[nagdu] service vs therapy dogs and welcome

[lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com]

You're right about that, Angie. It really does show  how people still view 
us. Come to think of it, think of all the kinds of stereotyping you've heard 
of - about blacks, Mexicans, Asians, disabled people, etc - both good and 
bad.  Even these things die hard.  We seem to only chip little pieces off 
but the stereotype still remains.  We have to continue to educate the 
parents of blind kids to not allow the kids to develop these negative 
blindness habits like rocking and poking their eyes.  We have to target the 
parents.  We have to target the sighted kids in schools so they grow up into 
parents who will properly educate their kids, both sighted or blind.

I think when a person says, "You don't look blind." they are recognizing 
that you don't fit the stereotype.  This is the window of opportunity to 
educate that person about who we really are.  It seems like a never ending 
thing because we have to do it one person at a time who we encounter in our 
everyday lives.  We can give them the NFB as a resource for them to learn 
more.

No matter what group we represent, we need to show people that we do not 
adhere to the stereotype of that group.  Our new President, Barack Obama, 
has had to deal with this type of thing.

At any rate, we in the NFB or ACB have to  continue to educate those people 
who are outside our group as blind people.  As long as we continue to move 
forward, we're doing OK.  We have to keep on pushing to keep us moving in a 
forward motion.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Linda and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Angie Matney" <leadinglabbie at mpmail.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 6:58 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] service vs therapy dogs and welcome


> 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.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nagdu:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/lindagwizdak%40peoplepc.com
>>>
>
>
>>_______________________________________________
>>nagdu mailing list
>>nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>nagdu:
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/leadinglabbie%40mpmail.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/lindagwizdak%40peoplepc.com
>