[stylist] Writing about low vision verses non-visual

[James Canaday M.A. N6YR]

robert,
yes I remember this thought provoker.  also, Frank refered to me as 
JC, so it was Frank and Jim, not jc and jim.

Magooed, a very good term.  it promotes the stigma of using blindness 
methods, discourages their use.
jc

Jim Canaday M.A.
Lawrence, KS

At 10:07 PM 3/27/2009, you wrote:
>Jim, JC and Others
>
>JC conversing with Jim about when to use vision and when to go non-visual,
>made me look back over my inventory of what I've written and see if I had
>something that spoke to this unique dilemma. I didn't have to look back very
>far. Below I'll paste in TP 140 Magoo'd. But hey, have any of you written
>something that speaks to this.this dilemma that so many people get stuck in.
>I love short stories and short articles or essay. Do any of you have a poem
>or other  alternative style of a piece that fits this?
>
>Here is an idea- if there is enough material, let us put it in a book.
>
>Isn't it a good feel to know that someone was changed for the better for
>just having read your writing?
>
>THOUGHT PROVOKER 140
>Magoo'd
>
>"Whoa, that"s a big honking screen for a laptop!"
>"Yeah, I like to be able to sit back and be comfortable." Dempsey was
>showing off his computer to a new friend. He was attending a summer program
>for blind teens of high school age. Rapidly he reduced the enlargement of
>the text he'd been studying. "I was checking out the details of the pics and
>diagrams we need to use for our group project," he lied; he didn't think it
>would be cool in this group to be the one using the biggest enlargement.
>Squinting now, he forged ahead, getting only a part of what scrolled by.
>Next to him, a tiny earphone voice running at triple speed told him his
>neighbor was back to reading via her screen enlargement software's voice.
>"Everyone finished? They want us back in the main hall in five minutes,"
>said Kelly, the group's elected leader and the only one of them who was
>totally blind.
>Dempsey's ego hurt a little for not being chosen for lead. But deep down he
>knew he probably would not be able to outdo some of these guys, no matter if
>he could see better than them or not.
>"Yo! Done and got my notes Brailled up," answered Mark, putting his slate
>back in his laptop case.
>That Braille thing was something Dempsey just didn't get. He had visited
>with Mark and knew the two of them had about the same vision. Dempsey and
>his parents had always opted for print, wanting him to fit into the
>mainstream.
>"Hey, let's settle on who is going to present which part of the report,"
>Kelsey said. "I've got to write out the specifics of what I say."
>"I'll handle the second section," Dempsey volunteered. He hadn't gotten much
>further than that in his study of the material; he was a good student, but
>these guys had gotten through the four sections of readings faster. And
>while the rest was being organized, he quickly wrote out a few notes with a
>heavy marker. He knew he'd better not even try to read from prepared notes;
>he'd gotten teased at the school where he was the only blind student
>("Smelling or reading it, Dempsey?").
>Presentations completed, the group was given a one-hour break. Someone
>suggested, "Let's go to Mickey D's!"
>"I know the way," Kelly said and took the lead.
>"Whoa?we going to go to a light?" asked Dempsey.
>"That would be four blocks down," answered Kelly. "We don't have the time."
>"We can handle this," Mark said, leaning forward, listening to the traffic
>on the four-lane street.
>Out of the four of them, Dempsey was the only one without a cane. He had a
>monocular back in the dorm, but even with that, this type of street made him
>nervous; at home he had a folding cane...somewhere. He never wanted the
>stigma of a cane, didn't need one, because he always chose where and when he
>would go places by himself.
>"Go!"
>Heart in his throat, Dempsey followed; he wouldn't be left behind. About the
>middle of the street, "Ow, darn!" as he kicked into an unseen cement island
>and fell.
>"Better take my arm?hurry." Kelly said.
>That evening was philosophy seminar. The topic was the effect of a blind
>media character upon an audience. "I have a rather provoking thought," spoke
>up one teen. "We all agree that when blindness is portrayed in the mass
>media, it has an effect upon how blindness is viewed by society. My question
>is, if that influence guides how we are treated and if you view that as a
>process that has been worked upon you, can you come up with a single term
>that captures the essence of which specific blind cult figure that's been
>applied to you?"
>Dempsey got it right away, but wasn't sure he was ready to share it. This
>day had brought it home to him. these guys had blindness skills, confidence,
>knew where in life they were going! They were competent blind people and he
>was basically an inferior sighted person. "Yeah, I've been Magoo'd."
>
>
>
>Robert Leslie Newman
>Email- newmanrl at cox.net
>THOUGHT PROVOKER Website-
>Http://www.thoughtprovoker.info
>
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