[nabs-l] How we treat other blind people

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Kerri,

First, I love how you spell your name, grin.

Okay, I'm sure I'm walking into controversial ground, but I'm also known
for not beating around the bush.

I will be honest; in the past, I was in the number of blind people who
judged others based on the alternative tools and skills they used.
Regardless of useable vision or not, I jumped on the bandwagon and was
ready to discredit those not using long white canes, service dogs,
Braille, JAWS- you get the picture.

Fortunately, I've realized my mistake and have adjusted my mindset. I
have always prided myself on my ability to think for myself and not be
easily influenced by others and their opinions, but there I was, without
a second thought, judging fellow blind people because I associated with
a mindset that no matter your level of remaining vision, no matter your
circumstances, if you didn't use alternative skills, and alternative
skills only, you had a bad attitude about blindness. This, my friends,
is not the attitude to adopt especially if we wish for more blind people
to join our ranks. And this very attitude is one of the reasons so many,
not all, but many Federationist are considered combative, radical and
judgmental. Sometimes the intentions are good; we simply want to see you
reach your full potential, but many times the intentions are nothing
more than to discredit and demoralize.

Another thing I've always prided myself on was not judging others before
getting to know them; and yet, once again, I use to judge others merely
based on what tool and method they used as a blind person. I knew
nothing of their character, their circumstances, their life. I'm ashamed
to admit these things, but I've walked through the fire and have
realized that I can't preach equality and expect it from sighted peers
if I'm not willing to give the same to my fellow blind people. Equality
does not come with exceptions or test, or at least, it shouldn't. No
matter what we feel and think, if we want equality, we must show
equality.

Now, this does not mean we do not challenge one another. If a person
clearly could benefit from alternative skills, we encourage them to use
those skills. We don't, though, leave them in the dust if they don't
automatically adjust to this. When we know people on a much more
personal level, we can make suggestions and discuss concepts and skills,
encouraging, challenging but most of all, being supportive and helpful.
Friends don't drop you, true friends, when you disagree.

I still hold certain opinions I'm entitled too just as we all do, and
I'm well aware of certain arguments both for and against what I'm
saying. Let me try to appease some by reiterating that, in my
experience, most people who still retain some vision, could benefit from
alternative skills and methods. It may be a combination of vision and
nonvisual techniques; it may be more vision than nonvisual skills or it
may be more nonvisual methods than vision, but nonetheless, I know many
who do, or can, benefit from the introduction of nonvisual skills. That
being said, we still have no right to judge or treat people rudely if
they don't do things exactly like us. Is not this the very attitude we
cringe about and hate in sighted people? That we don't always do things
the same way as sighted people so therefore we are considered different,
less capable, not worth befriending, hiring, etc.?

If we recognize in a blind person their struggle with using sight only
or predominantly, we need to introduce them to and encourage the
nonvisual skills many of us know are efficient and extremely helpful. I
have a friend refusing to use JAWS more often which is leading to
headaches when they study. Obviously they could benefit from learning
how to use screenreading software, but if adopt a superior attitude and
demean them just because things aren't clicking in their head, what
chance do I have of reaching them? Do any of you want to do things when
you feel stupid and are treated rudely? No, so we need to follow that
golden rule of treating others as you want to be treated. We still
challenge, but we change our tone.

Our affiliate has a very well respected board member who does a ton to
help the Federation. They do not use alternative skills since they still
have quite a bit of useable vision. This person does not use a cane,
uses magnification over screenreaders when necessary, reads print
instead of Braille, and yet, they have a great attitude about blindness
and are in the upper echelons of our affiliate.

I have another friend with quite a bit of useable vision but they choose
to use nonvisual skills predominently. Braille, white cane, JAWS- the
whole nine-yards. They use their vision if necessary, and of course,
sight is an instinct, so those who have it, or some of it, use it
whether they want or not, but this person chooses to rely on nonvisual
skills and methods most of the time.

My own husband once served on our affiliate board and has served in many
capacities in our chapter. He's a "partial," who uses a combination of
nonvisual tools and sight. He always has his cane and uses it, but he
switches between JAWS and magnification, though he uses JAWS more. If he
can see something with his bare eyes, he does, though he uses Braille.

Obviously the Federation has no problem with sight and using sight. All
are efficient, well-educated, great people who have adopted positive
attitudes about blindness. Yes, I know this can be a slippery slope, but
how we can we judge? How can we say someone is "better" for the type of
tools and methods they use, or don't use?

Kerri, I don't know your friend. Perhaps some nonvisual techniques could
benefit them, maybe not. It's not my call to make. As long as they are
being independent, striving to accomplish their goals, living life, is
not this our point? To be active, independent people. Turning people off
by our attitudes is not an effective way to change their minds about
blindness and join our organization. We need to pause and think before
leaping to conclusions and judgments about people. And if they don't
automatically hop onto certain ways of thinking about blindness, or
immediately seek training and nonvisual techniques, we don't leave them
out in the cold, writing them off. Mentoring is not a temp job, it's for
life, though certainly at some point our mentees should be able to act
as mentors, but we need to foster continued circles of support and
encouragement if we wish people to adapt to a Federation philosophy and
want to join our organization.

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: Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:18:43 -0500
From: Kerri Kosten <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
	<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Why is it important to join an organization of
	the	blind?
Message-ID:
	
<CAM6GWxy+gt1Udrne=VMrbgRhiksHYWErkj5PZa3w6BQsjM1EAQ at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi Bridget and Others:

Thanks so much for writing such a thoughtful message Bridget. This
really hit home with me. I currently know a very successful lady who
used to live in my town but now lives in Washington DC. I consider her
to be very independent and to me she lives her life the way I feel our
philosophy encourages blind people to be. She is not totally blind;she
is visually impaired. She has glaucoma and right now medicine controls
it but she could someday lose her vision. When she was in high school
she was a member of the chapter that was once in this area. She told me
that the people were very nice but she was very pressured to use a cane,
possibly get a dog, and go to one of our training centers. She said she
felt very pressured and did not understand why she was being asked to do
these things when she had decent vision. She says now as an adult she
knows how to handle it but back then she didn't know how to handle this
so she decided to quit. I have tried to tell her many times how the
federation has changed and influanced my life for the better and she
said maybe at some point she would possibly reconsider joining but right
now she neither has the time or desire. I really wish she would join
because I think she would be a huge asset to the organization and I love
how she does not let her blindness stop her. I believe she may even have
a doctorate. I know she holds at least one Master's degree and practices
psychology at several places in the DC area and teaches psychology in a
college in Virginia. I wish she would join but I have to accept she does
not want to right now. I have no right to treat her any differently
because she won't join. If we treat those who do not wish to join us
differently or we hold a superior attitude to those who do not want to
join us this will turn them away from ever considering joining. All we
can do is encourage. When I was younger I held many misconceptions about
the federation and did not believe at all in joining an organization of
blind people. What was the point? I lived my life. I didn't need blind
people. I have since changed my views and think it is very important to
be in an organization for the blind. It not only changed my life, but it
makes me think about what my beliefs about blindness are. It has given
me many social opportunities and a whole network of people to help me
solve problems, support, and encourage me. I wish every blind and
visually impaired person would join this organization because that would
expand our network of blind people and make the organization stronger
but unfortunately this will not happen. I am pretty active in my state
affiliate but I do not make the federation my life or believe in every
decision or policy the federation makes. I believe this is taking an
organization way to far and making it your whole life is silly. I
certainly believe in the federation and consider myself a pretty active
member but I do not make it my whole life.

Just my opinions/thoughts.
Kerri