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

Thu Jun 18 06:48:25 UTC 2009

I could not agree with you more, Jim. Now it’s just a matter of
getting the sighted to stop doing the freak show stair (and various
other odd behaviors) long enough to care to ask…

Nef

On 6/17/09, sarah.jevnikar at utoronto.ca <sarah.jevnikar at utoronto.ca> wrote:
>
>
> Hi Jim,
> You raise some interesting points as usual. <grin>
>
> I am probably the last person, (or one of them) to scream sighted
> domination. I get what you're saying though. I think, for me
> personally, it depends on the situation. If someone asks me a
> question, I will always be polite. Even if it is the drunk guy in
> residence asking me to teach him Braille once he's sober ... yes I
> didn't actually think that would happen either <another grin> Even if
> someone doesn't ask for proof, I still try to either demonstrate a
> skill (if possible) or explain explicitly how I complete that skill. I
> think you're right in not taking someone's word for what they can do,
> and hopefully all the proof anyone needs will come through actions as
> you go about your daily routine with that person.
> I'm sorry if that made no sense whatsoever.
> Sarah
>
>
> Quoting Jim Reed <jim275_2 at yahoo.com>:
>
>> 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
>>
>>
>>
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