[nfbmi-talk] The Blind and Occupy Wall Street, One Person's Experience

[Fred Wurtzel]

Here is a post from the Vision Aware Blog site.
http://visionaware.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-maybe-its-97-my.h
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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Occupy Wall Street: Maybe It's the 97%? My Visit To Zuccotti Park

Photo of a plastic Guy Fawkes mask looped over the handle of a wheeled
suitcase

Last Friday, I decided to see for myself what Occupy Wall Street was all
about.

(That's a mobile and symbolic Guy Fawkes pictured at left.)

I walked downtown, camera in hand, to

Zuccotti Park

(which is quite small, by the way) because I was interested to learn if any
blind

or visually impaired activists were about. My journalistic curiosity needed
satisfying.

Photo of the OWS Media Tent. It's a blue tarp over a pop-up tent, with a
bicycle propped on it.

I entered the park from Liberty Street and headed for the media tent area

(at right)

, where a handwritten sign on an upended crate said "Media inquiries only."
Hmm,

I said to myself. I guess I'm media - of a sort.

I joined the line, camera slung around my neck, notebook in hand, trying my
best

to look properly media-ish. (Things smelled a bit .

dank

, but not overwhelmingly so. It was rather like my tent after a two-week
stint at

the Girls' Club overnight camp, back in the day.)

After a ten-minute wait, it was finally my turn:

Me: Hi. I'm from American Foundation for the Blind and I'm looking for blind
activists

here. I'm doing a story and I'd like to interview any blind people who are
part of

the movement.

OWS Media Spokesperson: Disabled? No disabled yet. But we're getting some
wheelchairs

next week.

Me (thinking): "Disabled" is an adjective, you dolt. Disabled whom? . OK,
Maureen.

Stay calm. Don't be hostile. You came here for a story, after all.

Me: Not necessarily people in wheelchairs, thanks. I asked about

blind activists.

OWSMS: Blind? No, no blind here. But this isn't a very secure atmosphere for
the

blind. You know how the blind use their senses to smell and the like? Well,
there's

so many different smells here that the blind would be completely
disoriented.

Me (thinking): Oy with the smells again. Au contraire, dude. "The blind"
would likely

know, much better than you, which smells to avoid. Like you, for instance.

Me: Ah, yes. A classic sensory experience. Actually, I know several blind
people

who are interested in coming here.

OWSMS: Great! You know some blind? Bring them down! You know what happens
when you

get one blind person - then they all start to come!

Me (removing my sunglasses, raising my eyebrows, and giving my best
incredulous smile):

Really? Is that what happens? How

not

interesting! Thank you very much.

So, uh, I guess it's more like the 97%, eh? You say 99%, but after that
encounter,

I'm not convinced.

Who's up for a field trip to Zuccotti Park?

picture of Maureen Duffy

By: Maureen A. Duffy, M.S., CVRT, Editorial Director of

VisionAware

. Maureen is an editor, writer, and adjunct faculty member who contributes
numerous

books, book chapters, and articles in a variety of professional and academic
publications

on blindness, vision loss, and aging.

Posted by VisionAWARE

 

Warmest Regards,

 

Fred