[nabs-l] Body language and facial expressions

Jedi loneblindjedi at samobile.net
Sat Nov 26 04:47:56 UTC 2011


Brilliant.


Original message:
> Here's 2 ROCKIN'.
> Rock Around The Clock

> One, Two, Three O'clock, Four O'clock rock,
> Five, Six, Seven O'clock, Eight O'clock rock.
> Nine, Ten, Eleven O'clock, Twelve O'clock rock,
> We're gonna rock around the clock tonight.

> Put your glad rags on and join me hon',
> We'll have some fun when the clock strikes one.

> CHORUS:
> We're gonna rock around the clock tonight,
> We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'till broad daylight,
> We're gonna rock around the clock tonight.


> When the clock strikes two, three and four,
> If the band slows down we'll yell for more.

> CHORUS:
> We're gonna rock around the clock tonight,
> We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'till broad daylight,
> We're gonna rock around the clock tonight.

> When the chimes ring five, six, and seven,
> We'll be right in seventh heaven.

> CHORUS:
> We're gonna rock around the clock tonight,
> We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'till broad daylight,
> We're gonna rock around the clock tonight.

> When it's eight, nine, ten, eleven too,
> I'll be goin' strong and so will you.

> CHORUS:
> We're gonna rock around the clock tonight,
> We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'till broad daylight,
> We're gonna rock around the clock tonight.

> When the clock stikes twelve we'll cool off then,
> Start rockin' 'round the clock again.

> CHORUS:
> We're gonna rock around the clock tonight,
> We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'till broad daylight,
> We're gonna rock around the clock tonight.









> []





> []



> At 05:12 PM 11/25/2011, you wrote:
>> Marc,

>> First, touché! I concede you have a point in your salutation, smile!

>> However, personally, I don't use the word retarded especially with
>> negative connotations. And my point was not to say that one disability
>> is worse, but each disability presents its own barriers. Developmental
>> disabilities can offer obstacles making it difficult to maneuver through
>> life without cognitive barriers. Again, I have quite a few family
>> members with varying degrees of developmental disabilities so I know a
>> little about it.

>> Disabled or not, we all have our limitations, whether they be mental or
>> physical. Where some struggle, others succeed. A developmental
>> disability, however, adds another layer making ones comprehension level
>> more difficult to navigate through situations.

>> I've witnessed these family members of mine struggle to understand basic
>> information that the average person with no cognitive problem understand
>> with no effort. When we have physical and sensory disabilities only, we
>> don't require most information, basic information, to be broken down and
>> simplified. We're not talking about Steve Jobs or Stephen Hawkings
>> intellect here, but the average intellectual capacity most of us have.

>> While at a recent doctor visit, the nurse, who was suppose to explain a
>> test procedure, asked if I wanted my companion to come in so I could
>> understand what she was saying. I told her that I not only was there on
>> my own, but that I would understand her explanation just fine, and she
>> was so worried about this until I finally put my foot down and made a
>> few things clear. I had no intellectual barrier keeping me from
>> understanding the information provided to any patient. I later asked the
>> doctor if that was a standard procedure and they told me no. This woman
>> assumed without ever asking a question, that I couldn't comprehend
>> information stated to all patients just because I was blind. Regardless
>> of a developmental disability or lower comprehension level, disabled or
>> not, I don't like when my mental capacity is questioned being a
>> 30-year-old college-educated woman with a family. If some people all
>> ready think this, why give them more fuel to feed their grossly
>> misinformed notions?

>> Trust me, it's very frustrating to have people assume you can't
>> intellectually understand something. We shouldn't automatically assume
>> either that people with developmental disabilities  can't comprehend
>> something either; they certainly deserve the same respect we demand as
>> blind people, but why be considered to have a developmental issue if you
>> don't have one at all? This doesn't mean one disability is necessarily
>> "worse" than another, but it does mean one disability can present unique
>> barriers that are difficult to hurdle.

>> Let's say you work to become a doctor or teacher or lawyer or even a
>> parent but are blind, you don't want future employers or, people in
>> general, to assume you have a developmental disability because yes, even
>> with a mild developmental disability, you won't be a doctor or lawyer,
>> and because of cognitive barriers, certain things just can't be done. It
>> does depend of the severity of developmental problem, but even higher
>> functioning developmentally disabled people won't have the intellectual
>> capacity to do these things. . This is just a fact. Blindness, however,
>> isn't necessarily holding us back in an intellectual way. Individual
>> people may question our ability, but we have the capacity in which to
>> prove how capable we are. Many blind people face discrimination because
>> of their blindness. In my experience though, if you present yourself
>> with confidence, look and act polished, people are more likely to give
>> you an opportunity. If you don't appear put-together, exhibit mannerisms
>> even considered inappropriate for sighted people and don't carry
>> yourself with confidence and/or intelligence, it doesn't matter what
>> your resume says, what recommendations refer you to the job/ situation,
>> people will be more wary and unsure as to if you can do much. It's
>> reality, dude.

>> A cousin of mine with a developmental disability became pregnant in her
>> early 20's. It was determined she shouldn't have custody of the child
>> since she was unable to demonstrate her ability to care for herself. My
>> aunt stepped in to help raise the baby, and it was decided to finally
>> award joint custody between my cousin and her mom. I know we're all
>> thinking about I am Sam, but I know my cousin, she really wasn't able to
>> care for a child on her own. Marc, do you care to equate this to a mere
>> sensory disability like blindness? The differences are clear, at least
>> to those of us who are blind, and it's comparing apples to oranges.

>> And trying to compare abusive attitudes once deemed legal, and sadly
>> behavior still in abundance even though, at least in this country, is
>> now illegal,  is a bit of an apple and oranges issue too. Correcting
>> unusual body movements that can be changed, is nothing similar to
>> attitudes, and physical violence, that hurts, demeans and demoralizes.
>> Trust me, you won't win this argument with me; that's all I will say on
>> this issue.

>> If a person truly is in danger of harming themselves, or others, it
>> makes sense that someone should help or assist. Blindness, itself, is
>> not, or should not, be a factor causing people to automatically assume
>> we are a danger to ourselves and others. Across the board, people with
>> only blindness should not be penalized at all. With developmental
>> disabilities, it depends on the level and type of cognitive problem. You
>> can't equate the two here because the barriers aren't the same.

>> You can equate them when we discuss respect. Everyone should be treated
>> with dignity and respect. This thread has nothing to do with respect,
>> but how one handles the barriers of a disability.

>> And I've yet to hear an answer from those arguing we should be accepted
>> even when exhibiting behavior like rocking or eye poking, in response to
>> my question,  how can you keep saying this when it's behavior also
>> demonstrated by sighted people as well, and it's corrected in them? Stop
>> making it a blind vs. sight issue when it doesn't have to be. As a
>> former sighted person, I get sick of hearing how it's us against those
>> with sight. That all sighted people are horrible and out to get us. I
>> had disabled friends when I was sighted, and I didn't make assumptions;
>> I treated them the same as our non-disabled friends. If I found
>> something they did odd or weird, I didn't assume it was because of their
>> disability. If I was like this, I'm sure others are too. In fact, I know
>> some sighted people who have a similar attitude.

>> And you argue the world should change how they view blind people who
>> engage in such behavior instead of the other way around, but why not
>> correct and  change behavior that isn't unusual, and work towards
>> changing minds about our actual abilities.

>> Not all (please keep the "Not all" in mind before jumping on my back) ,
>> but many blind people I know who exhibit some of these extreme behaviors
>> are the ones who aren't independent and don't believe they are capable
>> of  much. Maybe we need to work on convincing the world, ourselves
>> included, that we don't have limitations, which is the real problem,
>> instead of concentrating  efforts to accept physical movements not
>> socially acceptable.

>> You keep going on and on about how we shouldn't be shaped into what the
>> sighted world wants to be or how sighted people need to accept us quirks
>> and all, but does not language like this develop into a form of reverse
>> prejudice? If we're simply people who, as it happens, can't see, why,
>> once again I ask, do we keep playing the blind vs. sight card? I don't
>> consider myself different from anyone else I know other than I can't use
>> my eyes. This doesn't mean I don't work to end stereotypes and change
>> negative attitudes, but I don't place distinctions that, though reverse,
>> perpetuate the idea that we're different.

>> The reality is that the world is a bitch. Disabled or not, humans
>> established certain ideas from the beginning of time. Whether disabled
>> or not, male or female, blonde or brunette, people judge, people assume,
>> people have stupid ideas about life. Experience of the world will show
>> you how complex this is.

>> On that note, Thanksgiving was great, and speaking for Americans, we're
>> always right, giggle!

>> 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: 6
>> Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:15:16 -0800
>> From: Marc Workman <mworkman.lists at gmail.com>
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>         <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Body language and facial expressions
>> Message-ID: <CD9FBD09-7AF9-40AE-996B-31776B1974B6 at gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

>> Bridgit wrote,
>> why be assumed to have an intellectual barrier if you don't have one?
>> Most people will already make assumptions about us as blind people; why
>> give them more reasons to make snap assumptions? The fact is blind
>> people, who are just blind, have no barriers other than the ones
>> society, and themselves, put in our path. People with developmental
>> disabilities have an actual intellectual barrier.

>> Now let's rewrite this from the perspective of an intellectually
>> disabled person who is trying to convince other intellectually disabled
>> people not to look blind.

>> why be assumed to have a sight limitation if you don't have one? Most
>> people will already make assumptions about us as intellectually disabled
>> people; why give them more reasons to make snap assumptions? The fact is
>> intellectually disabled people, who are just intellectually disabled,
>> have no barriers other than the ones society, and themselves, put in our
>> path. People who are blind have an actual sight limitation.

>> Ashley wrote,
>> I was never told not to look blind. But I was told not to rock because
>> it looks like something a cognitively delayed/retarded person would do.
>> Why have people assume we have another disability when we don't? It
>> makes us look worse.

>> It makes us look worse only if you assume it's worse to be cognitively
>> delayed/retarded.  Again, would it be okay to say, hey, stop that
>> rocking, you look blind.  You're not blind; you're just cognitively
>> disabled, and you don't want to look worse, so stop looking like a blind
>> person.

>> I think this whole line of argument that we don't want to look
>> "retarded", and I use that word in quotes because it's a degrading word,
>> is incredibly ironic considering that it expresses the same negative
>> attitudes towards intellectual disability that we are all supposed to be
>> fighting against with respect to blindness.

>> Bridgit wrote,
>> Blind, sighted, purple, blue, certain behaviors and mannerisms are not
>> appropriate no matter the circumstance, and it should be corrected.

>> What I'd like to know is: who exactly decides this and how is it
>> decided? Does Bridgit get to say what is an isn't appropriate? Is it
>> this thing called society that decides? Does not what is considered
>> appropriate change over time? So how does it change? There was a time
>> when it was considered inappropriate for women and African Americans to
>> talk back to white men.  It seems obvious to me that what is considered
>> to be appropriate changes over time and that this change occurs because
>> people challenge attitudes.  Is it not at least possible that some of
>> the behaviours that we've been discussing are like some of the attitudes
>> about women and minorities that have been challenged and changed?

>> Ashley wrote,
>> Just goes to show that if you behave naturally, people may not think of
>> your blindness or focus on it; they focus on you as a human.

>> I don't know about you, Ashley, but my blindness and my humanity are not
>> mutually exclusive.  It's not seeing me as a blind person that bothers
>> me.  I am a blind person.  It's the negative attitudes about blindness
>> that bother me.  Specifically, it's viewing blindness as bad, as ugly,
>> as weird, as abnormal, as wrong that bothers me.  One way to deal with
>> these attitudes is to train blind people to look and act like most
>> people look and act.  A second way is to educate people, to teach them
>> that blindness may lead to looking and acting differently, but that this
>> is not bad, ugly, weird, abnormal or wrong.  The latter path is of
>> course the harder one.  It's much easier to change the minority than the
>> majority.  I believe, though, that the latter path leads to the world
>> that is better for everyone.

>> I know many of you are celebrating Thanks Giving.  We in Canada
>> celebrated it at the appropriate time in October, but for all you
>> Americans, I hope you're enjoying the holiday.

>> Cheers,

>> Marc


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