[nabs-l] If the World Went Sighted..

[Bernadetta Pracon]

Chris,
First of all, I'd like to join in applauding you for your  well thought 
out, clearly written,and in general great posts. It's refreshing to see 
a seventh-grader this mature and this socially conscious. Regardless of 
whether you're right or wrong, you always send us posts that are 
thought through and make sense.

That being said, I have to disagree with you that blindness is the most 
adaptable disability. Don't worry though--I used to think that myself. 
I've been totally blind since birth too, so it's natural for those of 
us born blind to automatically come to that conclusion. If you think 
about it a little further though, deaf people can communicate via sign 
language. Maybe it's not auditory, but it's effective for them. And 
likewise, sighted people believe that communication via eye contact is 
just as important, perhaps even more so,than auditory communication.
Also, a person in a wheelchair could argue that a powerchair to him is 
as useful and effective as a cane or a dog is to us. We have to pay for 
expensive equipment as well; Our technology is in the thousands if you 
consider the specialized blindness products that many of us can't do without.
I have a theory: I think we may believe that other disabilities are 
tougher to live with than being blind because we're not familiar with a 
daily life in the shoes of those who have them. Just like sighted 
people are afraid of blindness and can't imagine how we live "in the 
dark"as they tend to say, so we can't imagine being deaf or unable to walk.
I would bet a lot that a deafperson could easily challenge one of us 
that his or her disability is easier to live with than blindness is.
My point is, almost everyone is comfortable in their own skin, with 
their own disability, or at least they are comfortable to the point 
where the thought of a different disability is daunting.
So it's not necessarily accurate  for us to jump to the conclusion that 
blindness is the most adaptable disability, but at the same time, it's 
good that you feel that way. I think it's healthy to be confident about 
a disability any of us happen to have, whether it be blindness or some 
other disability, because the more comfortable we are in our own skin, 
the smoother our lives will likely be in that aspect.

Cheers

Bernadetta

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