[Nfb-editors] article feedback

[Robert Leslie Newman]

Chris, you go boy! That type of comment you had the blind guy making, needs
to be addressed with some pretty strong reality talk. Truly an individual
with that type of attitude needs to be figuratively speaking, slapped upside
the head ---- then they may actually hear what you next say to how their
"framing of blindness" is part of the equation of why blindness is seen as
being so handicapping. I really don't think the strength of your words were
rude or framed in such a way that this article would put people off. I think
it would catch more attention, than turn it away. 



-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-editors-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-editors-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Chris Kuell
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2011 2:07 PM
To: Correspondence Committee Mailing List
Subject: [Nfb-editors] article feedback

Hello, editors. Below is an article I drafted a week ago for our state
newsletter. While I stand by every word, my gut is warning me that it may be
too harsh, too judgemental. Any thoughts? All comments, suggestions,
criticisms are welcome.

Thanks,

chris


Blindfolded

By   Ira Tating


You know what I hate? Granted, hate might be too strong a word, and my
mother did warn me dozens of times never to use it, but 'dislike' or 'find
irritating' or 'have an aversion to' just aren't powerful enough to convey
how I feel about the following situation. You are at a place, and the time
is perfect for a teaching opportunity. Maybe it's talking to a group of
fourth graders, or a troop of boy scouts, or as happened with me recently,
waiting to testify before the Appropriations Committee of the state's
General Assembly. A well-meaning blind person uses this opportunity to
influence the public by saying something like-I challenge you to wear a
blindfold for 24 hours. Go ahead-I dare you. Put yourselves in our shoes and
see what it's like to be blind, the challenges we face every single day, and
so on.

We've all heard it done, maybe even done it ourselves. The speaker wants the
listeners to appreciate what their life is like, to simulate blindness even
if only for a few minutes, and gain the listener's sympathy. And it drives
me nuts. Because while you may get their sympathy, what you are really going
for, either consciously or subconsciously, is their pity. It is painfully
revealing about the speakers attitude and acceptance of their vision loss. 
Whenever I hear the "wear a blindfold" speech, I think to myself-there's a
person that's really saying, "Poor, pitiful, blind me. Feel sorry for me."

My reaction at this point is two-fold. First and foremost, it's a lie. Of
course putting on a blindfold will make life difficult for a sighted person,
just like taking away any sense would. But it's not a realistic portrayal of
blindness. Very few people are struck instantly blind, and even when it
happens, they can change their life paradigm and learn the skills that all
successful blind people have. They can learn how to travel independently
with a cane, to read Braille, to use technology, to do all the things they
used to do but in new ways. Obviously that doesn't happen within the first
24 hours-it takes time, practice and persistence.

The truth is, blindness is not a tragedy, and no pity is required or even
desired. I know I sound like a broken record at times (do people even know
what those are anymore? Maybe I should say a CD with a dust particle on it)
but I know that with proper training, a positive attitude, and equal
opportunity, nothing can get in the way of what a blind person can achieve.

Which brings me to the second reason I cringe when somebody talks about a
blindfold. It is always done as a teaching tool, at what I think of as a
learning moment, when the speaker has that rare opportunity to change the
misconceptions held by the sighted public. When they could be saying that
blind people can do anything, that we know blind doctors and lawyers and
artists and computer programmers and teachers and trainers and scientists
and writers, that blind people travel independently all over the world, have
families, do volunteer work and contribute to their communities-they choose
instead to say "It's so-o-o hard being blind. Pity me."

There are two major obstacles which face every blind person. The first is
themselves-their attitude, their life philosophy, their determination and
belief in what they can accomplish. The second is the sighted public who
hasn't had positive interactions with a blind person before, and holds the
common misconceptions that to be blind is equivalent to being completely
helpless, lost, less capable than a child. Pitiful.

The first obstacle is best addressed by spending time with capable,
competent blind people like those in the NFB. Learn from the things they say
and do, and push yourself to reach further. With each success, you will gain
confidence and start to believe.

Changing society's misconceptions is far more daunting. The only way to
accomplish this is to take advantage of those teaching moments when they
come your way. Throw away that useless blindfold and reach out with your
cane. Put out your hand proudly and teach the truth about blindness. Make
the listener rethink everything that movies and books and cartoons and
comedians have impressed on them regarding blind people. Only then can we
affect the change we want in the world.






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