[nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness
rhonda cruz
rhondaprincess at gmail.com
Sun Mar 25 13:30:55 UTC 2012
i tell people.
that i'm becoming totally blind.
with a little bit of shadows, but some light.
.
it's becoming tuff.
for me.
i became.
totally blind. a year. after returning home with may.
i still miss my visit ion.
but i have may. to see for me. i'm proud of it.
but it's all good. smile.
On Mar 25, 2012, at 6:00 AM, Larry D. Keeler wrote:
> I aggree with you Julie about the descriptive and the movement as well. I am a relatively oppen person. I used to be able to see when I was a kid and both of myy eyes iether came out the right or were removed the left by the time I was 10. So, of course, I am blind as a bat! Correction, bats can se some! But, I also sometimes don't want to have folks remember that as the first and most relevant thing about me! While blind, I have accomplished many things that able bodied folks can't get there heads around! I was an athlete, I'm a husband and father, I play flute and so many other things! I'm quite comfortible with the blindness and when asked I'll be happpy to explain whatever but not under every situation. I do reserve the right to not explain as well. I also use my right to not put my blindness up front when it seems advantagious not to do so.
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2012 8:32 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness
>
>
>> 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.
>>>
>>
>>
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