[acb-hsp] [acb-l] aerial silverman's survey

[J.Rayl]

Hi.  Well wow.
Reading all these comments is sure teaching me a lot about what not to do. 
<LOL>
Taking all these surveys we've been accosted and attacked with is teaching 
me a whole, whole lot about what not to do and how not to design them, let 
me tell you, man!  But that's okay, thank you.  <grin>

First of all, here are my critiques of this particular survey:
One, the Informed Consent was only partially complete because the purpose 
was at the end, and should have been in that Informed Consent.  We should 
have known why we were taking this survey to begin with unless somehow, she 
can justify that our knowing would have skewed the results.  And, I surely 
cannot see how that would have.
I'm employed, I feel as I do, etc. and she cannot change that.  Its not like 
giving me a pill versus placebo--in other words.
This could also have pre-empted or allayed people's concerns with the "are 
you a member" question.
I, personally, had not a problem answering that question because if NFB 
accosts me, I'll tell them same thing I always tell them: open your 
membership allowance so I can be actively involved in both ACB and NFB, and 
I might think about it ...until you do that, your loss because ACB had me 
first, ACB keeps me.
And I go happily on with my life as they bang down the phone.
Well hell! people can't bang phones down like they use to could--not even 
me.  <LOL LOL LOL>!

The next thing is, I don't know who completed this monstrosity in a half 
hour but they must have either been sighted, in one devil of a hurry, had 
their speech revved up pretty fast or been superman.  It took me longer than 
that and seemed like two years.  And, had I known just how many questions 
were on that thing, I never, ever would have started.  It was weeeeeeellllll 
over the recommended length of a general survey for which we do not get a 
thing.  Oh, maybe a raffle chance.  And again, there was no indication from 
the onset of how many questions.  A properly designed survey, in the 
Informed Consent, clearly states: "this is a 20-question" or in this case, 
um, 94 or something question.
In other words, those of us who are ethical (yes, there are ethics involved 
in research) do not get people into something that goes on and on and on ...

Next, I wish her well calculating the data.  Many of the questions were 
either repetive or close, and some were poor reflection so I would imagine 
this will be difficult.  For example, one ask about being embarrassed to 
walk with a white cane.  Well, I'm totally embarrassed to do this because 
I'm a guide dog user and as unconfident and incompetent using a cane as I am 
singing.  <LOL> So yeah, for sure I am embarrassed using one now.  I wasn't 
in high school though--some 30 years ago.  Now, had it said guide dog? 
Nope! I'm 100% confident with my dog.  But then, the next line of questions 
were all about my level of independence while traveling with is quite high. 
So, good luck figuring it all out--glad its her, not me.

The next thing is, this is supposed to be about employment.  There was very 
little about employment.  Sure it talks about are we employed now, but were 
we in the past? What happened that we might not be now?  What is, was the 
experience with said employment now, past, etc.  What about the student? 
What about the student and part-time employment?  Much to be desired there 
for a survey that was, allegedly, measuring blind people, their employment. 
I felt like it was actually measuring my social life, my psychological 
adjustment to blindness and how I think people in general feel about 
blindness.  And people in general are not, not, not! the people who employ 
us.  Only a handful of those out there even come remotely, ever, close to 
making that decision.  The rest of "them" are all in the same ratrace with 
us--looking for, and competing for, jobs--right along with us folks.  Deal 
with it.
What is the real percentage of management? Corporation?
Sorry, its not the majority?  How many of your, my, friends are in any 
position whatsoever to hire me or you?  Not many of mine for sure.  If they 
were, all my blind, unemployed, friends would have jobs if you want them and 
all of you would or could come right on over here and live.  We'd all just 
have one big ole happy party--all over Martinsburg.
Yeah! what a fricking fantasy.

Having said all this, this is the trials and errors of a student.  We are 
the guinea pigs of the student.  I, too, am a student and have made some 
colosal mistakes.  You may or may not be, or have been, students but I 
suspect when you were, you made some mistakes in learning as well--and I 
hope so because if not, you didn't learn much.
I hope Errielle will learn from this and perhaps design another survey or 
even be able to use whatever data she can from this, and I sincerely hope 
she will share her completed project with us because nothing, and I do mean 
nothing, galls me more than to be completing all these surveys for all these 
people, to be used as their guinea pigs and they do not even respect us 
enough to share their completed work with us.

And, I am sending a copy of this to Errielle herself.



Jessie Rayl
thedogmom63 at frontier.com
www.facebook.com/Eaglewings10
www.pathtogrowth.org