[nabs-l] Blindness and Identity

[Alexander Castillo]

Hi list; this is an Interesting discussion on blindness and Identity.
I definitely agree that blindness is not part of my identity, but
rather it is a physical characteristic which by choice, I identify
with. As an example, I will say that for most of my life, the notion
of there being a blind “community” was non-existent, as most of my
peers were and still are sighted, I did not attend any specialized
schools, and whenever the issue of my lacking 20/20 vision came up, it
was always a negative and not a positive. As a result, I saw myself as
a guy who could just about do most things, except read what was on the
blackboard at school.

As I got older and my vision decreased, I began to see myself as just
less of a competent person, and because socially, I had no experiences
with blindness and I had never chosen to self identify as blind, I was
simply lacking ability as opposed to being someone who could have
alternative ways of being able. In other words, my lack of identifying
with that physical characteristic called blindness, lead me to believe
that I wasn’t blind, just not capable of doing certain things.

As I began to use a cane, and saw certain benefits of its usage, and I
began to associate with people who were capable, and shared that same
characteristic of blindness, I started to identify with that physical
trait. However, I do not have an identity as a blind person, in the
way that many sighted people might see me as having. I am not a blind
creature, just like every other blind creature. As a note, it is this
label, this identity and social perception which most of us are
working to change in society. So, this is definitely a social
construct.

I see myself as Male, Dominican, 29, working toward such degree, with
interest in this that and the other…. Blindness is not first on my
list, unless I’m thinking about advocacy, or NFB, or how it creeps me
out when I am rushing on the Subway, and someone asks me if I need
help going up or down stairs.

Also, I’ve noted that my Maleness is the first characteristic which I
wrote down. As males, we are often reminding each other of
masculinity, what it is to be a man, doing manly things and such. This
social pressure on our maleness is perhaps what we guys are projecting
here when we are attributing the female identity as one consumed by
child birth, as that is the one characteristic which in our manly
minds, Marks the clearest difference between our sexes. I would say
that in this society, although females are reaching equal status as
males, we are still very male oriented. It would make sense then, that
in being male, one would need to identify more with the trait and
therefore assume that women have a similar need to do so with being
female. I would say that Jedi has a solid argument   by stating that
she does not identify with the ability to give birth or will identify
with it until she, if she chooses to, gives birth or starts thinking
about doing so.

In the United States, I see myself as male and Dominican, but when I
am in the Dominican Republic, I simply see myself as male.

Thanks for reading,
Alex