[nagdu] blindness attitudes

[lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com]

Well, Buddy, unfortunately this is just an example of how entrenched the 
negative feelings about blindness is in our society as a whole and it also 
infects us blind folks!

It seems like a vicious circle - the society looks negatively at blindness 
and we are a product of that society so we also inherit that same attitude 
ourselves.  It is so hard to teach ourselve to stop thinking that way about 
blindness and our own blindness.  Society thinks negatively about blind 
PEOPLE as our horribly high unemployment rate is.  Because we can't get 
jobs - good jobs -  we blame our own blindness and we have negative feelings 
as well. Sighted people then think we're being negative and bitter about it. 
It goes round and round (grin!).

We have to break this cycle for us to feel positive about our own blindness 
and we also have to teach society to be more positive about it as well. 
Then maybe we'll have true equality!

I do think this is happening as more young people come up into adulthood 
with the NFB training centers and technology. I see a real difference in the 
attitudes of young blind people as opposed to the older blind people. It's 
just going to take alot of time.

Linda and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 08, 2009 4:41 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Animal Advocate Calls Blind Guide Dog Users Cruel &unfi


>
> On Mar 8, 2009, at 7:29 PM, helene ryles wrote:
>
>> I don't like this parting quote:
>>
>> "I hope you never go blind and need a dog."
>
> I quite agree. Apart from my issue with the "needing" a dog, it sounds  a 
> bit like a curse. After all, is blindness that bad? Sure, it's a  right 
> royal pain in the ass sometimes, and I'm sure it would be hard  to adjust 
> to after not being blind, but such a statement only  perpetuates the 
> stereotypes that we already struggle with; that  blindness is necessarily 
> a terrible, horrible fate, and you'd never  wish such a tragedy on anyone. 
> No, of course I don't wish for people  to go blind, but I don't really 
> wish for people to go sighted or deaf  or short, either. If we really 
> believe that blindness is respectable,  and indeed if we want others to 
> believe this as well, I think we'd do  well to be mindful of how we 
> ourselves discuss blindness. Furthering  our cause might be better 
> accomplished if we don't give people reason  to strengthen their already 
> well entrenched negative attitudes.
>
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