[blparent] Can blind people adopt?

Fri May 29 20:19:32 UTC 2015

Thank you so much for this, Steve. I appreciate your insights as always.

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Steve
Jacobson via blparent
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2015 1:44 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Cc: Steve Jacobson
Subject: Re: [blparent] Can blind people adopt?

Sharon,

The point I was trying to make is that one needs to try to be aware of the
situation for blind people within the culture from which you are adopting if
you are dealing directly with an agency within that country.  If one's goal
is to adopt a child, one may need to play the game so to speak and emphasize
the vision one has if one has some remaining vision.  As a simple example,
in a country where many people do not drive because being able to afford a
car is not common, not having enough vision to drive is not going to be all
that significant.  If those who are totally blind in that country are not
able to function independently through lack of training or services, there
may be an even more significant bias attached to the word blind.  This kind
of goes against our way of thinking where we recognize that we have more in
common because of our blindness than differences from different levels of
vision.  If one is blind, one may want to be sure that in pictures sent to
the agency one appears particularly active.  For example, for one of our
adoptions, I had a picture taken of me standing on the very peak of the roof
of our house with my arms extended working on a television antenna.  My
guess is that they assumed I had some vision to be doing that, but I never
said I had vision since I don't have any at all.  At the very least, I
probably challenged the image they had of what a blind person does.  Making
sure it is apparent that one can do normal household chores is important,
even more important than exactly how they are done.  Pictures scrubbing and
working on a hot stove to show that it is something one does is important.
If I had some vision, I would not be afraid to mention it even if I would
downplay it here in order to ease their minds about allowing me to adopt.  

Someone mentioned in another note that a foreign adoption is easier in some
ways than adopting within the United States.  From what I've heard, that is
true sometimes, but some foreign adoptions are channeled through local
agencies so a foreign adoption does not always mean avoiding local agencies.
Some countries will require a home study from a local agency, for example.  

In the above, I used the expression "Playing the game."  One has to go into
the adoption process with a clear idea of what one wants.  It is a system
that is very hard to change if your goal is to adopt.  Much of the
judgements made as to what constitutes a good match is very subjective.
What we think of as discrimination would be very difficult to prove even if
it is true.  Not getting along with an adoption worker could mean that you
simply don't get good referrals.  Therefore, one needs to do one's best to
educate and remain patient.  The fact that you might be asked questions that
are unfair or that show extreme ignorance is just not relevant if the goal
is a successful adoption.  One might need to be sure that someone is
available to listen to one's frustrations, though.  <smile>

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Fri, 29 May 2015 09:07:42 -0500, Sharon Howerton via blparent wrote:

>Steve, I wonder how one would learn how a given country views blindness 
>or visual impairment. Much appreciated-interesting thought.
>Sharon

>-----Original Message-----
>From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Steve 
>Jacobson via blparent
>Sent: Friday, May 29, 2015 8:47 AM
>To: Blind Parents Mailing List
>Cc: Steve Jacobson
>Subject: Re: [blparent] Can blind people adopt?

>First, I'm not a lawyer, but the definition of such things as being 
>legally blind are US laws and such a definition may have differing 
>levels of relevance in other countries.  In the past, it has been my 
>impression that having reasonable residual vision will be more 
>important than whether one meets the definition of blindness in some 
>countries.  If one adopts from a particular country, getting an 
>understanding of whether one is going to be seen as blind by that 
>country might be helpful.  It could be that having some vision may cause
one's legal blindness to not be all that important.
>One would not want to emphasize one's lack of vision when trying to 
>explain how one would do certain tasks if the country involved doesn't 
>see you as blind to begin with.

>Best regards,

>Steve Jacobson
>  
>On Thu, 28 May 2015 18:04:52 -0400, Star Gazer via blparent wrote:

>>				Steve, can you explain? What would a
>differing definition of "blind
>>person" mean in some other country?

>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Steve 
>>Jacobson via blparent
>>Sent: Saturday, May 23, 2015 11:50 AM
>>To: Blind Parents Mailing List
>>Cc: Steve Jacobson
>>Subject: Re: [blparent] Can blind people adopt?

>>Alana,

>>The answer to your question as to whether blind people can adopt is "yes,"
>>but of course it is not as simple as that.  To my knowledge, it is 
>>pretty rare that a country has an official position against blind 
>>people adopting, and even if that is the case, the definition of 
>>"blind" may not be what we commonly think of here.  Even if a country 
>>says it does not permit blind people to adopt, it may not mean that an 
>>adoption agency in this country might not be able to make it happen.  
>>In recent years, some of the countries who have traditionally been 
>>sources of adoptions have tightened up their policies.  As I understand 
>>it, both Russia and China have tighter policies now than they did some 
>>time back, but not just regarding blind people but foreign adoptions in
>general.

>>The larger issue is simply whether an adoption agency will consider 
>>allowing one to adopt as a blind person.  If one partner in a 
>>relationship has vision, it is usually easier, but blind couples can 
>>definitely adopt children.  One needs to be persistent and patient.  
>>Not all of the questions that one is asked are intended to prevent one 
>>from adopting.  Social workers who work with adoption generally do not 
>>know how blind people carry out parenting and the most open social 
>>workers will ask many questions just to understand.  Certainly there is 
>>discrimination in adoption, but usually taking the time to fight such 
>>discrimination legally will mean you won't be able to adopt so most of us
>who have adopted children did not go that route.

>>There are many blind people who have adopted kids both from within the 
>>United States and from other foreign countries, and I believe a number 
>>of people on this list have adopted.  Both of my kids came from Korea 
>>some twenty years or more ago.

>>I hope this addresses your question.

>>Best regards,

>>Steve Jacobson

>>On Sat, 23 May 2015 00:12:09 -0700, Alana Leonhardy via blparent wrote:

>>>Hello. I'm curious which, if any, countries blind people can adopt 
>>>children
>>from? I know China doesn't allow it, although they do permit deaf 
>>people to do so.

>>>Sent from my iPhone
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