[Blindtlk] Use of the Term Visually Impaired

[Steve Jacobson]

Wow, I've always felt that the phrase "It's respectable to be Blind" was one of the more powerful phrases that we use.  I think, 
though, that it is more of a statement for ourselves than for the general public, although I don't think it hurts the general 
public to hear it either.  In my mind, the point isn't that blindness should in and of itself generate respect, but rather the 
point is to counter the varying types of disrespect that blindness seems to generate in society as a whole.  Many of us try to 
hide our blindness for example.  Much of the public assumes that if we are blind we need to be treated as children.  While I 
understand that the individual needs to be taken into account as well, I don't see the conflict between saying that it is 
respectable to be blind and that you deserve respect as an individual.  To some degree, though, I think that respect has to be 
earned whether as a blind person or as an individual.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 09:20:32 -0400, justin williams wrote:

>I never liked the phrase, it's respectable to be blind; rather, I simply
>deserve respect for being me.  

>-----Original Message-----
>From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bob Hachey
>Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 7:44 AM
>To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Use of the Term Visually Impaired

>Hi Robin,
>I wholeheartedly agree with you that blind people, especially the totally
>blind should be called blind and not visually impaired or, (gag) sight
>impaired. When I'm feeling ornery and sarcastic I respond as follows when
>someone refers to me as visually impaired. " I'm blind, totally blind;
>there's no vision here to be impaired."
>It is interesting how some folks love to focus on political correctness and
>use what they see as the right words. Yet some of these same people keep
>right on harboring those pesky negative attitudes about us that hold us
>back. Seems to me that it's a lot easier to change the words than it is to
>change the attitudes. Some say that if we change the words, that will
>automatically lead to similar changes in attitude. While I certainly don't
>want to go back to the days when we used offensive words to describe the
>blind or other groups, I am skeptical that changing the words will
>automatically lead to changes in attitudes. 
>The way I see it, those attitudes are changed one person at a time and only
>when those with the negative attitudes experience capable blind persons in
>action and in the flesh.
>When I think of how some think that the word blind is offensive, I shudder
>to think of how those same folks view the capabilities of us blind folk.
>Perhaps we should all get tattoos on us that say in big letters, "IT IS
>RESPECTIBLE TO BE BLIND!" 
>Bob Hachey 


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