[Cabs-talk] studying "the blind,"

Angela Fowler fowlers at syix.com
Mon Oct 4 03:48:31 UTC 2010 

These are sensitive issues, however to create a better world they need to be
addressed. I appreciate Darien's willingness to share his perspective, and
the respect he has shown me as my experience differs from his and does not
reflect the greater picture as I have not had to deal with racial
discrimination personally. 
I invite anyone who feels comfortable doing so to share there thoughts on
these issues, with the understanding that we all come from different places,
and everyone is entitled to the respect which Darien has shown me.  

-----Original Message-----
From: cabs-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:cabs-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Aziza C
Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2010 8:26 PM
To: 'California Association of Blind Students Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Cabs-talk] studying "the blind,"

It's the Darian Angela and Aziza show, with our special guest Mike!

-----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 9:16 PM
To: California Association of Blind Students Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Cabs-talk] studying "the blind,"

I want to say so, but I'm  really torn there- especially having  been a
"victum"  of both miss-treatments of society.
....
 Gosh we  need more  people to comment on this list serve!!!
 *smile*

On 10/3/10, Aziza C <daydreamingncolor at gmail.com> wrote:
> I think its fundamentally the same thing though, just in more detail 
> for blind people... *shrugs* Maybe I'm wrong.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cabs-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org 
> [mailto:cabs-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On
> Behalf Of Angela Fowler
> Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2010 8:38 PM
> To: 'California Association of Blind Students Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [Cabs-talk] studying "the blind,"
>
> There is a crucial difference here. While foolish stereotypes exist, 
> it is not perceived by many thinking people, or I have not seen it, 
> that gender
or
> skin color effects one's ability to cross a street, cook a meal, or do 
> countless other simple tasks. The ability of blind people to do these
things
> is questioned daily. Therein lies our need 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 7:28 PM
> To: California Association of Blind Students Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Cabs-talk] studying "the blind,"
>
> You will not get an arguement from me there.  But what i respectfully
submit
> for consideration is this:
>  People of different skin colors/ethnic backgrounds  likely don't feel
like
> they must educate, that it is their responsibility to change the
perceptions
> of  the community  around them all by themselves and or all of the time.
>  Is this the  expectation that any blind person must have? that  it is 
> a birth right/responsibility to educate?
>  Best,
>   Darian
>
>
> On 10/3/10, Aziza C <daydreamingncolor at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Women and people of various skin colors and backgrounds may not have 
>> to assert themselves now, however they did. Every minority has or 
>> will go through its own revolution. And, some would argue that women, 
>> and people of various races still do have to assert themselves. I 
>> would certainly say that as a female and a Hispanic one at that I 
>> must assert myself and prove myself to others. Just because women are 
>> mor accepted in everyday society as contributing members nowadays, 
>> doesn't mean the fight is over, and this can be said for all groups. 
>> Just a
> thought.
>>
>> -----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 6:54 PM
>> To: California Association of Blind Students Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [Cabs-talk] studying "the blind,"
>>
>> I did say that I was shifting things.
>>  Does a woman, a Latino/   african- american
>>  have to explain  that they have just the same likelyhood to  be 
>> successful that their male or white peers?
>>   that their skin color, or the way they speak  does not determine 
>> their intelligence?
>>   does stopping  to  explain ourselves in fact add  more attention to 
>> ourselves? I think there is something to the  idea that we have a
>> responsibility   to educate, but I  am not  going to go around
>> expecting the next blind person  to do what I may be willing to do. I 
>> think it's important to realize an  important fact: we are a 
>> minority, and speaking as a minority, I understand the ways  people 
>> look at me, but I am not  going to always look to change how a person
looks at me.
>>  If I do   try to  change everyone, or even a majority  of people's
>> views about  that minority group that I belong to, I'm probably not 
>> taking the time to enjoy life and I'm possibly  thinking too much of 
>> myself as some  sort of champion of a cause that has long been in 
>> affect before I am born and  probably  will be around long after I'm 
>> gone.
>>  personally, do I educate? yes, I do.  But, I don't go out of my way
>> to do it when I'm not having the   paitionce to do it.  and I do it
>> because I want to.
>>  So, to bring it back to
>> Aziza post 1:  If in my judgement
>>  it's worth my time to do it, then I'll do it.  What that means to a 
>> person is subjective.
>>
>> respectfully,
>> Darian
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 10/3/10, Aziza C <daydreamingncolor at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Darian is a silent commentator? *looks disbelieving* lol
>>>
>>> -----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 6:16 PM
>>> To: California Association of Blind Students Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [Cabs-talk] studying "the blind,"
>>>
>>> On 10/3/10, Aziza C <daydreamingncolor at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Judgement defines intent. You can tell a lot about someone on how 
>>>> they approach you. I think. If someone is truly interested in 
>>>> blindness it is noticeable.
>>>>
>>>> If it isn't our responsibility to educate, who's is it? It may not 
>>>> be by default ours, but we have taken it on for the entire blind 
>>>> community, and tend to pass it on with what we've learned about the 
>>>> responsibility to
>>> those
>>>> blind people we meet.
>>>>
>>>> Not really sure how to respond to the third.
>>>> AC
>>>>
>>>> -----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 5:53 PM
>>>> To: fowlers at syix.com; California Association of Blind Students 
>>>> Mailing
>>> List
>>>> Subject: Re: [Cabs-talk] studying "the blind,"
>>>>
>>>>  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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>>>>>> n
>>>>>> fb%4
>>>>>> 0gmail.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> 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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>> yix.co
>>>>> m
>>>>>
>>>>>
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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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>> g
>> ncolor
>>>> %40gmail.com
>>>>
>>>>
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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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>>>
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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
>
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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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