[BlindTlk] You are a fall risk because you are blind

Fri Sep 1 23:35:17 UTC 2023

Hi, Jody,

No, I haven't gotten that, at this point.

In fact, the PT for my torn meniscus stated that blindness doesn't affect
my balance, as it has been a life-long condition, but thought I might have
something vistibular going on since I also have been in Covid long-haul.

His respect for you should have run up a notch when you mentioned your
martial arts expertise hahahaha.

It may either be time to shop for a new doc, or start him on an "education"
program.

Judy
sent from my Samsung Galaxy phone

On Fri, Sep 1, 2023, 4:25 PM Jody ianuzzi via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> The last time I went to see my doctor he really made me angry. He told me
> that he was concerned that I might fall because of my visual impairment.  I
> said that if I just lost my site that there would be a period of adjustment
> where I would have to learn alternative techniques to be more confident.  I
> told him that I have  been blind my entire life  I had no more chance of
> falling than he did and that since I started learning the martial arts 52
> years ago, I could probably teach him how to fall without getting hurt!
>
> Since this happened I have relayed the story to many people have told me
> that they are also considered a fall risk by medical professionals. So is
> this a new protocol? Are we all incompetent at walking without having
>
> Since this happened I have relayed the story to many people who have told
> me that they are also considered a fall risk by medical professionals. So
> is this a new protocol? Are we all incompetent at walking without having to
> worry about falling?  I think it is so much of a coincidence that I have
> heard the story from many places around the country. I think I think we
> really have to educate the medical profession as well as everyone else!
>
> JODY
>
> To Boldly Go  🖖🏻
>
>
> thunderwalker321 at gmail.com
>
> "What's within you is stronger than what's in your way."  NO BARRIERS
> Erik Weihenmayer
>
> > On Sep 1, 2023, at 6:55 PM, Raul Gallegos - NAGDU via BlindTlk <
> blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >
> > Hello Mark. That’s a new one for sure.
> >
> > On a different but slightly related note, I went on a cruise earlier
> this year.
> >
> > Upon my re-entry back onboard the ship after indulging a nice and long
> day of sun and adult beverages, the security folks wanted to check my cane
> before letting me on the ship. I politely declined and told the nice
> security person that my cane posed no threat and that I could just walk
> through the gate and that I have done this many times. He was rather
> insistent, however. So, the compromise was to let me walk through, then
> they would check the cane anyway. Considering I was tired, and a little,
> well, happy, and I didn’t want my good mood to be ruined, I let the
> security folks check my cane after I walked through. Here is where the
> funny part comes in.
> >
> > As I am standing in front of the nice security person while my cane is
> getting checked for contraband, he puts his hands under mine and tells me
> that it is all going to be okay, and I can just lean forward on him, and he
> will make sure I do not fall. I instantly figured out that he honestly
> thought my cane was for balance, not guiding. Instead of educating him
> further, I grabbed his hands and started dancing with him. We twirled
> around a few times, and as we danced, I educated him that my balance was
> better than fine, and that my cane made a great dance partner when my wife
> was not around and when my cane wasn’t doing its real job of guiding me.
> >
> > In the end, it was a funny time, and hopefully, this nice security
> cruise ship person received a little education in a positive way.
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Raul Gallegos
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > From: nFB-Talk <nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Mark Tardif
> via nFB-Talk
> > Sent: Friday, September 1, 2023 5:25 PM
> > To: Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> > Cc: Mark Tardif <markspark at roadrunner.com>; NFB of Florida Internet
> Mailing List <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>; NFB Talk Mailing List <
> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> > Subject: [NFB-Talk] Strange Stuff
> >
> >
> >
> > Alright, friends.  I’m going to tell you something that will either
> leave you laughing or crying, and it is to demonstrate that no matter how
> well educated you are, if you are not familiar with blindness, well, you
> can still come across as, to put it politely, not the brightest light in
> the room.  The other day I saw a doctor I had never met before.  He had
> never spoken with someone who was born blind, and I suspect he had never
> spoken with any blind person.  Anyway, he saw my long white cane and, get
> this, asked if this was my “eye stick.”  Yes, that was the term he actually
> used, “eye stick.”  I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to just moan with
> sadness, but one does need to remember manners in this situation, so I told
> him that we call it a long white cane and told him what it was for.  He
> actually asked a number of good questions about blindness, which I thought
> was good, but it was clear that he needed much educating.  He seemed
> surprised I can actually walk around town independently.  I guess we have a
> lot of work to do, still, to put it mildly.  Also, I must say that while
> people up here are often extremely nice and courteous, they seem to pride
> themselves on being quite insular, even more than the rest of Maine, which
> is my state incidentally.  I say that because along with the term “eye
> stick,” I’ve often heard some very strange and, frankly, primitive ideas
> that I won’t actually go into here, but I do often think that holds us back
> in a lot of ways.  Anyway, I just thought I would share that bit of
> strangeness.
> >
> > Mark Tardif
> > Nuclear arms will not hold you.
> >
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