[nabs-l] Blind vs. Visually Impaired

[Arielle Silverman]

Hi all,
Brandon-undoubtedly you've stumbled upon an issue that has been
contentious in the blind community at times, because labels have
meaning and words have power. The terms "blind" and "visually
impaired" have many different connotations, some desirable and some
not so much. I want to present my personal views and reactions to
these two terms, and explain why I now use "blind" to describe any
person who uses nonvisual techniques to observe and interact with
their world.
I was born with only light perception, so I am essentially totally
blind (if people ask, I sometimes say I am "99% blind" and my tiny bit
of usable vision is only functional in a few select situations).
Because of this, I grew up referring to myself as blind and never gave
it a second thought. However, I had some friends growing up who were
in that grey area where they had enough vision to get by without
blindness techniques but who still qualified for blindness services
(TVI's etc.) My friends referred to themselves as visually impaired
and I thought that label was totally harmless and legitimate as a way
of differentiating between totally blind folks like me and folks who
had usable vision.
Over the past few years I have stopped using "visually impaired" for
two main reasons. First, the term "visually impaired" includes the
word "impaired" which literally means defective or inferior. The word
blind, while it has some bad historical connotations, does not
literally mean inferiority or defect. It simply means unable to see,
but it can be interpreted in many different ways. I choose to use the
word "blind" and to interpret it in a positive way rather than using a
term that focuses attention on what is broken. My friends who have
usable vision are not broken or "impaired" any more or less than I am;
they are people who, like me, happen to observe and interact with
their world, at least somewhat, in nonvisual ways. Given the chance, I
would rather not think of myself as broken or defective either, which
is why I continue to call myself blind. I know that in some sighted
people's eyes (not all, but some) the word "blind" still means
"broken" but I feel that these people would see me as broken even if I
called myself visually impaired instead. Words have power, and I would
rather create my own definition for the word "blind".
Second, over the years I have talked with several people who have
usable vision about their experiences with negotiating their
identities. I have heard over and over again from people who found
peace, resolution, and even joy when they began to refer to themselves
as blind, use blindness techniques and become full members of the
blind community. Before calling themselves blind, these folks (and
some of you on this list have experienced this too, and can elaborate)
often tried to pass as sighted, but became frustrated or depressed
when this attempt to pass wasn't completely effective. Hiding
blindness has its advantages, but when one's vision is simply not good
enough to make it possible without sacrificing competence (i.e.
running into things, falling, not being able to read, etc.) passing
can become more of a burden than a privilege. Calling oneself blind
and developing an identity as blind can be very liberating, as again,
it pulls focus away from the broken vision and toward the effective
nonvisual methods of observing and interacting. So I call my friends
blind rather than visually impaired because I want to respect their
blind identities and the peace and resolve that comes with them.
Again, while I have not done a study on this (I might, sometime!) I
don't think sighted people really understand the nuances between blind
and visually impaired. Some sighted folks think of beggars, depression
and darkness when you say blind; however, I'd bet they'd still think
of those things if you used the term visually impaired,
sight-impaired, sightless, optically challenged or any other term that
really means "blind" in fancier language. And there are other sighted
folks who have no mental associations, good or bad, with the word
blind. These folks can learn from our example that "blind" is neither
good nor bad, but simply means you observe and interact with your
world using means other than vision. My sighted boyfriend, who had no
experience with blindness before me, sometimes teases me by calling me
"blindie" and that is not meant as an insult. In fact, he knows that I
have several dear friends I jokingly refer to as "blindies" and so the
word has mildly positive connotations for me, and for him.
The issue of whether or not to tell an employer you are blind,
visually impaired or whatever is a whole separate thing. But I would
argue that if using a blindness technique like Braille, JAWS or a
cane/dog would allow you to perform the job better, it's worth the
risk to tell your employer you are blind and use these techniques on
the job. It's much better than floundering around without blindness
techniques and eventually getting fired for poor performance.
Arielle