SOMETIMES IN THE DARKNESS,

WE FIND OURSELVES

New York's legally blind governor

Here's a link to an article about New York's governor David Paterson is legally blind and how he copes with it. It's neat to see that someone who is technically disabled can lead a whole state!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/how-a-blind-man-will-lead-a-state/?scp=2&sq=blind&st=cse

Hey everyone

hey everyone,
Over Thanksgiving weekend I finally saw my elusive neighbor! I was unloading my car very early Friday morning (yes I went shopping) and she walked by with her seeing-eye dog or service dog, I'm not sure what the correct name is. She was actually younger than I thought, somewhere in her forties. She was wearing those large, dark sunglasses and I guess she had gone to get her mail because she had some envelopes in her hand. I would have said hi but it seemed that she quickened her step a bit when she heard my son say 'Hey mama look, a doggie." So I suppose she thought he would come over and try to pet it which I found out one is not supposed to. One St. Patrick's Day a few years ago, I was at a certain establishment with very happy people drinking green liquids, when I noticed a blind woman and her dog. I went over to the dog and the woman yelled at me "DON'T PET HIM!" I then noticed the sign on his collar that said 'working dog do not pet.' I was still a bit annoyed at her since the dog seemed to be thristy and the place was very loud and crowded. I suppose she had noone to accompany her so she brought her dog. Well, she has a right like everyone else to go to a bar but I though it was a bit cruel for the dog.
Anyway, that was my story. Maybe next time I run into my neighbor, I'll say hello.

Kat

The Blind Trusting Their Stride

An interesting article from NYTimes.com about blind runners training for the 2005 NYC marathon:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/01/nyregion/01blind.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=visually%20impairment&st=cse&oref=slogin

Careers for the Blind and Visually Impaired

School of Piano Technology for the Blind... interesting!
http://www.pianotuningschool.org/index.php

Blind Internet Users Victorious in Discrimination Action Against Website

http://www.theiplawblog.com/archives/-cyberspace-law-blind-internet-users-victorious-in-discrimination-action-against-website.html

Blind woman sues horse stable owner

The owner of a riding stable here says he turned down two women who wanted to rent and ride horses on his trails because both women are legally blind."If they can't drive cars, they shouldn't ride horses where they have to cross creeks, make turns and steer on rough terrain," said Bill Spell, an owner of Ace Stable in north St. Louis County.

CLICK HERE to read more!

Discrimination Against Blind Men Due to a Lack of Standards

"There exists a rarely discussed area of discrimination against blind men resulting from the lack of standardization of urinals and other bathroom fixtures. The outcome is that men with profound vision impairments often end up with their own bodily fluids and that of others on their bodies and clothing. This is disgusting, unsanitary and unhealthy. It is also degrading in the worst possible way."


READ MORE

week 3 reflection

Here is the article that I wrote about for last week's assignment.

My full reaction is posted as a comment to this entry. It may seem a bit strong, but there's an important point here about watching the way "we" frame the tribulations of "others."

-Pete

Blindsided -- HBO Documentary

This documentary will be airing on HBO Family on Tuesday 10/14 at 8pm.

Description:
For most of Jared Hara's life, the only time he was blindsided was by pop quizzes or a tricky pass on the hockey rink. Then, when he was 11, Jared and his family were hit by the unexpected: he was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease that would leave him blind forever. This HBO Family Documentary reveals the jarring impact that Jared's impending blindness had on this once-devoted family--and how this young man's strength and indomitable spirit eventually brought them closer than ever.

http://www.blindsidedthemovie.com/

The Boy Who Sees with Sound

Blind since age 3, Ben Underwood skateboards, shoots hoops and plays video games. How does he do it? Just like bats and dolphins...

Read on, this boy is amazing!

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,26334,1212568,00.html

Astrid's Journal

Hi everyone,
I was able to find that blog again! yeh!
I added the link so you can check it out. Her name is Astrid van Woerkom's. She is from Rotterdam, Netherlands and is visually impaired and also happens to suffer from austim. She loves to write and has many interesting stories about a wide range of topics. They are all neatly listed on the right side of her blog.
In her latest blog entry she seems to be down about the prospect of a 'future' in her life. Having two disabilities, living by herself, and I believe she is also in college, she has many stressors in her life that have caused her to have some breakdowns for which she is now on medication.
She writes very well and gets very personal and open about her feelings and what goes on in her life.
Anyway, read some of her entries and maybe we should post some comments on her blog and maybe she'll post some on ours.

Kat

Blind Discrimination: Paper Money Feels the Same

Blind Discrimination: Paper Money Feels the Same

David W. Boles writes on the difficulties the Blind face in discriminating between paper money denominations. U.S. District Judge James Robertston instructs the United States Treasury to help.

Literacy for all? Ableism and the print bias in Australia’s mainstream education system.

Not just a U.S. problem.

http://www.e-bility.com/roundtable/downloads/aba/teachingBraille_050831.doc

My neighbor

Hey everyone,

So guess what...I was asking one of my neighbors about who lives in this house on our cul-de-sac. I never see anyone coming or going and never see any lights on. Well, she told me the lady who lives there is blind. Apparently, she has something called macular degeneration and has been losing her sight for a while and now she is legally blind. She has lived alone for many years but now her father has come to live with her.

She was telling me about an incident that happened to her at the airport one day. When she goes out, which isn't often, she usually has someone help arrange the money in her wallet from small to large bills. Well, she got to the airport and decided to check her bags at curbside to avoid the hassle. She handed the guy his tip and proceeded to go to her gate. Later, she wanted to buy an inflight snack and she asked the stewardess for some assistance with the payment. Well, it turns out she had handed the curbside guy a 300-dollar tip and he never said a word. Shame on that guy for taking advantage of her! I wonder how often this happens to blind people?

So, this lady doesn't like to go out much but my other neighbor is going to try arrange for us to meet somewhere for lunch. I don't want to bombard her with stupid questions but hopefully she'll be willing to share some of her experiences with me.

Kat :-)

Computer-based exam discriminated against blind candidate

Link to article:
http://www.out-law.com/page-7692

CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS HELP FIGHT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST BLIND WORKERS

Posted On: May 28, 2008 by Greenberg & Rudman
CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS HELP FIGHT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST BLIND WORKERS
Modern technology has allowed for many advances in the workplace. One of these advances is allowing those who are visually impaired or fully blind to work in many more opportunities than ever before. With state of the art voice technology, visually impaired workers can navigate the internet and handle computer software with ease. However, many employers are still discriminating against those with visual impairment or offering reasonable accommodations for their disability.
According to Federal and State law, reasonable accommodations must be made to allow for a person with a disability to adequately perform their job duties. It is also illegal to refuse to hire someone or to fire someone simply due to their impairment. Reasonable accommodations for the blind include (but are not limited to):
Having a guide dog in the workplace
Providing a safe and accommodating work space (without physical obstacles or clutter)
Allowing a visually impaired worker more time to work on complex tasks that involve using voice software
Allowing a visually impaired worker to attend training for new software opportunities in the workplace
Time away from work for doctor’s appointments
Allowing Braille and other accommodations to allow you to be more productive at work
If you are not given these or other reasonable accommodations for your visual impairment, or you have been wrongly fired or denied a job due to your disability in California, call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-252-9776 for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and how one of our experienced employment lawyers may be able to help you.
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Airport cab drivers may have licenses suspended for refusing blind passengers January 4, 2007

Link to article:
http://card.wordpress.com/2007/01/04/airport-cab-drivers-may-have-licenses-suspended-for-refusing-blind-passengers/

Ableism and the Blind

This blog has been created by University of Texas at Austin, School of Social Work students. The views that may be expressed in this blog are not necessarily the views shared by the University. Our class is Foundations of Social Justice: Values, Diversity, Power and Oppression.
We have created this blog in order to discuss the discrimination that exists against people with disabilities, specifically the blind. In this age of technology we need to ensure that our fellow blind citizens also get to enjoy the ease and benefits that modern technology brings the rest of us. Please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, insights or research and join us in exploring this topic in hopes to find a better solution for everyone. *Please remember to keep all posts clean and professional*
Thank you.