[Ohio-talk] Sight Center versus Blind in the name

[Kaiti Shelton]

Colleen,

You bring up a very interesting point.  I had a really interesting
discussion with someone over the summer.  He's totally blind now, but
had some vision for most of his life, so we were discussing
terminology for people who have some vision.  He had a hard time
understanding why, even though with the vision in my good eye I can
identify shapes, colors, movement, people, and other things at close
distances minus the details about them, I identify myself as blind.
He asked me what I would say if I didn't say blind, and I said
visually impaired.  He was surprised by this, since for him "partially
sighted" seems to carry a more positive connotation.  I am not in
favor of the term partial because it creates confusion for people who
are trying to understand from a sighted person's perspective, and it
is sort of a denial of the blindness because it leans toward sighted.
"Partially sighted" implies more sight than blindness, whereas
"visually impaired" to me, at least, is more straightforward.  I feel
that if I tell people that I'm partially sighted it wouldn't be as
easy for them to understand what I may need.  If I say visually
impaired at a hotel, movie theatre, etc, people are more likely to be
helpful in the way I need them to be.  He asked if I'd rather look at
something as being partially there, or to have the same thing an
impaired whole.  Call me a pessimist, but I'll keep visually impaired
over describing myself as a "low partial."  Plus, you never see things
like, "The Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Partially
Sighted."  It just sounds dumb.

I agree that organizations, and people in general, need to be picky
about the terms they use.  I think it is important for people with
some usable vision to gain familiarity and comfort with identifying
themselves as blind as well.  It can be really tough to not quite fit
in with the sighted, but to also feel like you don't fit in with the
blind.  More people are visually impaired than totally blind as well,
so this is something that a lot of people have to deal with.

I remember when I was a young teenager, around 13 or 14, I was riding
the bus for an O&M lesson.  I was reading a book on my BrailleNote,
and had my cane tucked under my seet with my foot on it to keep it
from rolling.  This guy got on the bus and immediately tells the
driver that he is partially sighted and only has vision out of his
right eye.  I chuckled a bit, because it seemed really awkward.  When
I got on the bus the driver saw my cane and immediately knew what to
do.  He asked me if I would like him to tell me where my stop was,
whereas this other guy had to ask.  When he sat down he walked passed
me, and did not sit in the front section like I was taught to do.
I've remembered this, and wondered whether that decision was whether
to put himself with everyone else who was not disabled on the bus, or
to deny the blindness.

Sorry for the tangent, but what Colleen is saying is right.  I really
do think it is important that organizations use specific words, so
that people who are less comfortable with saying that they are blind
become more comfortable with it.

On 11/12/14, COLLEEN ROTH via Ohio-talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hello Everyone,
> Well I am all for using one's remaining vision if it works for someone and
> alternative techniques are not necessary.
> When the Toledo Society for the Blind changed xs' name it began to do less
> and less for those who are totally blind or have very limited vision.
> Blind should be in the title of organizations who serve the blind.
> Even if Pisually Impaired was in the title the word blind should still be
> there.
> Colleen Roth
>
>
>
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-- 
Kaiti Shelton
University of Dayton 2016.
Music Therapy, Psychology, Philosophy
President, Ohio Association of Blind Students
Sigma Alpha Iota-Delta Sigma