[stylist] Comments about the request by the sighted writer

[Lynda Lambert]

I fully agree with you about using the term "the blind."  I agree, too, 
about thining about the possibility of a child who might be adopted by the 
writer's family.  The more I read in her inquirey, the more angry I became 
and the more worried I became about a child who might be plunged into a very 
difficult situation. Your response was absolutely perfect. Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: [stylist] Comments about the request by the sighted writer


> Lynda,
> Thanks, writing this was truly a labor of love, as I had to constantly
> censor myself from including sarcasm and outrage. I'm sorry you had that
> experience with your former friends and colleagues. Sorry, but not
> surprised. When you get down to it, friendship is a very rare and fragile
> thing. When the housing bubble burst, I remember many stories on TV about
> people who had lost their homes or jobs and with it their friends.
>
> One thing that really rankles me, and I realize I'm kicking against the
> bricks here, is the term "the blind." In my writing, I never use it unless
> it's part of a name of an organization like the NFB. Blind is an 
> adjective,
> and turning it into a noun blurs the uniqueness of which you so eloquently
> speak here. I say "blind people" which I hope conveys more of the
> possibility of unique individuals.
> Donna
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Lynda Lambert
> Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 8:57 AM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] Comments about the request by the sighted writer
>
> Donna, this is a gold mine! You have given here such a thoughtful and
> realistic portrayal of blindness. Each person is as individual and unique 
> in
>
> our group named "the blind" as in any other group of individuals. There is
> absolutely nothing that is the same across the board for any of ut, even 
> the
>
> kind of blindness and the daily experiences we have because of it.
>
> I have only been blind for four years. And, I can say that the moment that 
> I
>
> walked from the world of the sighted into the world of blindness, 
> everything
>
> in my life changed. And, one of the first major shifts occurred in the
> circle of professional colleagues (I am a professor) and friends - most of
> them vanished very quickly.  It was not due to the fact that I could no
> longer see them, but due to the fact that they can no longer  think of  a
> blind colleague or blind  friend.
>
> In the last four years I have read only a couple of books with a blind
> character. It was quite disheartening to read how the character is
> portrayed - inaccurage concepts, myths, and sentimental language filled 
> with
>
> pity for the poor blind person. Rubbish!
>
> It is so true that we cannot respond to many tings on the internet, 
> because
> after we have filled out the information and begin to send it on, we get
> that box that contains letters and numbers (visually) that cannot be read.
> Often I have tried over and over again to send someone something, only to
> finally quit because I cannot overcome the obstacle there.
>
> One thing that I absolutely hate to hear is a person who has labeled 
> himself
>
> or another blind person  as a "partial" or a "total." This is such an ugly
> way to describe a unique and inedividual human person - gives me the 
> shivers
>
> every time I hear it.  It is a very ugly label and would never be accepted
> by any other minority group. Our sight or lack of sight is far more 
> complex,
>
> as you have described in your response. We need to be very aware of the
> words we use in describing ourselves, both to ourselves and the the rest 
> of
> the world.  Labels carry  images and create motifs of a life.  Our life is
> complex, multi-dimensional and multi-faceted.
>
> Lynda Lambert
>
>
>
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 10:19 PM
> Subject: [stylist] Comments about the request by the sighted writer
>
>
>> Hi Friends,
>>
>> I have written to Rachel Peterson after reading her letter to David. I
>> thought some of you might like to read my comments. Perhaps, you will 
>> take
>> acception to some of what I have said, or you will have something else to
>> add. At any rate, it's pretty long, but it's under my name.
>>
>> Donna
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi Rachel,
>>
>>
>>
>> My name is Donna W. Hill, and I am a blind writer of articles and 
>> fiction.
>
>> I
>> am 62, and I am currently writing about blindness issues, chocolate and
>> knitting for the online magazine Suite 101. I am also preparing to 
>> publish
>> my first novel "The Heart of Applebutter Hill," which features a blind
>> teen.
>> I read your letter to David Andrews on the NFB's Writers' Division e-mail
>> list. I also visited your blog and read several entries.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Initially, I would just like to toss out some thoughts. I don't know how
>> informed you are about the realities for blind people nowadays, so 
>> forgive
>> me if you are already familiar with the following stats. 70% of blind
>> Americans of working age are unemployed. This is not for lack of skills.
>> Tim
>> Cordes graduated from medical school in 2010, and he was not the first
>> blind
>> man to do so. Blind people work successfully in fields like engineering,
>> law, mechanics and in a host of professions that most people generally
>> believe to be off-limits without sight.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Despite studies showing that Braille literacy is a major factor in the
>> likelihood that a blind person will complete an advanced degree, obtain
>> full-time employment and earn over $50,000 a year, only 10% of the
>> nation's
>> blind kids are taught to read it. This is down from around 50% in the
>> '60s.
>> In fact, technology has blown the lid off what is available in Braille 
>> and
>> made it possible for college students to carry their textbooks in a 
>> device
>> not much bigger than a calculator.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Myths persist in the sighted world -- even among teachers of the visually
>> impaired -- that Braille is unnecessary, a relic of a bygone era. 
>> Children
>> with limited vision are forced to read large print, even when doing so
>> means
>> that they will suffer from headaches and eye strain, have no time for
>> extracurriculars and recreation, and fail to keep up with their peers
>> academically and socially. Falling behind is expected.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Audio books are given to those who can no longer see large print, but
>> audio
>> learning has been shown to result in a poor understanding of language,
>> spelling and sentence structure, and it results in substandard thinking
>> and
>> writing. Parents would be justifiably outraged if their sighted child 
>> came
>> home with the news that they didn't have to learn to read and were 
>> getting
>> all of their books in an audio format, but this happens to blind kids
>> every
>> day. Braille and blindness itself are seen as failures.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I have interviewed mothers who fought the system on this. Even when the
>> child was diagnosed as legally blind and the prognosis was for total
>> blindness by early adulthood, Braille and other nonvisual skills were not
>> taught.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> The dichotomy between the successes of some blind people and the overall
>> condition for blind Americans is largely due to social prejudice. Laws
>> governing discrimination against people on the basis of disability are 
>> not
>> written to the standards set for discrimination against other groups. I 
>> am
>> currently doing a series of articles on web and digital accessibility
>> based
>> on a new academic study published in the First Monday Journal (U. of IL,
>> Chicago) in November. The study, written by three Maryland professors who
>> are sighted, contends that the laws are creating a permanent underclass
>> and
>> fostering a "separate but not equal" online environment in which 80% of
>> the
>> internet is not fully accessible. The technology to make software,
>> websites
>> and digital products accessible has been around for over a decade, but
>> manufacturers are not required to use it.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Blind people, who used to be able to use their laundry machines, stoves,
>> entertainment systems, thermostats and other household and office
>> equipment
>> independently are now finding their independence eroded because the new
>> touch-screen technology is inaccessible to them. Apple's iPhone, which 
>> has
>
>> a
>> built in screen reader and can be used independently right out of the 
>> box,
>> proves that this problem need not exist.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> My first article on this issue is an interview with a legally blind 
>> senior
>> information management specialist with the federal government. I will
>> include links to the study and my article below.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I think you should also be aware that many blind people in the movement
>> for
>> equality are more than a little hesitant about sighted writers who 
>> portray
>> blind characters. The Nobel Prize winning author Jose Saramago in his 
>> book
>> "Blindness" presents newly blinded adults literally as not being able to
>> wipe themselves. Meirelles, the director of the movie based on this book,
>> when confronted with the opposition to his characterization of blind
>> people
>> by the NFB,
>>
>>
>>
>> Dismisses us saying, ".this organization don't really work for blind
>> people.
>> It's more like a PR organization." I'll put the link to his comments 
>> below
>> my name.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> In fact, we run 3 training centers and the only research and training
>> center
>> operated by blind people. Many nasty comments about blind people appear 
>> on
>> the internet, yet few blind people respond, because the online comment
>> forms
>> either don't work with our screen readers or the form requires the 
>> solving
>> of a graphic security Captcha -- something screen readers can't access.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Additionally, the blind characters who have made it into the mainstream
>> literature are stereotypes. Blind women are portrayed as vulnerable and
>> need
>> protecting, though they may have almost super-human powers. If you'll
>> think
>> about it, you'll realize that blind women, unlike women from other
>> minorities, are not present in the mainstream. When I do presentations 
>> for
>> sighted groups, I often ask them to name some famous blind people. They
>> think of Stevey Wonder, Ray Charles and the former NY governor David
>> Paterson. I then ask about blind women. They can only recall Helen 
>> Keller.
>> Ms. Keller, as you may know, died over 50 years ago. No minority has been
>> welcomed into the mainstream without the help of prominent women from 
>> that
>> minority.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> There are few blind authors whose fiction is published by mainstream
>> publishers. Deborah Kent (now Debbie Kent Stein) who has written many
>> books
>> for young adults, has a book called "Belonging." If you haven't read it, 
>> I
>> suggest you do so. It was written several decades ago, but the truths it
>> addresses have not changed much. Debbie is now the editor of Future
>> Reflections, the magazine of the National Organization of Parents of 
>> Blind
>> Children.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I know several blind authors who report that agents and publishers claim
>> that their blind characters are unrealistic. We are not deemed capable of
>> telling our own stories.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> As far as your specific questions about life for blind women in the 40s, 
>> I
>> am a bit young to have direct knowledge about that. I was part of the
>> initial wave of integrating blind kids into the public schools in the
>> early
>> '50s. I did, however, have a couple older blind women in my life who told
>> me
>> about those days, and I interviewed Doc Watson, the acclaimed 
>> flat-picking
>> guitarist from North Carolina. Doc went to school in the '30s and '40s.
>> The
>> interview was conducted in the mid '70s. He attended the NC school for 
>> the
>> blind. At some point, he begged his father not to send him back, saying
>> that
>> they treated the students worse than animals. He overheard his father 
>> tell
>> his mother that, if half of what he had told him was true, he would not
>> allow him to return. In fact, Doc did not return to the school for the
>> blind. Doc has always been willing to share details and has a kind and
>> forgiving heart, but he could not speak about the specifics, and I saw a
>> hurt and anger in him that I've never seen even after his son died.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> My dear friend Marion, whom I knew when she was in her 50s in the '70s,
>> told
>> me stories about life at the Overbrook School for the Blind in
>> Pennsylvania.
>> Marion had some vision in one eye. She said that the staff used the
>> "partials" like slaves, making them "watch out" for the totally blind
>> kids.
>> She loved kids and was heartbroken by how many blind children were 
>> dropped
>> off at the school at the age of two or three by parents who would never
>> see
>> them again or even contact the school to see how they were. The kids 
>> slept
>> in dormitories and had very little personal space or private time. The
>> message was that blind people should stick to themselves and "know their
>> place," which was not with the sighted world. Some went home for holidays
>> and summer vacation, but many weren't ready for or accepted by the real
>> world. Some sadistic staff members used to scar the kids by saying that
>> demons were around every corner. Children were also impacted by the
>> beliefs
>> of their parents about the reason the child was blind. I've heard many
>> people say that their parents believed God had sent them a blind child to
>> punish them.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Those who were exceptionally intelligent went to college. I knew a woman
>> named Dr. May Davido in this age group who had a doctorate in math. She
>> taught at Overbrook. The brightest blind kids were encouraged even in the
>> '60s to pursue careers within the blindness system rather than attempting
>> to
>> enter the mainstream job market. Very few broke out of this. If you have
>> seen the movie "Children of a Lesser God," it contains many truths about
>> society's feelings toward deaf people that resonate with me as a blind
>> person.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> May used to talk about her days as a student in a residential school for
>> the
>> blind. She said that every night, her house mother would come to check on
>> the girls in her dorm to make sure they were all lying on their backs 
>> with
>> their hands folded over their stomachs. For some reason, that image 
>> always
>> stuck with me. May always traveled with a sighted companion rather than
>> using a cane or guide dog.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Blind people like Marion and Doc learned Braille and used white canes,
>> though I don't know at what age or how much practice they had traveling
>> around away from the schools. Despite the conditions in the residential
>> schools, many people found lifelong friends there and felt that the
>> education was superior to what mainstreamed blind kids receive today.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> To sum up my answer to many of the questions you raise, blind people are
>> first and foremost people. Blindness itself is not the same for each
>> person.
>> Some are totally blind; others have enough vision to see print; some have
>> severe field restrictions while others have no central vision. Some see
>> only
>> a tiny bit of light; others have vision that changes depending on the
>> amount
>> of light they have available or whether the light is changing, as happens
>> when clouds pass over the sun. I knew a man who was blinded in a welding
>> accident and continually saw a blinding brightness; another was blinded 
>> in
>
>> a
>> fall and saw only a red glow. Some are born blind; some are legally 
>> blind,
>> but their vision is stable, while others have degenerative conditions 
>> that
>> worsen over time. Some diagnoses are absolute while others have uncertain
>> prognoses.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Some will learn better than others. Some will pour themselves into
>> learning
>> what they need to survive, while others will have little interest in
>> learning. Some of us are type As, while others are type Bs. Some will 
>> have
>> fiery personalities and find it hard to maintain the methodical approach
>> to
>> mobility necessary to avoid running into things. Some are shy and would
>> wait
>> to be told where things were in a new environment, while others would set
>> off and explore on their own. Some will not want to accept the truth that
>> they are and will remain blind, and this will limit their ability to 
>> learn
>> the nonvisual skills they need. Some will be broken by the lack of
>> acceptance. Some will experience massive amounts of bullying in the
>> sighted
>> world and it will impact their entire lives.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> In short, your character is whoever you think she is, and she will bring
>> her
>> basic personality, her intelligence level, her emotional adjustment and
>> her
>> secret dreams into her experience as a blind person. As with any other
>> writing project, your job is to know who your character is and then make
>> her
>> actions conform to that vision.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I hope you find this information useful, and feel free to contact me, if
>> you
>> want more feedback.
>>
>>
>>
>> Blessings,
>>
>>
>>
>> Donna
>>
>>
>>
>> The study is:
>>
>>
>>
>> Retrofitting accessibility: The legal inequality of after-the-fact online
>> access for persons with disabilities in the United States by Brian Wentz,
>> Paul T. Jaeger, and Jonathan Lazar, published in the November 2011 issue
>> of
>> the First Monday Journal, U of Il, Chicago.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
> http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3666/3077
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> My first accessibility article is:
>>
>>
>>
>> U.S. Federal Government Already Limits Web Access | Suite101.com
>>
>>
>>
>> Jan. 19, 2012
>>
>>
>>
>> Is internet access a civil right? Apparently not for all Americans. A
>> federal worker explains how the U.S. is ensuring a "separate but not
>> equal"
>> policy.
>>
>>
>>
>>
> http://donna-w-hill.suite101.com/us-federal-government-already-limits-web-ac
>> cess-a401448
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> A few articles on Braille literacy, blind kids and their parents
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Braille Literacy: For the Love of Reading, A Mother's Struggle with
>> America's Special Education System
>>
>>
>>
>> May 25, 2009
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/103762
>>
>>
>>
>> If you were a modern American educator would you expect a legally blind
>> child to rely upon his remaining vision to use power tools or go snow
>> tubing? How slow would a child have to read print for you to consider
>> teaching him Braille? How bent over would he have to be, before it
>> occurred
>> to you that he might benefit from a white cane? Now that Carrie Gilmer's
>> son
>> is headed off to college, she can talk about their ten-year ordeal. As
>> President of the Minnesota chapter of the National Organization of 
>> Parents
>> of Blind Children, she knows that her experiences are unfortunately all
>> too
>> common. From her initial reactions to learning that her son was legally
>> blind to the mistakes she hopes other parents won't make, she is candid
>> about the fight she has just been through. Carrie's story is a must read
>> for
>> anyone with a friend or loved one dealing with poor vision.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Braille Literacy: Lessons from a Right-Handed World
>>
>>
>>
>> May 18, 2009
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/102885
>>
>>
>>
>> Anna Walker is a legally blind eight-year-old second-grader who is fully
>> mainstreamed in her public school. She has finished at the top of her
>> grade
>> level for two years in a row in a national Braille reading contest. In
>> Pennsylvania, where the Walkers live, advanced certification for Braille
>> instructors is not required as it is in some states. This means that many
>> low vision children are expected to accept a substandard education. But
>> Pennsylvania has Anna's Mom, a lawyer and president of the Pennsylvania
>> chapter of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, who
>> volunteers to help parents of blind and low vision children obtain the
>> education their children deserve. Carlton Ann Cook Walker shares valuable
>> insights into the special education system and the often overlooked 
>> issues
>> facing students with severe visual limitations who are not totally blind.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Nebraska's Braille Law Tabled Despite Taxpayer Benefits
>>
>>
>>
>> July 24, 2010
>>
>>
>>
>>
> http://blind-students.suite101.com/article.cfm/nebraskas-braille-law-tabled-
>> despite-taxpayer-benefits
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Braille Literacy: Insights from a Michigan Home School
>>
>>
>>
>> June 10, 2009
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/105637
>>
>>
>>
>> Michigan psychologist and Christian homeschool Mom Beth Brown shares her
>> views on Braille. She has a wealth of experience which highlight the
>> advantages of teaching Braille to students with visual impairments. She
>> has
>> witnessed first hand the increased independence experienced by Braille
>> readers, as well as the struggles, limitations and dependence encountered
>> by
>> people who are trained to rely on faulty vision. Her recommendations are 
>> a
>> must read for families who have a child with low vision. Other families
>> will
>> enjoy a look at the Brown's thriving home school.
>>
>>
>>
>> Link to the comments by director of the movie Blindness, Mireles:
>>
>>
> http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Film-Review/blindness-fernando-meirelles-interv
>> iew
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> =======
>> Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found.
>> (Email Guard: 9.0.0.898, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.19140)
>> http://www.pctools.com/
>> =======
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.net 
>> <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>>
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/llambert%40zoominternet
> .net
>>
>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site:
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.net <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> stylist:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/penatwork%40epix.net
>
>
>
>
> =======
> Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found.
> (Email Guard: 9.0.0.898, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.19140)
> http://www.pctools.com/
> =======
>
>
>
>
>
> =======
> Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found.
> (Email Guard: 9.0.0.898, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.19140)
> http://www.pctools.com/
> =======
>
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site:
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.net <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> stylist:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/llambert%40zoominternet.net
>
>