THOUGHT PROVOKER 66


Call Me Blind


Last Updated October 18, 2005
To Provoke Thought Is The First Step To Beyond




     “Blind! You always call yourself blind, and me too! You know, I really don’t like this thing where you lump us all together. We are not the same. I still have some eyesight and so I don’t see that we should be talked about the same way. I don't even need a cane. When I walk in the door, that's not how an employer looks at me, or some Joe Blow Public on the street either. I’m not blind!” insisted the guy with thick glasses. He lifted his brandy and took a last sip. The Chug A Lug bar was kind of dorky and the music wasn't his favorite, but it had the right kind of light and a few women who liked to dance, so he'd talked his friend who was totally blind into making it their Friday night hangout.


     “Well, like we’ve discussed in the past, I think we are more similar than different and, more importantly, we are both seen by the sighted guys as being different.” answered Tom.


     “The Chug is gonna close up soon. How about us going to Joe's Diner for an early breakfast and hit this again if you want.” Pete says.


     Out on the street, approaching a lighted intersection, Pete says quickly, “We’ve got to wait. I can’t see the light from this distance.”


     “Excuse me, gentleman.” spoke up a pedestrian. “When the light changes I’ll help the two of you cross safely.”


     “Ah yeah, thank you for offering, but we can handle it.” spoke up both Pete and Tom.


     Nearing the coffee shop Tom says, “Should be getting close. The doorway is recessed and I can tell by the echo.”


     “I can’t read the sign, but I can see its bright blue boarder, and.... ah, here it is!” said Pete.


     "May I seat you in a booth in the back?” asked the hostess.


     “No, thanks. Could we have one at the front windows?” spoke up Pete.


     “I’m glad one of these tables was open now or we might still be waiting.” said Tom. "I'm hungry."


     “The extra light makes it easier for me to read the menu and I bet I'm hungrier than you. I danced more than you did. Let’s see...” answered Pete, his voice getting muffled as his face became buried in the multiple pages of the menu. “You know, being able to read print is definitely a plus in this world. Where the heck are the omelets?”


     “Hi there guys.” said the waitress, setting down two glasses. “Your waters are at your twelve O’clock. How about me helping you with the menu?”


     “Well, Pete?” asked Tom, wanting to give his friend the benefit of the doubt.


     “Well...give us a couple of minutes, please.” Pete replied. “Once my eyes adjust...how about coffee for the two of us for starters.”


     With the waitress gone, Tom says, “Pete buddy, I’m hungry here. We could have had her read. You know, this is one of those examples for the topic we are here to talk about...”


     “Yeah, that's my point too! I can read print and I think we should use what we’ve got. So hang on a sec.”


     “Yeah, but you’ve seen it. Soon as they notice you have problems seeing, they start getting ideas... right?”


     “Yeah, but there’s still that difference between the two of us--I have vision and you don’t. They will not see me as blind.”


     “Oh then, what will they see you as?Hold that...Here comes Miss Quick Step, let's order.”




RESPONSES
e-mail responses to newmanrl@cox.net




**1. I’m blind and I’m also tall and you know, the two characteristics usually bring comments and questions. Like “How tall are you?” Or “How blind are you?” I’ll admit, the tall questions come easier for most people, understanding too. I wish the reaction to my blindness were also so easy. I think they could be, after all, I got use to being blind and so have my family and friends become accustomed to me and my blindness. This brings me hope.


I see the men in the provoker story to be of the same sort, both have blindness. Both have unique functional characteristics as individuals, just as they don’t have the same degree of blindness. What is the stand out for me in the story is not the difference in their level of blindness or even the behavior of these two blind men, but that of the public. It is so true, I experienced it as I went slowly blind from RP. As soon as you are seen as having a visual problem, no matter the level of blindness, people start reacting to you just like in the story. They question, they wish to help. I didn’t see job discrimination based on their blindness in this story, but that in the real world can go on too. But back to my point, people tend to classify other people by some outstanding characteristic and treat them accordingly. With this in mind, if people had a more positive understanding of blindness, on how we all can adjust to being blind, then they would not react to us with the tendency to so quickly underestimate our abilities.


Soon I will also be old, but that too will not mean I will be lessened as a person. Finally, there is another classification or characteristic that I hold that I have yet to mention and it too can be a point on which I am judged, I am a woman.


Truthfully yours Mag M. Moreland USA


FROM ME: Is the characteristic of being a woman of the same type as a characteristic of being tall or blind or old? There again going with the concept of “Changing what it means to be blind,” how does that fit into what this woman is saying?



**2. In reading this provoker, I felt worse for the guy struggling to use what little vision he had than for the blind guy with no vision! Yes, to me, they are both blind. But the guy without any useable vision is far ahead of the game, because he realizes that to get along well, he has to use alternative techniques. Actually, the guy with a little sight makes himself more noticed by others than does the person with no vision, because he has to struggle so much and will not avail himself of the alternative techniques that would probably make his life easier. And no matter how awkward or clumsy he comes across, he will be the last person to admit his blindness! If he could just admit it and rely on those skills and techniques that would help him be more efficient, then people would focus on him more as a person and less as a blind man!


Sherri NFBtalk



**3. Um... I have to admit this one provokes thought, but I am frustrated with the first thoughts it provokes. I am a blind woman with some vision and resent watching other people with partial vision acting like idiots because of it. I use a cane, and am a moderate Braille reader. I believe that I would be a better brailed reader if there had not been people who hold the same opinion as the gentleman in the story. I was taught to read print alone until that was no longer an option, slightly after I turned seventeen. Thus, I was unable to learn Braille when it would have been easiest to learn. Several of my classes in my Junior and Senior year of high school also suffered due to my adjustment to reading in other mediums than print.


Amy Mason Lincoln, Illinois USA



**4. I have discussed this issue at various times with several people like myself who have some usable vision, people who use the terms legally blind or partially sighted to describe themselves. I would have been offended by the use of the word "blind" to describe myself at one time because it was one thing I didn't think I was. When I was growing up, I attended the residential school in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and those of us with partial vision weren't considered blind but were visually handicapped. In fact, during my days at the residential school, cane travel wasn't taught as far as I knew, nor was I ever taught Braille.


When I went to public school at the start of my middle school years, I lived with my family who wanted me to live a "normal" lifestyle. I truly thought I was normal until my first few years of public school when some of the students would take advantage of me and do things like trip me in the hallways as I was going to classes because I couldn't see well. I hadn't even heard of using a cane in those days, and I still wasn't taught Braille because I had to "use my eyes", and my parents didn't see me as being blind though by then I knew I definitely was.


However, I was still refusing to acknowledge myself as being blind until I went to visit my then fiancée at the orientation and training center which is run by the Nebraska Commission for the Blind in Lincoln, Nebraska. I sat with the travel instructor while I was visiting who was legally blind like myself. He told me that he considered himself blind, and that was difficult for me to understand because of the fact that he had usable vision and "looked" normal. After a long conversation on a city bus that we had, he finally helped me to admit to myself that there 's nothing wrong to admitting that I am blind, and that there are varying degrees of blindness. I can't thank this man enough!


In my opinion, just because there are some of us who have vision, it doesn't mean that we're not blind. To me, visually impaired may be the politically correct way to describe us, but I don't buy that for a minute. There may be some who read this and disagree with what I've written, but that's all right too. I'm one of those who will say that I 'm blind because I certainly don't like being visually handicapped or impaired. It doesn't sit well with me.


Bonnie Ainsworth Laramie, WY USA



**5. I have some usable vision and prefer to be called visually impaired. The term "blind" has some negative connotations for me even though I have some good friends who have no usable vision save light perception. When people call me "blind," I often wonder if their perceptions of me are lowered because of the term they choose to use. There are two experiences I had recently that I would like to share to illustrate this point. Last summer, I had a friend visit me for 4 days who has no vision, save light perception in one eye. This individual is quite confident when it comes to many areas of the expanded core curriculum, but there are some areas where he could use some extra training. Suffice to say, he is self sufficient enough to function in a new home environment 1,700 miles away from his home. The reason I share this background information is because I feel it's necessary for my underlying point to be clearly understood as well as how I felt when the two incidents took place. When I told my grandmother about this visit, she immediately asked if my friend was blind. I said that yes he is, but that shouldn't make a difference. My grandmother proceeded to question his ability to do simple things like climbing stairs. I was shocked when she asked me if he could handle the stairs in our home. The reason this shocked me was because he is quite competent with the use of his cane and appropriate techniques for ascending and descending stairs. As I sat and reflected on this comment my grandmother made, I began to realize that she would need quite extensive education in order for her to realize and understand that my friend is just as capable of doing things as I am even though our visual acuities are quite different. The other comment my grandmother made regarding the visit was also related to the fact that I told her my friend is blind. She said, in effect, that because he has no vision, he is "more handicapped" than me. I asked her what on earth she meant by this, and she proceeded to explain, essentially, that because I have more vision than him, I am "more advanced" than he is in terms of skills and so forth. If I could go back and have the conversation with my grandmother over again, I think I might have handled it differently. I might have countered her comment of my friend being "more handicapped" than me perhaps by explaining that even though he only has light perception, there are many things he can do with this limited vision that I struggle with even though I have quite a bit of usable vision. A perfect example is his O&M skills. Because of this conversation we had before he arrived, I feel that her perceptions of him were skewed from the beginning. For example, when we had roast beef one evening for dinner, she noticed he was having difficulties with his meat. She asked him if he'd like some assistance cutting it, and he declined her offer, which was fine with us. When he left at the conclusion of the visit, Grandma and I were discussing it, and I was helping her try to understand some of the things that happened, for example his continual use of the phrase "I see it" when he was shown something or something was placed in front of him. One thing that we talked about quite extensively was the roast beef experience. She made a comment that I also feel fits in well with the theme for this month's Thought Provoker. Her comment was that the next time a VI person visits our home, she will automatically cut their food and not ask the person if he or she would like the food cut. I think this is going too far because, even though my friend had difficulties, it doesn't mean the next VI person will have problems with roast beef. There could have been many reasons why he was having difficulties with the food.


The reason I share this incident is because had my grandma been educated before this visit, I think it could have been handled differently. Even though I was at the table with my grandma, mom and him, I didn't see that he was having difficulties with the meat. I assumed, quite naturally, that he was cutting the meat without any problems so I didn't intervene during this discussion. Had I intervened, it could have gotten more confusing because I'm not a trained Vision Teacher so don't know all that much about teaching blind and VI people to cut properly. Had I known some good teaching techniques, I think it would have been a good teaching experience. Suffice to say though that my grandma jumped to conclusions after the visit and assumed that all VI people would need to have their meat cut. Again, this is where education is so helpful, educating the public (and even our own families) about the abilities and capabilities of the blind and VI.


The reason I wanted to bring up these incidents from my own experience is because I think they fit in nicely with the theme of calling someone blind or visually impaired. Based on this experience, I have realized that many people have negative connotations attached to the word "blind" as opposed to the term "visually impaired." The only way I can see this negativity changing in the future is through education, education, education!


Sincerely, Alexis Read Moorhead, MN USA alread@cord.edu



**6. This is a very interesting issue and one which will more then likely provoke many responses. Before I had vision loss and was diagnosed with RP I thought being blind meant that a person could see nothing. It has only been since I was diagnosed with RP and declared legally blind 7 years ago that I learned there are varying degrees of blindness. I do not agree that we should all be lumped together. At this stage of my visual impairment it is very obvious to everyone that I have a problem seeing but I refer to myself as being visually impaired and always try to explain, if possible what I can or cannot see. To put everyone together under the heading of "blind" is not helping the public understand our individual situation or needs. I really feel people should be referred to as totally blind or visually impaired.


Rose RPlist



**7. Hi RP Listers,


I agree with Rose, although I think the visually impaired person in the Thought Provoker was rather extreme. In fact, I got the impression that the VI person was trying to pretend that he was sighted; I call such a person a "passer," because he is trying to "pass" as a sighted person.


Having said that, I still think there needs to be a distinction between those who are legally blind, but who have some useful vision, and those who are totally blind. Therefore, I do use the term visually impaired to refer to someone like myself and blind to refer to a person who has no vision.


In the 1970s, when I still had (quote unquote) "normal" vision, I was teaching at a school for the blind, not knowing, at that time, that I would be faced with vision impairment later on. In those days, they used the term partially sighted to refer to those who were legally blind but not totally blind. I guess partially sighted, as opposed to the more modern term, visually impaired, sounds more positive. I suppose it depends on whether you see the glass as half full or half empty???


Regards,


Don Moore 9 Dobbin Street Rothesay, NB Canada E2E 2P7 E-mail: donmoore@nbnet.nb.ca


FROM ME: If it is the term, the name that we are called and referred to by that counts, then at what point do we make sure that those that observe us, know the proper term that best suits us? Is it as we walk down the street at twilight groping with a foot to find the curb or in bright sunlight falling over an obstacle we didn’t see or when we place our nose on a printed page in order to read it or when shaking hands with some one and before they notice we can’t make eye contact with them or during an interview for a job and we find out there is a visual requirement that we know we can’t handle...?



**8. Surely some-one who has RP but has night blindness and still a significant angle of peripheral vision would be deemed as visually impaired as would some-one with extreme short sightedness say 20/120. There are lots of people who have a visual impairment who can function relatively normally including driving. I know a lady who is completely blind in one eye but can still legally drive


I always tell people, who ask, that I am `legally blind' I think that just takes the `edge' of and stops people assuming I can't see a thing.


I've never had a problem of anyone ever doubting me or thinking I am misrepresenting myself - Are we more worried about what we think people are thinking than they are actually thinking ? Why do we feel we have to justify ourselves ?


If we think about it, being legally blind means having less than 20 degree field of vision (or 20/200), this means we have less than 10% of normal vision - saying we are visually impaired suggests we have some sort of defect but gives no clue as to the extent of the sight loss 10% isn't much, and where would be draw the line. 1%, 2% or what - I thinks it's been drawn for us !. I know fully blind and those who meet the legal definition of blindness are all lumped together in one category as `legally blind' but I would suggest that is helpful in getting benefits etc. and gives people a better idea of our `limited vision'


Visually impaired is too vague and can mean anything.


Graham L RPlist



**9. Graham, I have had people ask me how much I can see. I have to come back with, "I see enough to get me in trouble." If they are really interested, I do peruse the conversation. I get tired of explaining and they really don't understand. I like the label of legally blind. The term blind is like the term cerebral palsy. A nice neat little package for those who don't pass the eye exam. People understand blind better because it means "can not see" The rest of us are so different in our vision. This wide span is to large for Jo Public to figure out.


Tammy Carrithers RPlist



**10. In the UK most people seem to want to know whether I am partially sighted or blind. When I say that I still have a small amount of sight but I am registered blind they find it hard to understand this. It is hard for sighted people to understand any degree of blindness. It is just as difficult for a totally blind person to understand colour. I have had less than 10% of sight since I was 15 years old but I have been able to work as a precision toolmaker for many years because my central vision was still in good condition. Now, I cannot do this because my central vision has now deteriorated due to macular degeneration.


I think that we should not worry to much about descriptive words. If some one says I am blind, or visually impaired or partially sighted. All these things are by degree correct. The most in thing is not to dress up our condition in clever words in an attempt to deny our blindness.


Blessings, Rob Davies Bristol, UK email:: rob@crossways.co.uk Echurch-UK: http://www.echurch-uk.org



**11. Hi, Kerri here. In my ever humble opinion, I call the totally blind individuals blind and those with some sight, visually impaired. However, I don't really care what they are called, as long as the individuals are comfortable with what others call them. I don't want to have a politically correct label slapped on my back because it's the "right" thing to do, I want to refer to myself the best way for me. As for the guy with some sight, there is a fine line between being independent and slowing everything down so Tom couldn't even order as he had to wait for his friend.


Kerri Blind-X



**12. Far be it for me to tell a partially sighted person how to think of him/herself. We've got enough of this political correctness garbage going around to make anybody sick.


Frankly the thought of a person being classified as blind and then getting into a car with their bioptic lenses is a bit disconcerting. BTW, I'm not taking anything away from them; I understand that using those things takes some heavy training and they're not allowed to drive after dark. So all problems are not magically solved.


Dave McElroy ACB-L


FROM ME: To make a term “politically correct, does it come from the group itself or from the government an/or educators and/or other professionals to write and set policy relating to the group? that what is referred to as being politically correct? Or is it both?



**13. Golly Dave I agree with you a few times in a month...Smile...But I generally agree. We all have to take our own road to acceptance or whatever one wishes to define the big "it".


Personally I think the person in question is in a bit of denial. But I'm not his daddy nor his shrink.


As a person with a degenerative condition however I sure wished I buckled down and learned better non-visual methods years ago. Personal perspective here and non-judgmental.


Everyone has to do what he/she has to do to get by in this "wicked" world.


And to coin another cliché,” Hindsight is twenty twenty"...That is a feat of visual acuity I haven't achieved now for more than four fifths of my lifetime.


Now I'm in a low vision class in which I cannot see the instruments....Smile...Ironies are so amazing huh?


Still I contend that partial vision is not a bad thing. Low vision is not a bad thing. No vision is not a bad thing. Neither are they intrinsically good things. They are just what they are and they all have "baggage and benefits".


Now if I can see a brightly illuminated object in total darkness while not being able to see my hand in front of my face in most instances am I surprised to say I'm visually impaired over being blind? Don't know.


I think of myself as blind. Act as if I'm blind. Have the struggles and triumphs of a blind person. I guess just for me the term "blind" will apply until the real thing comes along.


Joe Harcz ACB-l



**14. I think there are a lot of issues being discussed in this TP. First, Partial versus Total. I am a partial. I have RP, so am slowly working my way to a total. And I believe that yes there is a distinction between the two. With a some partial vision, there is things I do pick visually, not too many things but enough to make it worth while to have the vision I have. There is a difference between Using your vision because you have it and using your vision efficiently. As a TVI or teacher of the visually impaired I am taught to teach my students how to use their vision efficiently and effectively, with nonvisual techniques added where I think necessarily. I have been with friends like the Pete in the story, or is it tom who is the partially sighted one, smile, sigh. and it can be frustrating. They haven't learned how to use their vision effectively, that is what a RT and a good o and m instructor would teach them. Such as seeing the light, and where to see the light, and what to do if you don't see the light. Also, a good RT or TVI would instruct or at least discuss the advantages of using a reader versus, trying to read the print themselves. As both can come in handy. There are many days when I wished I could read print again, I could as a little girl, not great, always had a vision problem, but still reading print, makes you truly literate in the sighted world. Sure you can get Braille menus in some, and I use that term very loosely, smile restraints, but for the most part, only print is available. At the same time, some times, it is more efficient to just have the waitress read it. The guys must be regulars at that dinner if the waitress is treating them like that. Most of the time I have to initiate the "please read the menu, I can't see" discussion. Not the waitress. At the same time, treating a partially sighted person like a "totally" blind person, through the use of blindfolds in training, constantly, or by forcing them to learn Braille and only Braille, when they can see print, and some can see the shadows of the dots, is absurd! And yes it happens. I observed another TVI over winter break who was teaching a student, who could read the "pictorial representation of translated Braille, off the computer screen, but the parents, seeing that he was "blind" insisted he learn Braille. The student is obviously not having problem reading regular sized print! Why teach him Braille!


Braille also has its uses. I am a user of all medium and techniques and tools I can. I own a tape player, actually several, a computer with jaws on it, a notetaker with speech and Braille, and a CCTV. I use Braille for some tasks, print for others, and tape for others. I believe that having as many tools as possible is important. This lesson is very hard to learn. I was Tom once. I never carried a white stick, didn't know Braille, and didn't want to. I was sighted to the rest of the world, sometimes I am still! One of my coworkers yesterday, was talking about our disability services office, and then he stopped, said, "Oh, wait, Shelley you use that office too." I just burst out laughing. Some of my friends say, "Darn it Shelley, sometimes we forget you can't se us, then you do something or we do, and it is obvious, you are blind." smile. This can pose some challenges, there is a whole spectrum of vision loss, and that unfortunately is a problem when philosophies get mixed in there as they are black or white. you are blind or sighted, nothing in between. you are deaf or hearing, nothing in between, and that is the sad part. As most people who are "legally blind" have some vision. Last stat I saw said, that about ninety percent of "blind" people have some vision. Hmmm, kind of puts things into perspective doesn't it.


In the vision field there are now things called Functional Vision assessments and Learning media Assessments. These tests are preformed to tell exactly how a person uses vision, and what medium they are "best" at learning in. if it is a difference of say, someone reading 159 words a minute in print, and ten words a min in Braille, it will tell us that. We take the information the test gives you and from that can determine if a student should learn Braille or stay with print, or learn a combination. I learned a combination in HS. The tests are very comprehensive, leaves no biases out, and are very matter of fact. But are all vision teachers going to use them, of course not, not like are all sighted teachers in regular school teach all their students to multiply, some don't which is a shame. but this is an interesting thought provoker. Hats off to Pete for being himself, and o.k., with that. Tom will learn what is more important to him, and it will only be for him. No one else can tell him, how blind he is. I should know, was the stubborn teenager who didn't listen to the TVI, and yet I am training to be one, go figure! smile. It is his choice. And it is his choice to use the vision he uses. one thing I do say, and I will close, as this is getting really long, is that if Tom wants to use his vision, he should get a low vision exam so he can figure out which magnifier or telescope if any, is worth his effort to use. I use Braille for something's like labeling things, taking notes, and doing fine detail work like html or other things that require exact spelling. I use speech to do reading of email, reading of text books and pleasure reading materials, and I use print to address envelops, read signs up close, or to fill out checks and sign my signature, or if I must fill out print forms like applications. Each has its purpose. Just my opinion of course.


Shelley Rhodes rhod3021@kutztown.edu MSN: juddysbuddy@hotmail.com



**15. that was an interesting article and in most cases I would say the one with the sight was right but in this case I don't. for one reason it seems this guy has worse vision than me. I know what he means by not being totally blind and I even say I m not blind but just visually impaired, but when you can't read something and you are straining your eyes get someone to read it for you. everybody has their limits on reading and it can be hard sometimes to admit that.


kristen USA



**16. It is hard for one to act as though he is like normal people around him. One dislikes having such words as abnormal, different, impaired, etc. applied to him. However, I believe that the stress at trying to be normal and not accepting and making the most of ones condition does not allow one to live the happier life of acceptance and doing ones best.


About five years ago I was diagnosed with blindness because of macular degeneration. Many times I have remarked that I didn't know how well a blind person could see. I get around without a cane. But I am not vane enough as not to use it when I figure that my safety is involved. So I use it when I am facing the task of crossing streets and intersections where I cannot see the lights. I will also use it while walking in unknown areas and along sidewalks where I have found children's toys left on the sidewalks. It does let others know that my sight is limited.


As far as going to a cafeteria or anyplace where I have to use a menu, it is a hard situation to handle. To me, having to hold the menu up to your nose with a magnifying glass is harder for me to do than to accept help that is offered or even to ask for help. This condition did not come upon me because I asked for it. I could spend time trying to keep it a secret from everyone and deal with the inner feelings that would come. But I choose to accept the fact that I am legally blind and can not do some things. Life is much more pleasant when one can live above the handicap that befalls us. I don't go out of the way to tell people that I have impaired vision, but nor do I hide it if there is ever a question. Life is too short for self pity.


Elwood L.M. WASHINGTON STATE USA



**17. I really do think some partials believe the way this guy in the story does. Partials always got first dates in school, got privileges we totals didn't, and they truly are awarded more good jobs than totals, (unless the total has a sighted spouse.) I believe that sighted people do recognize that they are blind, though these folks would never admit it.


I think that partial vision is very misunderstood by the public. I use to see light perception, but lost that when my retinas detached at 12 years old. I still have some people at work insisting that I "just have to have some sight," because they don't realize the sounds they make (even when they don't speak) gives them away! So now, I am a total who people thinks can see, and here's this partial pretending he can read (and they think he can't because he holds the menu or book really close to his face). It's such a complication to those who are use to sight and visual stuff. They can't seem to separate a little sight, some vision, and total lack of sight!


Phyllis Stevens Johnson City, Tennessee USA MAILTO:CatLady12@NAXS.NET


FROM ME: If partials indeed receive special treatment in school, as in more privileges than the totally blind, then what does that speak too? Are the blind kids not getting the training they need to gain the skills and confidence necessary to function on an equal basis as their partially sighted peers?



**18. You can call me blind, you can call me sightless, you can call me partially sighted or visually handicapped.


Just don't call me late for dinner! (smile)


Will Smith wilsmith@iglou.com



**19. I think the only time I tried to pass as a sighted person was when going to a few places to dance in college. I carried a pair of broken glasses which were useless to me, but some how put sighted guys at ease when asking me to dance. Of course since my beautiful big brown eyes are plastic, I don't see anything, but good coordination and carriage seem to fool some folks in to thinking I see something’s because they live in a world of stereo types. I think Tom should have used a few blind tricks to show his friend that dependence on poor vision inappropriately just gets you in trouble where good compensatory skills can make things go more smoothly. Where was that Braille menu? It was late at night, but surely there was some traffic around to judge when the light changed or something. I think Pete was fooling himself if he thought folks saw him as somehow better because he could see some. Even if he could manage most of the time in good lighting, there are times when using verification techniques with a cane can keep a person from taking a bad fall when faulty vision fools you about depths etc. Tom's use of the doorway indent is equally valid to Pete's dependence on the blue trim. Sure if you have a little vision it can be handy, but failing to learn methods to compensate when lighting etc. are against you just makes you look even less capable when poor vision causes you to screw up.


DeAnna (Quietwater) Noriega quietwater@codenet.net



**20. Interesting. I've heard this argument before. One of our local consumer organizations has the word "blind" in its name and some people refuse to join, because they are not blind. They are "visually impaired", not "blind." Personally, I think that the real story is that they haven't dealt with the fact that they have trouble seeing and that they may need assistance. True, Pete is visually impaired, but so is Tom. They are also blind. One is legally blind and the other is totally blind. It sounds to me that Pete is so busy denying his blindness that he isn't using his other senses or offered assistance, even though life would probably be easier if he did. Visually impaired, blind, black, white, red, yellow, they are all just words. The real question is one of attitude!


Doug Hall Daytona Beach, Florida, USA flhalls@earthlink.net



**21. This sounds like me and my wife. I am total, and she is partial. She is proud of being partial, and tries in little ways every day to let me know how much more capable she is than I. I can't tell you how many times we have stood through one or two cycles of a traffic light because she has trouble seeing the light signal, or how many buses we missed because she took too much time struggling to try to read the sign on the bus, or how long it takes us to order in a restaurant because she struggles to read the menu. There may be times when having low vision has its advantages, but more often than not, I am just as aware of my environment, and just as efficient in performing daily tasks as is she.


Andy Baracco Chatsworth, California USA



**22. I see nothing wrong with a person's using all his/her remaining useful vision. But Pete is really making himself look like a fool by doing it! He truly does need help; and he could have had it, if he had accepted the waitress's kind offer to read the menu, which offer Tom was willing to accept. Why Tom didn't can be pondered for a long time. Tom may have been caving in to unspoken pressure from his friend. As far as their making it across the street to the coffee shop goes, it was kind of the pedestrian to offer to help them across, but in this case, the help was not needed. Tom demonstrated his being accustomed to listening to the sounds surrounding him, and obtaining cues from oral landmarks. All this shows that he had a genuine advantage which Pete was not willing to recognize. Pete was trained to believe that the sight he had was an advantage over Tom's total blindness, despite Tom's showing him to the contrary. "Why, I don't even need a cane," he said, which is one of the most common remarks partials make to attempt to demonstrate their superiority over totals. He may think he does not need a cane; but he definitely needs the light, which he can hardly see!


Jeff Frye Overland Park, Kansas U.S.A. jfrye2@kc.rr.com



**23. I think there is a great amount of trouble in the terminology between being blind and sighted. In this article both people are nearly blind. They would certainly be legally blind but this is where the confusion comes in. My dad looks at blind people being totally blind as I am. He sees many people walking around looking at people in a room and getting around pretty well. He says they aren't blind. I tell him they are legally blind. I think this is where visually impaired comes in. Why not call them visually impaired and the totally blind people blind. Why should there have to be a totally in front of it. They can't see period. Naturally the people in the article are also partially sighted. That term works too. Why does legally blind cover so much ground?


When I went to the Del Mar fair one time I was going through a turn style and a man asked if I was hard of seeing. We all just loved that. We still use it in jokes. Boy, I'm hard of seeing. I can't see anything. After all, if a person is quite deaf and people call him hard of hearing, why can't people who are partially sighted be hard of seeing? Now, I'm not visually impaired or hard of seeing or partially sighted. I'm blind. The one that really makes me mad is sightless. Why do sighted people have to use that term thinking that's a better term than blind? It doesn't make the blindness condition any better because they use another term for it. Let's wake up and start calling a spade a spade.


Leslie Miller



**24. What a snob! I know this is blunt, but the guy with partial sight really should be working with his friend not rubbing it in. Is this a competition? As far as walking into a job interview, this is a delicate time for anyone. One is examined like a cell under a microscope. Is this going to be a productive cell or a dud. I wonder how the partially sighted gentleman would look if he misjudged the distance he was standing or walking. He could really make some embarrassing and memorable mistakes. How professional does someone look if they grasp a future employer by the shirt front? I truly sympathize with those who have partial vision. They cling to what they have, but it can be taken so easily. Many understand this all too well. Wouldn't be easier to make a few concessions, such as, carrying a white cane for the cases where lighting is not the best? It is never an easy question to answer, but I believe that making some kind of impression from the beginning makes a world of difference. After all, we ALL want the world to see us as competent, able and employable.


Marcia Beare, M.S.W Michigan, USA jmbeare@accn.org



**25. I am a totally blind person seeing only light and dark. I could read the denominations on bills, identify soup cans and mail with a magnifying glass, tell if someone wore glasses or had brown or blonde hair, and see the contrast between the grass and the sidewalk. I would celebrate when it became daylight savings time.


I use to be a partial. I was, at first, able to travel without a cane until I came to a street crossing. Then I would open my folded cane, cross the street, and put it away or just hold it upright. After receiving mobility training under the blindfold, I learned to use my cane which improved my travel as a partially blind person.


Now I travel with my third dog guide or a cane. I am glad I learned Braille as a grade-school child, because that's how I can read or take notes. My partial vision left so gradually, I was able to adjust.


My husband, on the other hand, is losing his vision due to glaucoma, and he is refusing to accept it. He will not carry a cane or learn to use a cane. He asks about the amount of light at a restaurant before he agrees to go out to eat. He won't accept help from a reader to write out bills or read the mail because he says he can use his visual-tech. However, he is always incorrectly identifying mail and amounts due. He likes to work with wood, however, his projects are turning out badly because he is unable to accurately measure, cut a straight line, ETC. I can now understand why marriages fall apart when there is a loss of vision. Only, this time, the person losing the vision isn't accepting or adjusting as opposed to the remaining sighted spouse not adjusting or accepting. I believe that I was able to adjust to my vision loss because I knew I would be totally blind someday. I used my partial vision when I had it, but I always considered myself a person who is blind. I never thought that a person with partial vision was better than a person with no vision.


Kathy Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA kgl@wi.rr.com



**26. As a totally blind person, I can't really put myself in the position of someone with a little vision and completely understand their emotional position. But, looking at the situation, from what I believe to be a logical position, I believe that a little sight can be both a blessing and hindrance. It's up to the individual to determine which it will be. A totally blind person has no choice but to learn the alternative techniques of blindness and use them on a daily basis. The partially sighted individual may have, what he or she believes is the option to function as a sighted person. But, that's not completely true. The individual in the story clearly struggled with traveling and reading as a sighted person. In the case of travel, if he had learned to use a cane, under sleep shades, he would have been able to cross the street, listening to the traffic or lack of traffic, and he wouldn't have needed to wonder what color the light was. He would not have had to try to rely on a lighted sign to find the restaurant. Yes, he had some vision, but it wasn't of much use in this situation and, therefore, he should know how to do without it. I believe that this is a situation in which the alternative technique was the more superior method of getting the job done.


In the restaurant, he thought he needed to sit near the window in order to read the menu. Even then, he had difficulty reading it and refused the waitresses assistance when she offered. Yes, maybe he could have read the menu, but considering the amount of time it would take and inconvenience to his hungry friend and, perhaps, a busy waitress, allowing her to read it would have been the smart thing to do.


He may feel that he's "not blind", but the sighted public knows that he's not sighted, either. He's not fooling them and not fooling his blind friend. So, the only person he may be trying to fool is himself. There's no shame in being blind and admitting it. There's no shame in asking for assistance if it's needed or if it would make things more convenient for you or a friend in a particular situation. (For the last statement, it can also be applied to the totally blind person who always refuses assistance, no matter what). The sooner the partially sighted guy learns to become comfortable with the word, BLIND, the easier he will make it for himself and all around him. He may eventually need to know the alternative techniques of blindness. So, why not learn and use them now. Sure, if you have some vision and can use it effectively in some situations, then do use it. But, when the amount of vision you have restricts what you can do and hinders your progress in life, it's time to get past the stigma and become comfortable with himself as a blind person.


Cindy Handel Willow Street, Pennsylvania USA chandel@voicenet.com



**27. I think that the guy should have let his friend have a go at reading the menu because I for one who is partially blind don't like to have some one just walk in and try to do things for me if they aren't someone close to me. He sounded allot like me actually, very independent and forever trying to do things himself. Sometimes it works and others you may need a friend.


Regards Byron Blackmore



**28. well, I finally have the time to respond to this Thought Provoker!!! First, I will respond to the narrative itself and then comment on the responses that came in this past week.


Though Pete refuses to admit and accept his blindness and the limitations his minimal sight puts on him, I think that Tom is doing a good job in getting important points across. When Tom tells Pete that they are both more similar than they are different, I see it as his way of telling him that Pete has to, at some point, accept that he is blind just like Tom. Sure, Pete can see light and read the printed menu under very bright lights, but the fact is, Pete is blind and has to utilize alternative techniques--relying more on audible cues than on his sight, letting the waitress read the menu to them rather than straining his eyes to read, etc. Another very important point that Tom makes to Pete is that, no matter how much Pete tries to rely on his sight, people are going to see both Tom and Pete as blind. For one thing, Tom knows that Pete struggles when he uses his sight. What Tom is also saying in this second point to Pete is that, with the struggles Pete is having, there's no way he can hide his visual limitations from the public. In fact, I think that what Tom is telling Pete in a roundabout way is that Pete sitting there struggling as he relies heavily on his sight is drawing more attention to both of them than it would be if Pete operated like Tom--relying on auditory cues, accepting the idea of the waitress reading the menu to them instead, etc.


Yes, Pete is right in saying that you should rely on whatever senses you have left. However, as many respondents have already pointed out, there comes a time when you have to resort to alternative techniques; especially when the senses you're relying on are causing more of a struggle than allowing for functioning efficiently. I think that people are more comfortable with helping and being around blind people than they are watching the blind person sit and struggle only to make a fool of him or herself; at least, that's been my personal experience.


While I see Tom's point as very important, I can relate to people like Pete and Resp. 6 thinking at one time that being blind meant not being able to see anything at all. I have light perception but cannot see enough to read print. When I was little, I thought all that time until I was eight years old that I was able to see what everyone else could see. It wasn't until I asked about being able to drive that my mother told me that I would never be able to drive. Of course, that threw me for a loop and left me feeling like my whole world had shattered. Of course, I learned over time of learning cane techniques and reading Braille to accept my condition--that I am blind. I think that political correctness comes from the group of blind people as fed to them by professionals, eye doctors and the government. Some people have described me as visually impaired because I have light perception whereas others have described me as blind or totally blind. Blind is a term I use to get the point across to people that I cannot read print, but I don't use the term Totally Blind since I can see light and some colors. If I was able to read large print or regular print with magnifying glasses, I'm sure that I would probably be describing myself as visually impaired or legally blind; I'm not sure which. The true fact is that I'm blind and I accept it regardless of who else doesn't or refuses to accept it. Speaking of others unable or refusing to accept another's blindness, I can relate to Resp. 5--the one who had the conversation with her grandmother about her "totally blind" friend who came to visit for four days. The situation reminds me a lot about the conversations between my adopted mother and I. Even though she was the one who shot me into reality about my hopes of being able to drive and the cars I would drive, she had difficulty accepting my blindness. Whenever we would go out in public and I would pull my cane out, she would impress upon me to put my cane away because she could lead me. Her excuse was that she could lead me better than I would be able to get around with my cane as I walked beside her. Well, that difficulty in accepting my blindness, then, transferred to her asking me who of my friends were blind, had cerebral palsy or were *normal*. Every time such questions would arise, I would reply that they were either blind or had cerebral palsy but that they were still normal people with feelings. Whenever such friends would come over, I always let them do their tasks on their own unless they asked me for their help. My mother, on the other hand, was always quick to jump in and help without asking, which always bothered me to no end just as much as I'm sure my friends got irritated with it. So, I think that Resp. 5 handled the situation appropriately by not intervening unless the friend asked for the assistance.


Linda Minnesota USA



**29. This Thought Provoker was aimed at me, or so it seems. I am sighted, and I met several people on the internet who were blind, and we became friendly. I met six of them in person, and only one was what was described to me as totally blind, or a total. The others had some vision, but it was clear to me why they were called partials, as they had partial vision, but it was so limited that I thought of them as almost blind, but of course I didn't say so to any of them because I was unsure how they wished to be perceived. Through my blind friends I learned about the prejudice that is attached to the blind, it surprised me. I am not easily surprised about people's insensitivity, I was a city policeman for many years, and I came to realize what some of you are going through. I can only offer one weak solution, educate us. We need to be told, as we are too self centered and involved with our own world and are unwilling to take the effort to learn about our blind fellows. Some how we think of the blind as aliens, people we know little about, and it is our fault. We are the majority and we make the laws, and we make laws to suit us. We decide what is legally blind, and we are unconcerned about labels, as long as we ourselves are not labeled. Perhaps one day we will realize that we are one people, but I doubt it, not unless we are hit over the head with enlightenment. Thanks for letting me express my opinion and for sharing yours.


Bill Heaney Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA



**30. After reading Update 1, it sounds like most of the comments seem to be saying that the terminology is not as important as coping skills. Using remaining vision or not is alright, if the person has the ability to perform needed tasks. Otherwise, the person appears incompetent and, in some cases, really is. "As Marcia and others have indicated, refusing to admit to loss of vision and not adjusting appropriately can lead to problems. I think that the real issue should be one of self acceptance instead of some stereotyped idea of blindness.


Doug Hall, Daytona Beach, FL, USA flhalls@earthlink.net



**32. I hate to say it but the partially sighted person is in real denial about his blindness. I guess it isn't easy to realize that you are really becoming blind if you are partially sighted and the partially sighted person is probably extremely afraid that the day will come when he doesn't see anything. But the denial must be painful for him because he sees evidence of failing vision every day. Signs get harder to read and so do faces. And the fact that the partially sighted person considers himself better and more superior than the blind person doesn't help their relationship. Only when the partially sighted person can accept himself as blind will he have some inner peace. As a blind person, I had some difficulty accepting myself as a blind person although I certainly knew that I was blind. But when I finally accepted it deep down, I felt better.


Mary Jo Partyka



**33. blind, of course I have a thought. I think it is totally a matter of personal choice. I do not mind being referred to as "blind", however for me, it is not quite accurate since I have some sight. I, for myself use the term low-vision or legally blind. Sometimes, when asking for assistance, people seem to understand legally blind more than the term low-vision. You see, if I tell the average sighted person that I am low-vision, they think that I am simply near-sighted or if I just had the right glasses, I could see as well as anyone else.


Lauryn Mathena-Armstrong Charlottesville, VBA USA



**34. I for one would like to have some one further explain how will calling us all blind help in changing what it means to be blind. I’ve heard this argument and I don’t think I fully understand it. So some one please write in and tell me how it will or won’t help, please?


Marlene Sohoe USA



**35. This has really been an issue for me until I was twelve. Although I had never been able to see more than 5% I'd always called myself "partially sighted" or at last "nearly blind". In my case this however was a completely wrong attitude and I only acted this way to hide my actual blindness away. In this case, however, it seems like the bloke who still has some sight expects more of himself than the blind would expect from themselves. He wants to read the menu himself and refuses the waitress to let her help him. At first this appeared to me like the attitude I had had for so many years myself - and at times still have. However, most blind/VI people not only need to ask others for help at times, but also need to keep them from being too over-protecting. I think this man wanted to show that he wasn't only a "poor blind guy". Not that the totally blind are like that, but it's easier to know what a totally blind person sees: nothing. Therefore, I think, it's harder for sighted people to imagine how much help a partially blind person needs than that counts for the totally blind. As a result, this man might want to let the waitress know that he's independent and therefore wants to read the menu by himself. On the other hand, he shouldn't exaggerate it. There's a huge difference between showing your independence and pretending it. The first is a must, the second something that's not good and maybe even annoying. I think the man shouldn't try to see things which he truly doesn't, but I can imagine that he doesn't want himself to appear "blind". Indeed, also in case of the totally blind, sighted people often over-protect or assume that they need help while that's not true, but that's something that doesn't directly relate to a person's sight: it isn't because he sees more than expected that he doesn't need the help.


Anyways, I don't think sighted people make a big difference between partial and total blindness, but that's the exact reason why the partially blind person needs to explain about his vision: there IS a difference. To conclude, I don't think society expects more of the partially blind than from the totally blind, but the people themselves indeed want to use what they have and think there's a difference. And in my opinion they're right, but they should not exaggerate it. By the way, pretending independence isn't only something for partially sighted people, because I started pretending independence once I'd already accepted my blindness.


Astrid van Woerkom (Netherlands)


FROM ME: When should we explain our visual status and how much should we tell?



**36. I am a member of two blind groups who use the Internet. I see it like this: There are different levels of blindness just like there are different levels of almost any other disability. I am also disabled, and I do not like to be reminded of it. However, I am mature enough to realize there are times that I need a little help. I appreciate people who offer, and I offer help whenever I see that help might be appreciated. Being intelligent beings means to me that we can offer help and accept it. Pete should have accepted the waitress's help. After all, she offered, and in such a way that it was apparent that she had done that a few times before.


Dick Myers Japan



**37. I'm partially sighted, and read with great interest this provoker and responses. When I was growing up, there was no word for partially sighted. You were either blind (synonym for total), near-sighted, or you could see. I went to public school in a suburb of New York. The tacit agreement was that I could be there as long as I "fit in", or, in twenty-first century terms, thought up and provided all my own reasonable accommodations. Quite a task when you're only six. However, if you wanted to do something different from the way the teacher did it, you were probably going to get sent to the library. That's politically correct for being kicked out of class. Now we partials get picked on because we try to pass. What choice do we have? During my childhood and early adulthood, the pressure to not be blind was enormous. Eventually I learned to use a cane in the daytime and sort of use a cane at night when I couldn't see squat. In the early nineties, it began to be a little less inconvenient to be blind. I was accepted at guide dog school. I learned adaptive computers, but both large print and screen readers. So now I'm treated as blind, at least until people learn I can see a little.


When I was growing up, if you used large print, it wasn't called an accommodation. It was called sight-saving. One day someone asked "saving your sight for what?" Then we got to have monoculars, CCTV's and large print exams. Now, the blind community says we should act like we really are blind. We're only embarrassing ourselves and our blind brothers and sisters by acting like we have some sight.


Since no one seems to be able to make up their minds, I look at it this way. I'm sixty two years old, I can say whatever I want and handle my near-blindness/visual impairment however I damn please. If you have to label me, just call me eccentric.


Abby Vincent USA avincent@ix.netcom.com



**38. I want to do what I can in answering Marlene Sohoe's question, "How will calling us all blind help in changing what it means to be blind?" Yours was a very good and provocative question, Marlene, which I think can be answered in two words: It won't. There will probably be argument about that in the group, but first of all, I don't care; second, let me explain. I contend that the phrase "changing what it means to be blind" has become so worn, as to lack meaning. In other words, when the American organized blind, made up of the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind, coined the phrase, what was meant by "changing what it means to be blind" was changing misconceptions, preconceptions, and stereotypes about blindness. As you all know, we still have a long way to go in that. But we have also come a long way already, considering not only rudiments of technology such as Braille, tape, and large print, but avenues of access technology, living independently, and wide acceptance in society. See, Marlene, by "changing what it means to be blind," we cannot alter the condition of blindness; only ophthalmology can do that. Certainly there is absolutely nothing wrong with the restoration of sight. But in the past, ophthalmologists have had many of the preconceptions that sight is superior, possibly due to their profession, I don't know; and this is still far too often the case. However, I think it is true far less often than it was, say, 20 or 30 years ago. So honestly, I think the phrase "changing what it means to be blind" is more aptly used by someone who is not well-adjusted to his/her blindness. Robert,


what is your thinking? Jeff Frye Overland Park, Kansas USA jfrye2@kc.rr.com


FROM ME: I think the concept of “changing what it means to be blind” is changing how people react to vision loss. Meaning, for the public, that some day they will not immediately think negatively about the abilities of a person that does not have a high degree of vision/sight. That the public would know there are alternatives for functioning at home or work or school or play and that they should expect the blind person to function at some high level of independence until they, the blind person proves not to be capable of independent action. So, reverse the present situation; always keeping in mind that not all people are the same in ability or interest or have they all had the same opportunity, so some will have had proper training and some not, but the point being, expect ability, think positive on what being blind is.



**39. Well, I decided to just read the thought provoker and reply before reading any of the responses so her is my thoughts. I believe that Pete is having problems identifying the fact that he is blind. He doesn't realize how difficult he is making both his life and Tom's by denying the fact that he is indeed blind. He doesn't realize that it is okay to be blind no matter what some of the public think.


Lelia Denver, Colorado USA



**40. BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE


Recently, I have found myself in the midst of a controversy about the use of the word "blind". As a person who meets the definition of being blind but having some vision, I am in a quandary. Often, in the past, I have been reluctant, and have encountered resistance, to self-identifying or being identified as "blind". I, and others like me, often want to use vision, be seen as sighted, be able to pass as sighted and may even think of ourselves as better off than a person who is "really blind".


My quandary also includes lack of acceptance by the "normally sighted" community due to difficulty functioning, physical appearance or my own perception of inequality: all based on the difference of vision. In the past, vision for me was a "lifeline". It was critical to “pass” because I had always gotten along, and been encouraged to get along, visually. Vision for me, and others like me, was not simply a resource. It had significant status value and essentially defined my self worth.


Society promotes vision, assumes its normalcy and essentiality, and tends to reject those who are different. The “logic” seems to be: “Vision is normal and conversely being b lind is not normal”. What is missed is that vision does not equate with normalcy, and that the blind can and do lead normal lives. It is the attitudes about blindness that are not “normal”. As "partially sighted " persons we invariably experience lack of acceptance when we fail to "pass". Many of us live in dre ad; fearing that our secret will come out. We are truly "between a rock and a hard place". The "rock" being sighted society and the "hard place" being bl ind.


Hierarchy of Blindness


There seems to be a hierarchy of blindness or, more precisely, of vision.
Society maintains negative attitudes toward the (totally or obviously) blind because of fear of blindness and ignorance. Reaction to the blind in general is either amazement (“Isn’t it amazing what the blind can do?”) or sympathy (“tin cup syndrome”). The attitudes of society toward the blind, while not purposefully mean spirited, frequently cause the person with some vision to base their self-worth on being sighted. Thus we have a "hierarchy” based on amount of vision. Often blind persons with no vision also have a negative attitude about blindness. They may have been taught that vision is better and that their abilities and aspirations are limited based on lack of vision.


>It strikes me as peculiar how people who are blind with some vision seem to want to “have it both ways”. Perhaps this is more of a personal rather than a professional issue. For example, eligibility for the Business Enterprises of Texas (BET) program, the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center (CCRC) program, reader services, etc, requires that the individual be blind. How can we hold out one hand and take these entitlements based on blindness and with the other hand refuse to acknowledge that we are blind?


Professional rehabilitation staff must realize how freeing it is to overcome the negative attitude and fear about blindness. Belief that it is positive, acceptable and respectable to be blind is very empowering. This shift in staff attitude
takes some work. It takes training without using vision, and participation in discussion about attitudes. It takes confidence. It starts with the word “blind”. Blindness needs to be recognized as a characteristic like blond hair or blue eyes. The negative attitude toward blindness and the stigma attached to the word “blind” can be neutralized for both staff and consumers through training and non- visual strategies. Blindness can be recognized as a nuisance rather than a negative restriction, and as a positive self- identifying characteristic.


One reason for training persons under blindfold and using the term "blind" is to isolate the vision variable in training. These strategies eliminate the hierarchy of vision, training based on vision, and negative attitudes about vision and blindness. This is truly “multi-sensory” training. Using the “B Word” and the blindfold strategy immediately confront the person with the fact that they are blind.
The primary reasons for using the language and the blindfold strategy is to address the cause rather than the symptom. The cause is fear and negative attitudes toward blindness and blind persons.


What Do We Expect?


It concerns me when an agency, organization, or school "for /of the Blind" refuses to use the term “blind” with its consumers and staff. It presents a specter of shame and promotes negative expectations. It is no wonder that 70% of the blind people of this country are not employed. Why would they think they could be employed? If professionals in the field of blindness rehabilitation are ashamed of them as blind individuals, then is it not reasonable that they will be too?


Professional staff in rehabilitation can bring the negative attitudes of society with them. These staff can be blind a well as sighted. These attitudes include:


List of 4 items . Vision and use of it is valued as essential to leading a “normal” life. . Non-vision techniques are okay for persons with no vision but are clearly inferior to visual techniques . Maximizing vision is preferred, even when remaining vision is non functional.
No matter that the student may have very limited functioning and progressive conditions . No matter that fear of blindness and attitudes about it and alternate techniques are unhealthy list end


Some staff has expressed concern about using the term “blind” since it can be "psychologically devastating". Some have suggested the need for therapy. If a blind person needs therapy it is not because blindness is a neurosis or mental illness. If the issue is blindness and fear of it, then emotional adjustment training and positive and expectations are the therapy.


Equality of Opportunity Some professional rehabilitation staff have a negative attitude about the “B” word. Many sighted staff and some staff who are blind with some vision, do not want to use the term “blind” with blind students and do not want to be referred to as blind persons. They consider the word “blind” negative, demeaning, and as one person told me, like using a negative racial term sometimes called the "N word”. Sounds like a negative attitude toward blindness to me in an Agency dedicated to serving the blind and even in some organizations of and for the blind.


I submit that those coming to a rehabilitation center for the blind for training are coming precisely because they are “blind”. The vision they may have is not working for them and they require skills in alternate techniques and a positive attitude about blindness and themselves as blind persons. Someone once said that an agency or organization that is afraid to use the word “blind” need not remain in business. I agree and salute those who have worked and continue to work toward equality of opportunity for the blind.


Ed Kunz Austin, Texas USA Ed.Kunz@tcb.tx.state.us



**41. I would like to put my response to number 40 and to ask a couple of questions about your impressions. I am a legally blind person, am partially sighted use the vision for some things, have Retinitis Pigmentosa, so it will vanish at some point, and am training to be a "vision professional".


I don't agree with Robert's interpretation of the phrase "what it means to be blind." as it is not "what it really means" but some people thing. The American Council of the Blind does not promote that philosophy, it is only NFB’s territory. ACB promotes equality, independence, and freedom. Which are quite obtainable.


One comment on the idea of Rehab professionals having a negative view of blindness. Excuse me, but the last time I checked human beings as a general rule are very visual characters. We rely on sight to tell the status of people, to tell things about each other, to display our ideas and impressions, and to carry on conversations. According to speech communication people non verbal or gesture communication makes up more than ninety percent of communication. Amazing huh?


I would like to contend that at least at my University, as well at conferences and conventions, the concepts of "negative attitudes" get discussed. There is a fantastic book out, which is required reading for everyone in my university vision program called Self Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness. it is by Dr. Dean Tuddle and is available from American Printing house. This book discusses all the issues of stereotyping and adjusting to any change not just vision loss. It talks about all the experiences we as visually impaired people encounter, the terror of our first class trip, the fear of meeting a new friend and wondering if they will talk to us afterwards, or even the issue of introducing yourself to a new professor and explaining accommodations. All of which are very awkward and uncomfortable situations. I recommend anyone to read this book.


I would also like to point out, that like in any other profession, there are some professionals that "stay up with the times." going to the conferences, attending the workshops, buying new books, and chatting on list serves. But there are also the professionals who stick with their ways of doing things. The sad thing, is that the way things are going, the "old timers" in the profession will retire, and the new blood, will not be able to take over. There are too many positions to fill and not enough people to fill them. My graduating class, granted we have no mishaps between now and May of 2004 will have 10 graduates. Ten! and you know what, we already have jobs. And Kutztown is one of the larger programs. A lot of the issues have been addressed in literature and research, it is getting the research and literature to the professionals who need it, the ones who won't buy it, or go to the conferences, or pay attention if it is handed to them because it was the way they were taught, and a young punk isn't going to change them.


One more thought. if you haven't checked the age of most in the blindness professions, most of them are in the late forties, thirties and fifties. Do the math, so they were in school in the sixties, and early seventies. Here at Kutztown in the seventies, people getting a Vision degree took two classes on vision. Braille 1 and a Anatomy class. Lots of info right???? yeah right! Today, in 2003 the students at Kutztown take six courses. Early Intervention and Deaf Blindness, Orientation and Mobility, The reading, writing of the Braille code, The reading and writing of other Braille codes, Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye, and Special Visual Methods for the classroom. The last course is a culmination of the other classes, such as assistive technology, adapting worksheets and other materials and doing Functional vision assessments and Learning Media Assessments. I am legally blind, and will leave it at that. just some food for thought.


Shelley Rhodes rhod3021@kutztown.edu or juddysbuddy@hotmail.com



**42. I am legally blind, I can see a little, but travel with a guide dog, and/ or a cane if the dog is sick, or at the groomer. It goes like this. There are so many parallels or similarities between blind folks and, "other minorities' as I used to call them, but let's be clear. Between blind folks and black folks, all right? Too often, it is fear of blindness as some one on this list said, but quite often, it is hate! I think it is! Because sighted people won't hire, even when educated! What do you do when people don't want to be educated? The discrimination and prejudice and lack of tolerance we have to endure is the same as that of other minorities, and what they have to deal w with. There is the case of my aunt, who thinks to this day, that my brother pays my bills. What does she think I do, send my paycheck to my brother? She is also the same person who thought I was "amazing" when I made a veal burger. People will think you are good if you can tie your shoes, and they won't learn otherwise. It is due to lowered expectations and projection. But how about family members who swear up and down that you will depend on them when they, in actuality, should know better? I have had it happen to me. They couldn't do half of what we do if they lost their sight. And that's the route of all this evil. People fear it will happen to them, we remind them of their own vulnerability. And they often, though not always) hate us for that. Black folks are discussing their identity and are trying to truly accept themselves, regardless of what white folks think. We should do the same. I am glad this list helps us to do that.


Sincerely, Lucia New York USA



**43. I'm sighted, and I'm the kind of guy that would have asked a blind person if they needed help in crossing a street, until I became friendly with some blind people and found out how independent blind people can be. I have been thinking about this problem for a long time. Some of my blind friends get quite annoyed when sighted people presume incorrectly that they need help or assistance. I've been saying the blind need some public relations campaign to get their views across, but absent that, is their something the blind as individuals could do? Could you write letters to the editor of the opinions section of your local newspapers? Or by email to any newspaper in the world?


Bill Heaney Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA **44. In response to Resp. 43, writing to the editor of your local paper is fine and dandy, but views on helping blind people and how to approach blind people will vary to some degree. Some will say that "we're totally independent, so don't offer us help unless we ask it" while others will say, "go ahead and offer because the blind person just may need the help but don't know that". I think that the idea of a public relations group or class for blind people is a good idea, though. I say this because I have seen many blind people be offered help only for the blind person to snap at the person who genuinely went out of their way to help. Yes, there are many of us who are independent and should exert that independence. However, how we exert that independence is what makes all the difference in the world. If you snap at a genuinely helping hand, then that kind person is going to take the approach not to help another blind person again. Then, when another blind person who actually needs the help but is afraid to ask for the help comes along, that blind person is not going to receive the help all because of a previous one who snapped at that kind helping hand. On the other hand, if you accept the help or kindly tell the person, "no, I'm okay. Thanks for the offer, though", then you haven't alienated that person offering the helping hand. While I've had many people offer me help, which I've kindly accepted so as not to seem like I'm pushing them away, I have also had people not come up to offer me help or avoid trying to help me upon my asking all because a blind person previous to me snapped at them. I think that people, regardless of whether they've been around blind people or not, are generally genuine in their intent to offer a helping hand. It's not because they feel pity or view us as inept. Many times it's because they see an obstacle that we are unaware of and they're afraid that we may have some struggles navigating around the obstacle. Such was the case one time with a construction sight up ahead of me. I had no idea that the sidewalk was blocked off six feet in front of me. There were no sounds of construction equipment running, so I figured that everything was clear. Well, someone approached to help me. Upon kindly telling them that I was okay, that was when I was informed that there was a construction site up ahead of me, so I accepted their help. Now, if I had snapped at the person, they would've left. Meanwhile, I would've encountered that construction and would've been struggling to figure out how I could get around it only to find that there was no way around it except to walk in the busy street. So, in a case like that, I would rather look like I'm being dependent rather than exert my intendance to the point of alienating people. Besides, when you accept help from people, it's an opportunity to educate through small-talk as they're helping you. In fact, there was another situation where I was getting ready to cross a street that was under construction. even though I'm sure that I could've crossed on my own, I allowed for one of the construction crew members to help me just in case. As I proceeded down the sidewalk on the other side (I found out later from other onlookers) the man who helped me across watched me in admiration. An hour later, I was on my return back on the other side of the street, and I happened to hear the guy who helped me talking to one of his other coworkers as he was watching from a distance to make sure that I made it across safely. In short, what I'm saying in my illustrations of these incidents is that we can make a difference in how people view us just in how we accept or decline assistance. When we decline assistance, we can be rude about it by snapping at people, or we can be gentle-mannered.


Linda USA



**45. I agree with those who say that not everyone with vision loss should necessarily be called "blind," because some people do still have good enough vision to read large print, for example. I myself have often wondered about this. I've been referred to at times as "blind," and at other times as "visually impaired," and it doesn't bother me. I only have light perception and cannot see any objects. What really does bother me though is when people with vision loss are abrupt and arrogant about accepting assistance. This, too, goes back to what has been said about not everybody being the same. Not everyone has the same level of skills, and I think when people with vision loss are rude and refuse assistance, it only makes the person offering assistance feel uneasy and at times very concerned. Regarding some sort of public-relations campaign for those of us with vision problems, I think it's an idea that needs to be explored. Here on the North Shore of Chicago, it seems there isn't really a good method for representation by the visually-impaired population. It seems the two blindness organizations in this country are often times at odds with each other over what are in my opinion common-sense issues. If they could reunite as they were before the "Civil War," we might stand a chance at a better PR campaign. I should mention that I just yesterday left a voicemail at the office of the Illinois chapter of one of the blindness organizations, and I have yet to hear back. I am on my township's disabilities committee. As good as the committee is, I am the only current member with a visual impairment. I think situations such as this are excellent opportunities to educate the sighted public about such things as screen readers and other adaptations we use. For instance, at our last meeting each committee member was asked for input regarding employment. I spoke up and said that a lot of VR counselors are unfamiliar with screen readers. I should mention that the committee has been very willing to accept my input, and they've also been great about providing their material in accessible formats in a timely fashion. These things make me truly feel like part of the committee..


Jake Joehl, Chicago, Illinois

**46. I would like to cross-reference this one with that other story about the guy with the blind wife (TP81). I would actually like to meet blind people. The question is, how to go about it? If you had known me 25 years ago, you would not have thought this possible. I'm not blind, as you know, but I did suffer from extreme shyness and fear of crowds. Oddly enough, I did have a much easier time dealing with people who were not my peers (that is, some teachers and elders), than I did with kids my own age. And yet here I am, seeking friendship with blind people, who, usually, make some sighted people nervous. (It's not a nice thing to say, but, judging from some of the TPs I've read, it is often true.) Now, isn't that odd? How is it that a person who was painfully shy around everyone else could possibly be comfortable around the blind? Part of it is the fact that I do understand, in my own way, what they're going through. How? Well, in school I learned a term called "Social Darwinism." It basically means that people are shunned by the "in" crowd if they fail to meet certain societal standards of perfection. In the case of blind people, well, they are considered less-than-physically-perfect. (Look at those stories about blind women threatened with sterilization!) In my case, it was financial. I had grown up in a huge working-class family (the seventh of ten children). My parents could not afford to buy me the latest clothing styles. For most of Fifth Grade, I had only two pairs of pants...both of which were green denims...one of which was bell-bottoms. I once went to Junior High School in house slippers, because I was too sorry for my Dad to ask him for money for new shoes. To top it off, my house was a bit run-down. I had absolutely no hope of measuring up to the "standards" of the "in" crowd. So how does that relate to the blind? Simple: There are many testimonies of blind people who know that their handicap puts them lower on the totem pole, simply because they don't fit the standard in this perfection-crazed society. How do they know? Because they listen to the reactions of others, and they can "read between the lines." Sighted people who are "perfectionists" will be condescending to or repulsed by a blind person. THAT, I know about. I'm not blind, and I'm not all that bad-looking; but I've always been a working-class person, dressed in working-class clothes, and I do working-class things. The "in" crowd never wanted to be near me. And so, by way of introduction, I'll explain what I would try to do if and when I should ever meet a blind person: I will simply take up some small talk with him or her (hopefully "her," admittedly). I'll let that person do all the talking, and listen carefully. There's a good chance the person will say something I know about. If so, I'll wait until the person gets finished. If the person has any social skills at all, he or she will pause long enough to her my two cents. (I wish I had known this 25 years ago, but I needed coaching, and didn't get it!) Logically, the subject of that person's blindness would HAVE to come up eventually. Hopefully, that person will say so first. And suppose he or she does? Like that guy who met the blind woman? SHE was the one who brought it up, saying, "I'm totally blind." Now, suppose I were in that guy's place? The woman, perhaps trying to deal with the obvious, and get it out of the way as diplomatically as possible, might say, "By the way, I am totally blind." How would I react? I might respond by saying something like this: "Yes, that's true. And I wear glasses, I'm left-handed, and I like Italian food." In other words, "Que sera sera." Then move on. (Think of it this way: Doctors don't like to attend parties where guests "talk shop" all the time; so why should blind people talk about their blindness all the time?) That's where "small talk" comes in handy. I've recently spoken to a blind guy about a common interest: baseball. It's a great ice-breaker. As for the word "blind" itself, I would think that most blind people would not be offended by the obvious. And it seems to me that, after you've known a blind person long enough, you don't really have to say it anymore. You just walk and talk casually. ("Hey, how about those Red Sox!") The whole thing reminds me of an absurd bit of "political correctness" at the Los Angeles Times. A few years ago, they established new writing guidelines. One of them is that you cannot refer to a deaf person AS a "deaf" person! You must say, "...a person who cannot hear." I can't imagine what they hope to accomplish by doing that. I suppose they want an excuse to stuff more words into their stories, hoping that the length will disguise their utter lack of substance. How would I handle it? I wouldn't bring up deafness at all, unless it was crucial to the point. Then I'd go into detail as to WHAT this person DID. (Oh, and did I mention he happens to be deaf? Don't yell at me. That's not a dirty word. Deal with it.) To the blind, I simply say, "Hello. What's on your mind?"

David Lafleche Woonsocket, R.I. Thundermist04167@aol.com




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