[BlindTlk] Question about societal attitudes toward blindness

Wed Apr 24 10:16:21 UTC 2019

You're not working like everyone else.  Employment demographics for the
working-aged blind population are horrid.  You're working like far fewer
than you may know.

On Wed, 24 Apr 2019, Walker, Michael E. (UMSL-Student) via BlindTlk wrote:

> Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2019 05:56:13
> From: "Walker, Michael E. (UMSL-Student) via BlindTlk" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: "Walker, Michael E. (UMSL-Student)" <mewx8b at mail.umsl.edu>
> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] Question about societal attitudes toward blindness
>
> Thank you all for your responses on this. I hadn?t spent a lot of time thinking about there being a few of us compared to people who can see. It would make sense, then, that it?s constantly a cat and mouse game. New people are born, don?t get exposed to blind people, so blind people keep putting their selves out there. It sounds like it?s just a fact of life. It also reminds me that I?m on the right track, because I?m working like everyone else. I do agree with the point though that it can become a problem if your boss has stereotypes about it.
>
> > On Apr 23, 2019, at 2:14 PM, Judy Jones via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >
> > Very well put.  I think the reason we are constantly educating, whether we like it or not, is that there are so few of us in proportion to society, and with each generation, a new crop of people arise that still need educating.
> >
> > When I have spoken at schools, in particular, I tell the kids that they are going to be tomorrows parents, employers, and leaders in society, and how important it is they understand about blindness, what it is, and what it isn't.
> >
> > Judy
> > ?Embrace the day with its mercies and blessings.?
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: BlindTlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mark Tardif via BlindTlk
> > Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2019 10:21 AM
> > To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> > Cc: Mark Tardif
> > Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] Question about societal attitudes toward blindness
> >
> > Three words, education, education and more education.  It will probably be a
> > lifetime process for you.  It can be frustrating at times because you would
> > think we would have made much more progress in this area by now.  I think
> > putting yourself out there and just meeting people and engaging them is an
> > excellent start.  Most people never expect to meet a blind person so it's
> > easy to understand the lack of education among the public regarding
> > blindness and the fact that blindness is a characteristic, but it is not
> > what defines us.
> >
> >
> >
> > Mark Tardif
> > Nuclear arms will not hold you.
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Walker, Michael E. (UMSL-Student) via BlindTlk
> > Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2019 6:13 AM
> > To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> > Cc: Walker, Michael E. (UMSL-Student)
> > Subject: [BlindTlk] Question about societal attitudes toward blindness
> >
> > 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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