Ann.Parsons@f204.n260.z1.fidonet.org (Ann Parsons) (06/07/90)
Index Number: 8725 Hi Greg, FW>> Yes, I think many times those tests are complete rubbish. The only FW>> true way is to let the individual try and then let them sink or FW>> swim based on their own merits. >" >"You haven't seen the "results" of this kind of philosophy. >"Depressed, bitter disabled people, waiting to die. Hmmm, well, that may be true in some cases, Greg, but there is something deffinitely wrong with The System. I have seen disabled people so trodden down by The System that they will believe whatever the Social Service Provider says they should do. These people are mousy, non-assertive people who get plugged into jobs and positions be their non-disabled service providers because they fit the image of The Perfect Disabled Person. >"When I talk to them, eventually I get a whole life history of >"their attempts at self-directed rehabilitation. >" >"In hindsight, some of them realize the mistakes they made, >"because now they can see that there were alternatives at the >"time. Sure there were. It's the job of the Service Provider to teach the disabled person to fish, not to fish for them. It is the job of a teacher of the visually impaired, for example, to teach their students where to get materials in special media, how to talk to teachers about what they need, how to distinguish between tokenism and a real job, in short how to cope. I feel that it is not the teacher's job to spoon feed anyone!!!! If your contacts said that they'd made bad decisions, they probablly had. They had free will. The job of the service provider is to provide information, not pablem. >" "sink or swim based on their own merits" >" >"is very cruel and uncaring. Hopefully, we can somehow devise >"these unnecessary "trials-by-torture". One of the things that I do wish that people would realize is that a person with a disability has the right to fail at something! Yes, you heard me, fail! The problem with all these agencies is that they want assurances that their "clients won't fail"! Bosh!!!!! Human beings learn from their failures! Or at least the sensible ones do! >"If possible, I'd like this conference to devise rational and >"deliberate strategies, so that disabled people will no longer be >"so deprived of alternatives. Look into The Independent Living movement in the USA. Their philosophy fits yours. Sometimes these programs fail, but most of them are well-run. >"If we can stop the emotional-masturbators, perhaps we can finally >"get around to very deliberate and very definite long-term >"solutions. Do wish you would quit being so damned crude, Old Curmudgeon. Ann P. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!260!204!Ann.Parsons Internet: Ann.Parsons@f204.n260.z1.fidonet.org
Ann.Parsons@f204.n260.z1.fidonet.org (Ann Parsons) (06/28/90)
Index Number: 8931 Hi Old Curmudgeon, >" These AP>> people are mousy, non-assertive people who get plugged into jobs AP>> and positions be their non-disabled service providers because AP>> they fit the image of The Perfect Disabled Person. >" >"You are describing the "TOKEN PERSON" -- an issue that I tried to >"discuss a few months ago. Well, lay on, MacDuff, discuss away. There isn't much that can be done about this problem, it just exists. AP>> The job of the service provider is to provide information, not AP>> pablem. >" >"You aren't a service provider by the sounds of it. Libraries >"have existed since early history, to do as you claim. What I meant here, Greg, was that many, many teachers/counselors/social workers/et al, tend to tell the disabled person what to do, how to live, how to accept their fate, they get materials for their clients. They get paperwork done for their clients. If they're teachers, they are the ones who are the liaison to the students' teachers, even when the student is in high school We need to be taught how to fish! >"The really difficult part of the job is to entice, & encourage >"users of libraries. Being a passive librarian is the easy part >"of the job. If you didn't consider it intisement, then maybe you and your kind would get somewhere! Intisement, phaw, sometimes disabled people need a kick in the pants. Sometimes they need to be told that they are capable of doing their own work. For example, I've had a couple of students from The Commission for the Blind. Because they aren't paying for tutoring, they think that it's perfectly acceptible to not show up for lessons and not even call me to say that they aren't coming. Now, I could charge the Commission for my time, but I'm an honest cuss, and I won't do that. People need to take responsibility for their own actions. All people do, disabled and nondisabled alike. >>>" "sink or swim based on their own merits" >>>" >>>"is very cruel and uncaring. Hopefully, we can somehow devise >>>"these unnecessary "trials-by-torture". >" AP>> One of the things that I do wish that people would realize is that AP>> a person with a disability has the right to fail at something! >" >"You live in such a black-white world. There are all the shades >"of gray in between. A mediocre Pass or a Just-failed does not >"mean that Second-Prize is worthless. Yes, you're very right here, but some people in The System don't believe that at all. AP>> Do wish you would quit being so damned crude, Old Curmudgeon. >" >"I'm offended and angry that this very valuable resource called a >"FIDONET INTERNATIONAL ECHO-MAIL is being literally vandalized by >"selfish emotional-cripples who are trying to drown out any >"serious progress in this Conference, by filling it with their >"private messages. >" >"Who is crude? The vandals, or the person who describes their >"actions? Oh, Eyor, one doesn't use the word masterbation or masterbaters in polite company. Your mother should have told you that! This is, as you continually point out, an international conference. There are many people who read this conference. They have been offended by your use of such crudities. It isn't necessary, and it doesn't become you at all. Ann P. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!260!204!Ann.Parsons Internet: Ann.Parsons@f204.n260.z1.fidonet.org