[Cabs-talk] studying "the blind,"

[Darian Smith]

 slightly shifting the topic:
I pose these questions  for consideration to the list.
1. how can we   realisticly judge  intent?
2. what"makes it" our "responsibility" to educate?
3. when does education end and living our lives as the fully
functioning, desire-having, dream-seeking human beings that we are
begin?
Darian

On 10/3/10, Angela Fowler <fowlers at syix.com> wrote:
> Aziza brings up a question which I've been wrestling with off and on for
> almost a year.
> At times I receive emails from people wanting to interview a blind person as
> part of some project they are doing, or seeking information about some other
> aspect of life as a blind person. I rarely respond to such a request, as
> much as anything because I can't verify that the person making it is
> legitimate.
> 	The dilemma however, is this. If the person making the request has
> preconceived notions about blind people, and is trying to reinforce those
> notions, nothing we say or do is likely to have any effect. On the other
> hand, if the person making the request is open-minded, thoughtful, and is
> undertaking a project which is going to be seen by a wide variety of people,
> we have a good opportunity to educate.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cabs-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:cabs-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Darian Smith
> Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2010 1:39 PM
> To: California Association of Blind Students Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Cabs-talk] studying "the blind,"
>
> Aziza,
>  this is a very interesting topic, and I want to thank you for bringing it
> up.  I, like alot of us on this list  are subscribed to alot of
> blindness-related list serves and I find it  interesting that  some amungst
> the sighted public turn to  the blind as a sort of  case study hot bed.
>  This said, it is difficult to say what is the case with  the communication
> you recieved,  because only you have the ability to make
> the determination with regards to what you  have   been approached
> with.  I guess it is really a judgement call.  If you really  think that
> someone  is  taking interest in blindness  just  as a case study,  you
> obviously  don't need to assist them,  nor do you if they  seem to  have a
> good cause behind their wishing to survay-interview  you.
>   Basically, it's a subjective thing  as I personally see it.
>  respectfully,
>   Darian
>
>
> On 10/3/10, Aziza C <daydreamingncolor at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi guys,
>>
>>
>>
>> So I may be completely off based, but I will let you decide.
>>
>>
>>
>> I got a message on facebook from an individual who wants to write a
>> paper on a blind person. Personally this infuriates me. It frustrates
>> me that the only reason someone would contact me is to try and make
>> their misconceptions fit into my life so they can write their paper
>> and pretend they actually understand what its like to be blind.
>>
>>
>>
>> Now don't get me wrong, I love to inform and teach, but there is a
>> difference in sitting down and discussing blindness as a whole with
>> someone pursuing an education in disability services, or allowing
>> someone to document what kind of lives we lead, or even working with
>> children who want to learn how to develop something to help the blind
>> community. These kinds of efforts, in my opinion, are helping us.
>> However, when someone contacts me, as if I am a rare case study they
>> must speak with because I am blind, I get a little frustrated.
>>
>>
>>
>> Where does general affective curiosity cross the line into rude
>> invasion of our blindness? How do we decide who to help with projects
>> like these, and who is not really interested in blindness, but just
>> wants a good topic to bluff his/her way through with preconceived false
> notions?
>>
>>
>>
>> Aziza
>>
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>>
>
>
> --
> Darian Smith
> Skype: The_Blind_Truth
> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
> Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace
>
>
> "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are
> spiritual beings having a human experience." - Teilhard de Chardin
>
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-- 
Darian Smith
Skype: The_Blind_Truth
Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace


“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are
spiritual beings having a human experience.” - Teilhard de Chardin