[Ohio-talk] The Buzz Clip And My View

[Steven Atkinson]

Milena,

I agree with you that blindness is an inconvenience.  It is the biggest
inconvenience I have ever dealt with in my life and I would not wish it on
anyone.  I think a person who has no arms or legs or can't hear would tell
you the same thing.  I bet that some people would even say that it really
sucks at times and that they really hate their disability.  I don't think
there is anything wrong with someone not liking being blind or disabled.  I
think it is o.k. if someone who lost their legs in a accident actually hates
not having their original legs anymore.  I'm sure they love being able to
have new prosthetic legs, but I think it is o.k. for them to say that it
really sucks not having their original legs.  I sure do miss my eyesight and
it is more than just a minor inconvenience.  I flat out can't do so many of
the things I loved to do in my sighted life and that can really P. me off at
times and especially when I have an accident because I am trying so hard to
be brave and do things that blind people probabally should not be doing.  I
hope everyone has a great Sunday.



Milena



 not be doing.  So, I have learned quite a bit from me pretty suddenly going
blind when I was thirty-one years old.  My Daughters work with physicaly
disabled U.S. Military Veterans and the people who they work with get really
frustrated with the disability they have and I think that is normal.  I
never expected to go blind after having perfect eyesight for thirty-one
years and I am proud of how I deal with my blindness.  But, I will tell
people the truth if they ask me how it is being blind.  I will tell them how
I hate it and I will always hate it and wish I had my eyesight back.  I will
also tell them how I enjoy over-coming the many challenges of being blind.
People always ask me how I keep such a good attitude and the only answer I
have is to tell them that I have no choice but to accept my blindness.  I
never tell people that me being blind is just an inconvenience if they ask
me what it is like.  So, I think that anything or tool that helps with being
blind just a little easier is a good thing.  I will keep on keeping on doing
the things I do in my life that will hopefully help me get even better at
being blind.  But, I will not ever tell someone that it is just an
inconvveinence being blind.  I don't think any of us should ever have the
need to tell someone how being blind sucks.  Most people are smart enough to
know how it can't be easy being blind and I do not need to lie to impress
anyone to show how strong I am.  I will keep on doing everything to become
better at being blind just like people with eyesight try to become the best
they can become with the good eyesight they have.  I hope everyone has a
nice Sunday.

Steve





-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio-Talk [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Milena
Zavoli via Ohio-Talk
Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2018 3:40 PM
To: bshaid at gmail.com
Cc: milenacleve at roadrunner.com; ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Ohio-talk] The BuzzClip And My View

Hi Barbara,

I only post these technology items for informational purposes, although I
might not agree with their message.

With reference to the cane being an obhject of shame, I agree with you,
although it wasn't mentioned on the blurb or on the video that it's shameful
to have a cane.

Lots of these companies want you to think that you can't get along without
their items; that the only way to be a competent, successful and confident
blind person is to buy their product.  I disagree strongly.  No amount of
technology can replace the cane or the dog, for that matter.  Using
technology as a shortcut to effective travel does not prepare you to face
the rigors of street traffic or rural environments.  Yes, the cane and the
dog will lead you around obstacles just fine.  Of course, the cane user
needs a long, white cane that goes at least up to your nose.  My cane goes
about five inches over my head, affording me prenty of protection and
obstacle awareness even way before I get near them.  It's true that it
doesn't offer me overhead information, and the BuzzClip and other similar
technologies would help with that, but for these companies to say that
technology makes a blind person a more successful, competent and confident
traveler is absurd.  Only good, solid mobility training, the kind that NFB
centers or NFB-style centers provide, is what will make a blind person an
effective traveler.  The old school techniques are the tried-and-true
yardstick that measures your travel competency and street savvy.  Technology
should never replace the level of practice, experience and wisdom that solid
training provides.  The best it can do is possibly equip you with more
information to allow you to make good decisions on the fly.  

By the way, blindness is what you make of it.  Being shameful or hating your
blindness prevents you from moving forward in your life.  Rising above the
nuisances of blindness will secure a better attitude for loving yourself and
others.  Blindness will then be just viewed as an inconvenience, nothing
more.

Thank you for your attention.

Milena




_______________________________________________
Ohio-Talk mailing list
Ohio-Talk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Ohio-Talk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org/sm.atkinson%40comcast
.net