[nabs-l] Blind vs. Visually Impaired

[Joshua Lester]

Great post, as always!
Blessings, Joshua

On 6/12/12, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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
>
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