Category: Let's talk
Hey girls!
I'm curious do you as blind or vision impaired women experience any kind of stereo types. What do people expect you to be. The reason I'm asking this is that when I search my mind I can't really sea any kind of a cultural stereo type in the same way blind males are depicted. There are all these famous blind musicians but they all seam to be guys.
That's a very interesting question. I myself have never stopped to consider gender stereotypes among the blind/visually impaired community. Perhaps one might be that there are less blind women married to sighted men than is the case vise versa, but I think I'm reaching here.
I don't seem to be expected to be anything really. Or maybe people expect me to be less girly, I don't know. Maybe it's the hair - I shave it very short. When I tell people I don't like shopping they usually say it's because I'm blind, so I can't enjoy seeing what I'm trying on anyway. People still assume that I play an instrument and that I count my steps and can't live alone.
I think there is definitely such thing as multiple discrimination, especially if you are a successful asian young blind woman. I got kicked out of a board for that very reason. Of course, they can't say it out and clear that is why, but it is pretty direct and clear and simple, "You are an asian, young, blind, and you are a woman"...
This will be an interesting topic. I hope more women post to it. I'm interested in the responses.
I'm not sorry to say that I have no idea whether or not I measure up to other's expectations of what a blind woman should or shouldn't be. I've really never thought about it. I've often wondered if my blindness explains the fact that I more easily make friends with guys than women. I think most women are very visual in their interests, i.e. fashion, makeup, magizines, druling over actors, critiquing female actresses, etc. Perhaps I'm just grasping at straws but that's about the best I can figure.
I don't think that's your blindness, rather just personality. I experience the same thing as a guy. Most of my good friends have been women and I could count the same reasons you do Domestic. Only guys talk about football that is (Socker all the time. Whether our personality is influenced by our blindness is another question.
Hmmm, interesting question. I've never given much thought to this issue myself, on either side. I didn't realize there were stereotypes specific to blind guys, as the OP seems to suggest, anymore than I've thought about them specific to blind women. I guess the only one I can think of off the top of my head involves looks. For example, this afternoon I was getting my hair cut, and someone in the salon said something like, "So I guess you don't really care what your hair looks like since you can't see it?" Um, if I didn't care what it looked like, why would I be getting it trimmed? Anyway, that seems to be the thing I've gotten. People sometimes assume I don't care about my appearance because I'm blind. But I'm not sure that's unique to blind women. I've had blind male friends who have gotten similar comments.
Ok, now you've got me going, SD. They also assume that we don't care what our man looks like. That's robably the same as for blind men too though.
Before we launch into a deep and interesting conversation, I think we need to get back to what Binary Solo is asking women about. Although it might sound like Binary Solo is asking women how they experience social generalizations, the word smithing suggests that this topic is looking for how women experience various types of stereophonic sound. So, a more accurate question might be: women of the Zone, how do you experience stereophonic sound? Do you prefer quadraphonic or surround sound? What are your experiences with true stereo versus pan-pot stereo?
I think being blind itself is already a stereotype or condition by others. There are certain things that people, public, the sighted world, or even blind people ourselves other blind people to act, live, and stuff. For example, i'm a big fan of visual art, and i'm in to photography. I almost got dragged out of a camera shop by one of the randem shopper. Now, those people that working in that particular store know me pretty well. But this lady, out of the blue, start to pull my TShirt and pull me around.
She pretty much insist that i go to the wrong shop, because it is a camera shop, and what on earth a blind person want in a camera shop?
Same thing. if you are blind, it is almost an unspoken cagreement that you must be a blind musician, you must sing well, and play many instruments. Well, i can sing, and can play, but i am not a blind musician. In fact, i'm not in to performing art at all. For some, this is consider adnormal, and rare
I don't think I have experienced any specific gender related discrimination or stereotyping. I have mainly received the same sorts of stereotyping that most blind people get. Admitedly I am a blind musician, but I'm not better for the fact that I can't see, it's just that I like music.
However I receive even less stereotyping here in Sweden, mainly because people just don't talk to one another here. It's exceptionally rare to be approached by strangers, because this is not the scandinavian way. People make less assumptions here than they did in Australia.
I used to get comments about why I coloured my hair back in Australia, but now hairdressers just get on with it and talk about the weather instead.
The one thing people ask me if I do engage others in conversation, when I talk about my partner is 'is he blind too?'. there seems to be an automatic belief that blind people end up with other blind people, and I tend to have to let people know that most of my relationships have been with sighted men.
but I don't think this is gender specific.
Maybe women are just more approachable for random conversation and so we see it more, but I don't have any evidence to support this.
Trollolololooolollololol guitarguy. (smile)
Guys, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on stereo types as well come to think of it. Do you experience them in the same way I've described or do you have different oppinions?
Same deal as the ladies have been posting.
Once I got asked who dresses me, because I care about how I look head to foot
But, that is still the same.