[nabs-l] Prejudice, ignorance, and sighted domination

[Jim Reed]

Hey all, 

I wanted to start a slightly different topic as to how ignorance leads the sighted domination.

First of all, sighted domination occurs because sighted people are ignorant of what blind people can do, or how they do it. Therefore, education is one way to avoid sighted domination. The other way is to actually do whatever it is the sighted person thinks you cant do. Part of the problem is that some blind people are so quick to scream "sighted domination" that ignorant sighted people are afraid to ask questions; this does nothing to reduce ignorance or to improve the public preception of blindness and blind people.

Second, like it or not, blindness does play a role in defining relationships; it defines how people interact, how they share information, and what activities they participate in. How is a sighted person who has never interacted with a blind person supposed to know what is appropreate to do or say around blind people unless they are free and comfortable enough to ask questions and make mistakes? 

Much sighted domination occurs because the sighted person does not have the confidence (or the necessary information to be confident) in the skills and abilities of a blind person. I am sorry, but I am not just going to take your word for it that you can be independent until you prove it to me. I am not going to put a blind person through an obstacle course just to decide if I want to be their friend, but it seems like it would be awfully hard to treat a blind person as "one of the guys" until they first prove that they are indeed capable of being just "one of the guys". Similarly, I am not going to go hiking in the wilderness with a blind partner until/unless I knowhow their vision limits their function, and how they have overcome this limitation. This is not a sighted domination issue, this is a practical issue with potential life and death consiquences. Before I break my leg five miles in the backcountry, I need I know if and how my blind partner can
 handle the situation. If my life is potentially in their hands, I have a need and a right to know that they can do what needs to be done, and I am sorry, but in this situation I am not just going to take your word for it. 

I guess the bottom line is, in my mind, that equality, confidence, and acceptance, much like respect, are earned, not given. This is not an attitude that I only take towards blind people, sighted people must prove themselves as well.  If you don't want to be dominated, then you need to prove to me that you can handle yourself; until then, try as I might, I am always going to be somewhat doubtful of your abilites, and try as I might, my doubts will be reflected in my actions. 

One last note on equality. It is common knowledge how sighted people accomplish tasks, and sighted people are routinely required to prove that we do indeed have the skills we claim to have. However, it seems that the sighted are just supposed to accept the blind person's word that they can do the task.  It seems to be one big secret as to how blind people do task, there are laws preventing an employer from asking how the blind person would do the job, some blind people get pissed when you ask them if, or how they can do something, and, god forbid you ask them to prove it.  As a sighted person, everyone knows (with a fair amount of certianty) what your basic skills and abilities are, and they know (with a fair amount of certianty) how you accomplish your task. So, if blind people want to be treated as equals, why shouldnt sighted people have the right to know if, and how you can do something? And, why is it that blind people feel they have the right to
 get pissed off if I ask them if or how thay can do something, whereas I can ask any of my sighted friends the exact same questions without them thinking I am dominating or custodializing them? If you trueky want to be equals, then you all need to put up with, and handle, the same crap as everyone else, and in the same manner as everyone else. Personaly,  if someone doubts my skills and abilities, I don't cry domination or discrimination, instead I either attempt to prove them wrong, I ignore them, or I tell them to piss off. If I am truely an equal in society, I don't defend myself by crying discrimination, and I don't justify my actions based on the fact that I am "different". 

I don't know, I guess this is the sighted side of me talking, but these are some of the things I have been thinking about as of late.

Jim


"From compromise and things half done, 
Keep me with stern and stubborn pride,
And when at last the fight is won, 
... Keep me still unsatisfied." --Louis Untermeyer