[nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness

[Julie J.]

Mardi,

I tell people I'm blind for a few reasons.  First it's how I identify 
myself.  I do have a bit of usable vision, but for most things I prefer 
to use a non visual alternative.  I am comfortable with the word blind.  
It's who I am.

The second reason I say blind is because it is shorter.  Sure the word 
itself is shorter, but the conversation about my private medical details 
are also shorter when I use the word blind.  If I tell someone that I'm 
visually impaired, and I did used to use this terminology, it seems to 
invite a conversation about just exactly how much I can see, in what 
circumstances, on which day of the week, in what colors and what the 
underlying medical cause is.  Really I can live without all of that.  If 
I say I'm blind, then that is that and we can move directly on to what 
is important in that particular interaction.   Sometimes I will do 
something or say something that cues the person in to the fact that I do 
have a bit of vision.  Sometimes they will ask if I can see some.  I 
just say "yes, a small bit" and do not elaborate.  I gently but firmly 
move the conversation back to the important bits.

I think the whole PC movement is silly.  I think it was invented by  
able bodied, straight, white men who are a bit uncomfortable but won't 
admit it with people who are different.   I always put the adjective 
before the noun just as I do with any other descriptive words.  I say 
blind person not person who is blind, just as I say red sweater, not 
sweater which is red.

Perhaps my choice of the word blind has these effects or perhaps it is 
my comfort level with myself, my identity and my blindness.  I don't 
know, but I can say for certain that I have a lot less intrusive and 
inappropriate conversations since making this shift.

All my best,
Julie







On 3/25/2012 12:31 AM, Mardi Hadfield wrote:
> I have a political correctness question. I have been referring to my self
> as legally blind. I don't call my self blind, as I feel that might mislead
> other people into thinking that I am totally blind.I do have some
> sight,though it is diminishing.I am also deaf in one ear.I don't refer to
> my self as Deafblind as I can still hear. I just can't tell where that
> sound is coming from.As a matter of fact, I seldom even mention that I have
> a hearing problem.I have mentioned it on this list due to some of the
> threds that have been discussed here. Is it the right thing to call my self
> a legally blind person? If not, what should I say to people.I often get
> asked if my dog is a wheelchair dog or a guide dog.They ask me, why do I
> need a guide dog if I am using a wheelchair. I guess they think that only
> people that can walk become blind?I actually dread talking about this as I
> end up explaining all about how I have spinal stenosis and that is why I
> use a wheelchair and then how I was affected by brain damage  and then
> affected by macular degeneration, and that is why I am legally blind. Then
> I have to explain legal blindness. I am a very private person and hate
> answering all these questions. But some how they always ask.Some times I
> just don't answer and then people think I am rude. All this while they are
> usually petting my dog. How do others on this list handle this situation?
> Mardi and Shaman and Tipton,future GDIT.
>