That Stuff DOESN’T Happen Anymore!

Recently I was telling a family member about an experience I had looking for an apartment a few years back. I had just graduated with my Master’s Degree and had taken a well-paying job (well, more well-paying than anything I’d ever had before) in Salt Lake. I grew up in a suburb of SLC and had always dreamed of living in a high-rise apartment in the middle of the city. Since I can remember, that was my “dream home”. My mom and I set out to find my dream apartment. There is a fancy outdoor mall in downtown SLC where they had built high-rise apartments right above the mall, right in the middle of the city. If you know me, you know this is PERFECTION! That would be are first stop, no questions asked. My mom and I walked in the front door to the leasing office, it was busy and one lady seemed to be helping everyone. I stood and waited with a big grin on my face, my dream was about to become reality. I really could care less how small the place was, this was it! I was practically dancing around in my shoes!

The lady finally stepped aside and walked up to me and said the following, “I’m sorry sweetie, we don’t do section 8 housing here, you can’t afford this place!”

To say I was in utter shock would have been an understatement, I was frozen in dis-belief. I had become a very confident, out-spoken, independent BLIND woman and my anger was at the boiling point (understandably if I do say so myself). I walked out the door without saying a word. Do I wish I would have given her a piece of my mind right there and then, HECK YES I do! I stood outside and let loose on my mom. WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED???

I had heard of things like this happening but like many people think, I thought this was so out of the norm and would most certainly NEVER EVER happen to me! I turned to my mom (who was also trying to swallow what just happened). She convinced me to go back in and at least see the apartment, after all I had longed for this apartment for so long. I did go up and see the apartment, arms folded, biting my tongue, and with a whole different demeanor than when I first walked in. There was NO WAY IN HELL I was renting that apartment now! I was furious inside. All my hard work. All my years of school. All my accomplishments to that point, she stomped all over! I was so hurt and ANGRY, oh boy was I angry! Needless to say, I found a BETTER apartment in a beautiful building in downtown SLC and I LOVED living there, but this memory still crosses my mind every time I walk past that building.

Many of us think that discrimination is a thing of the past, we fought that battle and we won, right!?! Recent events in our country have brought up much discussion on the topic/issue of discrimination…and I don’t think it’s a bad thing that we’re talking about it! People with disabilities STILL face discrimination today in big and small ways, well really, they’re all big. Perhaps because of recent national events, we are more aware of this happening in our world, and we get more fired up when we see if affect people around us. People with disabilities face discrimination often, and rarely does it make the news at all. A couple of stories recently showcase the fact that blind people are facing discrimination, and yes, that’s exactly what it is.

I hope you’ll take the time to read these two stories:

School takes blind kid's cane, gives him pool noodle

Blind couple denied bus seats

The first, I lovingly call Noodle-Gate 2014, because it got A LOT of coverage (which it should have) involved a school district in Kansas City taking the cane of an 8-year-old blind boy and replacing it with a pool noodle—in the name of bad behavior. The school district has since apologized for their grave mistake. The story has got people talking about an important issue involving blind children.  What are your thoughts on this story?

The 2^nd is a story of a sweet friend of mine and her boyfriend denied access on public transportation in Washington.

The stories may seem like simple mistakes, but the reality is, they lead down a dark path for people with disabilities. In a daily struggle to beat the odds, and not to become part of the 70% unemployment rate among the blind, we fight daily for access to the same things as our sighted counterparts. Discrimination is not just about race, religion or socio-economic status, people with disabilities must be included in these discussions!

This stuff DOES still happen and we have to make the issues heard loud and clear and not sit idly by.

Bad News

I was catching up on my daily lunch hour news when I came across this article from a Utah news station. The title of the article made me laugh, "Lack of snow makes riding hard for snowmobilers." I just wanted to shout out, "WELL DUH!"
For those who don't know, I actually graduated with a journalism degree so stuff like this catches my attention. Here are some of my favorite, even more (unintentionally)  HILLARIOUS news stories headlines from 2011 (with my commentary)...

1.
.
Man allegedly wounded by two 'booty call ninjas'
*WTC?"

2.

Cops: Woman had 81 pounds of illegal junk in her trunk.
*And I thought I had a lot of junk in MY trunk, dang.

3.

Man dressed as Breathalyzer sentenced to jail for DUI
*Isn't it ironic? Don't you think?

4.

China bans time travel.
*Darn it. So much for my weekend plans to go back to 1998.

5.

France set to smash B.O. records
*Seriously, take a shower people.

6. 

Man learns life lesson in naked fight with javelinas
*I bet he did!!

7.

Teenager charged with drink driving blames crash 'on boyfriend who didn't take her to see new Twilight film.
*First off, "drink" driving? is the reporter drunk too!?! Secondly, this girl needs a new boyfriend, seriously.

8.
 
Teen robbed of meatball sub at gunpoint.
*I've been that hungry before, I understand.

9.

Lohan's second trip to the morgue is success
*Define success.

10.

5 stabbed at 'welcome home from jail' party
*Awesome!

Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-50-funniest-headlines-of-2011

Here's to hoping 2012 gives us more idiots and bad journalists! Cheers!

Misconceptions Handled!

Ok, you guys probably get quite sick of hearing me rant and rave about this and that, stuff that bugs me! So I thought you might like to hear it from someone else! *giggle*

I thought this was a pretty ding-dang good article; sums it all up in quite a lovely way. I don't personally know the guy who wrote this, but I wish I did. He sounds pretty awesome!

Top 10 Misconceptions about Blind People

Published: Thursday, September 30, 2010

David W. Wannop is a music journalist, talent developer, booking agent, and show host based in Center City Philadelphia.

Misconceptions of blind people are vast, contradictory, and are derived mostly from a mix of unfamiliarity with blind people and the belief that to experience blindness all one needs to do is close your eyes. Here is a list of those misconceptions and how they manifest.

Blind people have superior hearing. Not true. We will learn to concentrate, discern and derive a lot of meaning from sound, and make use of it in innovative ways. We are not distracted by sight, but, this is listening qua paying attention. On a straight up listening test, blind people hear at a normal level. I work in the concert biz so my hearing is probably at the low end of normal now.

Blind people need to be spoken to very loudly or they won’t know you are addressing them. Actually, I ignore loud speaking people for I find them rude and vulgar. More likely I am ignoring the loud mouth. Introduce yourself properly and speak with a normal tone. How is it that sighted people think I can hear a pin drop in the next town but can’t hear someone right in my face?

Most blind people are totally blind. Actually, the definition of legal blindness covers a range of conditions. Some have tunnel vision, others peripheral. Some can read large print. Others have focusing difficulties. Most blind people are not completely without sight. I have light perception. I often look away from bright light. I can make out no color, shape, or detail, nor depth. I can tell when the sun is shining or a light bulb has blown.

All blind people read Braille. Today illiteracy is a problem in the blindness community. Two factors contribute; one is the fact that many children who can see large print become increasingly blind with age, yet they are often resistant to learning Braille and a competent tutor may not be readily available. Secondly, audio books, talking books, and other methods, encourage the blind to listen instead of read. The problem here is how the brain processes the information and the level of reinforcement one gets relating to spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. Many blind people are highly functional illiterates. Then again, many blind people are scholars too.

Most blind people go to private special schools. Mainstreaming has been the rule since the seventies. Blind people are also involved in college campus life. Scholarships are available to qualified blind candidates. Schools for the blind are still in existence too.

When speaking to a blind person figurative speech must not be used. Untrue; I use terms such as I see your point, or let’s see if we can figure this out. Figurative usage of words such as see, view, and look, have little to do with actual vision.

Most blind people are magical or crazy. The blind employ simple, subtle, and clever techniques for getting jobs accomplished. They may be a sense of organization, applying tools to a task, or rendering their other senses to bypass a visual element. I use smell, timing, and sound, plus passed experience, along with texture when I cook for example. So, my food comes out the way I like it even though I cannot see it. There is a perception that blind people accomplish things through a sort of amazing magic. The mundane is more like it. The other extreme is the opinion that if one closes their eyes, and cannot cook, therefore, no blind person can cook. The fact is that sighted people do not know the techniques for cooking without seeing, nor any other blindness strategy. Blindness is the sum of knowledge and practice. I’ll put my experience of being blind for decades against anyone who simply closes their eyes and tries a general task.

All blind people love music and play it and appreciate it well. I work in talent development, booking, and other related musical fields. I don’t actually play. I have rejected blind clients for the same quality reasons that I reject sighted clients. Further more, I have met blind music fans that were into metal, country, opera, and not into music at all. Like all other aspects, blindness is a characteristic and not a complete definer. So, figure that a blind person is most likely statistically similar to other people.

Counting steps is an effective tool for safe traveling. Well, if I am carrying a heavy backpack, or if I am walking with a bruised ankle, or if I stop to talk to a friend, then where am I if I am counting steps? I walk a mile or so to the Italian Market. How many steps is that? What about detours? Counting steps is ridiculous. That’s like finding your friends house by estimating how many times your wheels turned on the drive over there. Landmarks are the way. I count streets, I remember various attributes such as trees, driveways, curbside benches, and alike, but counting steps doesn’t work after ten paces or so. Anyone who has ever tried to find buried treasure knows that.
Guide dogs know a million locations and can take thousands of commands. For the most part, a guide dog only knows four to six commands that the average dog doesn’t know. Forward, left, right, stop, are among them. You don’t tell the dog take me to the theatre and he simply takes you there. The blind person needs to navigate. Leave things up to the dog and you’ll never discover the world passed the nearest fire hydrant. By the way, cane travelers are far more likely to be employed, plus it is easier to take care of them, and more sanitary. I don’t allow guide dogs into my apartment. Fraulein Feline wouldn’t like that.

Extra and very important.

Most blind people are looking for a cure. For working age blind people, the vast majority do not disparage their blindness. It is a part of their identity just as being Black, Canadian, or a military officer can be a major part of identity. They would like to be treated better, and most of them would like to put a dent into the %75 unemployment/under-employment statistic, which plagues our ranks. Many personnel directors and human resources staffers will not recommend a blind job candidate even if the references, education, and experience are stellar. Issues that fall between government, social work, consumer advocacy, education, and business are often dealt with by the National Federation of the Blind. Skills training, employment and job readiness, and other factors are a chief concern of this organization. WWW.NFB.ORG Tel. 1410.659-9314 for more information about anything brought up on this list. The local phone for National Federation of the Blind PA Affiliate plus Chapters in the Del. Val. is 215.988-0888.

Runner's High/Low

My fiance in a runner (a hottie runner none-the-less) and a couple of months ago I made a hearty attempt at running so we could enjoy the activity together and I could burn off my daily intake of chocolate and cookies.

However, it turns out that I am a really, really crappy runner. I mean crappy if you consider barely running a lap, almost passing out, running to the grass to vomit, moaning in agony and pain crappy?

Ugh. It was bad and while I've tried to stick with it (sort of) and push my body through this grooling, killer of an excersize, I 've seen little progress. GQ tells me it's all mental and I need to just tell myself mentally, "I love to run", but when he tells me this I just want to mentally slap him.   So I'm thinking I will be sitting on the sidelines watching a lot of his races probably eating a cookie...or two!

Anyway, I admire people who run. I really do. I can see how it can be freeing and exhilerating and it's an amazing workout. So this story really impressed me about a blind kid/pre-teen runner who does actually get off his rear-end and excersize (unlike many teenagers...and adults...today). Fun story, you should totally read it below. Although it did make me feel really fat and super lazy! :(

Get Moving, Tucson!: Blindness doesn't deter fifth-grader from 5K race

Among the more than 1,000 participants expected at the TMC Get Moving Tucson Run/Walk on Oct. 9 will be Maarten Schmidt, an 11-year-old student at Donaldson Elementary School.


Maarten has logged more than 1,300 miles since July 2009, sometimes on a track but mostly on a treadmill at home.

That's a pretty good accomplishment for most of us - and an especially impressive achievement considering that the fifth-grader is blind.

As his father, Kurt, says: "A couple of years ago, we realized that Maarten's blindness was keeping him from being as physically active as kids his age should be. We started taking him to the Northwest YMCA, where he could work out on the elliptical machine and burn off some of his excess energy. Then we got a treadmill at home. Now Maarten runs about 40 minutes a day after school and even up to an hour on Saturdays."

While Maarten worked out at the Y, fitness trainer Otis Booker took an interest. "Otis is a former Army guy," Kurt said, "so he's quite the motivator."

Otis and Maarten still work out on a regular basis, even doing boot-camp-type exercises at a park.

Maarten and Kurt have run two races together (that's them in the picture), but the Get Moving Tucson 5K will be their first since last winter. "Get Moving fits well into our family schedule, since it's on a Saturday. Sunday is a needed break from running for Maarten and a day of rest for our family. The scenery of the 5K route plus being part of the Tucson Meet Yourself festival sounds pretty cool."

Kurt has no worries about the streetcar tracks along Congress Street and North Fourth Avenue. "We run together, attached by a cord that's about 4 feet long, so I'm pretty much right with him all the time. As his guide, I call out the things that might cause problems, and if need be, I'm there to grab his hand."

Still, don't think that the Schmidts are some sort of superfamily. As Kurt says: "I'm 48, so no spring chicken, but this has been a thrill for me. It's taken me back to my high school days, when I was a pretty decent runner, but I've got to admit that I'm not as dedicated as Maarten is."

Clearly, Maarten's story is a motivating one. I mean, once you know about Maarten's challenges, if you can't get off the couch and get out the door yourself, then there's not a whole lot that will motivate you. But isn't that the way life is? We all have our mundane challenges - running late from meeting to meeting, picking up the kids who are screaming, working a part-time job to make ends meet.

And some of us have some more earnest challenges: diabetes racks our region - nearly 10 percent of us have it. And about 30 percent of Arizonans are clinically obese. Want more? Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Arizona.

So what's the secret to solving some of these problems? It's simple: exercise. Get out the door and get moving. The Arizona Department of Health Services agrees: The State Strategic Plan for diabetes and heart disease says that leading a more active lifestyle can check these killers.

Maarten Schmidt and his father are excellent role models for all of us. Don't let life's troubles, small or large, keep you from giving yourself the gift of exercise. Go for a 15-minute walk. Run around the neighborhood. Join a softball team; shoot some hoops at the playground; join a gym or YMCA.

Do something - do anything. Just get moving, Tucson! (and Slate and Stylish Readers!)

HOT DOG!!!!

I'm completely perplexed...

Please read this story:
"Blind man sues Wienerschnitzel over run-in with tree."

from The Salt Lake Tribune

Now I'm not even going to share my thoughts on this story, that's up for debate and even I'm internally conflicted, but wait until you read the comments about this story! Now beware I've added my comments on their comments and trust me I sensored a lot of it...Enjoy!

"The guy should have been watching where he was walking."
D: Excellent idea. If these stupid blind people just WATCHED where they were going, everything would be solved!

"Normally I would insult the individual in a humorous way, but he'll never read it so there is no point."
D:...because blind people never read or care about topics pertinent to them, GET A CLUE JERK FACE!

"I thought thats what seeing eye dogs were for. If a blind person wants maximum mobility they need to use one. Otherwise they need to exercise caution and can't be walking around at break neck speed."
D: A dog could have easily missed this too.

"Excuse me, did I miss something? Did the tree jump out in front of the person on the sidewalk? Come on, this is just another attorney trying to get rich off a large company. I hope the judge is smart enough to throw this one out. I'm sorry if the person is blind but they have limitations and should have someone with them , either a person or a dog to guide them where they need to go."
D: Are you joking? Someone or some dog with them at all times!?! You might as well attach us to a leash and wrap us in bubble wrap you idiot!

"While I am sympathetic to the plaintiff's condition, I am fairly certain being blind and walking about town carries a greater risk for him than for the average citizen. Therefore, he must exercise a greater degree of caution when doing so."
D: "The Plaintiff's Condition?" What the....? You should excersize a greater deal of caution when you try to use your brain...

"Men in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Blind men in forests shouldn't jog.

Somebody should take another branch off that tree, and beat him and his lawyer about the head and neck with it."
D: Really? Seriously? Now we're getting violent, what a joke?

"If I was blind, I'm not sure I'd want to eat hot dogs anyway!"
D: Good point. Blind people should not want to eat hot dogs. What the...?

"I think a blind person has much more practice at tripping/falling/bracing for impact than those of with working eyes. They've done it a LOT more."

D: I'm speechless...

Disclaimer: I'm sorry if this was terribly rude (kind of sorry) but I think it's terribly awful to think what these people think about blind people. This is not just lack of education but pure ignorance.  Step up and make your own comment on this story, let them know, that blind people do read and we do care!

Utterly Speechless...

Most Americans fear blindness more than getting heart disease, the primary killer of both men and women in the United States, according to the findings of the "Eye on Eyesight" survey.

The "Eye on Eyesight" survey confirms that a significant fear exists when it comes to losing one's eyesight, as 60 percent of Americans say they are more frightened by the prospect of going blind than of getting heart disease. The survey was conducted by Surge Research Inc. on behalf of Choice Magazine Listening, a nonprofit organization which produces and distributes audio anthologies of magazine articles, stories, and poetry, professionally narrated and free of charge for the visually impaired and physically disabled.

"Many of us take our vision for granted. The thought of losing abilities that are basic to us, including important day-to-day functions like reading, creates tremendous fear," said Sondra Mochson, Editor in Chief of Choice Magazine Listening. "Although we hope you'll never need our free service, we do fill a crucial need by providing access to entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking literature for people who have difficulty reading due to vision loss or other factors."

The survey shows that the fear of losing one's eyesight is nearly double that of getting heart disease (63% vs. 37%) for Americans between ages 50 and 64, a group that is at the highest risk not only for heart disease, but also for conditions that can cause visual disability such as diabetes and macular degeneration.

According to the survey, 79 percent of Americans also say that other than their own death or the death of a loved one, losing one's eyesight is the "worst thing that could happen to me," clearly positioning vision as one of the most important elements of one's life, if not the most important.

"Heart disease awareness campaigns touch almost every American, from educating the public about good and bad cholesterol, proper exercise regimens, and healthy diets, to pharmaceutical companies trying to market their cholesterol or high blood pressure medications," said Andrew Edwards, Chief Executive Officer of Surge Research Inc. "For many years the Centers for Disease Control has declared heart disease as the number-one killer in America. Yet despite all this awareness, this survey implies a greater concern with quality of life than with a severe medical condition that kills one person every 34 seconds."

Find full article here.

For the first time in my blogging life, I am speechless!

Update!

Baby Makayla is home now!


For the newest update read this story?

But this should never happen again!!!

If you missed the beginning of this story, click here!

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia Gives the Gift of Independence to Blind Children Through Local Braille Training Program

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia Gives the Gift of Independence to Blind Children Through Local Braille Training Program

On a Jet Plane...

I created this blog, a lot for myself, with a smidgen of hope that it might help someone too. So in saying this, I reserve the right to express how I truly feel about issues related to blindness, if you don't like it, don't read it.

Just had to get this off my chest.

So...here I go again.

I have been reading about a certain incident in the news media recently that really bothers me, bums me out frankly!

A blind woman on a United Airlines flight was left on the place after everyone else got off and was 'stuck' on the place for about 10 minutes because she had asked the flight attendants to help her off, and they didn't. She was discovered a few minutes later by a maitanence crew and was guided to her connecting flight with no delay (read the full article here).

Public comment on this story have been rather one sided, and rather interesting to me. Of course, you know me, I'm in complete disagreeance with the majority of public thought on this story. Shocking, I know!

So here I go with my thoughts on this...

I wonder to myself when, society in general, will start taking responsibility for ourselves. I mean, think how different things would be if we stepped up and actually took our lives into our own hand, owned up to something once in a while, found the means to take care of ourselves.

Now I DO understand we are not all in the same place. Don't get me wrong, there are indeed certain situations where we need help and there are certain situations when someone DOES need help getting off of a plane. So I say that and then add this.

I think it's rather sad and rather unfortunate that this woman, who's only disability is blindness, did not have enough of a skill set to walk off of an aircraft on her one. The fact she could not get herself off the plane, without assistance, makes me outraged, and not at her. It makes me outraged that someone (or a whole lot of someone's) let her slip through the cracks, did not teach her very basic independence skills, did not ever encourage her to try something on her own.

In turn, her inability to get off the plane and the outrage of the public towards United Airlines, just takes blind people one GIANT step backwards in an effort to change misconceptions about our capabilities.

No matter what people may say. I believe that we, as blind people, represent the general blind population. Like it or not, fair or not, it's absolutely true!

I am thankful for the skills I have. I am thankful for the people who pushed me. I am thankful I can walk myself off of the plane I'm about to jump on in a couple of hours. I realize I am lucky, to know the strength of my abilities. I DO indeed realize many blind people don't have this.

But it's time we step up our game. Never in the history of our country have blind people faced such a high unemployment rate. We have to step up and expect more of ourselves or society, in general, will continue to expect nothing from us.

Stylish Spotlight: Richard Tennant

I came across this article and thought this guy was a pretty cool dude...

Not Deterred by Blindness

Published: Monday, December 21, 2009

By Tom Caprood
The Record

TROY — Though totally blind, Richard Tennant never let his disability stop him from enjoying life or traveling 200 miles to work each week for more than four decades.

Tennant, 67, recently celebrated his 45th anniversary as an employee of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, a Princeton, N.J.-based non-profit which produces audio textbooks for students with disabilities

A New Jersey native, he has lived in Lansingburgh since the mid-1960s with his wife, Mary, on the weekends and in New Brunswick, N.J., during the work week, commuting between the locations on his own via buses and trains.

“I love the ride,” said Tennant of his extended trips aboard Greyhound and Adirondack Trailways buses. “The long journey every week – to me, that’s recreation.”Tennant said that he has always enjoyed going out on the highway and that, while riding, he’ll often sleep or listen to audio books on route to keep occupied.

While some may think a blind man would have difficulty navigating the various terminals and schedules necessary for such trips, since the task is not simple even for those with use of all their senses, Tennant relies on the his natural global positioning system – his mind.

“I rely on memory when I travel. I look for stationary objects,” said Tennant, who described how he navigates the Port Authority bus terminal to find his ride back to New Brunswick during the week.“When I’m walking along the corridor, as soon as the floor tilts, that’s gate 415, and two more gates further is 417, where the suburban transit will go on to New Brunswick and Princeton.”

Tennant follows the same plan when walking to his home back in Troy, navigating with a mix of his mind and his feet until he finds his own door.“When I go to a new place I say, ‘If I’m going to come back here, let me look for something that will aid me in finding it again,’” he added.

Tennant has been legally blind his entire life but remembers seeing colors before his vision totally left him and can recall what they look like when people describe things to him.

The position he’s held since 1964 is that of a quality control checker for the audio books recorded by the non-profit organization and its some 7,000 volunteer readers nationwide. Specifically, he checks the voice and sound quality of recordings to ensure that there is no humming or distortion on the tracks.As for why he’s remained there for so long, Tennant said that the organization has always been a very flexible, easy-going place to work.

John Kelly, president and chief executive officer of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, said that Tennant’s dedication is what personifies the mission of the non-profit.

Tennant is the organization’s longest-running employee and has been present as it progressed through the use of technology from the days of vinyl records to today’s digital Web-based downloads.“He’s a living example of what we are all about,” said Kelly, who has worked for 25 years alongside Tennant at the non-profit.

“When he joined us in 1964, we were a sleepy little do-good organization making audio books for blind individuals. Now we’ve grown in every regard, serving not just blind college kids but children and adults of all education levels through lifelong learning.”

Kelly noted how RFB&D has really grown from a recording service into an educational library over the years, adding more than 7,000 new titles to its database each year.

In contrast, Kelly noted that Braille literature, which blind students are required to know how to read, is not widely produced on a sufficient basis, with an average of 30 to 40 new books per year.“You want to read as much as you can and Braille literacy as a skill is really important,” said Kelly, noting that disabled students also have the options of audio books for their various subjects. “You need both.”

While Tennant spends his weeks away from his home, he is not alone and rarely without things to do with family members nearby in New Jersey an avid interest in the performing arts.

He regularly travels to New York City to hear the New York Philharmonic and often visits Carnegie Hall to enjoy the music of various orchestras. When home in the city, he is a frequent visitor to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

Despite his 45 years of service, Tennant said he will eventually retire and spend the majority of his time in the city with his wife.“She’ll have to get used to having me around,” he said.

He also noted that, with the non-profit going digital for its recording, there is a lot less work to go around.

“If they cut the staff even further, I would leave with no animosity toward the company,” said Tennant. “It’s been a good experience for me in life.”

However, based on Kelly’s description of how his employees love having Tennant around, it is unlikely the organization will lay him off anytime soon.“Richie is an inspiration to our staff,” said Kelly. “He’s the ‘poster adult’ in many ways.”

Of Beauty Queens & Blindness

I came across this story today and I felt my heart sort of sink to my gut...

"Beauty Queen on Blindness Fears"

Story from BBC NEWS, Published: 2009/12/11 07:06:49 GMT

A beauty queen hopes to win the Miss Wales crown before a rare eye disorder robs her of her sight.

Nicola Thomas, 23, from Caerphilly, has been diagnosed with a rare eye disorder called Devic's Disease, which will eventually leave her blind.
Determined to live life to the full and boost her confidence, she entered a beauty contest in her hometown and won.

She now goes on to compete in the Miss Wales competition and if she wins that she could qualify for Miss World.

Devic's Disease is a disorder where the immune system attacks optic nerves.
Miss Thomas, an admin assistant, has already lost the sight of her left eye.
She first noticed her vision was going blurry while watching TV with her mum at home.

"I was just seeing less and less until one day I couldn't see a thing in my left eye," she said. "It was quite frightening - one minute I was living a normal life, the next I was facing life in complete darkness."

She had to take sick leave from her job with a finance company and spent her days in bed listening to music until doctor's diagnosed the disease.

"I felt trapped. I was used to going out every weekend and dancing with the girls," she said.

"I'm usually so independent but I was losing my confidence. I felt useless and cried a lot through frustration.

"No-one knows for certain when I will go blind in my other eye but I'm just doing everything I can to make the most of life while I can see. I may not be able to see forever - but I'm going to cram my life so full that by time I go blind I will have enough memories to keep me going."

On the list of Nicola's ambitions was to enter the Miss Caerphilly contest in her home town.

She said: "It was a fantastic feeling to be up there with all these beautiful girls and absolutely to win. "I could look out at my family and friends clapping and cheering. It was a brilliant sight and it will stay with me forever."

She will now take part in the Miss Wales contest next summer.

Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8407128.stmPublished: 2009/12/11 07:06:49 GMT
---------

Nicola seems like a pretty terrific girl to me. I do love me a beauty queen after all I have been one myself...well close to, 2nd Attendent at the Jr. Miss Dancing Queen of America (or something close to that) pageant when I was 10ish. And we must not forget my short stint as Miss Dance Biz where I represented the great state of Rhode Island, dressed up like a pink lighthouse (which involved a hot pink unitard and a flashlight on my head), and in which I performed an exquisit aerobics routine in which I also sang and jumped on a trampoline...all at the same time (I know, brilliant). But that's it as far as pageants go for me.

Wow! I got off on a really big tangent there, moving on...

This story makes me super sad not because this BQ (beauty queen, not to be confused with DQ or BBQ) is going blind, but because she really thinks her life is over when the blindness hits.

This quote made me particularly sad:
"No-one knows for certain when I will go blind in my other eye but I'm just doing everything I can to make the most of life while I can see. I may not be able to see forever - but I'm going to cram my life so full that by time I go blind I will have enough memories to keep me going."

Going blind is a scary thought for anyone, there's no denying that. However, it simply makes me sad that our BQ feels like she only has time to make memories and live life to the fullest with her eye sight.

I see we have so much educating to do. Education on the concepts that blindness doesn't mean life stops, it doesn't mean you'll have fewer memories, it doesn't mean a boring, stay-at-home life, it doesn't mean that you'll have less happiness and less joy and it doesn't mean you have to change a single goal.

Hang in there BQ, you've got plenty of time to make memories, with or without your vision.

Too Quiet Quiet Cars

The following story appeared on KSL channel 5 on the issue of Quiet Cars... click HERE for the story.

First, I must say that KSL did a great job with this story! However, I encourage you to go to the website and check out the public comments section of the story...

I am truly OUTRAGED, DISGUSTED, FURIOUS, SADDENED and COMPLETELY DISAPPOINTED with some people right now! MANY of the comments made on KSL.com are mis-informed, cruel and downright DIS-RESPECTFUL to blind people in general. To say I was SHOCKED at how un-educated people really are would be an understatement!

Here are but a few of the worst of the worst (these are word-for-word, nothing taken out of context) comments posted on KSL.com. My personal comments to each are in another color below...mind you it took a lot for me to keep this "reader friend" (don't worry it's rated PG).

"Any sound you hear required power to create the sound. So this is a waste of energy.
How about PEOPLE LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE THEY CROSS THE STREET???"
-Looking both ways before you cross the street isn't a problem...UNLESS YOU'RE BLIND (idiot)

"Blind people should not be crossing busy streets unaided; I'm sorry they're blind, life sucks but this is why it's called a "disability"."

-I personally REFUSE to hire a personal walking guide to go with me everywhere...my life also far from sucks...sorry yours does!"

"The problem is that if we said that about every group with some disability and every task they wanted to do, we'd never get anything done. No, in this case the number of blind people crossing roads is pretty small, so rather than make a lot of people spend extra money and deal with extra noise ALL the time for something that might happen every few months at most would be unreasonable. How about if we place the burden of being equipped on the disabled person instead. I mean, if they want to be able to walk unaided across streets, shouldn't they be responsible for any additional inconveniences for it? When I want to do something I don't expect everyone to bend over backwards for me, and I would expect the same courtesy from others."

-First off, there a lot more than "a few" blind people crossing streets everyday. Second, it is blind people's responsibility to receive good training and be confident traveler's, but all the training in the world can't help me hear a car that is SILENT. Third, I have NEVER asked the environment to be adapted for me, ever, but a silent car is NOT something I can just adapt to, it's impossible to hear!" Fourth, adding a small source of sound to a Hybrid car would not be that expensive, truly.

" I understand that some people have had a close call...but seriously, how many people have had close calls with regular cars/trucks that snuck up on them? SOUNDS LIKE PRIUS ENVY TO ME!!!!"

-Prius envy, totally, I'm so wanting one of those cars for my won...blind people are just jealous!

"Don't our crosswalks beep for the blind people?"

-Crosswalks "beep" in some places, only highly populated areas, so in other areas you cross when it's quiet...see the problem!?!

"Please, auto makers, keep your cars as quiet as possible. Deaf people can't hear your cars, blind and deaf people can't hear your cars, don't make them louder and more annoying to everyone just so blind-only people can hear them better. Look at the larger picture. "

-Don't worry about us blind people, it's no big deal if it's just a "few" of us who get killed!"

MY FAVORITES:

"Bumper suits for the Blind... and I would give them a good crash-helmet too!
-I got my bubble wrap all ready to go for tomorrow!

"I personally don't think blind people should be driving, and the deaf will not hear it either way"

-Finally, one I agree with, blind people should indeed not be driving, especially a quiet car!!

"Well, at least we know that you can have fun creeping up on the blind at 3 MPH. "

-Get a life!!

"I got the lesson in Kindergarten. Look Left, then right, then left. Then cross. If you're so stupid you can't LOOK for cars around you then you have more serious problems then getting hit by a quiet car. And the blind should be using crosswalks or have a partner."

-Let's see who has the serious problem, asking blind people to look left and right, please go get help!

"Part of being disabled is to accept the limitations that go along with the disability and quit expecting to jack up the cost of everything in society to solve a problem with little return. We can't keep re-inventing everything to satisfy a tiny group of individuals. "

-Limitations I can except but as far as little return, I think my life is more than a LITTLE return. We're also not asking anyone to re-invent anything...Hybrids are great, we're only asking for a small thing.

"Gosh- there are thousands of deaf people who are still alive because they look both ways and always sure that the car is going to stop at the crosswalk before venturing across. Why don't you guys learn how to be deaf and use your eyes to watch for traffic? Forget the ears/hearing.... and learn to use your eyes! If that doesn't work, then you need to have your eyes checked!"

-GENIUS! If I would have only thought of that, just use my eyes, what was I thinking make this so complicated!

Is there a place to nominate the world's DUMBEST people anywhere? I have some nominee's!