[nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness

[Nicole B. Torcolini at Home]

Just out of curiosity, you say that blind is "who I am". Would you say "it 
is what I am"? In my humble opinion, saying that blindness is who you are 
and saying that blindness are what you are are different. This is just my 
opinion, but I think that the former suggests that it is just part of you 
but not your entire identity where as the latter suggests that blindness is 
everything about you. Again, this is just my opinion. Also, I feel okay 
writing "blind person", but not "disabled person". For some reason 
"disabled", both from its literal and connotative definitions, seem more 
negative than blind, but, again, that may just be me.

Nicole

----- 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 5:32 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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