[nabs-l] Blindness and other minorities

[Jedi]

You bet. Especially when, for example, one considers African American 
albinoes. I've been doing some reading on the subject; the prevailing 
theme seems to be a sense of isolation because they're not sure where 
they fit on the social grid because it's hard for both Black and White 
people to accept the notion of someone who is Black but with white 
skin. Then add the blindness issues on top. Yikes.

respectfully,
Jedi

Original message:
> Chris,

> I understand your point, but people of different races have faced
> similar discrimination with people not believing them as intelligent or
> capable as caucasians. It stems from different reasoning and is
> exhibited differently, but people have, and still do, view people of
> different races and ethnicities as inferior and less intelligent. I know
> this wasn't your intention, but I think it's important we remember, and
> don't down-play, the fact that racism is still very, very prevalent
> today. It parades about more quietly, but people still cling to
> antiquated notions about people different just because of the color of
> their skin.

> Sincerely,
> Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Read my blog at:
> http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/

> "History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
> The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan

> Message: 5
> Date: Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:46:27 -0500
> From: Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com>
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing
>         list<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Blindness vs. Other Minority Groups
> Message-ID: <4eb6f23f.2959340a.5b18.436d at mx.google.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed

> Hi Arielle,

> You raise some good points here, and I hope this starts a good
> discussion; one that I believe is good to have.  In my opinion,
> the difference between the public's stereotyping and
> discrimination of blind people and that of other minority groups
> is this: blind people have to deal with more misconceptions about
> us.  In other words, there are still widely-held misconceptions
> about us and what we can and cannot do, which are held by the
> public as being true.  This, of course, is a generalisation; not
> all of the public believes these misconceptions to be true,
> especially those members of the public who work directly with us
> or are friends or relatives of a blind person; those who know
> from experience what blind people can do.  It seems to me that
> these misconceptions are passed down through the generations;
> from one generation to their children, then passed on to those
> children's children, then to their children, and to their
> children, and so on.  When these beliefs are taught for a long
> time and are handed down through the generations, it becomes
> easier for people to believe them and they mostly do.  These
> misconceptions, which are widely believed by a vast majority of
> the public, are the beliefs from which the stereotyping and
> discrimination stem.  Then, the misconceptions of the public
> directly effect us, as we then become the object of
> discrimination and stereotypes.  To me, other minority groups
> don't have this problem.  Take the African-Americans for example.
> Are there any widely-held misconceptions about what they can do
> and how successful they can be? No! Are there any doubts as to
> their ability to compete on terms of equality with their white
> piers? No! Are their any questions about their ability to be
> employed? No! Even during the segregation era, this group was not
> discriminated against for the reason that there were
> misconceptions held by the white that they couldn't be on terms
> of equality with everybody else in society, but for the simple
> reason that they were different! During this time, I think the
> majority, the white population, forgot the undisputed fact that
> all people are different, and that having a different skin color
> doesn't justify looking down on a person.  The beliefs about
> blind people which make people discriminate against us are of a
> different character than the beliefs which make people
> discriminate against other minorities.  The difference is that
> the beliefs about blindness which cause discrimination against us
> to happen are stemmed from a lack of education about the truth
> about blindness, whereas the beliefs which make people
> discriminate against other minorities (I'm talking about
> minorities based on skin color, religion, political beliefs,
> sexual orientation, etc.) are just based on relatively untrue
> stereotypes and thoughts.  Therefore, people who might stereotype
> or discriminate against us wouldn't tolerate discrimination based
> on race, religion, etc, because the times have changed and the
> misconceptions and discrimination have no justification
> whatsoever, nor are even legal, in the case of outright
> discrimination.  However, they would stereotype about us because
> they don't have the education about blindness to see the fact
> that these stereotypes aren't justified either.  For this reason,
> we have organizations such as the Federation to educate and
> advocate.  We have a special responsibility, in my opinion, that
> many other minority groups don't have; to educate the public.  We
> have to make sure everybody knows what blind people really can do
> and prove that we can compete on terms of equality with our
> sighted piers.  Other minority groups have proven this already,
> and the little discrimination that still exists is generally
> thought to be ridiculous and baseless.  However, the public
> doesn't think of discrimination against the blind that way,
> simply because they don't think it's discrimination! They're OK
> with it, because they aren't educated.  So, it is our job to
> educate them! I should also say that we also need to educate by
> example, meaning that we must not discriminate or stereotype
> against other people.  Those are my thoughts.

> Chris


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