[Faith-talk] The proper introduction to blindness.
Rob Kaiser
rcubfank at live.com
Mon Dec 16 23:24:11 UTC 2013
I also understand the situation. I had been independent most of my life. I
had a caregiver who was taking care of me do to other health issues. I use
to blame her for the fact that I lost a lot of my independence. I realize
now that I let her do it. I am slowly regaining my independence back by
using peratransit and going to doctor's appointments on mh own. It has taken
some time to do this, but it is possible to regain independence.
-----Original Message-----
From: Faith-talk [mailto:faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Poppa
Bear
Sent: Monday, December 16, 2013 2:53 PM
To: Faith-talk, for the discussion of faith and religion
Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] The proper introduction to blindness.
I have found that many more people offer me assistance than not, and that
through gentle instructions they can usually do a very fine job. I have been
imbarrased at times because the kindness I have been shown by strangers. I
didn't receive training until ten years after my blindness, so I know both
sides of that coin, but at 15 I used to walk around my neighborhood without
a cane or anything. From growing up there I could get all around, this was a
neighborhood of about 75 blocks or so. I have had alot of Angels watching
over me my whole life I believe.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Snow White Dove" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
To: "Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion"
<faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, December 16, 2013 1:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] The proper introduction to blindness.
I agree with you, most of them just give you directions from where they sit
or stand.
If they give you the right directions, then great, you have some idea where
to go.
If not, you find someone else along the wrong path who will lead you in
words or actions to your desired location.
Even if you get a bunch of wrong answers, sometimes you can make a good
impression just by showing that you are trying to be as independent as
possible.
I will not mention that group as people would get angry with me.
Anyway, I forgot to ask, I sent a message with a forward to youtube links.
I'm sorry I didn't put a better subject on it.
I hope if you deleted it that you can find it again.
I am singing both Breath of Heaven, and O Holy Night on youtube.
It's hard to search for since I didn't put it up there I have no control of
it.
If anyone would like me to resent the links, please write me off list.
Jenny
On Dec 16, 2013, at 6:26 AM, Kirt <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
> Jenny,
> I mostly agree with you and, as an active and proud Federationist, I
> really have no idea what organization you might be referring to
> because it's certainly not one I'm familiar with. Asking questions and
> getting directions is something I do all the time and I would agree
> it's absolutely invaluable. The only caveat I would include hear is
> that, for me at least, asking questions and getting information from
> people rarely involves having them go out of their way and take me
> where I want to go, though a lot of that is personal preference more than
anything else.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Dec 15, 2013, at 6:44 PM, Snow White Dove <jlperdue3 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I find that the ability to ask questions of people while you are out
>> in unfamiliar circumstances is vital.
>>
>> My husband has only been blind for about sixteen years, and our
>> mobility training in this state is so bad that he hasn't been able to
>> get it for that long. He is not able to go anywhere by himself in
sixteen years.
>>
>> Asking questions of your surroundings, as I've told him, is the best
>> way to figure out where you are and need to be in a situation. Such
>> as getting off paratransit and finding your way into a doctor's
>> office and finding the counter for check-in.
>>
>> also, instead of not going to the grocery store himself, he can take
>> paratransit, having them drop him off at the door, and then ask
>> someone where the customer service counter is.
>>
>> It helps if you have been given decent cane travel skills, but that's
>> another thing that our state really lacks in considering the lack in
>> O&M training.
>>
>> I come from Florida where when people go blind they can get training
>> in that area pretty fast.
>>
>> It's a sad situation when the one thing I was most taught from the
>> time I was a small child by my mobility teacher is not employed by
>> blind people either by pride or for whatever reasons.
>>
>> There are organizations which frown on that behavior because of their
>> belief that we must behave as normally as possible to appear and be
>> equal to our sighted counterparts.
>>
>> I believe, that to be equal to our sighted counterparts, we must be
>> able to maneuver within the necessities of our lives by whatever
>> means necessary to get it done and safely.
>>
>> All I can say about it is what my mobility teacher taught me. If you
>> don't know, ask, ask, ask.
>>
>> Jenny
>>> On Dec 13, 2013, at 8:43 AM, Paul <oilofgladness47 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> First of all, Mustafa, your English was very good, though I'm
>>> speaking not as a teacher of English or even a grammarian but as an
>>> average person.
>>>
>>> I get those same kinds of questions myself such as how I do what I
>>> do on the computer, as I'm sure others do. However there is one
>>> particular area of communication which we blind people, and
>>> especially those of us who are totally blind, are unaware of, and
>>> that is the subject of body language. I've read somewhere that over
>>> 70% of all communication is done through body language or with eye
>>> contact. Not being an expert on those things, I'll just leave it to
>>> them, though I'd like to know personally what is acceptable or
>>> unacceptable to sighted people. Now I know that rocking back and
>>> forth and putting one's fingers in his eyes are probably the most
>>> obviious unacceptable behaviors, which I learned over time to not
>>> do, but perhaps there are other, not so obvious, forms of unacceptable
behavior.
>>>
>>> Another form of unacceptance with some blind folks is that of
>>> attitudes on both sides of the coin, the blind person and his or her
>>> sighted acquaintance. There is a verse in the biblical book of
>>> Proverbs which directly addresses this question: "He who would want
>>> friends must show himself friendly." There is much more in this
>>> verse than meets the eye or goes beyond the words. I thank God that
>>> I have some off line sighted friends with whom I can interact. Of
>>> course, one might relate that to one's personality, and that is a factor
to consider as well.
>>>
>>> Well, I'll close my essay for now. Hope you and other list members
>>> got something out of what I wrote here. Paul
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mostafa"
>>> <mostafa.almahdy at gmail.com>
>>> To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
>>> Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 9:17 AM
>>> Subject: [Faith-talk] The proper introduction to blindness.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hello.
>>>>
>>>> I hope you all are keeping really well.
>>>>
>>>> This is part of my daily writing practice.
>>>>
>>>> Please, feel free to share, agree or disagree.
>>>>
>>>> You may correct my English where that is relevant.
>>>>
>>>> So, to the core of the subject then.
>>>>
>>>> Some of you may have assumed that I am going to write a piece of
>>>> composition on blindness.
>>>>
>>>> Well, not exactly but, I want to have a sort of a conversation with
>>>> my friends, in many different parts of the world.
>>>>
>>>> As blind people, we always complain that we are misunderstood by
>>>> the mainstreamed social arena, and that sighted people are
>>>> constantly presupposing our inadequacy.
>>>>
>>>> Um, well, that holds to be true to some extent but, it's not
>>>> perfectly accurate.
>>>>
>>>> I am surrounded by my private social life, that includes my
>>>> parents, siblings, and my close friends.
>>>>
>>>> They all believe I am fully capable of being totally independent.
>>>>
>>>> I have the secondary social level, that includes my acquaintances,
>>>> and they all think I am just equal to them, in both my rights and
duties.
>>>>
>>>> The third and final social level I am surrounded by, is the public
>>>> class.
>>>>
>>>> People who don't know me, but they may possibly communicate with me
>>>> on a regular basis.
>>>>
>>>> Such as, at the workplace, at the Gym, at the Mosque, at the
>>>> grocery store, or anywhere else.
>>>>
>>>> At this point, we need to develop a mental intellligence.
>>>>
>>>> I go to the Gym here on almost a daily basis.
>>>>
>>>> Well, I currently resident in Jedah, where I don't have much
>>>> friends or family members.
>>>>
>>>> I am surrounded by my neighbors here at the compound, and most of
>>>> them are not in a regular communication with me.
>>>>
>>>> But, I really enjoy going to the Gym on a daily basis, where I can
>>>> exercize and expand my social communication at the same time.
>>>>
>>>> Everyday, I meet with new people, and we variously exchange mass
>>>> benefits in a friendly way.
>>>>
>>>> Generally speaking, people are interested to learn how a blind
>>>> person can cope with his demands.
>>>>
>>>> They may curiously ask; How do you use your computer?
>>>>
>>>> How do you follow up the forecast on your cellphone?
>>>>
>>>> How do you determine what the next step is going to be whilst
>>>> walking around?
>>>>
>>>> I personally think that these questions are representing a
>>>> tremendous opportunity to significantly educate the masses about
blindness.
>>>>
>>>> We as blind people ought to appreciate this attitude, and we should
>>>> not treat that with skepticism or irrational sensitivity.
>>>>
>>>> To the contrary, we should treat that with much open-mindedness and
>>>> empathy.
>>>>
>>>> Sometimes, I just feel that some blind people are ashamed to admit
>>>> they might be in need to assistance before their sighted counterparts.
>>>>
>>>> Well, to appositely speak the truth, yes, we do have to rely on
>>>> sighted assistance in the case of lacking the sufficient
>>>> accessibility, whether in the digitalized world, or just in our casual
life.
>>>>
>>>> What matters is, that we should not take advantage of their good
>>>> intentions, to gradually develop a mental laziness.
>>>>
>>>> There where it comes the real catastrophe, when we take advantage
>>>> of their innocence to assist, to develop the quick excuse attitude.
>>>>
>>>> But, I shamelessly ask for the sighted help whenever I need it.
>>>>
>>>> For instance, I may want to check the calorie burn rate whilst I
>>>> jog on the treadmill platform.
>>>>
>>>> I obviously can't do that on my own, at least for the time being.
>>>>
>>>> Thus, I immediately refuge to the sighted assistance.
>>>>
>>>> Please, would you mind checking the calorie burn rate for me?
>>>>
>>>> He will probably appreciate to do so.
>>>>
>>>> Well, here I am.
>>>>
>>>> I went out for fun, exercized, and increased my social network.
>>>>
>>>> It is absolutely okay to ask for help.
>>>>
>>>> Conditionally, to not have a way to do this task on your own, and
>>>> to preserve your dignity, to make sure it's not jeopardized by any
manner.
>>>>
>>>> Thank you for joining me for this concise essay.
>>>>
>>>> Mostafa.
>>>>
>>>> The only worse thing than being blind, is having sight and no vision.
>>>> ____
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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