[nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness

Sat Mar 23 00:32:46 UTC 2013

Wow... just wow!

Chris Nusbaum, Co-Chair
Public Relations Committee
Maryland Association of Blind Students
Phone: (443) 547-2409

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Arielle
Silverman
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 5:41 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness

There's also another funny one, "how to entertain a blind person". One of
the suggestions is to hold a musical competition, start singing a song as a
group and then see who can finish the song after you turn off the music. You
know, since blind people have such musical talent and superhearing...I
laughed because I suck at remembering lyrics and would do horribly at that
game!
Arielle

On 3/22/13, Joshua Lester <JLester8462 at pccua.edu> wrote:
> Kaiti:
> Wow!
> You attend Braille Beats?
> Awesome!
> That was a great post, BTW!
> Blessings, Joshua
> ________________________________________
> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Kaiti Shelton 
> [crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com]
> Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 3:53 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] eHow internet article series on blindness
>
> 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
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
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>
>
> --
> Kaiti
>
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