I may be over a
given situation, and I ask myself, “Is this going to matter in six
months?”  Nine times out of ten, the answer is no.  Even if it is a job
interview, or something truly stressful wherein I’d rather focus on my
presentation and my ability to do the job, rather than worrying about
whether or not I’m going to get there on time, I know that I’ll either be
hired or not within that six-month period.  My memories of the experience
may be positive, they may not, but I know that even by the end of the day,
the issue will cease to be stressful for me, and it really helps me to
just not worry about things beyond my own control.  If I’m nervous, I tell
people straight up.  If I am looking for directions, I stop people and ask
them.  If I need to scope out a job site on my own time prior to an
interview, I do it, on the weekend if necessary, just so I can walk into
said interview on time and have a little bit of a handle on where I’m
going, and so that I can concentrate on what I’m going to say once I get
there, rather than on the act of getting there itself.  The NFB doesn’t
tell me to do that, I choose to do it.  Why?  Because it is helpful.  I
shouldn’t have to, sighted people may not have to, but in my mind, it sort
of comes with the territory.  I’m totally blind now and will be until I
die, so I figure I might as well get used to problem-solving my way
through challenges.  Somewhere, people have lost sight, (no pun intended),
of the true fact that we have to do things differently, sometimes we are
forced to take initiative in ways we never expect to have to, but again,
it comes with the territory.  We’re not subhuman, we’re not second-class
citizens, and we have as much right to live and work in this country as
anybody else does.  Our method is always going to be a little bit
different, but it doesn’t change the fact that if we don’t simply go out
and do these things, we’re never going to be successful.  Just because
we’re blind doesn’t ever mean we must sacrifice our dignity, for any
reason!

I guess that’s more than enough about this issue from my standpoint. 
Again, I apologize if I’ve offended anybody; that is not my intention



Raquel Gomez
Sacramento, California