[nagdu] New information about more and more people becomingblind

[Jewel S.]

I feel that I get treated differently as soon as a person finds out
that I'm not totally blind. For example, today I told a lady that I
liked her shirt, that it was a pretty colour (it was a bright pink,
one of my favourite colours). As soon as she heard that, she said "Oh,
you must be partially blind not totally." And I said, yes, that I was,
and all of a sudden the people around us who were concerned about my
travel and getting to a chair (which I didn't want that concern) let
me be and seemed no longer concerned. It was as if they thought that,
because I have some vision (no matter how little, since I see only
colour, shadows, and light in only one eye), suddenly now I am so much
more competent. Actualy, it's not true, because my vision often gets
in the way, making me think something is there that isn't or vice
versa, and bright colours often distract me from what I really should
be doing.

Two cents,
Jewel

On 3/26/10, Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC) <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com> wrote:
> William makes some excellent points.
> I'd be curious, how/why do some of you think those people who had sight in
> that undefined time as "before" are treated differently?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of William ODonnell
> Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 3:11 PM
> To: the National Association of Guide Dog UsersNAGDU Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] New information about more and more people
> becomingblind
>
> Take note to the fact that there are those of us who have had no vision
> since the beginning of life.  With this said, the rule does not apply that
> parents used good teaching tools and learned from the beginning.  I know too
> many people who have been razed by parents that assume the role of teaching
> to the “blindness” agencies or professionals further entrapping there
> children in to living within the means of the “status quo.”  In other words,
> many children end up learning to deal with what is given to them in a way to
> feel as if they and the services are “normal” since from an early age, they
> are not properly taught about advocating for themselves as well as the law
> that is supposed to protect them.
>
> --- On Thu, 3/25/10, cheryl echevarria <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> From: cheryl echevarria <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
>> Subject: [nagdu] New information about more and more people becoming
>> blind
>> To: "nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 2:20 PM
>> Now it is interesting because this
>> was on ABC New Last night.  The a new study of people
>> with Diabetes whether type 1 or type 2.  The story
>> emphasizes on diabetics but it should also go for people to
>> get there eyesight check once a year.
>>
>> Because more and more people aren't properly getting check
>> for diabetes when they go to the doctor, or if they have
>> diabetes that they won't go blind as long as there sugars
>> are controlled are absolutely wrong.
>>
>> I know because I lost my vision to diabetes.  It
>> showed that the blood vessel around the retina get blocked
>> and will get to the point where the is no blood flow and
>> your vision will get worse and worse and there is no way of
>> stopping the damage was it starts it may slow down for
>> awhile.  But Diabetes is the no 1 cause of blindness in
>> this country.
>>
>> I say this on this list because a it seems to me that
>> people who have had vision and now don't seem to be treated
>> differently.  I find this true and in fact a friend of
>> mine out here who is blind and not from the NFB and is a
>> guide dog user, its true she told me she said that she was
>> jealous of me that I was able to see and describe to her
>> things she couldn't see. I still see things, but more black
>> and white and blurred but still shapes and objects.
>> But at the same time I told her that I was jealous of her
>> because she learned from day one from parents that made sure
>> she had all the right tools and no how so she could be
>> independent and I am still learning my ABCs so to say.
>>
>> There will be more and more newly blind people, especially
>> those return home from fighting wars for our country, and I
>> think we need for them to know the laws and the mobility
>> that is out there and work on those issues instead of trying
>> to see who knows the laws better then the other when
>> everyone interprets it in the own way.
>>
>> This statement might be all over the place but you get my
>> drift.
>>
>> Cheryl Echevarria
>> Independent Travel Consultant
>> http://Echevarriatravel.com<http://echevarriatravel.com/>
>> 1-866-580-5574
>>
>> http://blog.echevarriatravel.com<http://blog.echevarriatravel.com/>
>> Reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:Reservations at echevarriatravel.com>
>> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose
>> Travel CST-1018299-10
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>
>
>
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