Category: Let's talk
A rather old thread with recent prior activity that I had encountered on this board brought this notion to mind—the rather entrenched idea that we, as blind people, are de facto "ambassadors of the blind community", and must go forth in all of our interactions with the general population as representing not just ourselves, but all others ostensibly suffering the ostensible affliction of blindness. I post this to ask two questions: first, the origin of this idea (not the evidence that exists that says this is the case—evidence is thick on the ground that everyone, blind, sighted, white, black, pick any little box you like—stereotypes to a degree), but where such a thought originated, how you became aware of this expectation, and second, whether those of us that determine our actions based on this supposed set of "ambassadorial duties" really gain any benefit by doing so.
Let me clarify to say that, by questioning whether it is wise to conduct ourselves continually as ambassadors of the Blind Comunity®, I'm not saying that we go forth with a declaration of war upon the sighted—not for a second—but that we perhaps not burden ourselves with additional emotional labor that would not necessarily apply to a sighted person similarly situated to ourselves. It should be said, however, and is mentioned in this study, that "surface acting", the act of regulating your emotions based on a set of "emotional display rules" (as the Ambassador to the Blind role could be said to be), is positively correlated with burnout. Is it, therefore, a good idea to put oneself under such stress every time one leaves the house? To put it more colloquially, if you're grabbed on the street, no matter how well-intentioned, is it really such an unforgiveable sin to respond with "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN', FELLA?"?
Needless to say, I am somewhat against the idea of imposing a set of restrictions upon myself that the average reasonably senior level software engineer with a family, living in a decently sized urban center, does not have to observe solely on the basis that my eyes aren't fully connected to the brain. In the more abstract sense, to say that "we have to be ambassadors of the blind because the sighted world stereotypes", then to police ourselves for doing similar stereotyping, seems to me to ascribe a sort of rightness to the sighted person's tendency to stereotype, allowing them the role of a sort of "ruling class" (sighted people make the laws, and we must obey them and have no power to change them). In the less abstract sense, let me give you two examples where playing the ambassadorial role, either on my part or someone else's, caused problems.
In the first example, I was walking across a street when someone offered to help me. Having been told that I should accept help when offered, as the next blind person would need it and sighted people tend not to make distinctions, I did so. Thirty seconds later, I found myself on my ass in the middle of the street, having been hit from behind by a Ford Probe (the jokes just write themselves). I do so hope that every other blind person that this woman helped is grateful for my ... probing in the name of good will.
In the second instance, I was flying from Seattle to Austin via Las Vegas. As I should have expected, they had a wheelchair waiting, which I politely declined. Upon the airport attendant's assistance that I take the chair, I more forcefully declined the offer. With all the decorum of an unanaesthetized tooth extraction, the lady informed me that the last blind person she helped (note that I neither requested nor required that help in the airport) needed the wheelchair, and that I should take it too. I took out my mobile phone at that point, and told her that that was fine—the last woman I talked to prefered the company of women and that if she would, even at this late hour, be so kind as to get her girlfriend on the line, I would, in the name of good sportsmanship, take the wheelchair. Clearly the last "ambassador", perhaps in an ambassadorial role of accepting unnecessary help, caused significant inconvenience for the blind person that next crossed that woman's path.
Again, to restate my question, for those of you on whom were bestowed these ambassadorial duties without privilege of ambassadorial rank, where did you first hear that this was the law of the land, and second, have any of you ever experienced any benefit from these ambassadorial duties? I freely admit my bias against such things, as they seem to me to be an unfair double standard (and there was also the whole Ford Probe up the ass thing), but would be interested to hear a well thought out opposing viewpoint—or even, if you feel forced to abide by this double standard, why you feel that way and what you feel you gain from it. Of course, if you agree with me, that's cool too.
I am not fully certain, but I believe this school of thought can be traced back to the early days of the NFB. I am talking about the days when the NFB and A C B were one entity. To clear up confusion, the a c b is a group of diselusioned N F B members. So, this teaching is past around like a hot potato. Why is this school of thought around? Who knows. Perhaps some blind person had a bad experience and past it on like a ghost story told around a campfire. I can only speculate on this. I know someone who believes this...let's call it dogma. It is a sort of religion and like any religion I personally view it as fluff. I hope my post made some sense.
I've been called an ambassador of the blind (those exact words) by at least one sighted person who had never heard of the NFB. Accepting such a role seems to do nothing but create extra work (the kind I'm no good at), and it pays nothing.
Perhaps this friend has a friend who knows of the NFB. Or that friend has one. Who knows;this is all just my theory.
Well, if I refuse help from someone with a wheelchair, I'm gonna get broken bones, as my balance is terrible.
It's funny, but I do a lot of things the "Ambassador," isn't supposed to do. I have to ask for a lot of help, I've asked someone to help me open a door, I don't always agree with "The System," and I have to tolerate a lot more crud because of my extra limitations.
And, one thing I found that really ripens my ass, is that rehab centers want you to advocate for yourself, unless it's disagreeing with them. I see so many being used and told it's all right, and they sit and let people and programs screw them six ways to Sunday. It's not right, and I refuse to keep putting up with it.
And, one more thing, a lot of blind people these days, are dealing with more than their blindness. Let's see here: Many have seizures, brain trauma/deformities, injuries unrelated to being blind, and we get hurt by cars, too!
I have a rare condition that has made it impossible for me to be a fitting ambassador for normality. LOL
Anyway, good thread, and I like the topic. I think we take stuff way too much. Time not to just be blind, but be yourself! Really! Sighted people don't let sight define them? Or, am I wrong?
Blessings,
Sarah
I heard of this concept long before I knew anything about the NFB or ACB, so I can't speak to either of their role in this. As it was explained to me years ago when I was growing up, most sighted people don't meet very many blind ones. So when they do meet one of us, they base any future interactions with a blind person based on that first one they met. That line of logic unfortunately seemed to be backed up as I've gone through life. I can't count the number of times some sighted person has said to me, "Oh, I met a blind person who did this a different way, and I thought that's just how all blind people did it." Or, "Well shouldn't you do it like this other blind person I met? They..." and they proceed to tell me about some other person I've never heard of. Given the public does this, I think the idea is that we try to represent blind people in as positive a way as possible. But really, it's an impossible ideal to uphold, even if one wanted to. We all have different strengths, weaknesses, or ways of doing things. We can't control the assumptions the sighted public makes based on one blind person they meet. I don't go around interacting with people always seeing myself as an ambassador. I just go around doing things the way I do them, being who I am, trying to educate where I can, and what people do from there is out of my control.
You make a good point. I often hear about how most people have never met a blind person before. That may be true;who knows. I personally don't accept ignorance as an excuse for any piss poor atitudes/treatment/what ever. I do what I do on a daily bases without worrying to much about representation. It is utter bullshit.
Ya know, it's funny, I was a member of the NFB for about three and a half years but am still largely unfamiliar with their philosophies on this subject. I have a lot of opinions about it, but I feel I need to educate myself on the different schools of thought before I can completely decide where I stand. Does anyone know of a medium in which one or more of the philosophies has been outlined?
I will go ahead and say this, though: Sarah, I don't think you should ever feel bad about asking for help. I'm familiar enough with certain people's philosophies to know that seeking assistance is frowned upon by many blind people (and disabled people in general). But the hard truth is that sometimes it's unavoidable, and trying to avoid it not only leads to massive wastes of valuable time but often makes us look more incompetent than we're already thought to be as we flounder around. Furthermore, refusing to ask for help simply on principle in certain situations can put one's life in danger. Someone please tell me how that is not incredibly stupid. I value my time and my life more than some pig-headed philosophy.
Becky
You are spot on. Ask for help when you need it.
I'm still a member of the NFB, and even I'm not sure where they officially stand on this. But then, I've never been one to go by what they officially stand for anyway, because nine times out of ten, what the national leadership says is different from how most rank and file Federationists feel. That, and even their worshipped Jernigan would not have advocated for never asking for assistance, as so many Federationists tend to do. Any Federationist who thinks otherwise should refer back to the speech the Nature of Independence. I ask for help when I need it, refuse it if it's offered when I don't need it, and try to be as polite as possible, so long as the person is polite to me. I admit, there are times I probably have fallen prey to the eleteist ambassador thing without thinking it through. When I see a blind person making an ass of themselves, there is part of me that goes, "Oh great, that's a wonderful impression to leave about blind people," because the reality is, the public remembers crap like that. But like I said before, stuff like that is out of my control. I can't control how other blind people behave any more than I can what sighted people assume. all I can control is me, and how I interact and educate on a daily basis.
exactly. I am a state board member and that belief isn't the majority but I still say that the NFB is where I first heard of this.
Alicia, thanks for mentioning that speech! I just read it and found it to be wise and insightful. It may very well become part of the foundation from which I form my opinion on this issue. I strongly encourage those of you who haven't done so, whether you're affiliated with the Federation or not, to read it. It might make you feel better about your own version of independence. Here's the link:
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/convent/addres93.htm
Becky
I have the audio of that speech an it is interesting. So where, then, does this so called philosophy of the blind ambassador come from?
It's collectivism and I would be full blown anarchist if I thought it would work, so collectivist notions like visiting sins on the children of fathers or blaming one racial / sexual demographic, or making one person responsible for the collective e.g. embassador for the blind.
Besides all the problems mentioned earlier by other people, you get parasitism. Because then when you go out and earn something, invent something, or create a new way to do things, there are those within the proverbial collective who had nothing to do with it that will *demand* that you acknowledge you couldn't have done it without them.
I'm all for providing help where one can, on a voluntary basis. Else I wouldn't be involved in the extracurricular volunteer projects I am involved in.
But as to others making you an ambassador or give them things and credit which they did not earn? Let it burn.
That collectivist thinking denies your personhood and autonomy.
Yes, look at lemmings. One lemming will follow another off of a cliff. Now is that what we want?
This ambassador mentality has this subtext. It's like society is being told that their attitudes are perfectly acceptable and shouldn't change a bit, especially the one about how we're all clones of one another. We'll just overcompensate and make performing seals out of ourselves so you don't have to do any of the hard work. I guess telling society that it is wrong to believe any group of people are clones of one another, well, it just isn't done or makes God angry, I mean, angrier, and otherwise completely fucks with Ape Law and well, can't be having any of that, gotta make sure the right palms are greased and backs are patted or else, whatever else might be.
It's that way with any group. It's very sad. "All deaf people..." "All people in wheelchairs,"
"All lefthanded people," "All Christians," "All homosexual people..."
Whether it's the color of your skin, or an action you take, or a choice you make, or the way you live your life. I think it's totally off. When I took my classes this year, I learned that you're not "That Crazy Person."
You are a person who has some chemical and emotional problems. And, just like everyone else, you are yourself.
And, because I was too stubborn to ask for help when I first moved on my own, I almost lost my first apartment. That scared me, and I gave in. Not since I was told to, but because, I want a clean and safe house. I have lived with dirty folks, and hate it.
What this Ambassador thing is, is "Stereotyping," by a corny geeky name. And, I know I'm not normal in that department. I realized with help, that I don't get rehab to help me, because I don't tolerate the double standard that says you have to advocate, then if you stand up to the wrong people, you're bad.
So, I'll go by other than conventional means to get the job done. And, goodie for me, I didn't grovel on hands and knees begging for services. And being a strong-willed human being isn't wrong.
Anyway, off the Soap Box, for now.
Blessings,
Sarah
I think the ambassador thing is much too much to ask any one person to be, it's just impossible to live up to. And also, it is really astounding how people tend to believe that all blind people have the same needs in life, the same emotional reactions, and even the same tastes, hobbies and interests, same beliefs, etc. "Oh, Stella is a Baptist, you must also be a Baptist just like her, right?" "I know this guy George, he plays beep baseball and builds model airplanes. You what? You collect monster movies? George doesn't like those, why can't you be like George?" "Krista and her boyfriend Joe always let me help them, they're so nice. Why are you being so rude?" "The last blind person I tried to help told me to go to hell so I never wanted to help one of them again, but I decided I needed to help you so I am. What? We're lost? That's irrelevant. My needing to help you in this cruel and awful world is more important than actually doing the job right, don't you understand?"
It angers me to the point where I often wonder if I need psychological help.
LOL, Godzilla. I recognize the satire of your last post, but the scary part is, you voiced how so many sighted people think of or about us, even some of the things they say to us.
I pretty much don't care anymore. I do my own stuff, try not to draw attention to myself when I'm out walking to someplace.
I’m relatively unfamiliar with the concept of being an ambassador, but I have heard, much too often, I might add, the word role model tossed around by people who I think should know better. When I was in law school, this guy used to remind me that I was a “role model” all the time. I found him tedious, and I find the concept of being a role model rather tedious. But I don’t think we can always help it. Much of the public views us in a very black-and-white manner. Either we’re incompetent asses or superhumans. If we’re the former, we’re typical blind people. If we’re the latter, we’re exceptional. And if we stand up for ourselves, we’re also the embittered blind bitch or bastard with a chip on their shoulders. By no means am I saying this about all sighted people, but I’d say it’s so for the vast majority of the sighted who don’t know anything about blind people. We’re either one or the other, and I don’t see an easy way of winning the fight, or war, or whatever you wanna call it. Actually, I’m generally tired of fighting wars, so I mostly just try to live my life, mind my own business and deal with the things I personally have to deal with and be as much removed from other people’s stuff as I possibly can. Lord knows I have enough of my own stuff as it is.
People think in extremes. Someone is amazing or they're trash. Something is the best thing ever or evil in nature. Ug!