[nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness

Fri Mar 22 19:37:03 UTC 2013

A brief excerpt of the trash, (from an article titled "Challenges of
being blind":

The 1995 census showed that 2 million people in the United States are
either completely sightless or have partially impaired sight. Blind
people face challenges that the sighted do not have to overcome, and
are often limited in their ability to live life.

Environment
Blind people can have difficulty interacting with their environment.
Because it can become difficult to perceive where one is and to get
from one place to another, movement can become restricted, leading to
having little contact with the surrounding world. While other senses
can be enhanced, this can be offset by a tendency toward
over-protection.

To be fair, the article does go on to cite unemployment and prejudice
as other challenges blind people face, but the negativity encapsulated
in these initial sentences eclipse any accuracy in the latter part of
the article.
They also have articles on how to feed and care for blind people. I
would like to assume that these refer to someone who needs custodial
care for some other reason (i.e. a post-operative patient) who also
just so happens to be blind. But still, these articles drip with
demeaning language. They instruct the caretaker to take out the trash
regularly, watch out for things the blind person might have spilled,
restock food and supplies in the house, and to never give a blind
person a full glass of a beverage. The implication is that left to our
own devices, we would be living in pig sties with overflowing trash
bins and pizza crusts lying everywhere. A few of us may live like
this, but most of us don't and a few sighted people live like this
too. Not to mention many of us regularly empty our own garbage and go
to the grocery store to restock our own kitchen cupboards. Most of the
suggestions are either unnecessary, or they are good suggestions for
taking care of any convalescent regardless of blindness.
Arielle

On 3/21/13, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> In the book called TheArt of War, it always counsels you to know your the
> enemy.  Always learn what you can about your opponent.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Joshua Lester
> Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 3:26 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness
>
> Why read their negativity, when I already know about what they believe,
> because I hear the whole "blind people can't care for themselves, and must
> be a charity case for the state," nonsense every day, and I hear the same
> attitudes from my own family!
> I know the view already, so I can educate them and tell them different!
> Also, after 6 months of experience, listening to the ACB's side of things,
> I'm prepared to show them the truth!
> Also, I'm tired of the discrimination against us, which is promoted by the
> attitudes on the EHow site!
> Blessings, Joshua
> ________________________________________
> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Josh Gregory
> [joshkart12 at gmail.com]
> Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 2:18 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness
>
> Hi Joshua, you don't want to read their trash, so you say, but you say that
> it is important to educate them. I get that, but if you read it, you can
> assist in educating them. Doing nothing is not a good idea here, and when I
> get a chance in a bit, I'm going to find these articles and see what
> they're
> like.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Mar 22, 2013, at 3:11 PM, Joshua Lester <JLester8462 at pccua.edu> wrote:
>
>> I don't want to read their trash.
>> If they have something negative to say, I'd usually E-Mail them and give
> them my take on the matter, and teach them some old school NFB philosophy!
>> Does EHow have a captcha on their contact form?
>> BTW, the ideas come from the ignorant people that don't know anything,
>> and
> have never seen a blind person do anything independently!
>> We need to do something, and I posted a suggestion on another thread that
> I just started.
>> Thanks, Joshua
>> ________________________________________
>> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Carrie Gilmer
>> [carrie.gilmer at gmail.com]
>> Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 1:56 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness
>>
>> They are no gag. They are on a well viewed and well shared site. You
>> think
> we all are not tired? Saying nothing does nothing but allows them to go on,
> unimpeded. There was just an article about the real and large problem of
> employment discrimination for blind people. Where do the ideas come from?
> how do they go on and on and on? Doing nothing does nothing to correct or
> stop. It makes me terribly sad and dismayed to hear "they are not worth my
> time". Is correcting even one mind which may affect a blind person's
> employment or education worth your time? what if that blind person is you?
>> Carrie
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>> On Mar 22, 2013, at 1:41 PM, Joshua Lester <JLester8462 at pccua.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> Those articles aren't worth my time, if they're going to paint a
>>> terrible
> picture of blindness!
>>> I'm tired of these negative ideas that come from the 16th century and
> before!
>>> Blessings, Joshua
>>> ________________________________________
>>> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Carrie Gilmer
>>> [carrie.gilmer at gmail.com]
>>> Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 1:31 PM
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness
>>>
>>> http://www.ehow.com/how_2040980_care-blind-person.html
>>>
>>> There are links on the pages of articles to a good dozen more...one is
> also titled "how to feed a blind person"
>>>
>>> What kind of blind person can they possibly be depicting? There is no
> distinguishing between a newly blinded person from a major auto accident
> practically in  a coma or a child with multiple disabilities, or a 90 year
> old in feeble health or visually impaired teenager in good health or a
> normal person born blind.
>>> The aura of tragedy and burden and superhuman challenge abounds.
>>> Carrie
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>> On Mar 21, 2013, at 1:00 PM, "justin williams"
> <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Where are the articles?
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Carrie
>>>> Gilmer
>>>> Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 9:49 AM
>>>> To: Blind Kid Mailing List; National Association of Blind Students
>>>> mailing list
>>>> Subject: [nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness
>>>>
>>>> Hello all~
>>>> I discovered last night a series of articles written and posted on
>>>> eHow concerning blindness. they are misleading at best, horrifically
>>>> bad perpetuated falsehoods at worst.  I had only viewed four of them
>>>> last night and had to stop, I was so upset. This morning a friend
>>>> pointed out that I was mentioned and partially quoted in another
>>>> one! I was completely unaware, and found upon reading it, it is in
>>>> the midst of misleading and mixed messages and not an accurate
>>>> portrayal from the article or from our life!, I believe it was
>>>> pulled from. The same is true for a friend of mine also "quoted" in
>>>> the same article! one of the articles is titled "How to set the
>>>> table for a blind person", yes, seriously. "How to care for a blind
>>>> person"...They are Just dripping with condescending dramatic
>>>> language and ideas! They appear to name the NFB (named National
> Federation FOR the Blind) as a reference!!!!!!!!
>>>>
>>>> I strongly encourage you to read the articles in the series and
>>>> write complaints both individually and as groups, with reasoned
>>>> argument specific to false points. There are multiple authors, so
>>>> letters naming problems with each article are needed.
>>>>
>>>> We must get these off the internet.
>>>>
>>>> Contact for complaint for eHow:
>>>>
>>>> I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE WHO HAS COMPLAINT OR KNOWS ANYTHING ACCURATE
>>>> ABOUT BLINDNESS TO WRITE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO EHOW!!!! I will be
>>>> doing it one for each ridiculous article!! i believe if they get
>>>> enough coherent and reasonable complaints they will take these down
>>>> permanently...as per their policy on misinformation!:
>>>>
>>>> Further Information If you have a complaint, you may contact us at
>>>> eHow, Inc. Legal Department, 5808 Lake Washington Blvd. Ste. 300,
>>>> Kirkland, WA 98033, U.S.A. If you are a California resident, the
>>>> Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of
>>>> the Dept. of Consumer Affairs may be contacted at 400 R Street,
>>>> Sacramento, CA 95814 or (800) 952-5210
>>>>
>>>> Best,
>>>>
>>>> Carrie
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
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