[stylist] Comments about the request by the sighted writer

Sun Jan 29 21:06:58 UTC 2012

Contrary. I think you will hear from her, and in 
an information curious way. She just might have 
found the artesian well of info she was looking for.

Brad

On 1/29/2012  10:24 AM Donna Hill said...
>Brad,
>Thanks. I must have spent three hours on it. When I first read the letter, a
>lot of outrage stirred in me. After all, there is only so much room out
>there for books with blind characters, and I feel they should be written by
>blind people. Since her family (sister, I think) is planning to adopt a
>blind child, I thought the child's well-being might be served by having some
>of this info. I wonder if we'll ever hear from her again.
>Donna
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of Brad Dunsé
>Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 8:22 AM
>To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [stylist] Comments about the request by the sighted writer
>
>Very good points Donna. I think you handled it quite tactfully and
>informative.
>
>Brad
>
>
>
>On 1/28/2012  09:19 PM Donna Hill said...
> >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/3666/307
>7
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >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-a
>c
> >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-inter
>v
> >iew
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >=======
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> >
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>
>
>Brad Dunsé
>
>"The naive believes everything, But the sensible
>man considers his steps." --Proverbs
>
>http://www.braddunsemusic.com
>
>http://www.facebook.com/braddunse
>
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Brad Dunsé

"There is a guaranteed, 'no', waiting for the one 
who never decides to ask." -- Capt'n Frank

http://www.braddunsemusic.com

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