[nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness

Fri Mar 22 20:53:58 UTC 2013

Hi all,

Brandon's last post made my week!  I don't think it is right for stuff
like this to be available to give sighted people a false idea of what
blind people are like, but I too have seen many other articles that
don't make sense.  (Have you seen the article about the importance of
teaching ASL to blind people yet?)  There are plenty of non-blindness
related ones that are total trash to if you just look them up, and
nothing from E-How should be taken seriously.  That being said, I
think I'm somewhere in between; I've recognized E-How for what it is
as Brandon pointed out, but I think that there is a definite line
between sensitivity and humor and in this case some of these articles
do cross that line.  I know I would probably give someone the whatfor
if they tried to feed me or refused to give me a full glass of Coke
because I'm blind, but it's just a matter of letting E-How know they
should evaluate some of these grossly insensitive articles.

Brandon:  I know people from a music program I attend in the summers
called Braille Beats who actually describe sighted people as "Light
dependent."  Your post reminded me of that and captured that idea
perfectly.

How to manage a day with a Light-ependent person.

People who have the misfortune of being congenitally dependent upon
light for survival need several accomodations including patience and
understanding from those not afflicted by the condition.  In this
article I will present some everyday situations and ways you can help
your light-dependent friend or family member get through the day.

Driving in the car going somewhere: When the person complains about
the bad driving of others, simply smile and distract him/her from the
road rage.  Find a topic of conversation which interests both of you,
but still make sure they focus on their personal driving.  Be patient
with them, although nothing is really solved by getting mad at other
drivers.  They really can't help it sometimes.
Reading their own writing:  Another factor of frustration for
light-dependent people is reading their own writing.  Light-dependent
people don't have the advantage of using a system so eligant as
braille where letters are confused not too often, especially when
contractions are used.  Because their system is more cumbersome and
they have the poor tendency to write sloppily when rushed they
sometimes can't even read what they've written.  They also don't have
access to a refreshable display for their writing, so papers are
frequently lost in the shuffle.  This leads to frustration and other
factors such as getting lost on the way to a destination or forgetting
something they needed from the store.  Try to be patient and help them
remember what it is they wanted to buy, or perhaps that exit number
they told you they'd need to take off the highway.
In a college dorm at night: Sometimes your roommate may need to stay
up later than you and in order to complete their work they may need a
light.  Again, be patient; if noise bothers you plug yourself into
your IPod and try falling asleep to music.  If the light is bothersome
try to block it out; if you only have vision from one eye putting that
side of your face into the pillow does the trick wonderfully.  Do
this, and be thankful that you don't necessarily need light to read a
book or that you can turn off the screen on your laptop out of
consideration for others.

Okay, the last one was me grasping for straws, but you get the
picture.  I also didn't mean to talk down sighted people; just an
attempt at humor.

On 3/22/13, Brandon Keith Biggs <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
> I'm pretty sure this is a gag, most of their other articles seem pretty
> ridiculous as well. I may write an article on how to prep a room for a
> sighted person.
>
> Make sure lights are turned on and not facing toward the door. Sighted
> people don't like walking into dark rooms. They also don't like walking into
>
> bright lights, so one needs to find the perfect balance.
> Open the curtains if it is day time, even if it is really warm outside and
> the AC is on. Sighted people love to have the sun shining into their house
> even though it raises the electrical bill. Make sure print labels on food
> and appliances aren't covered by anything so the sighted person can feel
> comfortable reading the familiar labels. If there aren't already print
> labels on something, make sure they are printed in at least 12 point font
> with black letters on a white background. Make sure your TV screen is on and
>
> make sure your computer screen shows what you are doing at all times. If you
>
> wish to be safe, slow down your screen reader so the sighted person won't
> feel left out of what you are doing.
> If you plan on cooking with the sighted person in the house, make sure to
> wear big gloves, because it raises the anxiety level of the sighted person
> seeing someone cutting and using hot items without protection.
> If you follow all these instructions, you will be able to interact with a
> sighted person comfortably in your house.
> Thanks,
>
> Brandon Keith Biggs
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Josh Gregory
> Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 12:58 PM
> To: Misty Dawn Bradley ; National Association of Blind Students mailing
> list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness
>
> It's all good, we all make mistakes sometimes, :-)
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Mar 22, 2013, at 3:35 PM, Misty Dawn Bradley <mistydbradley at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>> I am sorry, but I meant to say EHow rather than EZine Articles in my
>> earlier post.
>> Misty
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "justin williams"
>> <justin.williams2 at gmail.com>
>> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 3:26 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness
>>
>>
>>> It is important to read their trash.  Remember, other people are, and to
>>> their mind, they no things about you.  You can more easily refute them
>>> if
>>> you have some idea on what people are saying.  You can't advocate
>>> without
>>> proper information.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Josh
>>> Gregory
>>> Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 3:18 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
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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-- 
Kaiti