[blparent] Teaching society about blindness

Wed Mar 7 16:55:14 UTC 2012

I don't care  what tools someone uses or doesn't use. What really ticked me off about that email was the going on about education and then saying "I still have enough vision to use a knife" implying that once it's gone, her kinife using days are over.
Not cool when one claims to be an educator.

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 11:43 AM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] Teaching society about blindness

I picked up on the knife thing, too.  It's probably scary to think about
using sharp knives with no vision if you've gotten accustomed to doing it
sighted.  Actually, a sharp knife is safer than a duller one because you're
less likely to cut yourself with it.  You can also get knives with guides on
them so that you can cut straight slices without putting your fingers near
the blade.  The one I used to have, and really liked, was called the Magna
Wonder Knife, and I got it from one of those catalogs of independent living
aids.  It broke, and I haven't been able to find it again, but I bought a
SliceOMatic, maybe you've seen it on TV.  It's wonderful.  You just put a
potato or whatever you want to cut in the top, press it down, and move the
handle.  Bingo!  Perfect slices end up in the tray at the bottom.  Hopefully
those are some ideas.

Jo Elizabeth

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young,
compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of
the weak and the strong.  Because someday in life you will have been all of
these."--George Washington Carver, 1864-1943, American scientist

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 9:21 AM
To: "'Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Teaching society about blindness

> Yup, I picked up on that too and my first response was the three letter
> response.
> Thank you for showing us your own biases. Let's hear it for education
> folks.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Jennifer Jackson
> Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 10:15 AM
> To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Teaching society about blindness
>
> "I still have just enough sight to be able to use sharp knives"
>
> Your own biases are showing here. :) You have made some good points in
> this
> post and I hope you do not think this is the only thing I have taken from
> your response. It is just that I have been totally blind since 1987 and I
> use knives regularly. Depending on how much vision you have, you may find
> that you are able to move faster with a knife if you give up trying to use
> your vision for the task.
>
>
> Jennifer
> "I still have just enough sight to be able to use sharp knives"
>
> Your own biases are showing here. :) You have made some good points in
> this
> post and I hope you do not think this is the only thing I have taken from
> your response. It is just that I have been totally blind since 1987 and I
> use knives regularly. Depending on how much vision you have, you may find
> that you are able to move faster with a knife if you give up trying to use
> your vision for the task.
>
>
> Jennifer
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Tay Laurie
> Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2012 8:15 AM
> To: Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Teaching society about blindness
>
> Usually, I don't mention my blindness unless it's asked about,. It's not a
> sticking my head in the sand approach, it's the same attitude I adopted
> with
>
> my wheelchair and other things. I see my disabilities as inconveniences,
> not
>
> a hindrance. Ok, I may never be able to drive or run a mile for a while,
> if
> ever, but that's ok. There are other ways of getting around.
> If asked how I do such and such, i.e "How do you maneuver around the
> house?"
>
> I answer in a similar vein to, "Well, how do you?" IF the person says "I
> walk", I say, then I wheel, or if it's a very short distance, I walk. I
> know
>
> where corners are, and unless there's a stray piece of laundry, my
> husband's
>
> foot, etc in the way, I can usually do it relatively well. I've learned
> how
> to open doors and back up, using the chair's pull as the strength to open
> doors if I can't. I also know how to operate my chair, i.e folding
> footrests
>
> in or tucking arms in, to keep it tight enough to fit through the doroway.
> And I still have just enough sight to be able to use sharp knives, and
> I've
> only cut myself once, in the ten years I've done cooking.
>
> I don't say this to brag, but I'm trying to point out that some of the
> more
> obvious questions come from someone who may not have logically thought
> about
>
> the issues. I had someone in the third grade ask if my eyes were clear. I
> made sure they were opened, turned to her and asked, "Well, do they look
> clear to you?" Because I wanted her to think about what she'd asked. I
> know
> some folks's eyes lose colour or look damaged, but save for the size being
> mismatched, mine don't. I try to teach people to think, not to ask stupid
> questions.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Eileen Levin" <eileenlevin at comcast.net>
> To: "'Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2012 6:30 AM
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Teaching society about blindness
>
>
>>" When I run into females, even blind parents, I often break the ice with
>> what I call a "conversation starter."  For people I meet, I tell them
>> about
>> my blindness after I introduce myself.  "
>>
>> Dear Eric,
>> First, I have no idea why you single out females for this approach. From
>> a
>> female perspective,  that's a bit weird!
>>
>> Second, being passionate about something can be very constructive. It
>> also
>> indicates a certain amount of need to deal with the subject one is
>> passionate about. I'll be the first to admit that I am still dealing with
>> my
>> blindness. However, when I meet people I want them to understand that my
>> life is not consumed by blindness. I'm blind. Blindness has forced me to
>> adjust and change so that I can provide for my family and parent my
>> children. However, when I'm talking with other parents I want to talk
>> about
>> our kids, current events, normal stuff that the average person likes to
>> chat
>> about. If blindness happens to make it's way into the conversation I'm OK
>> with explaining how I cope with this or that. People who confide in me
>> say
>> that I don't seem blind, which is silly since my eyes look damaged and I
>> very much need a dog or cane to stay safe!  One thing I have noticed over
>> the years is that the folks most likely to talk to me already have
>> someone
>> in the family with some kind of issue beyond the scope of "normal". It's
>> not
>> the first thing they talk about. I usually discover the fact aftger
>> knowing
>> them for quite some time.  Sometimes they want to know why their loved
>> one
>> doesn't come across as capable as I do. I do my best to find out the
>> facts.
>> Generally the loved  one is newly blinded or having medical problems that
>> consume all of their energy leaving very little space for adapting to
>> blindness.   I also let them know that I had years of mobility and other
>> adaptvie techniques training which really helps.
>>
>>
>> Have fun educating the world about blindness. I would also encourage you
>> to
>> try a conversation that is blindness free. The results may surprise you.
>> Have a great day,
>> Eileen
>>
>>
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>
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