For some reason, I thankfully didn't see the last handful of messages in this thread.

I did see that the following was stated, and I'd just like to say that I strongly disagree with such statements.

"The major problem I see in the US is that too many "blind people" want everything for free, they whine about anything that doesn't go their way, and believe employers should exempt them out of every minor aspect of a job that requires them to "work hard"."

I obviously can't say that there aren't some blind people who feel this way, but that's also true for some sighted people. As I said in a previous post, some blind people who feel this way were let down by a lack of positive role models as children or a rehab system that didn't set high expectations for them. Instead of looking down our noses at them we need to help them. I see plenty of whining on blindness related lists from people who think it's hopeless and don't think that any amount of legislation or rehabilitation is going to change the lot of the blind. There's just too much discrimination out there. I get frustrated with this negative attitude, but don't let the vocal minority speak for the quiet majority. I know far more blind people who are hard working or who sincerely want to be hard working than I do blind people who just want everything done for them.

Note that I strongly encourage blind people to contribute to open source projects and help their fellow blind peers. I'd like to do more of this myself, but I am proud of what I am able to do. Blind people, just like their sighted counterparts, also need to get a job and think of their own employment. That will limit how much someone, even someone out of work or between projects, can contribute to projects helping the blind.

I'm also not comfortable creating our own subculture. Blind people do share quite a few issues the sighted population doesn't have to Eal with, and I think we need to come together to help each other and make things better for other blind people, but I don't think we should separate ourselves from the mainstream population. I'm not saying it's easy, but we need to change the rest of the world so that it's more inclusive. We've accomplished a lot in the last few decades, and with an incredible amount of hard work, we can do more.

On 11/05/2013 01:24 PM, B. Henry wrote:
job is the best fix. The major problem I see in the US is that too many
>"blind people" want everything for free, they whine about anything that
>doesn't go their way, and believe employers should exempt them out of every
>minor aspect of a job that requires them to "work hard".
>
>

--
Christopher (CJ)
chaltain at Gmail


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