[Blindmath] Survey regarding perceptions of stereotypes about blindness

Sun Aug 25 19:35:05 UTC 2013

Putting aside the relevance of whether this message is on/off topic (since
similar studies have been forwarded on here before, and I do feel it's
important to get as many participants as possible for such research), I do
have some concerns about the wording below. The wording, frankly, is neither
here nor there, but the underlying semantics and assumptions encapsulated in
the questions being asked is quite significant, I feel. The wording below
implies an acceptance that blind people are stereotyped somewhat always, and
you're simply interested in understanding how. While I feel that this is a
fantastic position to hold, especially if one is attempting to promote a
particular dogma or funding opportunity, for example, it might not be the
best tact to take from a research point of view, if that's of interest, of
course. For example, the email below, to me, seems to speak to an already
self-selecting and rather biased prospective participant, namely that of a
blind individual who has already been stereotyped or blind individuals who
feel like such stereotypes exists independent of their own experience e.g.
insert anecdotal evidence here.

So, essentially, what I'm asking is whether it might not be more appropriate
to examine If such stereotypes exist as strongly as one might believe, and
furthermore to word the research query in such a way so as not to
immediately bias the potential participant?

Just some thoughts.

Take care,
Sina

Twitter: @SinaBahram
Website: http://www.SinaBahram.com
Blog: http://blog.SinaBahram.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Arielle
Silverman
Sent: Sunday, August 25, 2013 3:20 PM
To: NFB Young Professionals List
Cc: Advice and support for blind cooks; blindmath; blparent; Colorado
Association of Blind Students List; acb-l at nfbnet.org; Blind Talk Mailing
List; National Association of Blind Students mailing list; NFB of Colorado
Discussion List; Arizona Association of Blind Students List
Subject: [Blindmath] Survey regarding perceptions of stereotypes about
blindness

Hi all,
My name is Arielle Silverman and I am a doctoral student in the
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of
Colorado. As you may know, I am conducting a series of studies for my
dissertation examining blind people's experiences finding employment
as well as your experiences in interacting with the sighted public. I
would appreciate your help with a brief online study investigating
your views about ways in which blind people tend to be stereotyped by
society.
The study should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. In
appreciation of your time, you will have the opportunity to enter a
raffle drawing to win a $50 gift certificate to a merchant of your
choice (Amazon.com, Itunes.com, Olive Garden, or AMC Theaters). All of
your responses in the study will be anonymous and confidential. Anyone
who is legally blind and at least 18 years old is welcome to
participate.
To begin please go to:
http://ucsas.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eEhW5bXJgyKeetT
Thank you as always for your assistance.
Best,
Arielle Silverman, M.A.
Doctoral Candidate, Social Psychology
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
345 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0345
arielle.silverman at colorado.edu

On 8/25/13, Kevin Lowe <kevl2686 at aol.com> wrote:
> Thank you Marisa. Unfortunately I have already been in contact with the
> president of the travel and leisure division and she had no other ideas
from
> what means I am currently using. Nonetheless I certainly do appreciate
your
> suggestion.
>
> Thank you,
> Kevin Lowe
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Aug 25, 2013, at 10:16 AM, "M Lucca" <lucca.marisa at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Kevin,
>>
>> I am not familiar with CRM software, albeit I know its purpose and
>> importance. You may find the NFB Travel and Tourism Division a helpful
>> resource, though. Perhaps you should contact one of the Division's board
>> members or officers for guidance. I presume the Division may provide some
>> sort of direction. Here is a link to the Division's website
>> http://www.nfbtravel.org/
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Marisa Lucca
>> NFB Florida Member
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Young_professionals [mailto:young_professionals-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On
>> Behalf Of kevl2686 at aol.com
>> Sent: Friday, August 23, 2013 10:39 PM
>> To: young_professionals at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [Young_professionals] CRM software
>>
>> Hello,
>> Owning my own travel agency I have been trying to find a Customer
>> Relationship Management (CRM) program that is fully accessible with JAWS.
>> As of now I have yet to find one that will work.  So this brings me to my
>> obvious question, do any of you know of a JAWS friendly CRM program?  Any
>> thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>> Thank you,
>>
>> Kevin Lowe
>> Better Days Travel, "We'll take you to a better place"
>> www.BetterDaysTravel.com
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Young_professionals mailing list
>> Young_professionals at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/young_professionals_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> Young_professionals:
>>
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>> a%40gmail.com
>>
>>
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>
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