[nagdu] Link to the GMA piece

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Fri Aug 27 17:54:36 UTC 2010 

Jeanette,

On our local news stations, the reporters get so gooey in the voice when
they mention anything to do with disability, especially blindness, that I
actually thought Ms. Chang was a breath of fresh air in her tone and manner.
Then again, I haven't gotten to the second watching yet so I'll see what I
think of the reporting side when I'm not listening to other facets.
Actually, the only thing I was looking for in the reporting -- because I
just can't stand it anymore -- is the gushy tone with the voice quiver all
overlaid and dripping with poison molasses.  Makes me feel ill, that does.
I think the time I heard the voice drip discussing some project by a man
born without limbs one day, then heard how much the drip increased speaking
about a blind person doing something so amazing as walking down the street
the next day, I decided to just blow my top and plan to do so every time I
hear "the Tone" from that day forward.  Ugh!

Something occurred to me when I was joking with a friend about her
increasingly bad knees and need to use a walking cane on an almost full-time
basis.  She hasn't quite come to terms yet with the fact that she is, you
know, disabled now, so she has decided to use her situation as an
opportunity to observe the plight of the disabled -- especially in regards
to our bus company -- and to champion the rights of the disabled.   When
talking about her own struggles with the mobility issues she is facing in
the process, she goes for the funny.  Which I have decided is pretty cool of
her, even though some part of me keeps wanting to get her attention and set
her straight on the news that she is now one of us.  /smile/  Then I
remember that she needs to work that out for herself in her own way, and for
me to try to push her to do it my way would be just plain mean.  So I can
relax and just enjoy hearing her being passionate and funny in turns.

Anyway, back to the joking.  We got onto the subject of the many terms for a
person with a mobility disorder involving a limp and stiff leg.  We came up
with quite a list and cracked each other up saying them in various tones
we've heard people use them and well, just being silly.  Then I tried to
come up with slang terms for blind so we could play the game on me....

Nothin'.  I asked her if she knew any...  Nope. Nada.  Not a single derisive
epithet came to mind.  I even asked DD the next day.  Nope.   We have the
politically correct "visually impaired" to distinguish us partials from the
blind, but that's about it.  In some circles, if you refer to yourself as
blind when you're actually visually impaired, that multi-syllabic term can
be used to beat you over the head until your skull starts to cave in -- the
worst offenders there are, naturally, people who are being paid to provide
some sort of resource or training so that you can better live your life as a
blind person.  It took me awhile to get what their thing was, what with the
crushing headache and wishing they would just go away, or even just shut up,
and all...  My curent working theory is that if they're being paid to
provide services to blind people, and I'm visually impaired, they are free
of the terrible imposition of doing what they're being paid to do...  I
didn't say it was a good theory, but it's the best I've got so far.

The label "blind" is it's own single-syllable epithet...  Which by some sort
of social agreement, apparently, cannot simply be spoken like the simple
word it is.  If you must say the word, for heaven's sake, because it just
can't be avoided, it is essential to drop your tone into one of deepest
sorry and pity and draw it out with a due degree of quaver, preferably
giving the impression that you are on the verge of tears and may need a
large box of tissues to get you through the trauma of it all.

That may be just one of the oddities of life and human culture in general
that doesn't necessarily mean anything, but for some reason its been making
my hair stand on end for a long time and has with repetition reached the
fingers on the chalkboard effect.  Doesn't so much touch a nerve as unravels
my nerves on the spot.

Could just be me, but when it comes to television or radio media, vocal tone
is as powerful as the words themselves.  Then I hear the same sort of tone
and turn of phrase from the unsuspecting public and feel a little ill, even
when whoever is speaking to me clearly has no intent to be rude...  Then
they use the drippy tone to mention something about the poodle... /lol/
Okay!  She's a very nice friend.  It is great just to have her around.  Just
please don't insult her by using that drippy tone to carry on about how
wonderful it is that my guide dog does so much for me by being a great
friend.  /lol/  Or am I just touchy on that one?

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jeanette Beal
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 6:13 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Link to the GMA piece

While the technology used is nice and definitely new and could provide
benefit, I think the reason I'm so immediately defensive of my own skills as
a blind person and why I want to shirk this tool is the way it's presented.
Put the sensor on a thingie on the tongue = even more awkward looking. Have
a reporter talking about the whole thing giving her chills? What's she
expect blind folk to do, stumble around eating pebbles? I just...it's far
too "beautiful" a presentation full of inspirational-sounding reporters that
I want to scream and run away.
I mean, it'd be nice to know what utensil is in front of me wihtout having
to feel it, especially in a dining hall. It'd be nice to know a lot of
things without feeling them. But that doesn't indicate a need to be super
inspired on the part of the reporter(s).
/rant.
Jeanette Beal

On Aug 26, 2010, at 9:03 PM, Albert J Rizzi wrote:

> Lol. tani you are funny.
> 
> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
> Founder
> My Blind Spot, Inc.
> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
> New York, New York  10004
> www.myblindspot.org
> PH: 917-553-0347
> Fax: 212-858-5759
> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
> doing it."
> 
> 
> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Tamara Smith-Kinney
> Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 4:08 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Link to the GMA piece
> 
> Yeah, despite the ray of hope bit, which did make me cringe, I can see a
> number of practial applications which would be very convenient for me,
thus
> make blindness less inconvenient.  /smile/
> 
> Hm...  Would it also give me an excuse to stick my tongue out at people
who
> are being obstructive?  /evil grin/
> 
> Tami Smith-Kinney
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Albert J Rizzi
> Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 12:43 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Link to the GMA piece
> 
> Well that is a possible application for sure Traci. So, sit tight and let
> the technology develop. It is unfortunate that verbiage which grates our
> cheese is still common place, but only through trial and error and open
> dialogue can we ever see that change. The woman I am working with sees
> tremendous potential for being able to read printed matter to her child
when
> and if she becomes a mother.
> 
> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
> Founder
> My Blind Spot, Inc.
> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
> New York, New York  10004
> www.myblindspot.org
> PH: 917-553-0347
> Fax: 212-858-5759
> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
> doing it."
> 
> 
> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Tracy Carcione
> Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 2:19 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Link to the GMA piece
> 
> Thanks Tami.
> "Rays of hope in a world of darkness?"  When are we going to get past this
> crap?  Amazing!  The girl can find a fork in her kitchen!  Gosh, however
> did I manage to make breakfast this morning without this wonderful device!
> And people using it to go rock-climbing!  Um, don't lots of students at
> the Colorado Center go rock-climbing without some high-tech device?
> 
> Not picking on you Albert; you have no control over what reporters say,
> and it would certainly be useful to be able to locate objects I dropped
> without having to paw around on the floor for them,  but I just can't see
> such a thing changing my life in a major way.  Maybe I'm just too
> well-adapted to my terrible dark world.
> 
> Now, if I could use it to read signs quickly, or price-tags, or tell if
> the walk-sign was on, that might actually be useful. With quickly being
> the important word.
> 
> Tracy
> 
>> Here you go.  Meant to post it after I watched, but was in the headless
>> chicken part of my morning...
>> 
>> http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/helping-blind-people-tongues-11477360
>> 
>> Hope this works.
>> 
>> Tami Smith-Kinney
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf
>> Of Buddy Brannan
>> Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 10:47 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] o/t My friend Albert J Rizzi on Good
>> MorningAmericausingdevice to see with his tongue
>> 
>> Yeesh...you should send a direct link to the rest of us, too?
>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Aug 26, 2010, at 10:15 AM, Albert J Rizzi wrote:
>> 
>>> BOB I SENT YOU A DIRECT LINK TO THE PIECE ON THE ABC SITE.
>>> 
>>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>>> Founder
>>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>>> New York, New York  10004
>>> www.myblindspot.org
>>> PH: 917-553-0347
>>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
>>> is
>>> doing it."
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Bob Hicks
>>> Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:58 AM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] o/t My friend Albert J Rizzi on Good Morning
>>> Americausingdevice to see with his tongue
>>> 
>>> Hi Cheryl.  Is the actual video available?  thanks
>>> 
>>> Best regards,
>>> 
>>> Bob Hicks
>>> Access Technology Specialist
>>> Seeing Hand Association, Inc.
>>> 304-232-4810
>>> <bob at seeinghandassociation.com>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
>>> To: "David R. Stayer" <davidandloristayer at verizon.net>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 6:16 PM
>>> Subject: [nagdu] o/t My friend Albert J Rizzi on Good Morning America
>>> usingdevice to see with his tongue
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Learning how to see with a new device for the tongue
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>
http://www.lighthouse.org/research/current-research-studies/brainport/good-m
>>> orning-america/
>>>> 
>>>> The biggest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my services!
>>>> 
>>>> Cheryl Echevarria
>>>> Independent Travel Consultant
>>>> C10-10646
>>>> 
>>>> http://Echevarriatravel.com
>>>> 1-866-580-5574
>>>> skype: angeldn3
>>>> 
>>>> Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
>>>> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel
>>>> CST-1018299-10
>>>> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and Travel
>>>> Inc.
>>>> 
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>>> iation.com
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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