[nabs-l] Humor and Blindness Revelations

[Juan Carlos Munoz]

Yes, Arielle, I use humor all the time around sighted friends, occasionally with teachers, breaking the ice meeting new people, when asking for directions from strangers, etc. I can't say which jokes would be most effective, as I feel you have to look at each individual situation differently to get the best results, but humor, even if used a little, is what gets me through most things. Often it's what makes people see that you have character, and they'll start seeing you differently. I always here comedians talking about how if you're going to make it in stand-up, you have to be willing to make fun of yourself and your past experiences because that's where you'll get your best material. That doesn't mean go into the professor's office rattling off one-liners for everything they tell you, but just incorporate a little something about you as the conversation rolls along.


Juan 
> Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 09:15:24 +1100
> From: arielle71 at gmail.com
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nabs-l] Humor and Blindness Revelations
> 
> Hello all,
> 
> The discussion we had a couple days ago about a blindness joke got me
> thinking about how we can use humor as a tool for easing discomfort in
> situations relating to our blindness. There are times when we've all
> had to reveal our blindness to others--in applying for jobs,
> participating in extracurricular activities, with randomly assigned
> roommates, online dating etc. Or we've had to initiate a blindness
> discussion with someone in order to talk about accommodations--an
> employer or professor for instance. In these kinds of situations, when
> we don't know how our blindness will be received, has anyone been
> successful in using humor to ease the tension that might arise from a
> revelation of blindness? What kinds of jokes have been effective in
> this regard? Or, does humor just make things more awkward?
> 
> Curiously,
> Arielle
> 
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