[blparent] Teaching society about blindness

Wed Mar 7 18:28:57 UTC 2012

my appologies. sometimes I'm bad at wording things.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
To: "'Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 11:04 AM
Subject: Re: [blparent] Teaching society about blindness


> right but you didn't convey that in your email, you conveyed quite the 
> oppisite.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf Of Tay Laurie
> Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 12:47 PM
> To: Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Teaching society about blindness
>
> I didn't intend it to sound like that. I've lost what vision I'll likely
> lose, but I don't have enough to use a knife with it, not without being an
> inch or so away. So I do it by feel. And if I do lose the rest of it, it's
> no more difficult, imho.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
> To: "'Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 9:55 AM
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Teaching society about blindness
>
>
>>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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>>
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>
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