[Blindtlk] touching faces

[Bob Hachey]

Hi Carly and all,
AS one who was born totally blind, it is a bit of a stretch for me to
imagine how the face has gained such importance among those of us who are
not blind, but there is no doubt that the face has a very high level of
importance among the vast majority of us humans. Being mindful of this makes
it easier for me to be patient with those who ask me to touch their faces.
My rule of thumb is to say no to those I've never met before and to say yes
to friends and other colleagues. By far the oddest situation like this I've
encountered occurred when a supervisor asked me to touch her face at our
first weekly supervisory meeting. Not wanting to offend her, I complied.
When I got to know her better, I asked her why she made the initial request.
She said very honestly that she figured that this was how blind folks learn
to distinguish one person from another. I replied that I'd have a far better
chance of remembering people by the sound of their voice rather than by the
touch of a face. 
Anyone wanting to lose money may feel free to bet on my ability to recognize
others by the touch of the face! LOL.
AS with many aspects of being blind, there is a lot of ignorance out there
and much of it is innocent. Though it is not easy on some days, I try in
most circumstances to give those asking questions the benefit of the doubt.
IF I could change one thing about what sighted folks do when they approach
us it would be this. Please speak or ask before touching and never grab a
blind person without talking unless you're saving him or her from immediate
danger.
Bob Hachey