[Blindtlk] Letter to the Editor Concerning "Dining in the Dark"

Fri Mar 12 01:49:12 UTC 2010

As long as it stays civil, yes?
~Jewel

On 3/11/10, Steve P. Deeley <stevep.deeley at insightbb.com> wrote:
> You know what--banter helps understand each others views and opinions.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jewel S." <herekittykat2 at gmail.com>
> To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 6:37 PM
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Letter to the Editor Concerning "Dining in the Dark"
>
>
>> Now, now. Let's not start a banter, guys, please?
>>
>> ~Jewel
>>
>> On 3/11/10, Ray Foret jr <rforetjr at comcast.net> wrote:
>>> Oh yeah, and what will you say when you can't get anybody to hire you?
>>> Answer me that.
>>>
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
>>>
>>> E-Mail:
>>> rforetjr at comcast dot net
>>>
>>> On Mar 11, 2010, at 4:26 PM, Steve P. Deeley wrote:
>>>
>>>> You are right, however, I have more important things to worry about.
>>>> Steve
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray Foret jr" <rforetjr at comcast.net>
>>>> To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 4:44 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Letter to the Editor Concerning "Dining in the
>>>> Dark"
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> ANd why not?  It's the truth.  What we say is the truth whether anybody
>>>>> likes it or not.  We're not some boring bunch of people who are all the
>>>>> same in every way.  Sometimes, I think our so-called society is trying
>>>>> to
>>>>> make us all in to a bunch of homogenized bunch of people who are all
>>>>> the
>>>>> same with no difference between any of us; just in case any differences
>>>>> might be offensive to somebody.  Well, that's just too bad because
>>>>> that's
>>>>> not the way God made us.
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyhow, I should have the article here shortly.
>>>>>
>>>>> When I do, I'll put it up  here.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
>>>>>
>>>>> E-Mail:
>>>>> rforetjr at comcast dot net
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mar 11, 2010, at 2:20 PM, Steve P. Deeley wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I believe the writer of that letter sounds very angry.  That, also,
>>>>>> turns sighted individuals off.  Let's not go down the race road for
>>>>>> our
>>>>>> examples.
>>>>>> Steve
>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary Wunder"
>>>>>> <gwunder at earthlink.net>
>>>>>> To: "Marion Gwizdala" <blind411 at verizon.net>; "Blind Talk Mailing
>>>>>> List"
>>>>>> <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 1:57 PM
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Letter to the Editor Concerning "Dining in the
>>>>>> Dark"
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You should be able to get it mailed to your e-mail address on file by
>>>>>>> pressing pound 9.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Gary
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marion Gwizdala"
>>>>>>> <blind411 at verizon.net>
>>>>>>> To: <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>; "NAGDU List" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 10:54 AM
>>>>>>> Subject: [Blindtlk] Letter to the Editor Concerning "Dining in the
>>>>>>> Dark"
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Dear All,
>>>>>>>>  I tried to get a copy of the original article about which I wrote
>>>>>>>> this
>>>>>>>> letter to the editor; however, it was not available without paying a
>>>>>>>> fee.
>>>>>>>> The article can be accessed by going to NFB-Newsline and selecting
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> St.Petersburg Times Metro section. If anyone can get access to this
>>>>>>>> article, please send it to the list. Pasted below is my letter to
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> editor.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Fraternally yours,
>>>>>>>> Marion Gwizdala
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> March 11, 2010
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>          I am writing to comment on the article "Awareness Was the
>>>>>>>> Main
>>>>>>>> Course" by Laura Reiley that appeared in the March 10 Metro section
>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> St. Petersburg times. As a blind person, I often meet people who are
>>>>>>>> amazed by the fact that I can perform even the simplest of tasks.
>>>>>>>> Generally this attitude is based on their own experience attempting
>>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>>> perform the same task without eyesight and failing at it miserably.
>>>>>>>> It
>>>>>>>> is
>>>>>>>> for this reason that most blind people are opposed to using the type
>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>> simulation exercises featured in this article. Blindfolding a
>>>>>>>> sighted
>>>>>>>> person and asking them to perform even a simple task does not, as
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> article purports, give a person any awareness of what the life of a
>>>>>>>> blind
>>>>>>>> person is like. In fact, such exercises only serve to reinforce the
>>>>>>>> misconceptions and promulgate the myths about blindness that create
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> social, legal, and economic barriers that prevent us from achieving
>>>>>>>> true
>>>>>>>> equality with our sighted peers. Those of us who are blind have
>>>>>>>> developed
>>>>>>>> an array of non-visual techniques to perform activities of daily
>>>>>>>> living,
>>>>>>>> such as eating, just as effectively as sighted people do using
>>>>>>>> eyesight.
>>>>>>>> Blindfolding a sighted person and asking them to perform a task is
>>>>>>>> like
>>>>>>>> putting someone in the cockpit of a jetliner and telling them to
>>>>>>>> fly!
>>>>>>>> Lacking the proper skills, the results of both would be disastrous!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>          The real problem of blindness is not the lack of eyesight;
>>>>>>>> rather it is the manner in which we are treated as the result of the
>>>>>>>> misconceptions people have about blindness. If one really wants to
>>>>>>>> find
>>>>>>>> out what life is like for a blind person, there is no need to don a
>>>>>>>> blindfold! All one needs to do is carry a white cane, the
>>>>>>>> international
>>>>>>>> symbol of blindness,  and go about their everyday life. Then they
>>>>>>>> would
>>>>>>>> feel the crushing insults  of public misperception that blind
>>>>>>>> people,
>>>>>>>> except for those few who are believed to be amazing and
>>>>>>>> extraordinary,
>>>>>>>> are
>>>>>>>> innately ignorant and helpless. They would experience the waitress
>>>>>>>> who
>>>>>>>> asks a five year old what the blind adult wants to drink. They would
>>>>>>>> encounter the librarian who admonishes them for going out alone,
>>>>>>>> thus
>>>>>>>> exposing them to the hazards of opening a door. They would be
>>>>>>>> confronted
>>>>>>>> by the Employer who inquires about who will bring them to work. They
>>>>>>>> would
>>>>>>>> learn that even well educated doctors are so ignorant as to ask them
>>>>>>>> who
>>>>>>>> bathes them! Though you might want to minimize these incidents away,
>>>>>>>> they
>>>>>>>> are examples of the type of ignorance I - and other blind people -
>>>>>>>> encounter on a regular, almost daily, basis!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>          I am not asserting that eyesight is not beneficial nor that
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> work of the Foundation Fighting Blindness is not valuable. What
>>>>>>>> concerns
>>>>>>>> me is that organizations that assert they want to "serve the blind"
>>>>>>>> do
>>>>>>>> us
>>>>>>>> such a disservice by reinforcing the public misconceptions and fears
>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>> create the problems we face. I am all for raising money to cure
>>>>>>>> retinal
>>>>>>>> degenerative diseases, especially since the condition that has
>>>>>>>> caused
>>>>>>>> my
>>>>>>>> blindness, that of my 14-year-old nephew , and several other members
>>>>>>>> of my
>>>>>>>> family is retinitis Pigmentosa. I am, however, opposed to creating
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> type of fear and pity that results from blindfolding people for the
>>>>>>>> purpose of raising money! Such a practice is as offensive to me as a
>>>>>>>> black-faced minstrel would be to an African American! These
>>>>>>>> misconceptions
>>>>>>>> are the reason fewer than 10% of blind children are learning to read
>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> write Braille, producing functionally illiterate blind adults. These
>>>>>>>> fears
>>>>>>>> and misconceptions are the reason that the unemployment rate among
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> blind is more than 70%!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>          The veracity of my concerns are supported by the numerous
>>>>>>>> inaccurate statements made by the author who has bought into the
>>>>>>>> false
>>>>>>>> perceptions of the blind. Does she really believe that "other senses
>>>>>>>> are
>>>>>>>> heightened" by taking away one's sight or "; texture became
>>>>>>>> paramount"
>>>>>>>> as
>>>>>>>> the result of simulated blindness? Does she really believe that
>>>>>>>> blindfolding participants "gave all assembled a greater window into
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> world of the sightless"? Does she really believe that blind people
>>>>>>>> go
>>>>>>>> through life "bumbling" their ways around or did she just
>>>>>>>> irresponsibly
>>>>>>>> promulgate the pitiful stereotype in an effort to sell your
>>>>>>>> newspapers
>>>>>>>> like the Foundation Fighting Blindness did to sell themselves and
>>>>>>>> selfishly generate  revenue with no concern about the social
>>>>>>>> consequences
>>>>>>>> of their actions?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>          The belief that blind people are endowed with heightened
>>>>>>>> senses
>>>>>>>> and special powers is a myth. Blind people simply learn to use their
>>>>>>>> other
>>>>>>>> senses and alternative techniques to perform the tasks sighted
>>>>>>>> people
>>>>>>>> do
>>>>>>>> with eyesight. Like any skill, these techniques are generally not
>>>>>>>> acquired
>>>>>>>> in a half-hour nor mysteriously and supernaturally endowed. However,
>>>>>>>> these
>>>>>>>> skills enable blind people to function independently, efficiently,
>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> effectively. In fact, the average blind person can perform the same
>>>>>>>> tasks
>>>>>>>> as their sighted peers as well, if not better, by employing these
>>>>>>>> alternative techniques. Our blindness is not the problem. The real
>>>>>>>> problem
>>>>>>>> of blindness is the misunderstanding and lack of information that
>>>>>>>> exists.
>>>>>>>> If a blind person is given proper training and opportunity,
>>>>>>>> blindness
>>>>>>>> is
>>>>>>>> only a physical nuisance.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>          In the future, when your paper is doing a story about
>>>>>>>> blindness, it would be helpful to get accurate information and the
>>>>>>>> perspective of a blind person who is qualified to speak to these
>>>>>>>> issues by
>>>>>>>> being chosen by the blind to speak on their behalf. The National
>>>>>>>> Federation of the Blind is the oldest and largest organization of
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> blind in the United States. We are not an organization that speaks
>>>>>>>> on
>>>>>>>> behalf of the blind; we are the blind speaking for ourselves. For
>>>>>>>> accurate
>>>>>>>> information about blindness or the blind, please feel free to get in
>>>>>>>> touch
>>>>>>>> with me or visit one of our websites at
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> HTTP://WWW.NFB.ORG
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Or
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> HTTP://WWW.NFB-NAGDU.ORG
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Respectfully yours,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Marion Gwizdala, President
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> National Federation of the Blind
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 813-598-7161
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> President at NFB-NAGDU.ORG
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> blindtlk mailing list
>>>>>>>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>> blindtlk:
>>>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/gwunder%40earthlink.net
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> blindtlk mailing list
>>>>>>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>>>> blindtlk:
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>> 07:33:00
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> blindtlk mailing list
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>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>
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>>
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