[NFBF-L] Why I Identify as Blind When I Can (Kinda) See | by Lisa Ferris | Medium

[Judith Hamilton]

I can relate to this. I have spent most of my life "sitting on the fence"
Never feeling like I fit in the  fully "sighted group" due to the vision I
don't have; nor the totally blind group because I do have some vision with
magnification. I have been confronted by strangers who would say "You're
not blind". Our society puts a lot of emphasis, possibly too much, on
appearance. Now that I am in Act 3 of my life, I have come to terms with
these issues by connecting with my NFB family and learning tools to put in
my box so that the struggle is not so tough. It does not go away, but it is
less. I am still progressing.
Respectfully,
Judy Hamilton

On Sun, Oct 18, 2020 at 3:29 PM Ryan Mann via NFBF-L <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> i agree. Even though I have a little bit of vision, I tell people that I
> am blind.
>
> Get Outlook for iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* NFBF-L <nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org> on behalf of PLipovsky via
> NFBF-L <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> *Sent:* Sunday, October 18, 2020 3:15:49 PM
> *To:* 'NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List' <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> *Cc:* PLipovsky <plipovsky at cfl.rr.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [NFBF-L] Why I Identify as Blind When I Can (Kinda) See |
> by Lisa Ferris | Medium
>
>
> Agreed.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* NFBF-L <nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org> *On Behalf Of *DENISE VALKEMA
> via NFBF-L
> *Sent:* Sunday, October 18, 2020 2:59 PM
> *To:* NFBF <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>; NFBF <nfbf-leaders at nfbnet.org>
> *Cc:* DENISE VALKEMA <valkemadenise at aol.com>
> *Subject:* [NFBF-L] Why I Identify as Blind When I Can (Kinda) See | by
> Lisa Ferris | Medium
>
>
>
> Kimberly shared this with FPOBC on Facebook. I relate. What are your
> thoughts?
>
>
>
> “If you can only read with 20X magnification, you are going to read with
> incredible effort and incredibly slowly, as compared to the blind people
> reading braille at 200–300+ wpm. If you are afraid to go out at night
> because you are night blind, you are going to be more impaired than someone
> who can use their cane and go anywhere, anytime. If you struggle to find
> your way around your computer with only 1/9th of the monitor visable
> (through magnification) you are going to be more strained and tired, and
> less efficient than blind people who learned to use voice synthesized
> computer programs. The skills of blindness (basically, non visual methods
> of doing things) are almost always much more efficient than those that
> maximize vision, which cause strain, fatigue and can be unreliable. I think
> most people with some vision use maximizing strategies sometimes, but they
> gain the most function if they have a full bag of tricks. By not
> considering those with limited vision as blind, they weren’t considered for
> blindness skills training. It robbed them of the strategies that would make
> them almost fully funtional in a sighted world.”
>
>
>
>
> https://medium.com/@lisaferris/why-i-identify-as-blind-when-i-can-kinda-see-2df3f6af5a0c
>
>
> Together,
>
> Denise Valkema, President  National Federation of the Blind of Florida
>
> (305)972-8529
>
> president at nfbflorida.org
>
> www.nfbflorida.org
>
> Follow us @nfbflorida
>
> You can live the life you want.
>
> The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
> who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we
> work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
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>
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