[nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness

Wed Mar 28 18:22:37 UTC 2012

Yeah, we all have similar issues but it seems that people think they have 
the right to treat people in ways they wouldn't even consider doing if the 
person in question is a non disabled, sighted, straight, non trans person. 
Somehow the rules of civility don't seem to apply.

It is interesting how people react when facedf with this problem of public 
intrusion for the first time.  I can help them out and educate them about 
disability as I talk to them.

I don't mind that people ask about my guide dog and then we talk about dogs. 
This makes them more comfortable in interacting with a disabled person.

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry D. Keeler" <lkeeler at comcast.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 12:02 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness

> Lyn, The LBGT community is the one I was thinking of.  We don't need to 
> know, so why ask.  Unless we have friends who are comfortible discussing 
> it. If not, what does in matter.  We all have the same issues more or 
> less.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Lyn Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 12:33 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness
>
>
>> Hi Julie and Mardi,
>> I will use the word blind most of the time.  I think political 
>> correctness is just BS to detract one from real discussions and attitudes 
>> held by people who don't belong to any "minority" group.  I don't really 
>> care much about a person's terminology - I care about their attitudes and 
>> respect for all people.
>>
>> If someone calls my dog a "blind dog" when they really mean to say "guide 
>> dog", I laugh and say to them, "I sure hope the hell not! I'd be in real 
>> trouble with both of us being blind!" and we both crack up at that 
>> thought!
>>
>> Marti, the rude people aren't you - it's the idiots who ask you all those 
>> personal questions about why you use a wheelchair or have a service dog 
>> that guides and does other tasks for you.  Maybe ask them about their 
>> hystorectiemies or prostate problems and they'll get the point real fast! 
>> LOL!
>>
>> I see this same thing in the LGBT community where non-transsexual people 
>> ask the transsexuals about their surgeries and other very personal stuff. 
>> I find myself giving advice about dealing with thios problem as I have 
>> dealt with this as a blind person all my life.  I tell both groups that 
>> people asking personal questions about surgeries, health, etc is 
>> intrusive and "none of their beeswax"!
>>
>> For me, I let people think whatever they like about what I can or cannot 
>> see while I'm out and about town or on the bus so I don't get a whole lot 
>> of questions from people.  I may get some questions if I happen to get 
>> into a conversation with someone on the bus.  They mainly ask about the 
>> dog.  I ask them if they have a dog and if they say yes, we then go on to 
>> talk about their dog!  The blindness questions go out the window.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Lyn and Landon
>> ----- 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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>>
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