[Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors
Chris Nusbaum
dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
Thu Feb 23 13:08:14 UTC 2012
Hi Desiree,
One more thing; we in the NFB aren't saying that blindness is a
mere physical nuisance for everyone, and for the whole time
you're blind. We are, instead, saying that, to quote part of Dr.
Jernigan's famous line from Blindness: Concepts and
Misconceptions, "If a blind person has * proper training * and *
opportunity, * blindness can be reduced to a mere physical
nuisance." Unfortunately, however, not every blind person gets
the training and/or the opportunity they need for their blindness
to become but a mere physical nuisance. The reason, in my
opinion, that blindness is more than a physical nuisance to you
is because you're not getting enough opportunity. This isn't
your fault; rather, it's your parents' restrictions on you (even
though you're over 18) based on their ignorance about blindness.
I haven't had any experiences like this, so I'm sorry that I
can't give you any advice on how to deal with your parents in
this matter. But I just want to say that I don't think it's the
physical condition of blindness that's making it seem like such a
problem; it's the restrictions placed on you by your parents
based on their misconceptions about blindness.
Chris
Chris Nusbaum
Email and Google Talk/Keychat (on the BrailleNote) ID:
dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
Skype: christpher.nusbaum3 or search for Chris Nusbaum
"The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The
real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that
exists. If a blind person has the proper training and
opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a mere physical
nuisance."
-- Kenneth Jernigan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com
To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:58:31 -0800
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina
Doctors
Desiree:
Again, is it the blindness that's causing you problems or the
constraints
you and your parents put upon yourself, ostensibly because of
your
blindness? Put another way, were you to live in a city with good
transportation, blindness wouldn't be nearly the obstacle you
find it in
your current living situation.
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Desiree Oudinot
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 7:29 PM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina
Doctors
Hi,
I, too, have been blind all my life, and like you, I live in a
rural
area as well. It's downright debilitating, not to mention
degrading,
to have to rely on others for transportation, any form of
transportation, to accomplish the most basic of tasks that
sighted
people take for granted. I'm 22 years old, and still live with
my
parents because of this problem; I can't go apartment hunting,
because
they don't approve of me moving out. I have few friends, because
the
friends I do have, they don't approve of due to racial
differences and
the fact one was a former boyfriend, so in their eyes I should
hate
him. A young person likes to drink and party at least a little
bit,
and yet the only people I can ask to take me to a liquor store,
are,
guess who, my parents. Yet what parent wants to deal with the
reality
of their daughter being grown up? So, I don't drag them into that
aspect of my life.
I live by the Bible for the most part. One of the ten
commandments, as
you all well should know, is honor thy father and mother. So, as
long
as I live under their roof, I abide by their rules. I'm not
going to
hell for making waves when they obviously are paying for the gas,
the
car insurance, and the general maintence of the car.
I honestly can't believe I just spoke out about that on an email
list,
and I would sincerely appreciate it if this is being used for a
study,
my name be left out of it. But I'm nearly at a breaking point.
This
isn't just about a lack of socialization either. Even tasks that
sighted people complain about, like grocery shopping, I would
take
pride in doing on my own. I would be able to say I did that, and
I
didn't have to be a burden to anyone. I didn't have to be an
object,
yes, an object, to be pitied and belittled and spit upon. I
would give
anything to have a job, even a low-paying one such as a cashier,
if it
meant I didn't have to go to college. I abhor the idea of going
to
college, in fact. I can't see suffering at the hands of ignorant
people who live to torment someone who's different to somehow
inflate
their already bloated egos. That's another thing about living in
a
rural area, people are ignorant. Besides, I have no idea what I
would
want to do, and drifting aimlessly through college for 4 years,
being
taught things the government deems acceptable, is beyond stupid.
So, I
would love the idea of doing a cashier's job, or something
similar,
but alas, a lack of sight prevents this. I also realize that
nothing
in this response falls in line at all with NFB philosophy, so
after I
send this message, I'm going to unsubscribe from the list, and
this
can be a big fuck you to all you radicals that say blindness is
but a
mere nuisance. It's been more than that to me. Not being able
to drive
a car has plummeted me into severe depression, has alienated me
from
society, and stunted my growth and freedom.
On 2/20/12, Mark J. Cadigan <kramc11 at gmail.com> wrote:
Michelle
I would agree that not being able to drive a car when you live
in an area
with no public transportation is a hindrance. Have you ever
considered
relocating to an area with public transportation? I know that
that is a
logistical nightmare and nearly impossible in some situations,
but getting
there, is well worth it.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michelle Medina" <michellem86 at gmail.com
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 9:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be
Retina Doctors
Johanna,
First off, allow me to say that I was born without eyes and
therefore
have never had eyesight. However, if you will accept my word
for what
it's worth, the story goes that you 'can't miss what you do not
have'.
I'd venture to say at least partially that this is a falsehood.
I live in a rural area and am unable to drive a car. Most
people
think: "So what. You can't drive a car, big deal."
What they think and sometimes say is NOT how I feel. I feel
like it's
a huge deal. There is no transportation *no buses and noone
available
to drive me somewhere to catch a bus* even that isn't the route
of it
though.
My best friend is also legally blind though she does have some
sight.
We used to sit in what would have been her car on her sixteenth
birthday if she would have been able to get her license and
crank the
stereo in the dead of summer with the windows down just to
imagine the
feeling of freedom, the roadtrips we would take, the growing up
we
would have done over the course of a spring break or a summer
spent
roadtripping around the country.
Ovbiously, as blind individuals we can still do this, however,
to me
it is the 'absolute freedom' of getting up and leaving exactly
when I
Desire to versus waiting for someone else. It is the 'absolute
freedom' of walking into my parents room and saying: "I'm going
to
visit Elias now, I'll be back in a couple of hours!" versus
waiting
for one of them to drop me off. It's getting out of the car and
walking into Walmart and reading the labels on food products and
picking out what I believe to be the healthiest choice versus
going in
with a companion whose in a hurry, or waiting at the customer
service
desk for an hour and 15 minutes. *Note: our Walmart doesn't
have
shoppers as I said I'm in a rural place, and I like alot of
people
live off of SSI so don't have the money to buy a label reader*
Ultimately though, it isn't about money anyway, or even
convenience,
though I would find these things convenient, who wouldn't?
Smile.
It really boils down to the feeling I got the first time I tied
my
shoes or the first time I rode a horse by myself or the first
time I
Brailled up something without needing any help. It's that "I
can do
this!!!" feeling that I get. That feeling of as I said before,
absolute freedom and excitement that I didn't rely on anyone, I
did it
myself!! And I'm sooooo proud of myself for doing whatever thing
it
might be, ON MY OWN! There's nothing like that feeling. You
can't buy
it or have it given to you or find it in a food or pill or even
another person. You can only find it within yourself.
And if I had my eyesight and could experience the glory of a
sunset/rise, or of looking into someone's eyes and seeing
through to
the depths of their soul, or laying eyes on my baby daughter for
the
first time, or the person who would become my romantic partner I
can
only imagine the exhilaration and excitement and utter pleasure
it
would bring me.
Michelle
On 2/20/12, Johanna Baccan <24kjo at optonline.net> wrote:
To All:
I was asked by Dr. Steven Sang one of the top Retina Doctors
at
Columbia
Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, new York to speak to
Columbia
University Medical Students. He wants me to encourage them to
become
Retina
Doctors and Retina Researchers. I am a 54 year old woman and
have a
unusual form of Stargardt's Disease and have been visually
impaired for
34
years. I know that we all have mastered some if not all the
Techniques
of
Blindness. But my talk is going to be on what it would mean to
regain
my
vision and what I have missed out on for 34 years. I would like
to hear
from all of you to let me know what it would mean to you to have
or
regain
your vision. What struggles have you had. There has been a
declined in
Medical Students to become Retina Doctors and Researchers in
this
country.
As a whole the Blind Community seems to function in a way that
people
don't
realize how difficult it really is. So instead of talking how I
mastered
the Techniques of Blindness I have to talk about the reality of
vision
loss.
These students are exposed to other patients with diseases that
are much
more visible and pronounced then our vision loss. At times my
particular
eye disease has been called a Hidden handicap. Because to look
at me
even
though I use a cane I do not look visually impaired at all. Any
suggestions
or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Johanna Baccan
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m
--
Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.
~ David Whyte ~ (House of Belonging)
Sadie Marie Medina!
Original birthdate unnone.
First birthday with us: 2/15/2009
Welcome home baby!
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