This New Video Series Tackles Awkward Moments With Humor

by Beth Finke

The Cerebral Palsy Foundation launched the first episode of its new Awkward Moments animated series last month. I. Loved. It. the spots are about a minute long and created to address two audiences:

1. Average people who aren’t sure what to say or how to act around those of us who have disabilities, and
2. Those of us with disabilities who don’t always know what to say or how to react when awkward moments occur.

I mean, let’s be real. People with disabilities are in the minority. It’s understandable that others might be unsure how to start a conversation with one of us. They might wonder if it’s okay to ask questions, or be so afraid of saying the wrong thing that they say, well…nothing.

I think this Awkward Moments digitally animated series might help. The social media campaign is a collaboration between Jason Benetti (the voice of the Chicago White Sox), Cerebral Palsy Foundation CEO Richard Ellenson, producer Adam Quinn and animator Peaches Goodrich. Benetti, who himself has cerebral palsy, narrates the playful spots in a way that allows us to laugh at ourselves while simultaneously reflecting on the way we respond to people who are different than us.

In the opening scene of Episode One, Jason Benetti has a clever way of addressing the awkward moment some parents face when their children ask out loud about people with disabilities they come across in public. “It’s cool for a kid to try to figure this out,” he reasons. “Look, I’m a guy who walks a bit different, and whose eyes go in all sorts of directions…” Baseball fans who wonder how a broadcaster with eyes like that can call play-by-play might appreciate the stage whisper afterwards, acknowledging that his cerebral palsy only affects his peripheral vision.

But back to the kid asking an awkward question. I’m totally with Jason Benetti here — I actually like it when kids ask me questions. How else will they learn? Later on in the video Jason Benetti says his cerebral palsy is part of who he is. “It caused damage to the brain,” he acknowledges. “And not damage to the spirit, or the soul.”

I look forward to watching the entire Awkward Moments series. If Episode One is any indication, the entire series is going to arm me with all sorts of tips to stay cool if and when blind moments get awkward. For now, the next time that happens, I’m going to follow Jason Benetti’s lead: reassure people that while retinopathy damaged my eyesight, it didn’t damage my spirit. Or my soul.

Learn more about Awkward Moments at the Cerebral Palsy Foundation web site.

Is That A Service Dog?

by Beth Finke

A small dog yipped and lunged at my Seeing Eye dog Whitney as we checked in for a flight at Chicago’s Midway Airport last month. No one got hurt, but it was alarming.

I know to ready myself for distractions from other dogs when I’m outside with Whitney, I just forget that I have to be prepared for dog distractions inside airports now, too. When we got to the gate, that same small dog barked and lunged at Whitney again. Just our luck: the yippy dog and its owner were going to be on our flight. My husband Mike was with us, and when he told me that the dog who’d lunged at Whitney was wearing a vest that said “Service dog in training,” I asked the owner the two questions federal law allows businesses to ask people claiming their dogs are service dogs: “Is that a Service Dog?” and “What tasks or work does your dog perform for you?” The owner answered “yes” to the first question, then told me the dog keeps her calm and prevents her from getting panic attacks. Another woman at the gate had a smallish dog on a leash — that dog also had a vest on that said “service dog” –and when Southwest announced that people with disabilities could pre-board, both woman rushed to the front of the line to grab the bulkhead seats.

I sat in the 8th row window seat. Whitney, a 60 pound Yellow Lab/Golden Retriever cross, sat with her bottom under the seat in front of us, her head on my feet, and didn’t make a peep during the flight. When I stood up with her after we landed, the couple who’d been sitting in the row in front of us complimented Whitney’s good behavior. “We didn’t even know there was a dog behind us!” they marveled.

“She’s a service dog,” Mike responded with a shrug. “She was trained to behave in public.” I waited for the two dogs in the bulkhead seats to leave before giving Whitney the “Forward!” command. And then? My Seeing Eye dog calmly led me off the plane.

In light of the challenges people working with service animals are facing during air travel, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is making plans to amend and clarify its regulations implementing the Air Carrier Access Act. DOT has issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) and is seeking comments from the public on these specific issues:

1. Whether psychiatric service animals should be treated similarly to other service animals.
2. Whether there should be a distinction between emotional support animals and other service animals.
3. Whether emotional support animals should be required to travel in pet carriers for the duration of the flight.
4. Whether the species of service animals and emotional support animals that airlines are required to transport should be limited.
5. Whether the number of service animals/emotional support animals should be limited per passenger.
6. Whether an attestation should be required from all service animal and emotional support animal users that their animal has been trained to behave in a public setting.
7. Whether service animals and emotional support animals should be harnessed, leashed, or otherwise tethered.
8. Whether there are safety concerns with transporting large service animals and if so, how to address them.
9. Whether airlines should be prohibited from requiring a veterinary health form or immunization record from service animal users without an individualized assessment that the animal would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others or would cause a significant disruption in the aircraft cabin.

You can submit comments by July 9, 2018 either on line, by fax, or by mail. I’m definitely going to comment – I think clearer rules about traveling with service animals could help eliminate some problems.

The Top 10 Most Accessible Cities in America

by Beth Finke

Just got back from a trip to Washington, DC. While walking around with friends there, I couldn’t help but notice how nice the streets and sidewalks in DC and nearby Alexandria are — guess I’ve become too accustomed to the cracks and potholes and construction cut-outs here in Chicago!

Turns out I’m not the only one to notice such things — a new list of the top ten American cities for accessibility ranks Washington DC #1. Redfin.com offers a custom search filter on its site that allows users to locate accessible homes for sale in their communities, and by combining results from the search filter with additional city data, they put together this list of what they regard as America’s top 10 most accessible cities.

10. Baltimore, Maryland
Number of Accessible Listings in 2017: 17,067
Median Home Sale Price: $171,000
Percentage of People Living with a Disability: 11.9%

Easily accessible transit options, including a subway service and buses, are available in many Baltimore locations to connect residents to the airport, Johns Hopkins Hospital and Washington, D.C. The city’s Inner Harbor area, where you’ll find restaurants and other attractions, is exceptionally well designed when it comes to accessibility.

9. San Antonio, Texas
Number of Accessible Listings in 2017: 5,267
Median Home Sale Price: $231,990
Percentage of People Living with a Disability: 10.4%

With wide sidewalks and many ADA-compliant attractions, such as San Antonio’s River Walk, the Alamo and several historical attractions, San Antonio is Texas’s most accessible city. The city’s bus service, VIA, offers discounted fares and priority seating for people with disabilities, making public transit easy to navigate and use. The San Antonio Museum of Art, Botanical Garden and Missions National Historic Park are only a handful of accessible attractions in the city; there are several disability-friendly parks and recreation areas in and around town, as well.

8. Atlanta, Georgia
Accessible Homes Listings in 2017: 3,855
Median Home Sale Price: $266,000
Percentage of People Living with a Disability: 8.6%

Atlanta, known for its grand old manor homes and several ADA-compliant attractions, such as the Georgia Aquarium, the Atlanta Zoo and the College Football Hall of Fame, is one of the most accessible cities in the nation. The city’s major transportation system, MARTA, is easily accessible.

7. Vancouver, Washington
Number of Accessible Listings in 2017: 3,024
Median Home Sale Price: $300,000
Percentage of People Living with a Disability: 10.5%

Vancouver is home to more than 450 acres of parks, trails and open space, most of which is ADA-compliant (the only exception is space that’s designed to preserve natural terrain). Many accessible hikes and outdoor attractions are available, including sightseeing at Captain William Clark Park Trail and the Columbia River Waterfront Renaissance Trail.

6. San Jose, California
Number of Accessible Listings in 2017: 659
Median Home Sale Price: $780,000
Percentage of People Living with a Disability: 5.0%

Seasonably warm and surrounded by the Diablo and Santa Cruz Mountains in the heart of the Santa Clara Valley, San Jose is one of the most accessible cities on the West Coast. Featuring a booming high-tech industry and serving as a cultural hub for central California, it’s home to several notable ADA-compliant attractions, such as the Sunol Regional Wilderness and the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph. The Municipal Rose Garden, Happy Hollow Park and Zoo and several local businesses all over the city are also disability-friendly.

5. Tucson, Arizona
Number of Accessible Listings in 2017: 7,699
Median Home Sale Price: $210,000
Percentage of People Living with a Disability: 10.9%

Tucson, home to the University of Arizona, is a flat-terrain city and sits between several mountain ranges. It has an accessible bus service: Sun Tran. Tucson attracts visitors to several ADA-friendly attractions, including the famed Mt. Lemmon, the Pima Air and Space Museum and the Tucson Museum of Art.

4. Portland, Oregon
Number of Accessible Listings in 2017: 5,500
Median Home Sale Price: $370,000
Percentage of People Living with a Disability: 9.7%

As one of the most ADA-compliant cities on the West Coast, Portland is home to Pioneer Square, the Harborwalk and so much more – and most locations are easy to navigate. TriMet service runs through Portland and its suburbs while offering reduced fares for seniors and those with disabilities under its Honored Citizen program. Beautiful public parks and green spaces dot the city, and each is accessible and easy to navigate.

3. Tampa, Florida
Number of Accessible Listings in 2017: 876
Median Home Sale Price: $265,000
Percentage of People Living with a Disability: 8.9%

The shores of Tampa Bay are known for pristine beauty, and the city itself is steeped in history; those factors, plus its warm, tropical climate make it a desirable location. However, Tampa is also known for its disability-friendly atmosphere, with wide sidewalks over flat terrain, accessible public parks and attractions, and the Sunshine Line – door-to-door transportation and bus passes for the elderly and people with disabilities. The Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa at Lowry Park and Busch Gardens are all ADA-compliant, and those are only a few of the notable (and accessible) attractions in the city.

2. Salt Lake City, Utah
Number of Accessible Listings in 2017: 1,261
Median Home Sale Price: $265,500
Percentage of People Living with a Disability: 7.5%

Salt Lake City, famed for its high quality of life (thanks in part to the convenient and historic downtown area and breathtaking views of the Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountains), is close to Great Salt Lake and home to nationally renowned, ADA-compliant recreational areas and charming city parks. Ranking just behind the D.C. metro area on accessible, quality healthcare, The Crossroads of the West is also well-outfitted with curb ramps and offers free parking at city meters for people with disabilities who have a windshield placard or specialized license plate. Salt Lake City is also home to several accessible attractions, including the Salt Lake Temple, Hogle Zoo and Antelope Island State Park, where you can see free-roaming bison grazing in the valleys.

1. Metro D.C. (Alexandria, the District of Columbia, and Arlington)
Number of Accessible Listings in 2017: 10,634
Median Home Sale Price: $580,000
Percentage of People Living with a Disability: 6.7%

Metro D.C., which includes the nearby cities of Alexandria and Arlington, is the most accessible metropolitan area in the nation. The Washington, D.C. subway system also runs through Alexandria and Arlington, and each city has its own bus system; the city of Alexandria is home to GO Alex, a public transit service specifically designed for people with mobility issues. The metro area is packed with community recreational programs designed for people with disabilities, and all federal buildings are ADA-accessible. With wide sidewalks that are easy to navigate, ample access to high-quality healthcare and a number of ADA-compliant attractions, parks and businesses, this metro area has earned the #1 spot on this list.

Information on the methodology used to assemble this list is available at redfin.com.

Coding For Everyone

by Beth Finke

I love writing blog posts about things that make common sense. This is one of those posts.

Photo credit: Mike Knezovich

Last week Apple commemorated Global Accessibility Awareness Day (a day emphasizing the importance of accessible tech and design) by announcing a new partnership with Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired to bring its Everyone Can Code curriculum to more people with visual impairments.

Apple products have long been a favorite of people who have disabilities, and that’s because accessibility features we use come automatically with each Apple product, which means we don’t have to pay for extra software to make Apple products work for us.

One of the many, many reasons I decided to buy an iPhone back in 2011 was to support the idea of universal design: the iPhone 3GS was the first touch-screen device that blind people like me could take out of the box and use right away. Apple products come with speech software called VoiceOver (built-in screen access for people who are blind) that miraculously allows us to interact using the touch-screen.

Photo credit: Mike Knezovich

I need a refresher course every now and then, though, so when I heard that Douglas Walker, Hadley’s director of assistive technology, was in Chicago last Tuesday to give a free VoiceOver course at the Chicago Apple store, I signed up. In retrospect, I should have known there was some big announcement on the horizon!

Hadley has been offering correspondence classes to teach Braille to students for nearly 100 years, but lately the free videos Hadley offers about using accessibility features built into Apple devices have become far more popular than the Braille classes the school offers. Walker, the man who taught the VoiceOver course I attended Tuesday, narrates the VoiceOver videos by talking through the gestures. “Don’t worry that it’s a YouTube video,” he laughed during class Tuesday. “Really, all you have to do is listen.”

The series of new videos Walker will narrate for the Everyone Can Code partnership will follow a pattern similar to Hadley’s other instructional videos, starting by using games to teach people how to code. The videos will be available free of charge, and kids and adults who want to teach themselves to code can use the videos at home in addition to teachers who use the videos in classrooms.

“Often, people suffer vision loss as adults and have to start over,” Colleen Wunderlich, director of the Forsythe Center for Employment and Entrepreneurship at Hadly pointed out in a Chicago Tribune article last week. “People sometimes leave the workforce to adjust to their new reality. With the proper training, people who are blind or visually impaired could pursue a career in coding.”

Let’s face it. The ability to code is a great skill to have on a resume. As Douglas Walker said in that same Chicago Tribune story last week, “Coding is definitely the future for everyone, even when you’re in your 50s.”

Gee whiz. That means even I can give it a try.

How My Smart Phone Helps Me Navigate the World

by Alicia Krage

Before I had an iPhone, I had a Samsung Jack. It’s been six years since I had that old phone, but I can vaguely remember the layout — it looked like a Blackberry. The speech software for the Samsung Jack was called Mobile Speak, and it didn’t come with the device. We had to download it separately.

That Samsung Jack got old fast. Mobile Speak froze up a lot, my mom had to constantly re-download it for me, and she finally insisted I get an iPhone.

I didn’t want one. I wasn’t at all happy to hold that first iPhone 4s in my hand. The touch screen was too difficult to maneuver. I had no idea what I was doing.

But, as it goes with almost everything my parents recommend, they were right. The idea –and the feel of the phone — grew on me. Six years later, I can’t imagine life without an iPhone.

A few friends with visual impairments like Android, and they’ve recommended an it to me. I’ve seen how the speech software works on Android, though, and in my opinion, it isn’t as good. I just love Apple now.

After having the iPhone 4s for two years, I upgraded to the 6, and I got 3.5 years out of that one. With Voiceover (the built-in speech software that comes with Apple products), I am able to turn the “screen curtain on.” That is, I can darken the screen completely. To put that into perspective, nothing shows up visually on the screen. It basically looks like the phone is black and I’m playing with a phone that is dead.

And yes, I do sometimes get comments from people around me like, “Umm, I think your phone is dead…there’s nothing on the screen.”

But think about it. The only time I have the visuals show up on the screen is when I need sighted help, and I don’t need sighted help with my iPhone very often. That means the screen is almost always, always dark. And because I don’t use the camera or apps like Snapchat or Instagram, my battery doesn’t drain as quickly and I can get a lot more battery out of my phone.

After 3.5 years with my iPhone 6, though, my phone started to slow down. The battery would start to rapidly drop. Apps would take forever to load. This posed a problem. I have always been someone who’s out and about, especially during the school year. I use my phone A LOT…for everything. Some examples:

• I use it for things like social media and email.
• I have a GPS app that I activate when I can’t hear the stops on the train.
• If I’m going somewhere I’ve never been before, I use Google Maps to look up the mileage to calculate the cab fair.
• I also use Google Maps to make sure I’m going where I want to go when I’m in a cab.

I’m going on a cruise with my family this summer, and I’ll have my phone off for a week. When I still had that iPhone 6, it being so old, I was afraid it would never turn back on again. So, after the semester ended, I went out to the Apple store to upgrade from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone 8. I’ve had it only for a short time, but I already notice a major difference.

First and most important: better battery. As I am writing this blog post, I’ve had it unplugged for almost three hours, and the battery charge is only down to 96 percent. My old iPhone 6 would’ve probably been somewhere in the 60 percent battery range by now. Dictating texts would drain a lot of the iPhone 6 battery, and typing made it even worse. It was a struggle. But now, yes, even when I wake up early in the morning, my new iPhone 8 is still charged. That’s very important: I use my phone to text my friends who like early mornings, too.

My iPhone 6 sounded good, but it wasn’t until I got the 8 and heard Voiceover that I realized how loud I had to have my iPhone 6 turned up to hear it. The speaker on the iPhone 8 seems to have better quality. I can keep my phone at a lower volume and hear it just fine. Another thing I like in the iPhone 8 is the touch ID fingerprint option. It’s a lot faster, which allows me to read texts faster. Very handy when my friend is texting me “I’m here” when they’ve pulled into my driveway.

My old phone took a while to load anything. Or, I’d tap on messages and it would open my music, so I’d have to try again, further delaying reading text messages from friends. My apps load faster, which is good if I need to pull up a GPS.

When I was at the store to buy my new phone, the Apple employee told us that Voiceover was quicker now. I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by that, but now I know. As someone who goes out a lot, I’m happy I don’t have to constantly check my battery to make sure it’ll last. I never realized before how much I truly need a working phone, but I do now: I finally have one that’s functional again!

I’m Ready For An Emoji That Represents My Disability

by Beth Finke

I am completely blind. I can’t see emojis. The speech synthesizers on my laptop and phone describe them to me when they appear on screen, though. Want an example? Here’s a sampling of what I hear when choosing from the list of “Smileys and Other People” emojis:

• “Winking face with stuck-out tongue”
• “Smirking face”
• “Face with rolling eyes”
• “Flushed face”
• “Thinking face”

The emojis proposed by Apple

While researching this post I learned that members of the LGBTQ+ community have images representing them in emoji form — images of same sex families, two men holding hands, two women doing the same, rainbow flags. Cool! A couple of years ago I started noticing the speech synthesizer on my iPhone was calling out the skin tones of emojis, too. I follow Chance the Rapper on Twitter, and I smile any time he posts a tweet followed with something like “hands with medium skin tone pressed together.”

This increased representation is paramount to inclusion. But there is still work to do.

My research taught me there are 2,666 little images, symbols, or icons available to use in electronic communication, but guess how many represent people with disabilities?

One.

You read that right. More than 1 billion people worldwide have some form of disability, and one symbol – the image of a wheelchair – is meant to represent all of us.

Eyebrows up! That may change soon. The Unicode Consortium is discussing 13 new emojis to represent people with disabilities. In its submission to the Unicode Consortium, Apple wrote:

“Apple is requesting the addition of emoji to better represent individuals with disabilities. Currently, emoji provide a wide range of options, but may not represent the experiences of those with disabilities.”

I’ll say!

I’ve been using Twitter a lot more lately. Just last night I left a tweet to a local radio station that was interviewing author Robert Kurson, who has just come out with a book about space travel. My tweet mentioned that Kurson is also the author of “Crashing Through,” a book about a man who was blind and had some of his sight restored after experimental — and quite painful — medical treatments. I used so many characters to explain Crashing Through that I didn’t get a chance to mention that I, too, am blind. Imagine how many characters I’d save if I could just use the guide dog emoji. Or the one of a person walking with a white cane.

Thirteen new emojis have been suggested, everything from a man and a woman making the sign for “Deaf” to that one I mentioned above, the guide dog wearing a harness. Others depict people using canes, wheelchairs, and prosthetic limbs.

If these emojis are approved, they’ll be put on a shortlist of candidates for Emoji 12.0, due to be released in 2019. I say bring ‘em on. Maybe some day I’ll start ending my tweets with “happy person led by smiling guide dog in harness.”

Reflections On My Mother, My Disability, and What She Taught Me

by Beth Finke

Flo and her daughters in the Hancock building for her 95th birthday

Knowing that every parent wants their children to grow up healthy and happy, it dawns on me now that it must have been hard on my mother (I called her by her first name, Flo) to take it all in when I lost my sight. I was 26 years old then. She was 69, and she never let on that she was sad about my new disability or that she worried for me. She encouraged me instead, told me how proud she was of me and how sure she was I’d continue living an interesting –and pleasurable –life.

Our father had a fatal heart attack at home when I was three. Flo raised us on her own. Sometimes when she happen to drive by the funeral home I’d call out, “That’s where Daddy lives!” She never corrected me.

Flo and husband Eddie (Beth’s dad) before he died

Our dad had switched jobs shortly before his death and had no life insurance. Flo got Social Security, but it wasn’t much. She found a job, and it was during her first summer working that I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I was hospitalized for two weeks, and Flo couldn’t miss work, but every morning and evening she’d stop to see me on her commute. At night she’d leave the hospital early enough to have dinner at home with my sisters Beverly and Marilee. Our older brothers and sisters were all married or out working, so Flo, Marilee, Bev, and I took care of the house, mowed, cleaned out the gutters, did makeshift repairs. The older kids contributed money from their paychecks, Marilee cooked for us, and on Thursday nights — before Flo’s weekly payday — we often ate what was left in the refrigerator, usually toast and eggs. But dinner was always ready when Flo got home, we never went hungry, and we lived what we considered happy, normal lives.

Beth and her older sisters celebrating Flo’s 93rd birthday with her. From the top (of the stairs) that’s Bobbie, Bev, Cheryl, Marilee, Beth, and of course Flo.

Flo never complained about things being hard or unfair. She did complain when we didn’t do our chores or if we fought over dishwashing duty or messed up what she’d just finished cleaning. But she never told us we were a burden or that we’d worn her out, though plenty of evenings she just went to her room and lay down. When we went in to ask if anything was wrong, she’d say, “No, I’m just resting my eyes.”

Years later, after losing my sight, I was visiting our son’s classroom and another young mother struck up a conversation with me. Eventually we got around to what my family had been like when I was growing up. “Oh, so that’s where you get it,” she said after I described Flo.

“Get what?”

“Your courage,” she answered.

I was flattered but had to chuckle. Flo would have been embarrassed. She didn’t believe she was being courageous. She saw her life in simple terms: she did what she had to do. And I realized that I look at my own life that way.

Flo when she was in assisted living in her 90s.

Flo could have never known I would someday lose my sight, but her work ethic, her determination not to complain, her perseverance and her appreciation for those around her served as the perfect role model for her children, especially for the daughter who is writing this blog post.

No one can predict what will happen to their children, but giving them a first-hand look at hard work, determination and love can sure help brace them for whatever comes their way later. Flo died a few years ago, but her spirit lives on. I write this Mother’s Day post in her honor. I was lucky to have her.

More posts about motherhood:

• Does Mother’s Day make you sad? You’re not the only one
• One mother’s relationship with her son who has disabilities
• Philosophy, Love, and Autism: Conversations Between a Mom and Her Son
• How Has Being a Blind Mom Changed Over the Years?

Let’s Talk About Senator Duckworth and Motherhood

by Beth Finke

With all the hubbub the past couple weeks about our Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth (pictured right) casting a vote on the Senate floor with her newborn baby in her arms, very little attention was given to the fact that Senator Duckworth is a mother who has a disability.

And I kind of like that.

Senator Duckworth’s disability is not invisible – she’s a double-amputee veteran who uses a wheelchair. My disability isn’t invisible, either. I am blind, and when I was pregnant with our son Gus in 1986 I received as many awkward comments from others as I did congratulatory wishes. My husband is sighted, but when I was out without him during my pregnancy, complete strangers would ask, “The father can see, right?” Other times we were asked questions like “Blind people are allowed to have babies?” “The baby will be blind, too?” “Are you going to keep it?” “The hospital will send someone home with you guys to help once it’s born, won’t they?”

We’ve come a long way in 31 years. I kept waiting for something to come out in the news about Senator Duckworth being a disabled mom, but never heard it mentioned. I heard plenty of ageism (Senator Duckworth is 50 years old) and plenty of sexism (she’s the first Senator to give birth to a baby while in office).

The only reference to ableism I found was in an Associated Press story reporting that some senators were privately reluctant to allow Senator Duckworth to have her infant daughter with her on the Senate floor: They suggested she vote from the cloakroom instead. From the story:

Senator Amy Klobuchar’s answer to that suggestion noted that Duckworth lost both legs and partial use of an arm in Iraq, and mostly gets around by wheelchair. “Yes, you can vote from the doorway of the cloakroom, but how is she going to get to the cloakroom when it’s not wheelchair accessible?” she asked.

Senators are not allowed to phone in their votes. New fathers in the Senate who have brought their children along to work have voted from the cloakroom doorway in the past, but they won’t have to do that anymore: The rule change Senator Duckworth proposed applied to fathers, too. Discussion on the rule change split her colleagues more along generational lines than partisan ones, and now fathers and mothers are allowed to bring their infants on to the Senate floor with them.

A lot has been said about how Senator Duckworth’s historic moment may change the way employers across the country look at accommodating new parents in the workplace. My hope is that it also marks a time when Americans are looking at people with disabilities as good employees, and good parents, too.

Thank you, Tammy Duckworth. Happy Mother’s Day!

What Happened When I Stepped Out Of My Comfort Zone For A Night

by Alicia Krage

Last year Easterseals published a guest post I wrote called How One Student Who is Blind Planned the Perfect Date. Our perfect date didn’t work out that time, unfortunately.

Alicia and Joe.

Joe and I had tried to plan a trip to Andy’s Jazz Club in Chicago last year for our second anniversary, but when it didn’t work out, we tried again for this year. We have been planning this since December, so needless to say, I’d been looking forward to this for a very long time.

The day finally arrived. I was up early and scheduled our ride from campus to the Elburn train station, and I called Flash Cab Chicago to schedule two rides with them — from the train station to Andy’s, and from Andy’s back to the train station later that night. I informed them that we are both blind, so the driver would have to come get us. The dispatcher added this to her notes, and I could tell from her tone that this was nothing new to them.

The trip from Northern Illinois University to Elburn was nothing new to me. We got to the station just as the train was arriving; I could hear the loud train bells. The driver led us to the platform and onto the train, directed us to our seat, and told us to have a good day as she descended the stairs off the train. And as typical with traveling with Joe, the excited chatter started.

The hour-and-twenty minute train ride didn’t feel quite that long. We pulled in right on schedule, and my excitement quickly turned to nervousness. Here was something unfamiliar to me that I was not exactly confident about: getting off the train and out of the station. I was glad I’d scheduled our pick-up time with Flash Cab for 30 minutes after our train was due in Chicago. I overestimated the time it might take on purpose, just in case the train was late. Or in case it took us a while to get out of the station…or in case I needed to make a stop. Which I did.

I wasn’t sure who to ask. What if someone led us to the restroom and left and we couldn’t find someone to lead us back? I started voicing my worries out loud and, as per usual, Joe calmly said his favorite thing to say when traveling: “We’ll figure it out,” with a reassuring hold onto my hand.

The conductor guided us off the train and asked what we needed. “Well, our cab isn’t coming for a while, so I was wondering if you had an employee that could direct us to a restroom,” I said. I didn’t want to assume he would do it when he likely had other things to attend to, but he said he’d grab his bag and take us.

During the long walk to the restrooms, our conversation was all about what we were doing in the city today, how often we travel on the train, and how impressed he was by our confidence with this being our first trip to the city by ourselves. Once he’d led us to the restrooms, he told us he had another train to get to and informed us that a security guard would be there to lead us the rest of the way. He introduced himself and shook both our hands and departed.

As promised, the security guard was there when I exited. He led us to the exit on Madison Street, where I then received a text that our cab was on its way. There was more excited chatter (I said something like, “Can you believe it? We’re in Chicago!” like I’d never been to the city before in my life and was an out-of-state tourist.)

I received another text saying the cab arrived, but decided to stay put. I always let drivers come to me; I never try and find them. The driver addressed me by name, so I knew it was the right person.

The ride to the jazz club was short, and we arrived just as the dining area opened. Someone was there to greet us, and I gave them my last name for the reservation I had made two weeks ago. He led us to our table, and I immediately took note of the instruments I could hear to our right…very closely to our right. We were sitting right by the band!

Our server came by and asked if we needed help with the menus. Joe and I had done some research prior to this trip and looked up the menu online, but we quickly found out it had been updated since then. We narrowed down our options to pasta, and the server was happy to help.

He read everything and described it to us. He politely asked me to confirm where I got the menu online so they could update it, and I told him. We got our food right as the band began to play, so there wasn’t much conversation. It was too loud, and I was too busy enjoying the music anyway.

We spent two hours in the dining area (including eating dessert, of course), before we asked our server to lead us to the bar, where we quickly struck up conversation with a lady sitting next to me. She was visiting Andy’s Jazz Club for the first time, too.

The bar area was a little better. It was quieter so we could actually talk without having to shout. As soon as I got the text that our cab was on the way, we stood up and someone came over to help us. (People were watching out for us all evening.) They led us out the door just as the cab pulled up.

The cab driver led us into the station and found a security guard, who proceeded to use his radio to request assistance. Someone came and led us to the ticket agent, and once we had our tickets, the employee who led us to the agent then led us on the train.

Unlike the train ride to Chicago, the train ride back from Chicago was quiet. We were both exhausted, so we dozed off, but in-between sleep sessions we had a little bit of conversation. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to travel with and share the last three years of my life with. We talked about doing this as a yearly tradition — that’s how much fun we had.

Our train pulled up right on time, and my cousin met us at the platform to drive us back to campus. I can’t describe the feeling of accomplishment I felt at the end of it. I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something new, and I knew I’d go back and do it again.

More posts by Ali:

• 9 Tips for Keeping the Romance Alive in a Relationship
• 7 Advantages of Being Blind
• “Dating someone who is blind is honestly not as hard as it sounds”

What Goes Into Planning A Date Night To A Jazz Club?

by Beth Finke

Alicia (left) and Joe (right)

Today is a big day for our young blogger Alicia Krage and her boyfriend Joe: it’s their third anniversary together. They started celebrating this past weekend, traveling on their own Sunday from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb (around 60 miles west of Chicago) for a romantic dinner and a night of live music at Andy’s Jazz Club in downtown Chicago. Ali and Joe are both blind, and while they’ve had experience taking commuter trains in the suburbs, the two of them have never taken a train ride to have a date in Chicago before. Ali wrote me last week for information, and I thought her questions — and my responses — might give Easterseals blog readers an idea of some of the things people who have visual impairments have to consider when traveling somewhere new.

Ali: From your experience with Flash Cab, how much time in advance should I be calling them? Keep in mind it’ll take us a little while to get out of the station.

Beth: You can either call them before you leave (even from DeKalb, if you’d like) and give them a time you want to be picked up at the station, as in, “Pick us up at 4:15 p.m. today” or you can call them when you’ve finally arrived outside the station and are at a spot where they can pick you up. Either way, tell them that both of you are blind and that the driver will need to call out to you so you know she or he is there. I’d take the first option, as you will be so busy negotiating the train station that you won’t want to stop and call for a cab. Just schedule the pick-up at a time that allows you and Joe with lots of leeway to get through the station and outside to meet the cab.

Ali: Is there only one exit?

Beth: I think there is only one. It lets you out on Madison Street. A lot of people on your train will be going to Chicago so I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to give you directions if you need them. You could ask the conductor, too, but it’s unlikely the conductor can leave the platform to guide you all the way through the station to the exit.

Ali: We’ll be taking a cab back from the jazz club to the train station, too. In your experience taking a cab to the train station, was the driver kind enough to lead you inside and to an agent to request assistance?

Beth: No. Too dangerous to leave their cab outside unattended that long. If it’s Flash Cab, though, I bet you the driver will at least lead you to the door to get into the train station. Last night I had to take a cab to WGN Radio station, it’s located in the huge Tribune Tower and the Flash Cab driver left his cab to lead my Seeing Eye dog Whitney and me right to the correct door to the lobby there.

Ali: What has been your experience with getting back to the train station? Give me as much detail as you can.

Beth: If the cab driver lets you out at the train station, there will be lots of commuters coming in and out. I’d say there are a bunch of revolving doors, and then wayyyyy to the left of all that swishing noise of those doors swirling around you can find one handicapped accessible door (if you are afraid of revolving ones) with a button about elbow-height on the right hand side of it that you need to push so it opens for you. My experience is that lots of people will ask you if you need help, they always notice me if I’m there, especially if I make a point to look a little bewildered. The inside lobby is pretty huge, I’d ask for help in there, too. Ask them to get you to the ticket office, do this even if you already have a ticket for the train. When you get to the window where people buy tickets, tell them you need assistance to get on the train. They’ll have an official worker get you on the train, it’s very reassuring to do it that way because then you know for absolute sure that you are on the train you want to be on.

Ali: When should we schedule our ride back to the train station? I don’t know how loud Andy’s is, so I’m not sure they’d hear me. Anything is helpful!

Beth: This is another reason I like Flash Cab. In addition to their well-deserved reputation for welcoming — and understanding some of the needs of — riders with disabilities, you can book a round trip with them when you call in the first place. So let’s say you call from DeKalb to arrange your ride from the western suburbs, and you tell them you need a ride from 500 W. Madison (that’s the address of Chicago’s Ogilvy Transportation Center) at 4:10 pm, and you’re going to 11 E. Hubbard (that’s the address of Andy’s Jazz Club). Once they get all that information written down, you can tell them you’ll need a ride back to the train station later that night. They’ll book that ride right then, too. The jazz club isn’t terribly far from the train station, but its likely traffic will be heavy on a weekend night. I know you prefer getting somewhere extra early (over fretting about being late), so I’d say book the cab ride back to the train station so that the cab picks you and Joe up at Andy’s 45 minutes before your train leaves from Chicago back to the western suburbs. Bonus: Flash Cab will phone you to let you know when they’ve arrived and are waiting outside for you. That means you and Joe could put your coats on and all that stuff and then just stay inside listening to jazz until you get their phone call.

Back to me. Once Alicia has recovered from all the celebrating, she’ll write a follow-up blog post here about how she and Joe fared at the Chicago jazz club Sunday — stay tuned!