[nabs-l] Blind Verses Legally Blind

Lillie Pennington lilliepennington at fuse.net
Fri Dec 6 21:41:42 UTC 2013


I quite honestly tell people I am visually impaired. This more or less ends all questions about that topic.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 6, 2013, at 4:10 PM, "Elizabeth Mohnke" <lizmohnke at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> So then are you suggesting that I try to explain this to every stranger on the street who asks me about how much I can see, or whether or not I am legally blind or blind, when it is really none of their business in the first place? Honestly, it just seems as though everyone who has answered this question so far has totally missed the whole point of my email.
> 
> Elizabeth
> 
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Suzanne Germano" <sgermano at asu.edu>
> Sent: Friday, December 06, 2013 3:28 PM
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Blind Verses Legally Blind
> 
>> 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
>>> 
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