[nabs-l] [nfbWaTlk] class essay

[Humberto Avila]

> Our daughter Joanne is a linguistic anthropology student and was assigned 

> to

> do a one page essay on the ways society reenforces discrimination. She

> could have chosen a number of groups and picked one from any number of 

> ways

> that discrimination and bigotry is permitted to continue. Here's what she

> said about language and the blind.

>

> Don't Turn a Blind Eye on the Discrimination Against the Blind

>

> By Joanne Gabias

>

> North American societies are trying more and more to be

> accepting of disabilities. They do so by adding Braille to elevator 

> buttons,

> adding closed captioning on television, and making sure there are 

> wheelchair

> accessible parking spaces. These actions may alleviate discrimination to 

> an

> extent, but in everyday society, discrimination is far from extinct. As we

> know, language creates, transmits and perpetuates culture. In our society,

> expressions that refer to someone as being naive, inattentive or stupid 

> all

> use the word blind. Discrimination against the blind can only diminish 

> once

> our language removes these connotations (of being naive, inattentive or

> stupid) from the word blind.

>

>

>

> "What are you, blind?" This statement is normal in 

> everyday

> speech in our society. No matter the context, this phrase is degrading, 

> and

> indicates the person is subpar. Until this expression is out of our

> linguistic vocabulary, it is impossible for a blind person to be treated

> with respect and not be cast in these stereotypes of being naive,

> inattentive or stupid.

>

>

>

> "In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king" -

> Desiderius Erasmus. This famous quote, once again or almost more so, shows

> the blind as inferior human beings. This quote implies that the blind can

> never achieve greatness. They will always be lower than everyone else. In

> fact, having no sight rather than a small amount of sight is more

> advantageous, since having a small amount of sight can be unreliable in 

> many

> situations.

>

>

>

> The English proverb "the eyes are the window to the soul"

> implies that people whose eyes don't work, don't have souls, and souls are

> required to be human in our culture. In other words, the blind are not

> human. Our society puts so much importance on sight that it is difficult

> for a blind person to show the world they are just as able as a sighted

> person.

>

>

>

> The list of linguistic discrimination towards blind people

> is abundant. Until the connection between blindness and naive, inattentive

> and stupid is removed from our language, discrimination towards the blind

> will continue to be transmitted and perpetuated throughout our culture. 

> As

> Mark Twain once said "The difference between the right word and the

> almost-right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning 

> bug."

>

>

>

>

>

> _______________________________________________

> nfbwatlk mailing list

> nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org

>  <http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org

> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 

> nfbwatlk:

>  <http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org/kkipp123%40msn.com> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org/kkipp123%40msn.com

>

>

> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus 

> signature database 6219 (20110618) __________

>

> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

>

>  <http://www.eset.com/> http://www.eset.com

>

>

> 

　

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 6219 (20110618) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

 <http://www.eset.com/> http://www.eset.com

　

　

　

_______________________________________________

nfbwatlk mailing list

nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org

 <http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org

To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nfbwatlk:

 <http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org/avila.bert.humberto2%40gmail.com> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org/avila.bert.humberto2%40gmail.com