[nabs-l] Blind Verses Legally Blind

[Suzanne Germano]

I think there is a distinction. If I tell a professor I am legally blind
and here is what I see my accommodations are completely different than
someone who is totally blind.

 I don't think it has anything to do with being better off but just so the
person has a better understanding.

If I am trying to arrange close seats for an event and I say I am blind
then they ask why do I need close seats then. I I say I am low vision or
legally blind then they understand my need to be close.

I also find I get less shit if I say legally blind. If I say I am blind
then I get the "You're not blind" snotty comment. becasue it is quite
obvious I have a lot of useful vision.


On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 1:17 PM, Elizabeth Mohnke <lizmohnke at hotmail.com>wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> Recently it seems as though I have been getting a lot of questions from
> people who ask me if I am blind or legally blind as if there is some huge
> difference between these two things. Since I see these two things as being
> two sides of the same coin, I have started to respond by saying that anyone
> who is blind is legally blind and anyone who is legally Blind is blind as
> there are really no distinctions between these two things.
>
> it just seems to me like people who ask this question somehow believe the
> more eyesight a person has the better off they are as a person even though
> they may be blind. Hence, it feels as though what the person is really
> asking about is how much I can still see even though I am blind.
> Personally, I feel as though I should not be obligated to share such
> personal information with a mere stranger I will most likely never see
> again.
>
> I guess I just feel as though I am at a point in my life where I no longer
> wish to describe what I can and cannot see to other people. however, I am
> also not quite sure what to say when people ask me this question. I feel as
> though what I can and cannot see should not really matter all that much.
> But it seems as though I never really know what to say to those who believe
> that it does really matter.
>
> Do you have any thoughts or ideas about how to deal with these kinds of
> questions without revealing any personal information about yourself? how do
> you go about answering these kinds of questions in your own life? Any
> thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Elizabeth
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sgermano%40asu.edu
>