I saw it last night

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I saw it last night

Name: Alyzza
Email: odd_events@hotmail.com
Date: 03 Apr 1999
Time: 01:52:47
Remote Name: ascmax07-port-62.agt.net
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I'm not sure which is more harmful. Discrimination, or over compensation. Last night my brother and I were watching the six o'clock news, and a story preview about "the amazing accomplishments of a blind man" came up. My brother pointed it out, thinking I'd be interested since I'm blind. I just laughed. I bet him $5 that there would be absolutely nothing amazing about the story and nothing extraordinary about the man. I'm richer today. The news show wasted five minutes on the accomplishments of a high school student who may or may not be pursuing university and who wants to be a teacher. He had received his first guide dog at 15 and likes wood working. I'm a college student and about half of the people I hang around with are struggling students who want to be teachers. I also suspect that a few like wood working. They don't get air time. They can see. The kind of message that type of a story sends is that blind people are a class apart, and if they do anything that even smacks of normal activity, it's news worthy.

I've heard more than a few ignorant comments in my time, but none are more aggravating than the condescending pats on the back for doing what everyone else does. It's almost like social expectations are so low that even the most mediocre activity warrants praise with abandon.

I've even found such stupidity among the disabled themselves. People who have to live with the burden of prejudice every day, and yet dare thrust THEIR misconceptions on ME. When someone with crutches stands on the bus and offers me a seat because "you're blind", there's a problem.

There are some tasks which are harder to accomplish without sight, or with limited vision. Those tasks are fewer than many would think though. I would like to use this time to dispel a few common blindness myths in the hopes that it curtails some future instances of reverse discrimination:

1) Most people who have been blind for any real period of time have developed systems wherein they label and tag their cloths to avoid embarrassing color clashes.

2) Blind people can and do travel independently in most any situation. The misconception that blind people need assistance in all areas of travel is only partly based on fact. The fact being that 2/3rds of all blind people are over 65, and had been born with sight. To teach O and M to a visually impaired senior would be in some ways much harder than teaching it to a congenitally blind youth. Also, many seniors experiencing vision loss refuse to use a cane. They don't often travel alone, we DO.

3) Proficient travelers do no necessarily stick to familiar routes. I've been everywhere, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends. I take friends by choice, not as guides.

4) Guide dog owners only comprise about 1% of the blind. No, guide dogs do not see traffic light colors or remember routes. The guide dog follows the commands of the owner. It doesn't move unless she tells it to. It doesn't cross a street unless the owner gives the order. Only in rare instances does it practice "intelligent disobedience" and it is NOT the best option for every blind person.

5) Blind does NOT equal darkness. Only 10% of the registered blind have no residual vision. Even the totally blind don't see darkness. They see nothing. Blindness is 20/200 vision in the better eye with correction or/and a visual field of less than 20 degrees.

6) Despite the 70% unemployment stat, most young, well educated, mobile blind people eventually become employed. (I'm not talking McDonald's either, although some do work there)

I try not to do anything for "crips", "gimps", or "deafies" that they can do for themselves, which is just about anything they want. Now if only the world could dispense with over compensation for the blind.

Name: Zumer
Email: Victor@gimail.com
Date: 09 May 2008
Time: 15:35:48
Remote Name: 200.101.91.228
Remote User:

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ueivo

Name: Timothy
Email: abe@earthling.net
Date: 07 Feb 2008
Time: 07:43:11
Remote Name: 202.84.17.42
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