Asking A Blind Person For Directions Is Probably One Of The Smartest Decisions You'll Ever Make

            On Tuesday, I stood outside of my psych class, twenty minutes early and deliberating whether I wanted to go to the bathroom then or later.

            "Um, excuse me?"

            I looked up.  And looked around.  I didn't think I saw anyone else in the hall.

            "Me?"

            "Yeah.  Do you know where I go to get my * One Stop card *?was Her voice was high, but not annoyingly so, and sweet-sounding.

            "Um...  I know it's somewhere on this floor...  But I honestly do not remember where.  I can tell you that it's not in this area."

            "Okay, thanks.  Someone at the desk told me it was down here.  Maybe I made a wrong turn or something.  Thanks again."

            "Sure."

            Finally, someone asks you for directions, and you have no idea where it is.  I'm mentally angry.

            There have been many times when someone asked the general group where something (a class or store) was and I'd give them directions only to have them completely disregard me, ask someone else, and receive false information.  Situations like that always make me chuckle when I think of how they'll react upon finding out that I, "the blind girl", was right.

            Or sometimes, they'd look to the person guiding me for confirmation.  (Usually prompting them to say something a long the lines of "she's knows better than me" or "What you looking at me for? She's the one who gave you directions?".)

            I honestly feel that a blind person is one of the better people to ask for directions.  A lot of us could tell you exactly where and when to turn or landmarks to look out for (depending on our level of vision).  I'm cardinally challenged, and usually have issues describing where things are, I just know how to find them.  Although because of my past * mobility teachers * I've become better at describing.  Or I may just take you there.

            Granted, some blind people may be terrible with directions.  Just as some Sighteds are great at it.  Though I am pro blind (for obvious reasons).

* One Stop card (I think it's actually just called the One Card) n.  my school's ID card.  We can add money to the card and pay printing, copying, dinning, etc.

* mobility teacher (official title: Orientation and Mobility (O&M) instructor/teacher: n.  They teach travel safety and skills to individuals who are blind and visually impaired.  For example, for someone with low vision or who is blind, there’s a certain way to cross a street.