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This is something people need to hear..
Okay, I¡¯m blind.
So, here are some things that should make this whole blindness thing a little less confusing.
The word ¡°blind¡± is not offensive.
Blind people are not amazing.
Blindness does not directly result in depression, anger, sadness, bitterness, or really any other negative emotional state.
It is perfectly fine to use words like, ¡°see¡±, ¡°look,¡± and ¡°Watch,¡± there is nothing offensive about any of these sorts of words.
Being blind does not mean that a person necessarily has no usable eyesight, it just means that for the majority of situations, the eyesight that person has is not reliable, so using things such as a white cane or Braille is a better alternative.
Yes, it is called a ¡°cane,¡± and not a stick, or a pole, or a staff. Most canes don¡¯t shoot out laser beams, or make noises, or have built in GPS; they are just a fiberglass or aluminum tube with a handle and a cane tip.
Not every blind person has or wants a guide dog. In fact, the majority of blind people choose to travel with a cane, and some prefer to rely on their limited eyesight.
Yes, if the blind person does use a guide dog, you shouldn¡¯t pet, feed, or speak to the dog, but it would be perfectly fine to speak to the blind person.
I do not count steps, as far as I know, no blind person counts steps. The only people I know of that count steps are the sighted actors on TV and in the movies that are incorrectly playing the part of blind people.
I do not want to feel your face; again, I don¡¯t know any blind people that want to feel your face, or anybody else¡¯s face for that matter. Again this is only the stuff that is done by the sighted actors on TV and in the movies that are incorrectly playing blind people.
No, my hearing, sense of touch, and sense of smell are not incredibly sharp, nor did they magically increase because I am blind. I have learned to use my other senses better because I needed to do so, and you could also learn to do this as well.
No, I do not have ESP, and as far as I know, neither does anybody else, but of course, I haven¡¯t met everybody else yet.
Oh, that reminds me, I really don¡¯t know all the other blind people in the world. Now, if your uncle, aunt, grandmother, high school friend, or a fellow you met while on a business trip to Florida are blind, it may be possible that I know them, but I¡¯m sorry, chances are, we¡¯ve never met.
Speaking to me loudly and slowly really doesn¡¯t do much for me, except making me wish you would speak more softly and hurry up.
By using my cane I can locate things such as poles, walls, trees, cracks in the sidewalk, curbs, and stairways. So, while it is very kind of you to tell me I am about to run into one of these things, it is normally not very helpful, and I may actually be looking for one of these things, like the stairway or the pole for the bus stop.
Now sometimes I do need some information, and usually when I do, I¡¯ll ask for it. I also don¡¯t mind if you ask me if I need some assistance, especially if you are willing to accept my answer. If I say no thank you, then you can rest assured that while I appreciate your offer, your assistance is not needed. On the other hand, if I should accept your offer, please ask what sort of assistance I am needing, rather than assuming you already know what I want.
Actually, I can cross the street all by myself, and in nearly every situation, do it just as well as anybody else, whether it is a quiet street, or a busy one with a traffic light? Again, if you want to ask me whether I need some assistance, that would be fine and we can talk about it, but probably if I need assistance, I¡¯ll seek out someone to ask.
I don¡¯t really have any problem answering questions regarding my blindness, but it is a lot more comfortable to do so after I get to know the person asking the questions. Now, please consider how you would feel if a person you have just met asks you things such as how you eat, know where you are walking, keep track of your children, brush your teeth, go to the bathroom, take a shower, or even how you have sex? I¡¯m serious; I¡¯ve had total strangers ask me these questions.
As I said, I don¡¯t have any problem talking about blindness with really anyone, but please remember it isn¡¯t the only thing I am able to talk about. I have opinions and knowledge in a pretty wide variety of subjects, so try me.
Now, please allow me to be blunt about this, not all of us can sing or play a musical instrument. Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and other famous blind performers are very talented people that happen to be blind, but their talent did not result from them being blind, and there many of us that are living proof that being blind does not endow anyone with musical ability.
Please do not grab hold of me, unless my life is in immediate danger. Consider how it would feel if somebody did this to you, especially if you weren¡¯t expecting it. By the way, some of us blind folks are trained in self-defense, and that may be one of the things you should consider before you decide to grab hold of one of us.
Please don¡¯t jump in and do things for us without asking first, even if you are convinced we can¡¯t do it for ourselves. Consider how you would feel if you were doing something you are perfectly fine with doing, perhaps enjoy doing, and somebody jumps in and takes over for you?
Finally, please do not offer me money. I work for a living, as do many other blind people. I am not a beggar, and blind people living in developed countries really should not have any reason to be begging, so please do not feel obligated to reward this behavior.
