[blindkid] Identify yourself please

[Carrie Gilmer]

Hi All, Especially to our blind colleagues and friends.

 

I have one thing with Jordan that has improved but still is an "issue". I
think it bugs me way more than him, and likely that is why it is still an
"issue".

 

Jordan often does not ask people to identify themselves. It is one thing,
and understandable to me, when he is in the very crowded school hallways and
some voice calls out, "hey Jordan!" in a passing greeting and he simply
calls back hey-but has no idea who that hey came from and to not yell out in
a crowd "hey who are you?",

 

 But there are many times.

At the state fair, in a store, even at a lunch room table!, where he THINKS
he is talking to one person and discovers mid-conversation that is not who
he is talking with (and never says anything or finds in the end who it was),
or we walk away from the teen working the register or who has come up in
Best Buy and said "hello" and I ask "Who was that?" and he says I have no
idea.  I know that sometimes because he is one of 3,000 at school-and
because he has the one and only thing, a lot more people know who he is than
vice versa and sometimes he really doesn't know who they are, but not
uncommonly it is evident the kid who is greeting him, he should know, but he
doesn't ask. I know that sometimes he thinks it is rude, if the other kid
thinks Jordan should know who they are.the same way if I forget someone's
name and I should definitely know it, and I am thinking how can I ask
without offending?...But many times he is just too "shy" about it. I have
seen on the student list before threads where lots of kids are somewhat
uncomfortable with this one. Any strategies that you blind folks have come
up with to gain the confidence or decide when to do it? Is it just a
personality thing, because I know many blind folks who are not shy about it
and simply say, "Who are you?"

 

Should I just let this one go now as a mom-especially since he is now a
senior in high school? 

 

Carrie Gilmer, President

National Organization of Parents of Blind Children

A Division of the National Federation of the Blind

NFB National Center: 410-659-9314

Home Phone: 763-784-8590

carrie.gilmer at gmail.com

www.nfb.org/nopbc