[nabs-l] Blind vs. Visually Impaired

Wed Jun 13 14:33:37 UTC 2012

Hi all, I would like to share with you how I was born blind and how I call some of my friends blind. I was blind since birth, just like Arielle. A lot of my sighted friends eversince I started school, were wondering how I get around and do the same thinggs as they do. I don't mind talking about my blindness to other people because it helps them understand more about my disability. I call some of my friends blind because we share with each other on what blindness means to us and we also educate ourselves on what we can do to make other people aware of blindness. I am considering going to a traing center after high school to get all the skills I need to live on my own and for college. I want to go into radio, or if that doesn't work out for me, I wanat to also be a computer IT. Oh, and I forgot to metion earlier that i am legallily blind, have ROP and can see some light, some color, and shadows. Have a good day all! Preston Gaylor

> From: raniaismail04 at gmail.com
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2012 08:16:01 -0300
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Blind vs. Visually Impaired
> 
> Ariel I agree with you.
> I like you have been blind from birth and have a little light perception
> that I can't do much with at all.
> I am more comfortable with calling my self blind because like you that's all
> I have known.
> I also have some friends who consider themselves visually impaired but I
> also call all of my friends blind.
> I really don't like it when people call my blindness a visual impairment
> because I feel like that gives a person the idea that I have some usable
> vision when that is not the case.
> As for getting a job I am a massage therapist at a local salon in New
> Jersey.
> I got the job because I explained that I was blind but I went farther and
> explained that I use transportation to get to and from work. As well as how
> I keep notes on the client's I see
> I am on call so they let me know when a client wants to come in for a
> massage. This is helpful because finding transportation is difficult at
> times but after I explained how I get to work and that I was still really
> interested in working for him as a massage therapist I was hyered!
> I am proud to say that the client's my co-workers and managers really like
> me and support me every step of the way.
> Sometimes I think it is a matter of the employer really needing to fill a
> spot and if they can put your blindness aside so you can show them what your
> abilities are to me they would I think see you as just another blind person
> doing what everyone else does so I think telling your employer about your
> blindness is better.
> Rania,
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Arielle Silverman
> Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 1:45 AM
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nabs-l] Blind vs. Visually Impaired
> 
> 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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