[nabs-l] Those Amazing Inspiring Blind People

Thu May 30 02:32:09 UTC 2013

I don't think blind athletes are more impressive than sighted
athletes. Blind athletes use alternative techniques just like we use
Braille and canes to do other things. However, being a high-level
champion at a sport is impressive whether the person is blind or
sighted.

Arielle

On 5/28/13, justin <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Not at all; if you have a way of displaying to the world your intelligence
> and skill as a human, then that's great.
> I can't speak for the others on this list, but I'm not trying to say that
> having to use alternative techniques to compensate for blindness is
> something to completely disregard.  Having to fight issues of accessibility
> while doing the everyday things of life does mean that to function on the
> same level of the sighted, we have to be a little better than average.
> Without sight you have to be a little sharper.  However, treating us like
> we
> are oober special and the whole nine yards because we walked across a room
> or are able to read and write; that's ridiculous and degrading.  Do your
> thing; if you can help someone, then I got your back man.  In certain
> contexts, using your blindness along with your accomplishments can be a
> model of inspiration for people.  Just as long as you control the situation
> with your own personal power and not let someone dictate where how your
> blindness angle is emphasized.  Tell them to just give you the ball and get
> out of your way.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Miso Kwak
> Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 9:36 PM
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Those Amazing Inspiring Blind People
>
> this is definitely another interesting thread for I have pondered about
> this
> for so many times...
> Reading Julie's mail definitely made me think about my graduation.
> Each year principal chooses a student to lead the class on to the field
> carrying class flag.
> This year, she chose me and another student. When she announced us she said
> "these students are students who have overcome obstacles and can represent
> the class well."
> It was surprising rather than offensive...
> I definitely have overcome obstacles as a foreign student and blind student
> but I am not sure if I represent the class.
> My partner had obstacles in a sense that he had family issues and just
> personal struggles throughout high school until this year when he made a
> positive turn-around.
> It is definitely an honor. I just don't know whether I deserve it.
> Also, I recently did an interview for an educational video.
> It took more than a month for me to decide whether to do this or not but I
> chose to do it because it could be a positive influence for teens who may
> be
> struggling with life.
> You may criticize me for my belief but I am grateful to know my life could
> give a positive outlook for others.
> I just hope it's done by my drive and passion and integrity not my
> blindness.
> Like mentioned previously it's wrong for someone to praise blind people for
> being able to do simple tasks such as reading and writing. (I usually say
> it's just my way of reading and writing as you write in pen) But there
> could
> be some things that are truly "amazing" and "inspirational"
> If any of you remember, I recently shared an article about blind
> pole-vaulters in the list.
> Aren't they amazing? for being truly great athletes and overcoming others'
> doubts?
> Thanks for reading my long email. I just don't like separating emails by
> topics.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com>
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wed, May 29, 2013 4:15 pm
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Those Amazing Inspiring Blind People
>
> Hi all,
> Julie, your experience at graduation sounds mortifying. He should have at
> least asked your permission before he talked about you at the ceremony. I
> have been called inspirational by a homeless man, and also by a man who was
> receiving kidney dialysis. If I had to choose between blindness, kidney
> failure and homelessness I would choose blindness any day, but I know that
> it's not up to me to characterize those men's lives any more than they can
> characterize mine.
>
> I agree that we have to act resilient in order to deal with the
> environmental barriers we face (negative attitudes, inaccessibility
> etc.) However, I think of resilience as an action more than a personality
> trait. I don't think we have more ability to be resilient than anyone else
> does. Human beings are hard-wired to adapt to whatever situations they are
> in. As blind people we are simply doing what we need to do in order to
> survive and fulfill our goals and desires.
> When I look at my own college experiences, there might have been challenges
> I wouldn't have had if sighted. However, these were eclipsed by all the
> help
> and support I received from my parents (who both have advanced degrees),
> from the scholarship I was awarded and the mentors I was assigned as part
> of
> that scholarship program, and from my professors and friends. I honestly do
> not feel that earning my double major was difficult. And so I find it
> insulting when people who don't know me at all assume it was more difficult
> for me than for somebody who is a first-generation college student, or who
> had to work full-time while going to school, for example.
>
> Arielle
>
> On 5/29/13, Danielle Sykora <dsykora29 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> This is definitely an interesting discussion. Like the rest of you, I
>> am often told I am amazing for accomplishing simple tasks. Most people
>> do not understand that I don't perceive their comments as
>> complimentary; they are only responding to their low expectations of
>> my abilities. Unfortunately, education is not always possible or
>> successful. Consequently, I find it difficult at times to determine
>> whether a compliment is truely desserved.
>>
>> I don't believe that we are particularly amazing or resilient.
>> Certainly, we encounter many challenges; from low expectations on a
>> daily basis, facing the difficulties of obtain textbooks, etc.
>> However, we are merely accomplishing what we need to succeed.
>>
>> Just some thoughts,
>> Danielle
>>
>> On 5/29/13, Katie Wang <bunnykatie6 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> This is a very interesting thread! I'm very much in agreement with
>>> what Julie has said here. While I certainly believe that blind people
>>> should not be regarded as amazing or inspirational for accomplishing
>>> ordinary things (e.g., going to college, getting a job, living
>>> independently), I do think that we need a greater-than-average level
>>> of resilience to successfully handle many of the challenges we face
> as
>>> blind people. Granted, many of these challenges are not directly
>>> caused by our blindness per se but result from low expectations and
>>> negative attitudes from the general public, but they are nonetheless
>>> challenges that call for resourcefulness, creativity, and
>>> self-advocacy. After all, it is fair to say that sighted people
>>> generally don't have to worry about finding a way to access their
>>> college textbooks or taking the initiative to learn alternative
>>> techniques for completing everyday tasks. While I'm a firm believer
> of
>>> the NFB philosophy that, with training and opportunity, blindness can
>>> be reduced to an inconvenience, I also think that, given the reality
>>> of our society, many blind  people are not given the appropriate
>>> training and opportunities by default and do in fact need to overcome
>>> more obstacles in order to accomplish things in life that might
>>> otherwise be deemed ordinary. In that sense, the label of "amazing"
>>> may not be completely off the mark. Admittedly this rationale
> probably
>>> works better with major milestones in life such as graduating from
>>> college with honors than with everyday tasks such as walking around
>>> independently, but I just want to put the thought out there.
>>>
>>> With regard to handling patronizing treatment from the general
> public,
>>> I have certainly encountered my fair share of frustrations. While I
> do
>>> make a point to educate those with whom I interact on a regular basis
>>> so that they have an accurate understanding of me as a competent,
>>> capable blind person, I admit that I often do not do so with
>>> strangers. I have thanked random people for complimenting me on being
>>> amazing many times, not because I agree with them but because I do
> not
>>> have the time/energy to educate and do not want to appear rude. I
>>> think it is important to remember that, as unfortunate as it is, many
>>> sighted people do not recognize certain actions, such as excessive
>>> helpfulness and compliments, as patronizing, even though they do come
>>> across as very much so to us. For this reason, I'm of the personal
>>> opinion that we should educate as much as we are willing and able,
> but
>>> on those occasions where we do not feel up to the task (which I know
>>> we all feel from time to time), erring on the side of polite (albeit
>>> passive) responding may be more constructive than coming across as
>>> aggressive and confrontational.
>>>
>>> Katie
>>>
>>>
>>> On 5/29/13, Julie McGinnity <kaybaycar at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> I recently graduated from college.  The public relations people here
>>>> wanted to write an article about me because I was graduating with
>>>> honors and with a double major.  I thought, rather naively, that
> this
>>>> was the reason.  But no...  As you can imagine, the article was
> about
>>>> how amazing I was succeeding in college with honors as a blind
> person.
>>>>
>>>> If that wasn't bad enough, at my graduation ceremony the president
> was
>>>> giving a speech about resilience.  In her speech, she mentioned
> people
>>>> who had been resilient due to circumstances in their lives that were
>>>> difficult that they had to overcome.  I was the first person
>>>> mentioned.  Then she mentioned a guy who did his entire degree
> online
>>>> while he was doing tures in Iraq, and finally, she described a girl
>>>> who came from a poor village in Africa to receive her education.  I
>>>> felt aweful.  Yes, I received honors and did the rare double major
>>>> with a music major, but do I deserve to be compared to those people
>>>> who faced such real hardships?  I don't think so.  Like Arielle,
> I've
>>>> lived a priviledged life.  All of my needs and some of my wants were
>>>> given to me.
>>>>
>>>> Then I started to think about it some more.  I thought about
> resilence
>>>> as a blind person.  I don't think resilience is exactly what most
>>>> sighted people would expect.  For them, it's simple; we have to
>>>> overcome our blindness.  Not being able to see must be terrible, and
>>>> the fact that we have overcome something that they think
>>>> insurmountable makes us amazing.  But it's so much more than that.
> I
>>>> think we do, as blind people, have to be resilient.  We face
>>>> discrimination, deal with people who think we need help, receive
>>>> questions that insult us, and, let's face it, people stare at us a
>>>> lot.  Some of these things are less bothersome than others, but it
> all
>>>> amounts to the same thing.  Dealing with these things makes us
>>>> resilient in a way.  I do not think this means that we are amazing,
>>>> but I do think that it gives us a different outlook on life.  Facing
>>>> the misconceptions of others causes to be resilient.
>>>>
>>>> Just some random thoughts I had...  What an interesting discussion!
>>>>
>>>> On 5/27/13, justin <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> I don't always know how to respond either; it does looks amazing
> when
>>>>> someone is operating in an alternative way. Even I will admit that
>>>>> anytime someone uses a different set of abilities, or a skill set
>>>>> which is unfamiliar to me, I consider them a little beyond ordinary
>>>>> in that particular context, but rarely do I think they are amazing.
>>>>> While educating people and opening their minds is nice; that is
>>>>> something that
> everyone
>>>>> in
>>>>> their own way ought to do, it is degrading for a sighted person to
>>>>> assume that all the skills in life I have acquired are "amazing for
>>>>> a
> blind
>>>>> man."
>>>>> At thirty-four, I have been subjected to a variety of "inspiring
>>>>> moments so to speak.  Some of them I play along with, and some of
>>>>> them I
> don't.
>>>>> After
>>>>> a while I have learn to sometimes indulge the person to see where
> it
>>>>> goes,
>>>>> and sometimes I don't.  Sometimes I use them as entertainment.
> Other
>>>>> times
>>>>> I cut it off immediately.   Usually, I thank them, or make a joke.
>  It
>>>>> is
>>>>> good to liven those times up with humor to bring things down to a
> human
>>>>> level.  And then there are those times when I say absolutely
> nothing.
>>>>> Corinthians 1-14 was it...-----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
> melissa
>>>>> Green
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 7:04 PM
>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Those Amazing Inspiring Blind People
>>>>>
>>>>> I remember that when I was in grade school.  the teachers would
> want to
>>>>> parade me around in front of the state people coming to observe the
>>>>> school.
>>>>> After they left the teacher would harp on how I was just like
> everyone
>>>>> else.
>>>>> I also remember having people applaud because I could walk into the
>>>>> music room and sit in my chair.
>>>>> I also remember being told that I had to be completely independent.
>>>>> No relying on others.
>>>>> It took me a while to get out of that thought process.
>>>>> When I did, my view of myself as a blind person changed as well.
>>>>> .
>>>>> I could go on and on about my childhood too.
>>>>> But I won't.
>>>>> I feel that recognition is nice, but I don't want a big fus made
> over
>>>>> me
>>>>> because of my blindness.
>>>>> When I was getting ready to go through the graduation ceremony they
>>>>> wanted to give my guide dog a diploma and put her on mine, as well
>>>>> as put
> a
>>>>> cap
>>>>> and
>>>>> gown on her.
>>>>> I said absolutely not!
>>>>> I would include her in my own way.
>>>>> That is what I did.
>>>>> I put my tassel on her collar and that is how I chose to do it.
>>>>> It was my choice and noone else's.
>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>> Melissa and Pj
>>>>> "Forever is composed of nows." -Emily Dickinson facebook Melissa R
>>>>> Green Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/melissagreen5674
>>>>> skype: lissa5674
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Arielle Silverman" <arielle71 at gmail.com>
>>>>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 4:42 PM
>>>>> Subject: [nabs-l] Those Amazing Inspiring Blind People
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>> I think some great points have been made here. When someone tells
> me I
>>>>> am amazing or inspiring or courageous or whatever, I don't like it
>>>>> because it implies a lower standard. There's always part of that
>>>>> compliment that goes unstated: "You're amazing......For a blind
>>>>> person". It's really a backhanded insult to other blind people,
> even
>>>>> though it may not be intended that way. Also, I don't like being
> told
>>>>> that I must have overcome great obstacles or that I must have great
>>>>> perseverance and passion to get to where I am today, because I
> don't
>>>>> think that's true. My blindness hasn't interfered much with my
>>>>> educational achievements and compared with many others my life has
>>>>> been over-privileged. When people make these assumptions I feel
> they
>>>>> are judging me based on blindness without knowing much else about
> me,
>>>>> my upbringing or anything I've done.
>>>>> I also think that the "amazing" comments are particularly tough on
>>>>> blind youth who also happen to be high achievers. It's hard to know
>>>>> how to interpret these comments and when we are truly amazing vs.
> just
>>>>> exceeding people's low standards. And sometimes, being an
> inspiration
>>>>> is just too much extra pressure when our lives are already filled
> with
>>>>> a lot of internal and external demands.
>>>>> When I was growing up, I got used to these accolades because my
>>>>> parents had many friends who would marvel at my accomplishments.
> When
>>>>> I was young I was often asked to show off my Braille reading for
>>>>> company and this just completely blew people away. Then as I grew I
>>>>> was a high achiever in school and won some awards for spelling bees
>>>>> and things like that. They deserved recognition, but probably not
> to
>>>>> the level that I got. One night when I was ten, I wrote down some
>>>>> musings about how I felt about blindness and dealing with sighted
>>>>> kids. My mother ran across my writing on the family computer and
>>>>> through a random string of events, what I wrote got published in
> our
>>>>> local paper. Then when I was eleven, a magazine editor read the
>>>>> newspaper article and was so amazed and inspired that she asked me
> to
>>>>> write a column for her magazine. This of course only compounded
>>>>> people's awe and amazement in what I could do, since not only was I
>>>>> blind but I was also famous. It took several years, but I
> eventually
>>>>> realized that I wasn't an amazing writer. I was a decent writer,
> but
>>>>> not particularly outstanding at it, and not good at fiction or
> poetry
>>>>> at all. The only reason people were so impressed with my writing
> was
>>>>> because I wrote about blindness and that was a topic that intrigued
>>>>> people. I had to get a lot of painful criticism on my writing
> before I
>>>>> eventually realized I wasn't as outstanding as those folks made me
> out
>>>>> to be. Around the time I came to that epiphany, I also began to
> resent
>>>>> all the accolades. I remember thinking, at the age of fifteen, that
>>>>> "adults always treat me like I'm five and fifty at the same time.
> But
>>>>> I just want to be a normal 15-year-old girl!" I felt like on one
> hand,
>>>>> I was being held to an impossibly high standard--expected to be an
>>>>> amazing writer, an inspiration to all--and on the other hand, held
> to
>>>>> an extremely low standard--expected not to be capable of basic
>>>>> independence. People would praise my writing but then worry about
> my
>>>>> ability to walk across a room. I just wanted to blend into the
> crowd
>>>>> of teenagers and gossip about boys and clothes (well, mostly just
>>>>> boys) instead.
>>>>> Then, at the end of ninth grade, I "accidentally on purpose"
> failed my
>>>>> algebra final and earned my first B on my report card. There were
> some
>>>>> problems on the final that were hard and I didn't feel like
> answering
>>>>> on the last day of school, so I skipped them. I didn't intend to
>>>>> fail--I think I just got a little overconfident about my ability to
>>>>> earn straight A's. But I also wonder if on a less conscious level,
> I
>>>>> bombed the test so I could prove to myself and others that I was a
>>>>> human being and I was capable of screwing up--and not always an
>>>>> inspiration. Just a week before that final exam, I remember my
> algebra
>>>>> teacher admitting that he had doubted my ability to pass his class
> at
>>>>> the beginning of the year, but that he was totally impressed with
> my
>>>>> performance. I remember being angry at him for assuming I wouldn't
>>>>> succeed in his class just because I was blind. And so perhaps,
>>>>> ironically, I failed his test to try to show him I wasn't amazing,
> I
>>>>> wasn't a superhero, I was just a normal teenager doing the best I
>>>>> could to succeed in school.
>>>>> OK, enough rambling about my childhood, but I do think that the
>>>>> unnecessary recognition we get from the public can be just as
> damaging
>>>>> as true discrimination, especially when we are young and trying to
>>>>> figure out where our true talents are. None of us should be forced
>>>>> into the position of inspiring others. As first-class citizens, we
>>>>> have the right to achieve at the level we wish to achieve at, and
> we
>>>>> have a right to accurate feedback about how well we're doing at
>>>>> something. Fortunately, as others have stated, there are sighted
> folks
>>>>> with high expectations who are willing to hold us up to rigorous
>>>>> standards and to give us a true picture of our strengths and
>>>>> weaknesses.
>>>>> Best,
>>>>> Arielle
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
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>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Julie McG
>>>> National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
>>>> Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary, Missouri
>>>> Association of Guide dog Users President, and Guiding Eyes for the
>>>> Blind graduate 2008 "For God so loved the world that he gave his
>>>> only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but
>>>> may have eternal life."
>>>> John 3:16
>>>>
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>>>
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>>
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