tag:dreamwidth.org,2011-07-29:943947crummyvisioncrummyvisioncrummyvision2013-09-03T17:47:51Ztag:dreamwidth.org,2011-07-29:943947:127687Things Blind People Say, Part Two2013-09-03T17:47:51Z2013-09-03T17:47:51Zcreativepublic0Wow, was surprised the idea for the next one came so quickly, so here it is.<br /><br />If only they could see what we're really capable of, then they'd understand!<br />1. Ah, the if-then-maybe equasion. Given ideal conditions A and B, it will be followed, maybe, if the fates allow, if the four winds blow the right way, when the moon is in the seventh condo, there is the slightest chance that we will acquire ideal outcomes C and D. I know we live in a society full of idealism and where it is encouraged, so all I can say is dream on, little dreamers, dream on.<br />2. Again we are back to the theme of the sighted as being some grand observer. Let's do this again. They are not looking at us most of the time unless they have to be directly confronted with us or they are curious or are fascinated as to how we function. Outside of that we are aliens, just like people from different cultures or even neighborhoods are aliens.<br />3. Very simply put, there's more to us than what we do. We are full human beings, not just creatures that do or don't do things, and many people do not even seem to have a sense of who we are as individuals, let alone what we can do. This is the tip of a Titanic-sinking iceberg, and even then ...<br />4. Our treatment is not about what we personally can or can't do. It is because sighted people are afraid of going blind because they fear the dark, the unknown, and mortality and disability is mortality and vulnerability to them. I guess most of them think they're immortal. This is also what their stereotypes are based on at least partially, their own ideas of what they would be like if it were to happen to them. That's the basis on their whole outlook on blind people. It's not, look at that blind person and what they're doing, it's what if it happened to me, I wouldn't know what to do with myself.<br />5. Let me make this point. If we put on a show and somebody created an entire planet, including life forms, with nothing but thought energy, duct tape, and one hairpin, people would look upon it and say, "Well, that's amazing for that person because that person is amazing, she exceeds my expectations, but I could never do that kind of thing, I'd kill myself trying to get a beer in the kitchen." People's low expectations of blind people are based on their low expectations of their imaginary self were they to one day be struck blind, which is so amazingly possible that it just happens all the time. So yes, people would be amazed at everything you do, but they would not think they could do such things even if they could.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=crummyvision&ditemid=127687" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2011-07-29:943947:127445things blind people say part one2013-09-03T09:07:10Z2013-09-03T09:07:10Zcontemplativepublic0In the past I've gone on as many of us have about some of the prevailing attitudes of the sighted towards the disabled and the blind specifically. However, does anyone notice some of the more WTF things we blind people say about one another? This is apparently the elephant in the room so, like probably my last rather dark satire, this might stir controversy.<br />You see it in social media and message boards all the time. "Why do some blind people do (insert assorted behaviors or terms here?) No wonder sighted people think we're stupid." These assorted actions and words could be calling one another blinks, naming inanimate objects, or any sort of behavior considered un-sighted-like by the asker. There are some mighty huge assumptions here. First, we are assuming that oodles and oodles of sighted people are monitoring our personal on-line interactions to use as amunition against us or as a test to judge our worthiness in sighted society. Do you know and understand and grock how utterly paranoid and self-conscious that is? Here's how I see it. For most people, we are invisible because we're one of many groups that fall so far outside the norm that nobody really gives a damn what we're doing. They've got bills to pay and dinner to make and kids to rush off to school and have no time to monitor our communications or to watch us specifically. So, no, we are not under constant surveillance by the sighted majority.<br />Second, this assumes that our behavior is the only reason why we are treated the way we are in the public. The general population's primal caveman fear of the dark, the unknown, and going blind has absolutely nothing to do with it and we have total control over how we're treated if only and if only we'd all as a body just stop acting like blind people and act like sighted people with broken eyes like we're all supposed to. Then we'll all get good-looking sighted partners and high-profile jobs and hang out with the cool kids at the cool kids table instead of having to settle for blind partners, take the bus everywhere, and be stuck at the losers' table with the other blind people. LOL!<br />Third, it's blame the victim. All your problems are entirely your fault. Your behavior, even if it's a little thing, makes people treat you funny, people don't just do it on their own, and it's all your fault and under your complete control.<br />So there, I've now analyzed my first one. More as they happen.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=crummyvision&ditemid=127445" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> comments