[nfbwatlk] Food for Thought

Mon Jan 21 13:34:34 CST 2008

The following was written by a teacher who, I believe, teaches in public 
schools. It is just another answer to "why the NFB?".

Mike Freeman

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Darrell Walla
To: 'NFBnet National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List'
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 8:40 AM
Subject: Re: [nobe-l] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #129- Blindness for Dummies

Thanks for sharing.  I had a great one last Thursday.  I have a new 
group of
students the last period of the day.  One of my students said that he 
had a
bunch of questions.  He said, "Please, I hope you don't mind that I ask 
dumb
questions."

"No," I replied.  "There is no such thing as a dumb question."  My Para,
Denora Fix was in the room too, helping students.

"Well, I have a question."  was the response.  "So, does Denora live 
with
you and take care of you?"

I know you are not supposed to laugh at students, but I had to chuckle. 
I
explained to the student that I was married and had a 13-year-old 
daughter.

"I just thought you needed someone to take care of you,"  he said.  "My 
mom
has cancer and has a nurse come in and take care of her," he went on to 
say.

I shared this with my wife.  We both got a chuckle, but as she said, 
"It's
too bad people still have this image of blind people."  I am glad that 
this
situation took place, so I could use it as a teaching moment.

Darrell Walla

-----Original Message-----
From: nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
Behalf
Of Robert Leslie Newman
Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 8:34 PM
To: educator list nfb
Subject: [nobe-l] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #129- Blindness for Dummies

Educators
RE:  Blindness for Dummies

Speaking of educating the general sighted public about blindness . do 
you
think a "How To do" book would do any good to help the average Joe or 
Joan
on the street to know how to act around the blind? Check out this story. 
If
you have not read the PROVOKER, it follows.  Recall that I collect 
responses
and post them upon my web site for all the WWW to read and learn from 
and
that URL is- Http://thoughtprovoker.info  If you wish to receive THOUGHT
PROVOKERS sent directly to you, just write me and ask, at- 
newmanrl at cox.net

Thought Provoker 129
Blindness for Dummies
January 20, 2008

"Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!" I thought, not daring to say it aloud to this guy 
who
without asking, had just taken my arm and tried to help me cross the 
street.
I know people like him mean well and I don't wish to offend him, but for
heaven's sakes, "DUMB!" Where is their common sense? Why is blindness 
so, so
. mind numbing or dummying? I mean, this sighted guy can't even believe 
what
he sees; he'd just followed me across one street that I negotiated 
without
any assistance and now he's asking me if I need help crossing the next 
one?

"No thank you, I'm okay." I was thinking while talking, here was a 
window of
opportunity, I'd try and do a little education. "These downtown streets 
are
pretty easy, I don't need any assistance crossing them. But, if we were 
out
where the highway intersects with this same street, over there it can 
get
really wild and loud, then I might be asking you for help. But here, no. 
The
way you do it if you're blind, you use a modified version of the old 
classic
'Stop, Look and Listen,' it's a 'Stop, Listen and Think'."

The traffic changed and before I stepped out I said, "Thanks again for
asking, that was nice. So watch if you need to, but learn."

Later, after shopping, I met up with my daughter for lunch. "Busy," Mag
said, offering her arm. "I think they'll have to take us way in the 
back,
through a maze of tables."

"Afternoon, ladies," a female voice said at our booths opening. "First 
let
me tell you about today's specials ." And she did, looking back and 
forth
between the two of us. Then with her voice directed to my daughter she 
said,
"What can I get for you today?"

She was smooth, competent, but I started to pay a little more attention 
to
her. I mean, with my gray hair and more mature looks, I was obviously 
the
older of the two of us and as we all know, the norm for the code of 
social
decorum would have dictated she would look to me first. However, I kept
quiet, being nice, giving her the benefit of the doubt. And when still
looking at my daughter she started to say, "And what would your .," I 
just
knew what her next word was going to be so I jumped in. "Yes if you 
please,
I'd like the special, with coffee. Thank you." Then as an afterthought,
added, "Decaf."

"Whoops, she didn't get that last part! She's gone, Mom." Laughing a 
little,
Mag continued, "When she was taking our orders I could tell you could 
see
that one coming. Isn't it sad how dumb people can be about a 
disability."
She paused, then, "You know, maybe you guys should put out a how-to-do 
book,
like . ah, 'Blindness for Dummies'. The first items could be, 'Don't be 
a
dummy and think the blind person needs someone to talk for them'. And,
'Don't be a dummy and walk off without telling the blind person you are
leaving'. What do you think, Mom?"

Robert Leslie Newman
E-Mail- newmanrl at cox.net
Web Site- thoughtprovoker.info

_______________________________________________
nobe-l mailing list
nobe-l at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nobe-l
-------------- next part --------------
The following was written by a teacher who, I believe, teaches in public schools. It is just another answer to "why the NFB?".

Mike Freeman

----- Original Message -----
From:
mailto:dwalla at cox.net Darrell Walla
To:
mailto:nobe-l at nfbnet.org 'NFBnet National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List'
Sent:
Monday, January 21, 2008 8:40 AM
Subject:
Re: [nobe-l] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #129- Blindness for Dummies
Thanks for sharing.  I had a great one last Thursday.  I have a new group of
students the last period of the day.  One of my students said that he had a
bunch of questions.  He said, "Please, I hope you don't mind that I ask dumb
questions."
"No," I replied.  "There is no such thing as a dumb question."  My Para,
Denora Fix was in the room too, helping students.
"Well, I have a question."  was the response.  "So, does Denora live with
you and take care of you?"
I know you are not supposed to laugh at students, but I had to chuckle.  I
explained to the student that I was married and had a 13-year-old daughter.
"I just thought you needed someone to take care of you,"  he said.  "My mom
has cancer and has a nurse come in and take care of her," he went on to say.
I shared this with my wife.  We both got a chuckle, but as she said, "It's
too bad people still have this image of blind people."  I am glad that this
situation took place, so I could use it as a teaching moment.
Darrell Walla
-----Original Message-----
From: mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Robert Leslie Newman
Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 8:34 PM
To: educator list nfb
Subject: [nobe-l] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #129- Blindness for Dummies
Educators
RE:  Blindness for Dummies
Speaking of educating the general sighted public about blindness . do you
think a "How To do" book would do any good to help the average Joe or Joan
on the street to know how to act around the blind? Check out this story. If
you have not read the PROVOKER, it follows.  Recall that I collect responses
and post them upon my web site for all the WWW to read and learn from and
that URL is- http://thoughtprovoker.info Http://thoughtprovoker.info
  If you wish to receive THOUGHT
PROVOKERS sent directly to you, just write me and ask, at-  mailto:newmanrl at cox.net newmanrl at cox.net
Thought Provoker 129
Blindness for Dummies
January 20, 2008
"Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!" I thought, not daring to say it aloud to this guy who
without asking, had just taken my arm and tried to help me cross the street.
I know people like him mean well and I don't wish to offend him, but for
heaven's sakes, "DUMB!" Where is their common sense? Why is blindness so, so
. mind numbing or dummying? I mean, this sighted guy can't even believe what
he sees; he'd just followed me across one street that I negotiated without
any assistance and now he's asking me if I need help crossing the next one?
"No thank you, I'm okay." I was thinking while talking, here was a window of
opportunity, I'd try and do a little education. "These downtown streets are
pretty easy, I don't need any assistance crossing them. But, if we were out
where the highway intersects with this same street, over there it can get
really wild and loud, then I might be asking you for help. But here, no. The
way you do it if you're blind, you use a modified version of the old classic
'Stop, Look and Listen,' it's a 'Stop, Listen and Think'."
The traffic changed and before I stepped out I said, "Thanks again for
asking, that was nice. So watch if you need to, but learn."
Later, after shopping, I met up with my daughter for lunch. "Busy," Mag
said, offering her arm. "I think they'll have to take us way in the back,
through a maze of tables."
"Afternoon, ladies," a female voice said at our booths opening. "First let
me tell you about today's specials ." And she did, looking back and forth
between the two of us. Then with her voice directed to my daughter she said,
"What can I get for you today?"
She was smooth, competent, but I started to pay a little more attention to
her. I mean, with my gray hair and more mature looks, I was obviously the
older of the two of us and as we all know, the norm for the code of social
decorum would have dictated she would look to me first. However, I kept
quiet, being nice, giving her the benefit of the doubt. And when still
looking at my daughter she started to say, "And what would your .," I just
knew what her next word was going to be so I jumped in. "Yes if you please,
I'd like the special, with coffee. Thank you." Then as an afterthought,
added, "Decaf."
"Whoops, she didn't get that last part! She's gone, Mom." Laughing a little,
Mag continued, "When she was taking our orders I could tell you could see
that one coming. Isn't it sad how dumb people can be about a disability."
She paused, then, "You know, maybe you guys should put out a how-to-do book,
like . ah, 'Blindness for Dummies'. The first items could be, 'Don't be a
dummy and think the blind person needs someone to talk for them'. And,
'Don't be a dummy and walk off without telling the blind person you are
leaving'. What do you think, Mom?"
Robert Leslie Newman
E-Mail- mailto:newmanrl at cox.net newmanrl at cox.net
Web Site- thoughtprovoker.info
_______________________________________________
nobe-l mailing list
mailto:nobe-l at nfbnet.org nobe-l at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nobe-l http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nobe-l