[nabs-l] If the World Went Sighted

[Chris Nusbaum]

Hi,=20Sean=20and=20all.

I=20respectfully=20disagree.=20=20Certainly=20all=20things=20in=20life,=20i=
ncluding=20
blindness,=20come=20with=20pros=20and=20cons.=20=20Everything=20has=20a=20t=
rade-off.=20=20
But=20you=20have=20to=20weigh=20the=20pros=20and=20cons,=20no=20matter=20ho=
w=20many=20of=20
each,=20and=20decide=20which=20outweighs=20which.=20=20In=20other=20words,=
=20will=20the=20
pros=20outweigh=20the=20cons,=20or=20the=20other=20way=20around?=20Although=
=20we=20miss=20
out=20on=20the=20things=20that=20only=20are=20available=20through=20vision=
=20and=20
can't=20be=20well=20described,=20we're=20not=20missing=20out=20on=20that=20=
much.=20=20We=20
can=20read=20and=20write=20with=20Braille.=20=20We=20can=20use=20assistive=
=20technology=20
like=20notetakers=20and=20screen=20readers=20to=20access=20many=20digital=20=
things=20
that=20sighted=20people=20use=20all=20the=20time=20in=20this=20new=20digita=
l=20age,=20
i.e.=20=20email,=20list=20serves=20(hint=20hint,=20what=20are=20we=20using=
=20right=20
now),=20social=20media/networking,=20instant=20messaging,=20many=20Web=20si=
tes=20
used=20for=20school=20research,=20work,=20or=20pleasure,=20wordprocessors,=
=20
Braille=20printers,=20etc.=20=20We=20can,=20we=20can,=20we=20can!=20I=20thi=
nk=20we=20
shouldn't=20be=20focusing=20on=20the=20small=20number=20of=20things=20we=20=
can't=20do,=20
but=20rather=20on=20the=20many=20things=20we=20can=20do=20with=20minor=20ad=
aptations.=20=20
There=20is=20still=20a=20lot=20of=20work=20to=20be=20done,=20but=20as=20I=20=
said=20in=20a=20
speech=20I=20gave=20to=20the=20NFB=20of=20Maryland=20a=20couple=20years=20a=
go=20at=20our=20
state=20convention,=20"Blind=20people=20have=20come=20along=20way,=20baby!"=
=20
Although=20I=20wanted=20to=20have=20a=20little=20fun=20with=20that=20statem=
ent,=20it's=20
true.=20=20Looking=20back=20at=20history,=20we're=20doing=20things=20now=20=
without=20
sight=20that=20people=20couldn't=20have=20imagined=20just=20fifty=20or=20a=
=20hundred=20
years=20ago.=20=20Frankly,=20if=20we=20want=20positive=20attitudes=20from=20=
our=20
sighted-based=20society,=20I=20think=20we=20need=20more=20positive=20attitu=
des=20
about=20blindness=20from=20our=20own=20blind=20community.=20=20I=20hope=20w=
e=20can=20
respectfuly=20disagree.=20=20I=20welcome=20yours=20and=20everyone=20else's=
=20
opinions=20on=20this.

Chris=20Nusbaum

"A=20loss=20of=20sight,=20never=20a=20loss=20of=20vision!"=20(Camp=20Abilit=
ies=20motto)

=20-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20"Sean=20Whalen"=20<smwhalenpsp at gmail.com
To:=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date=20sent:=20Thu,=2028=20Apr=202011=2009:19:04=20-0500
Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]=20If=20the=20World=20Went=20Sighted

What=20qualifies=20as=20=93harm?=94=20There=20are=20certainly=20plenty=20of=
=20negatives=20
associated
with=20being=20blind;=20many=20of=20them=20borne=20of=20societal=20prejudic=
es,=20and
misunderstandings,=20as=20well=20as=20the=20world=92s=20being=20structured=
=20for=20
the=20sighted.
However,=20I=20would=20contend=20that=20there=20is=20a=20list=20of=20negati=
ves=20
inherent=20to
blindness.=20=20This=20doesn=92t=20mean=20that=20blindness=20is=20more=20th=
an=20a=20
characteristic.
It=20also=20doesn=92t=20mean=20that=20I=20am=20unhappy=20with=20who=20I=20a=
m.=20=20But=20all
characteristics=20bring=20along=20with=20them=20certain=20positives=20and=20=

negatives,=20and
blindness=20is=20no=20different=20in=20that=20regard.=20=20Not=20all=20
characteristics=20are
created=20equal,=20and=20blindness=20surely=20has=20more=20implications=20o=
n=20
one=92s=20life=20than
the=20color=20of=20one=92s=20hair=20or=20eyes.=20=20If=20this=20were=20not=
=20the=20case,=20we=20
wouldn=92t=20have
an=20NFB.



I=20think=20Mike=20is=20right=20on=20with=20thinking=20that=20there=20is=20=
no=20reason=20to=20
preserve
blindness=20in=20our=20world.=20=20If=20blindness=20could=20be=20eradicated=
,=20I=20
would=20view=20that
as=20a=20positive,=20not=20because=20blind=20people=20are=20inferior=20peop=
le,=20but=20
because
blindness=20is,=20to=20my=20mind,=20a=20net=20negative.=20=20If=20I=20could=
=20become=20
sighted=20by=20means
of=20a=20procedure=20or=20medicine=20that=20was=20proven=20to=20work=20and=
=20be=20free=20of=20
side
effects,=20and=20do=20so=20without=20losing=20anything=20of=20serious=20val=
ue=20in=20my=20
life,=20I
don=92t=20think=20there=20would=20be=20a=20lot=20to=20think=20about.=20=20A=
s=20somebody=20
pointed=20out,=20I
would=20still=20have=20all=20the=20nonvisual=20ways=20of=20doing=20things=20=
at=20my=20
disposal.
Becoming=20sighted,=20and=20I=20mean=20here=20obtaining=20functional=20usab=
le=20
vision,=20not
simply=20having=20my=20eyes=20work=20but=20having=20my=20brain=20have=20no=
=20idea=20how=20
to=20process
the=20information,=20would=20do=20nothing=20but=20make=20my=20life=20easier=
.=20=20It=20
would=20also
afford=20me=20the=20ability=20to=20enjoy=20aesthetic=20beauty.=20=20The=20i=
nability=20
to=20see=20the
sunset,=20a=20great=20work=20of=20art,=20or=20a=20lover=92s=20face,=20while=
=20seemingly=20
clich=E9,=20are
certainly=20inherently=20valuable=20parts=20of=20the=20human=20experience.=
=20=20
Before=20anybody
wants=20to=20argue=20that=20those=20things=20are=20just=20incidental=20and=
=20not=20
really
important,=20imagine=20that=20you=20were=20never=20able=20to=20hear=20music=
;=20that=20
The=20best=20you
could=20do=20was=20to=20have=20describe=20to=20you=20how=20wonderful=20the=
=20tone=20of=20
the=20saxophone
or=20how=20rich=20the=20chords=20in=20a=20piece.=20=20Would=20you=20not=20b=
e=20missing=20out=20
on=20something
fundamentally=20good=20in=20the=20human=20experience.=20=20I=20think=20you=
=20would.=20=20
Similarly,=20I
think=20that=20we,=20as=20blind=20people,=20miss=20out=20on=20some=20stuff.=
=20=20I=20don=92t=20
think=20I=20am
breaking=20news=20here,=20but=20I=20do=20run=20across=20those=20who=20will=
=20not=20cede=20
this=20point.
I=20think=20that=20a=20key=20part=20of=20understanding=20blindness=20as=20a=
=20
characteristic=20is
understanding=20that=20something=92s=20being=20a=20characteristic=20doesn=92=
t=20
mean=20that=20it
doesn=92t=20matter=20or=20have=20implications=20on=20one=92s=20life.=20=20W=
ould=20my=20
life,=20all=20else
being=20equal,=20be=20easier,=20and=20maybe=20better,=20if=20I=20were=20sig=
hted?=20I=20
think=20so.=20=20It
would=20also=20be=20better=20if=20I=20were=20taller,=20better=20looking,=20=
or=20more=20
patient.
Similarly,=20my=20life=20would=20be=20worse=20if=20I=20were=20less=20intell=
igent=20or=20
didn=92t=20have
a=20sense=20of=20humor.=20=20Let=20me=20stress,=20I=20am=20comfortable=20in=
=20my=20own=20
skin.=20=20I=20am=20happy
with=20the=20person=20that=20I=20am.=20=20Blindness=20is=20just=20part=20of=
=20who=20I=20am,=20
and=20does=20not
define=20me.=20=20I=20don=92t=20think=20it=20is=20inconsistent,=20and=20I=20=
think=20it=20is=20
probably
healthy,=20to=20be=20able=20to=20recognize=20the=20ways=20in=20which=20blin=
dness=20
affects=20one=92s
life,=20while=20at=20the=20same=20time=20not=20letting=20one=92s=20life=20o=
r=20life=20
prospects=20be
dictated=20by=20blindness.



I=20hope=20this=20makes=20some=20sense.



Take=20care,



Sean





_______________________________________________
nabs-l=20mailing=20list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To=20unsubscribe,=20change=20your=20list=20options=20or=20get=20your=20acco=
unt=20info=20
for=20nabs-l:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/dotkid.nu
sbaum%40gmail.com