[nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness

[Tami Kinney]

Nat,

That's how I explain my residual vision when people notice I seem to 
have some. /lol/ I can see just enough to get in trouble. That is sadly 
true. /grin/ But I refer to myself as blind because that's what I am. It 
shortens things up. When people are fumbling around for the PC/sensitive 
term, I just toss out blind so we can all get it out of the way and move on.

I try to respect the preferences of others in their terminology about 
themselves, which can sometimes get confusing. /lol/ Then again, this 
does encourage me to steer conversations with people whom I know have 
strong feelings on the matter into any subject but vision loss. /lol/

When people come up with a PC term for me, I just smile and let it pass 
and continue to use "blind" and "blindness" in my half of the dialog. 
Most people seem to manage to deal with that; if they sound befuddled 
about it, I try to help them through the trauma of using the "b" word. 
/grin/

Tami

On 03/27/2012 04:25 PM, Natalie wrote:
> Hi Mardi,
> Even though I have just a little vision, enough to get me into trouble
> but not enough to get me out, lol, I tell people I'm visually impaired.
> Though sometimes I say I'm blind. I have no problems with people
> referring to me as a blind person, if they don't know me. Otherwise, I'm
> a person who is blind, or my name. As far as questions about your
> partner, maybe you can say he's a multi-purpose assistance dog, and
> there are times when it is medically necessary for you to use a
> wheelchair, and he guides you. That would keep things parsimonious
> enough that there are not a lot of unnecessary or untimely questions.
> Hope this helps.
> Best,
> Nat and Liam Joshua
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mardi Hadfield"
> <wolfsinger.lakota at gmail.com>
> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2012 11:31 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] Political Correctness ?? and rudness
>
>
>> 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.
>>
>> --
>> http://wolfsinger-lakota.blogspot.com/
>> http://wolfsinger2-thegoldendragon.blogspot.com
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>
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