[BlindTlk] Question about societal attitudes toward blindness

[Roanna Bacchus]

Hi Mike thanks for starting this discussion. This is also something that I have dealt with. I come from an Immigrant family who migrated to the United States from the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago. In Trinidad, individaus with disabilities are rarely seen by the general public. Those who are blind are taught to make baskets for there friends and family. My family is very accepting of my blindness, and I appreciate that.

  I overcome these challenges by interacting socially with family friends and continuing to put myself out there. Since most people do not know how to accommodate those with disabilities, I show members of my family how they can accommodate me. This is a stigma that society needs to get out of.

On Apr 23, 2019 6:13 AM, "Walker, Michael E. (UMSL-Student) via BlindTlk" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Good morning, 
>
> Something I have been troubled by for a long time is why society sees blind people differently from people who can see. For example, I often find that when the topic of friendship or dating comes up, I still get asked questions like whether or not I have considered dating a blind person. It tells me that society still has a ways to go in learning that blindness is an inconvenience rather than something that defines us. We like to participate in the same venues as everyone else, without being seen differently. How do we overcome these challenges? The only thing I know to do is to keep doing what I’m doing: putting myself out there and meeting people. What do you guys do to overcome these challenges? How do you feel about being seen differently because you’re blind? 
>
> Thank you, 
> Mike 
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