[stylist] OT: Donna's conversation today

Wed Mar 28 22:46:29 UTC 2012

Hi Lynda,
Thanks for listening and for your feedback. After the show, he asked me to
write an article or two or three for their online magazine and to come back
on, so I was happy about that as well.

As for the "partial" thing, I know where you're coming from. I had an old
friend in the '70s who referred to herself as a partial. She was about 30
years older than I was, and she's since passed away, but that was my first
exposure to the term. 

I have a particular problem with language that makes us sound like
adjectives -- the blind, the visually impaired, etc.  People with vision
loss would be the best way -- or at least one good way -- of putting the
people part first. In my writing, however, I have always used blind people a
lot because of word count issues, though others on this list have awakened
me to the reality that the people part really should come first. I'm
currently going  through a re evaluation of that and am starting to at least
include one reference that puts people first, despite the word count. I only
use "the blind" in the names of organizations like the NFB.

As for guide dogs ... As you might imagine, this -- like everything else
about us -- is all over the map. I know many loving guide dog users who have
retired their dogs to either a family member or friend, the family who
raised the dog as a puppy or even had the dog placed in a retirement family
by the school. This is always extremely sad and devastating (in many cases
more for the human, especially if the dog is already familiar with the new
home), but some people live alone in apartments in cities, where it wouldn't
be fair to the dog to be left alone all day while the person is at work. 

I have been fortunate that I have never been faced with that decision. God
willing, that will continue to be the case. I know others who keep their
retired dogs and get a new working dog. One couple (both had guide dogs)
where I used to live, had two retired and two working dogs and a cat. They
also had a king-size water bed, and the whole family slept together.

As a member of PETA, you may be aware that there are some people in
high-level positions who flatly disapprove of guide dogs. I did an article
for American Chronicle years ago about this. The person, whose name I can't
remember off the top of my head, believed that sighted people should help
blind people get around. She was convinced that the schools routinely force
people to retire their dogs, take them away and so on. I had a problem with
her on many levels, but I understand the need for animal rights advocacy;
frankly, the need seems to be increasing, as people seem to have less
inclination to take care of their pets. 

In general, however, I think PETA is out of line in attacking guide dog
users. For the most part, they are far more loving and attentive to their
dogs than the general population. Our old vet in Philadelphia used to tell
the story of a professor at Penn Vet Med who told them that, if a person
says their guide dog is sick and you can't find anything wrong, keep
looking, because people who have guide dogs are very tuned in to the dogs
and pick up on stuff long before sighted people would. In fact, I knew my
current guide had Lyme disease and had to tell the vet to just humor me and
test him, because he wasn't seeing any signs of it.

In the past, before advocacy groups like NAGDU existed to fight the matter,
there were poorly handled incidents where schools forced retirement of a
guide who had out-lived his or her best working years. I met one woman
decades ago who had sent her dog back to the school for what they said was a
medical evaluation. They never called, and when she contacted them, they had
euthanized the dog. She was devastated years later. It was the people who
have and love guide dogs, however, that stood up against these cruel and
insensitive actions. 

Anyway, thanks again for listening.
Donna

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Lynda Lambert
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 5:46 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] OT: Donna's conversation today

Donna,
I just sat here and listened to the entire blogcast. It was educational and 
enlightening. You covered so many different areas of interest to anyone who 
was listening.
I particularly liked your explanation as to why blind children need Braille.

This is all new to me, since I was 64 years young when I lost my sight. I 
know absolutely nothing about educating blind children and your explanation 
makes sense.

The other thing that is important to me, and I never had the courage to ask 
anyone about was the discussion on your four guide dogs. I am a member of 
PETA, and an animal rights advocate to the core. When I see a guide dog I 
get very nervous because I am wondering if it is loved or just used like a 
machine. You sure made me feel good when you discussed your own experiences 
with your dogs. And, the other thing I have worried about so often is what 
happens to the dog when it has to "retire."  I always wondered if this 
faithful friend was just discarded. Again, you made me feel so much better 
about it when you talked about what happened to your own dogs and the loving

care they had right up to the end of their lives. I hope this is true of all

of the dogs.
My dogs and cats are my family, and they  are treated as well as my children

are treated and I always hope for this kind of love for all animals.

And, finally (sorry it is so long, but I really liked listening to your 
discussion) you were so clear on assistive technologies and what is 
possible. I can say that I would never have come as far as I have without 
the equipment that helps me do the professional things I had always done 
before my own sight loss.

And, please, just one more thing I want to applaud from your conversation. 
I absolutely become ill at heart when I hear someone describe themselves as 
"a partial." or "a total." Not only is it terribly bad diction, it is so 
demeaning it makes my skin crawl Thank you for using the terminology that 
gives people with sight loss dignity. You said "partial vision" which makes 
since and gives dignity. We are not "partial people" we are "whole people 
who may have some vision loss.

Thank you for your excellent conversaton. Kudos to a fellow Pennsylvanian! 
Good job!

Lynda Lambert

Lynda
Lynda Lambert
104 River Road
Ellwood City, PA 16117

724 758 4979

My Blog:  http://www.walkingbyinnervision.blogspot.com
My Website:  http://lyndalambert.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 12:29 PM
Subject: [stylist] OT: me on Radio show on blindness today at 1 p.m. Eastern

> If your free in an hour, tune in to hear me on the Boomer & the Babe 1p.m.
> Eastern  for a talk about blindness issues and more:
>
> www.blogtalkradio.com/boomerandbabe
>
> Donna
>
> Read Donna's articles on
> Suite 101:
> http://donna-w-hill.suite101.com/
>
>
>
> Connect with Donna on
> Twitter:
> www.twitter.com/dewhill
> LinkedIn:
> www.linkedin.com/in/dwh99
> FaceBook:
> www.facebook.com/donna.w.hill.
>
>
>
> Knitters, join Donna on Ravelry:
> www.ravelry.com/people/DonnaWHill
>
>
>
> Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
> cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
>
>
>
> Apple I-Tunes
> phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=259244374
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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