[New-york-news] 17 Easy Ways To Make A Blind Person's day

[mzavoli at roadrunner.com]

Hello Listers,

This message appeared on the Ohio-Talk listserv, and I thought you might enjoy it.

The original list had 17 items and another lister added three more.  I'm sure you can think of more additions as well.  Here it is:

17 Easy Ways To Make A Blind Person’s Day
 
 1. When introducing yourself, use loud, exaggerated speech. Since we’re blind, it’s safe to assume we’re a little dim, too. 
> 
2. Don’t speak directly to us. It’s always best to talk over our heads like we’re not there at all, especially if you’re offering a service. 
Example: “What would she like to order?” Be sure to ignore our attempts to answer for ourselves. 

 3. Grab or otherwise manipulate our bodies whenever and wherever you deem necessary. For example, if you intuitively perceive that we’re going the wrong way (even if you haven’t asked where that is) just snatch the nearest limb and lead on, Macduff! 

 4. If you aren’t in a position to grab us, you can always shout instructions in the hope that we’ll know what you’re talking about. If we look baffled, just keep repeating the instructions in an increasingly frantic tone.  We’ll clue in eventually. 

 5. Remind us often how grateful we should be that people are willing to provide accommodations for us. While it’s unlikely that we will ever, ever forget this for more than five minutes at a time, it’s a good idea to slam the thought home when we’re not expecting it. It builds character. 

 6. Stage loud conversations about us while we’re in the room, because we won’t hear. If we hear, it’s okay, because we won’t understand. If we understand, it’s okay, because we won’t care. 

 7. Keep all conversation firmly focused on blindness. If we try to interject by discussing our education or interests, just redirect us. 
 e get carried away trying to be all normal, so it’s helpful to keep us on track! 
 
8. Be sure to describe all the other blind people you’ve ever met, in extravagant detail. We couldn’t be more fascinated by that blind guy who skied, and that other blind guy who went to school with you, and that blind girl you met on the train once “the one with the cute puppy.? 

9. Make a habit of asking us why we’re “here.” If we’re on the bus, ask us why we’re out alone.  If we’re at work, ask us how we got the job.  If we’re in class, ask us why we’re in university.  If we seem offended, ignore us:  deep down inside, we really enjoy presumptuous interrogation! 

 10. Dispense advice about how we should live our lives; the less you know us, the more valuable your feedback will be. If you need a good starting point, you can begin by analyzing our mobility tool of choice (cane or dog) and emphatically demanding that we switch.  We love that! 
 
11. Involve yourself in our love lives, specifying exactly the type of person we should date and why. If you think we should date a sighted person because they’ll be able to take care of us, we’ll want to hear all about it.  If you think we should date a blind person because we should “stick to our own kind,” we will be all ears! 

 12. Give us things ”money, coupons, whatever,” because you pity us and want to make our day better. Don’t be phased by any apparent expressions of confusion.  (“Oh, that’s just my gratitude face!”) 

 13. Stop us on the street and thank whomever we’re with for helping/taking care of/being so kind to us. It’s not as though we have real friends who genuinely enjoy our company. No: if we’re out with a sighted person, they are 
fulfilling a purely charitable role. They will appreciate your praise, and we will feel extra, extra grateful! 

 14. Place your hands on us in any public place and pray. If we gently explain that we don’t want to be prayed for, rest assured that it’s just the secular 
cynicism doing the talking. When our sight is miraculously restored, you’ll be the first to know. 

 15. Make as many potentially dangerous practical jokes as you can think of. A few good ideas include warning us of imaginary obstacles (“Watch out for that tree-just kidding!”), concealing our possessions, and encouraging us to ?find” you while you run gleefully around us in circles. These were a staple of primary school, and I treasure many pleasant memories from that era. Do me a favor, and bring back the nostalgia! 

 16. Refer to us as “that blind person,” even after you know our names.  Blindness is so integral to our identities that our names are really just 
decorative, so there’s no need to remember or use them. If we fail to answer to “Hey, blind girl/guy!” just keep trying. We?ll learn to love it. 
 
17. Assume that our default status is “Help!” If we reassure you that we’re okay, thanks, don’t fall for it. Insisting upon rescuing us every time we cross paths, places us into a position of dependence, which is exactly where we belong. 

18.  Decide for us:  We love it when our relatives and friends 
handle our affairs and speak for us.  We don't have to think for ourselves! 
 
 19.  When you see us walking with a long white cane, and you want to 
guide us, be sure to pick up the other end of it.  We love to give up our 
control and trail behind our rescuer! 
 
20. When offering assistance be sure to ignore the blind person's 
senseless instructions. Grab onto them rather than letting them take your arm.  hover around to watch the spectacle while the blind person thinks you're gone, and of course, use your own judgement to decide where the person wants to go.  Blind people can't possibly know where they want to go or how they want to get there. Ignore them when they think they know better. 

All the best,

Milena Zavoli 
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