[NABS-L] Myths About the Blind for Academic Lecture

[Jacob Ham]

thanks nina these are great!


On Wed, Feb 21, 2024 at 7:19 AM Nina Marranca via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Good morning. Some that come to mind for me include that blind people do
> not care about fashion / their appearance, that blind people can't live
> independently, that blind people can't independently do self care e.g.
> shaving. These seem relevant to that field. If you could throw something in
> about asking consent before any kind of touch even during instruction,
> that'd be great too. Good luck.
> ________________________________
> From: NABS-L <nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org> on behalf of Jacob Ham via
> NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 9:06:13 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >
> Cc: Jacob Ham <jacobryanham at gmail.com>
> Subject: [NABS-L] Myths About the Blind for Academic Lecture
>
> Hi all,
>
> I'm giving a lecture to a number of occupational therapy students soon, and
> want to dedicate some time to dispelling myths about the blind and instill
> some knowledge useful to rehabilitation workers. What are some
> misconceptions you've encountered about blindness, either from general
> others, or from healthcare professionals? I'd love to hear experiences
> about doctors, therapists, nurses, VR counselors, physical & occupational
> therapists, and other 'blindness professionals'. Below is a list of what
> I've come up with so far:
>
> myth: blind means a total lack of sight
> fact: blindness is a spectrum. many blind people have some amount of vision
> myth: blind people have heightened senses to compensate for poor vision
> fact: blind people's senses are just the same as anyone else barring
> another disability (if this were true, there would be situations where
> blindness is advantageous because of the heightened senses)
> myth: blind people don't or can't have sex
> fact: blind people engage in sex and relationships. As a group, blind
> people contain as much diversity in identity as any other segment of the
> population and include individuals of all races, sexualities, and gender
> identities.
> myth: all blind people use a cane
> fact: blind people use a number of mobility strategies which include canes,
> dogs, or residual vision. Individuals may use one or more of these
> strategies depending on context,
> myth: the white cane is the only cane that indicates blindness
> fact: blindness mobility and ID canes come in a variety of colors, and many
> people choose to personalize theirs. Laws protecting blind pedestrians from
> cars vary from state to state as to whether the cane must be white.
> myth: blind people can't or don't use the internet
> fact: blind people have many assistive technologies that enable computer
> and smartphone use, including internet access without vision
>
> These I came up with off the top of my head, but I'd love to hear y'alls
> input as well.
>
> Best,
> Jacob Ham
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