[Blindtlk] Use of the Term Visually Impaired

Sun Jun 23 00:52:15 UTC 2013

Good afternoon, Mark,

Agreed! Have you not visual perception, at all? What then, could b 
characterized as impaired? When used to describe folk like you, or I, 
as well as many, many others on this here list,  it's plain inaccurate!
People ought be called whatever makes them feel comfortable. I don't 
feel comfortable with a term like "vision impaired" Last I checked, 
my vision is not impaired. Do they have a box called vision 
nonexistent? I believe myself amazingly suited for such a box.
Car35 PM 6/22/2013, kelby carlson wrote:
>I refer to myself as blind, because I have no vision whatsoever. I'm
>not pushing that everyone should adopt "visually impaired"
>language--just arguing that for those with functional vision who don't
>necessarily fall into the "functionally blind" category, it's a useful
>descriptor.
>
>
>
>On 6/22/13, Mark Tardif <markspark at roadrunner.com> wrote:
> > Indeed, I think you are right.  My thinking is this:  if you choose to use
> > words like "visually impaired" or "visually challenged," I am not going to
> > bludgeon you into using "blind."  However, I do think a step toward
> > integration is to recognize that there is absolutely no shame in 
> being blind
> >
> > and in referring to oneself in that way.  I also think we might 
> gently point
> >
> > out to our sighted friends that they need not tiptoe around it by using
> > terms like "sightless."  I am blind.  I am also fat, energetic, fair
> > complexioned, assertive, empathetic, left-wing, and plenty of other
> > characteristics.  If we really believe that it is respectable to be blind,
> > than I think we need to be examples of that in how we talk and what we do.
> > The more we do not shy away from words like "blind, I think we will
> > ultimately make our friends more comfortable.  Just my opinion.
> >
> > Mark Tardif
> > Nuclear arms will not hold you.
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Paul Wick
> > Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2013 2:57 PM
> > To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> > Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Use of the Term Visually Impaired
> >
> > I know people get all in a tizzy when you make an analogy to
> > race/ethnicity, but here goes:
> >
> > In the 19th century black people were classified as Octoroon (1/8th
> > African-American ancestry) Quadroon (1/4th) etc. as these labels had
> > both social and legal significance. It was in a black person's
> > interest to minimize just how black they were.
> >
> > I think there is a tendency among many people with vision loss to
> > minimize just how blind they are.
> >
> > Black people are proud to be black, but I get the impression that many
> > people (not all) label themselves as visually impaired because they
> > are less than proud to be blind.
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Paul
> >
> > On 6/21/13, Danielle Antoine <singingmywayin at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Amen Sister Karly!
> >>
> >> On 6/22/13, Carly Mihalakis <carlymih at comcast.net> wrote:
> >>> Hi, Laz,
> >>>
> >>> Good point. Only way someone embodyies "ugly" is by their actions,
> >>> self-serving, erogant, hateful. Those charicturistics are not seen
> >>> ocularly.
> >>> Carly/21/2013, Laz Mesa wrote:
> >>>>I myself am totally blind and resist being labeled visually impaired.
> >>>>I do however wish to point out that the term visually impaired has a
> >>>>negative connotation that the person is visually unacceptable in some
> >>>>way, as in ugly. This was pointed out to me by an Australian friend.
> >>>>For that reason, I choose to use the term vision impaired instead. Of
> >>>>course if the person is butt-ugly, then I guess the term visually
> >>>>impaired might be acceptable. (just kidding) But I'll tell you what,
> >>>>since I lost my eyesight, I haven't run into one ugly person. Everyone
> >>>>I come across is beautiful to me, unless their behaviour or actions
> >>>>make them ugly.
> >>>>
> >>>>All the best,
> >>>>
> >>>>Laz
> >>>>
> >>>>-----Original Message-----
> >>>>From: Kelby Carlson
> >>>>Sent: Friday, June 21, 2013 3:24 PM
> >>>>To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> >>>>Subject: [Blindtlk] Use of the Term Visually Impaired
> >>>>
> >>>>Hi everybody!
> >>>>
> >>>>So, since I'm not aware of any incendiary debates flaring up
> >>>>around here recently, I thought I'd bring up something I read
> >>>>recently that I found utterly baffling.  This was on a blog
> >>>>thread about proper etiquette around people with disabilities.
> >>>>Towards the end, a discussion of language appropriateness came
> >>>>up, and someone said that "visually impaired" was an unacceptable
> >>>>term that should not be used.  Instead, one should say "with a
> >>>>visual impairment." I have heard similar things regaring the
> >>>>phrasing of a "blind person" versus "a person with blindness",
> >>>>but this was especially perplexing because I can't recall ever
> >>>>meeting someone in my entire life who was opposed to the term
> >>>>"visually impaired", at least when it was used to describe
> >>>>someone who had some functional vision.  I don't have strong
> >>>>feelings either way, but I would actually lean more to towards
> >>>>preferring visually impaired than "partially sighted", though I
> >>>>think neither one is more linguistically accurate than the other.
> >>>>
> >>>>I have encountered the issue of language surrounding disability
> >>>>many times, and it's always been a bit strange-don't we, as blind
> >>>>people (among other people with various kinds of disabilities)
> >>>>have higher priorities on our lists of "things to fix in the
> >>>>world"? These are just my thoughts on the matter.
> >>>>
> >>>>Kelby S.  Carlson
> >>>>
> >>>>--
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> >>>>
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> >>>>Facebook: facebook.com/laz.mesa
> >>>>
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> >>>
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> >>
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> >
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> > -----
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