[nagdu] service vs therapy dogs and welcome

[Angie Matney]

Hi Linda,

With all due respect, this is a backhanded compliment if I ever heard one. Yes, it's true--it's said with the best of intentions. But it really does reveal a lot about the misconceptions that surround blindness.

Angie

On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:41:43 -0800, lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com wrote:

>Hi Mardi,
>I liked the part about "You don't look blind...".  That one had me stumped 
>for years and years.  I didn't know what people meant by the remark.  I 
>thoought it was people denying that I was blind. Well, a sighted friend 
>finally explained the basis of the remark to me.  He said that people look 
>at a blind person and see the blindness.  People have this view that blind 
>people are people who rock, jam their fingers or fist into their eye.  They 
>walk with a stiff-leggeed gait and don't look at people who are talking to 
>them.  In other words, the crappy stereotypes people think of when you say, 
>"blind person".

>Marti, you used to be a sighted person.  Think back on your sighted days 
>long before you ever met a blind person. What did your mind conjure up? Now, 
>me - I've always been visually impaired and I can't and never was able to 
>see people's faces and the expressions on them.  I had no clue about "look 
>blind" sinse I've spent a lifetime around blind people.

>My friend told me that when someone tells me that I don't "look blind" I 
>need to take it as a compliment.  The statement really says that you look 
>normal - like a SIGHTED person!  You and I do not have the so-called "blind 
>mannerisms" that so many sheltered congenitally blind people display.  You 
>learned how to be as a sighted child - what was socially acceptable. As a 
>child, I was taught by my parents how to be in public and that people can 
>see what I do.  So, you and I behave in a normal socially acceptable manner. 
>We look at people who speak to us.  We don't poke our eyes with our fingers 
>or fists.  Our eyes may look pretty normal - well - mine wiggle with 
>nystagmus.  We rock only to music or while seated in a rocking chair.

>I don't remember if you are totally blind or are partially sighted.  Being 
>in a wheelchair, I can see how people think your guide is a wheelchair 
>service dog.  There aren't too many of you out there. I know several 
>visually impaired wheelchair users but they see too much to use a guide dog 
>and they don't have a service dog, either.

>I know it's annoying when people don't know.  People think you are either 
>fully sighted - "Oh, you must be faking it!" or you are totally blind. 
>People still don't seem to grasp the idea of all kinds of partial vision in 
>between. I tell them that I have enough vision to be dangerous.  We then 
>have a laugh.

>Hope that helps!  Thank God we are normal people who can give the public a 
>good impression of who blind people are.

>Take care and Happy Holidays!

>Linda and Landon
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Mardi Hadfield" <wolfsinger.lakota at gmail.com>
>To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2008 6:52 PM
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] service vs therapy dogs and welcome


>> Hi every one,   I have had similar experiences with Therapy dog owners.
>> They seem to think they know it all. They seem to think,because I am in a
>> wheelchair that my dog is not a guide.They can't see beyond the chair. My
>> dog must be a  "wheelchair dog",because I use a wheelchair. I am told that 
>> I
>> don't look blind. Can some one tell me what a blind person looks like?  Do
>> they all look the same? I get so aggravated at these people, that I don't
>> even try to explain. I just roll away and ignore them. There are too many
>> other battles that are more important to take care of.           Welcome
>> Ted.  All my guides have been Siberian Huskies except for my current
>> trainee,Wanagi. She is a Husky/Shepherd cross, and I adopted her from the
>> pound. I have trained my dogs with the aid of a private trainer.  I am 
>> sure
>> that whatever school you choose, you will get a wonderful, and faithful
>> partner.     Have a great day, Mardi and Nala, retired, Wanagi, gdit, and
>> Tokala,gdit.
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