[stylist] Comments about the request by the sighted writer

Tue Jan 31 02:58:28 UTC 2012

Point taken.  Most folks don't care about the semantics, any way.  Word 
count rules.
Keep up the writing.
Barbara

Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance. -- Carl Sandburg
-----Original Message----- 
From: Donna Hill
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 12:30 PM
To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [stylist] Comments about the request by the sighted writer

Barbara,
This is true, but word count policies being what they are, I can't use two
extra words every time I need to refer to people who are blind in an
article. There are so many facts and nuances that I can't include as it is,
and I get what is there in because of my editing down to avoid extra words.
Still, it would be nice to be able to say that. But, then again, if I did,
I'm sure the argument could be made that saying "who are blind" doesn't
convey enough separation between the person and the blindness, and it should
be people who are dealing with sight loss or something like that.
Donna

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Barbara Hammel
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 10:21 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] Comments about the request by the sighted writer

And actually blind people isn't correct either per your example.  It should
be people who are blind.  People are people before they are their blindness
or deafness or autism or ...
Barbara

Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance. -- Carl Sandburg
-----Original Message----- 
From: Donna Hill
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 10:37 AM
To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
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/
=======

_______________________________________________
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/poetlori8%40msn.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/penatwork%40epix.net

=======
Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found.
(Email Guard: 9.0.0.898, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.19150)
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/poetlori8%40msn.com 