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From: Karen.Keil@f809.n104.z1.fidonet.org (Karen Keil)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: More Thoughts
Message-ID: <15915@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 27 Nov 90 21:34:04 GMT
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[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

I don't know where to start in replying to your message.
You could say my parents were a little over-protective, but it seems 
parents would tend to be with any child in a sense.
Even though I was the oldest, I did not have all the privileges and 
responsibilities of the oldest.  My middle sister and I shared the 
oldest spot---she did things that I couldn't do like answering the 
phone.  For instance, in my early teens, my sister and I team-babysat 
and split the earnings.  This was to assure the parents that there was 
at least one hearing person there to handle things I couldn't hear very 
well (like the phone) or understanding a kid who didn't articulate very 
well.  Otherwise, we did the same things--sometimes it helped to have 
another person there to keep track of several children!
        Your experiences as a blind person are very informative and 
interesting.  You and I are alike in being able-bodied in every way but 
have a sense that's not working normally.
        I used to ride a bus with handicapped kids--kids with braces, 
blind, mentally retarded and deaf.  It was quite a combination.  
Sometimes a few of the retarded kids would start fighting in the back 
of the bus and the bus driver would have to stop the bus and walk to 
the back with a wooden ruler to administer some discipline.
        I know a little of the feeling of people not regarding you as a 
whole person (re the incident of the woman asking about your son).  
Sometimes people think I'm not very intelligent--but my brain is just 
fine--the problem is getting the information past my ears to my mind!  
It takes a lot of energy and effort for me to keep on top of things and 
anything I don't read, have told to me directly etc. won't get to me.  
Overhearing, an alternate source of picking up odd bits of information, 
is just not available to me.  What I'm trying to say is--everything I 
know has to be direct--I cannot pick up information casually the way 
most people do by overhearing.
        I'm going to have to cut this short.  I have to leave the phone 
line free for calls for someone in my family.
        So long for now!
Karen

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