[humanser] Going Blind

[Sarah Meyer]

Hello JD,
Thanks for sharing this article. I agree that it is sad that so many
people fear blindness, and I believe that this extreme societal fear
leads to known and unknown bias, stereotyping, prejudice, and
discrimination.
At the same time, I wonder how we can best find balance between
standing up against these harmful messages of blindness while also
having empathy and validation for those who truly do feel fear and
grief in losing eyesight.
I think it is especially important for us in the human services field
to wrestle with this question. I can see how our first reaction might
be to denounce these myths of blindness, but I think we must do so
with a huge amount of respect, empathy, and support to those who are
wrestling with the unknown and lack of adequate resources to adjust to
blindness.

Thanks for giving me some good things to ponder!

Sarah

-- 
Sarah K. Meyer
Graduate Student, Clinical Mental Health Counseling/Social Psychology
Ball State University
Board Member, National Federation of the Blind Human Services Division
sarah.meyer55 at gmail.com
(317)402-6632

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. You can live the life
you want; blindness is not what holds you back. Together with love,
hope, and determination, we transform dreams into reality.