Category: Let's talk
In my journey into the sighted world, sighted people have said my abilities and talents stemed from my blindess. That is such a ridiculous statement. I'm wondering if that statement has been said to you, or if they've said or asked other stupid stuff pertaining to blindness? Not that all sighted people are stupid, just some. lol.
Dream Lady, excuse my french, but that's complete bullshit. Your abilities and talents have always been their, regardless of your blindness, and not just cause you are blind. It's like I've people come up to me and say that I have "sensitive hereing" or I should have, cause I'm blind. I did have someone come up to me one day, and ask me if I'd like to be able to see. I said "no", cause I've never seen, and don't miss it.
Hi dream lady,
well I've always thought that thing about how we have extra gifts to make up for our being blind was rather silly. We just use what we have more than sighted people I think. As for the most stupid question a sighted person ever asked me, that would be hard to say, because 2 questions come to mind, and I can't decide which one was more stupid. There was the counselor who kept asking me to tell her where she was, and when i finally made her to understand I could tell where she was from the direction of her voice, she then asked, how do you know I'm not a ventriloquist? I answered her, you can't be a ventriloquist, because if you were, you wouldn't be here, but you would be performing in some night club somewhere, because you aren't here to help people. I had to go to a doctor for something, once, and a nurse kept asking me if i could see black. I assurred her I could not, because i don't see anything at all. But she kept insisting that i probably could see black, and how did i know i couldn't see black? maybe i could see black and just didn't know what it ws. It took quite a bit of doing to get her to stop bugging me about it. She said she was blind for a few weeks once, and she could still see black. I said, well, I was born totally blind which is totally different. When you tell a sighted person you are totally blind, whay can't they just accept that totallly blind means exactly that, totaly blind. the only reason I can come up with is they can't bare to think of anyone without any vison at all. For some unknown reason, some people just don't want to accept the idea of not seeing anything at all. I wouldn't have minded if she'd just accepted no when i explained it to her, but i hate it when people keep on about it like, well you have to se black or something to that effect. When I'm told a person is completely deaf, I accept it instantly.
wonderwokman
I was once asked why I do not rock like Ray Charles. I was completely insulted.
Rock like Ray charles? Hmm, come to think of it, I was also asked once, if I like Stevie Wonder's music, and why I didn't play the piano, just because he does, and because he's blind. Come on! just because I'm blind, doesn't mean it's a rule that I like blind musicians, is it? That goes for any of us. Just because someone like him is blind, sighted people automaticly assume that we should like them, and that all blind musicians are our heroes or something like that. Not paying out on the man or anything, just using him as an example, even though personally, I don't like either Ray Charls, or Stevie Wonder. That's just my personal choice.
Well, thank God I'm not the only one who has swallowed a bitter pill when some sighted goon asks me a stupid question. I don't know why they stereotype us. How would they like it if we stereotyped them? Mrs. Jones, since you're sighted, can you cook pastries like Mrs. Smith?" And let's drop my nickname. Call me Sharon. I love you guys. You rock.
I've tried to explain to people, family included, that my other senses are not better, I Just have learned to use and rely on them more. But as late as the other day, my mother made the comment that she didn't care what I said, My senses are better because I can't see. It's heard to explain it to strangers if my own mother can't grasp the difference. lol
Jen
In school while reading. How come your hands, dont go the same way as your eyes.
Do your eyes stop when you sleep
Sharon I had the same question asked to me too! Liz people have asked me if I'd like to see too! Including my Mom! I say the same thing that my Dad once said to my entire family! That I don't miss anything caus I've never seen! I also tell them that if God would've wanted me to see, then he would have made me sighted!
It really makes me wish I had some kind of archive of some of the stuff folks have said to me, be they questions or statements. When I was shopping for some CD storage in a drugstore, somebody asked if I had graduated from school. Not necessarily a stupid question as such, but more in the "why do you care" category. I've also been asked the bit about Stevie Wonder, and I really should have not said I preferred Ray Charles if I were to make an impression. I should have said something like such-and-such an obscure sighted musician is much better or I should have just said his music sucked and there were much better choices. Hahahaha! As far as statements go, it bothers me when people insist that I'm worse off than they are because I can't see or that my life is somehow miserable or tragic. When I try and explain what my actual emotional state is and that I believe in not comparing myself with others, they seem to not want to hear it. I think it's these people's stubbornness to remain ignorant that gets on my nerves I suppose. I know sighted folk can't understand what it's like to be me, but I'm not the one who demands they must understand what it's like to be me before they talk to me. It's like saying that I have to understand what it's like to be female before I speak to a female. Am I barking up the wrong tree here? Hahahaha!
Ah, no! keep barking. hahahahaha. It really annoys me when people keep assuming things for! me, and not asking me if I want to do that, or whatever it is that they! want me to do. Ya kno, sighted people really piss me off sometimes, cause they don't want to kno, or don't understand what it's like being blind. I've even got family members that try to run my! life for me, cause they think that they kno what's best for me! when it's my life, not theirs. Sighted people can be really thick sometimes, and think that we can't think for ourselves, when we've got brains in our heads, and can use them to think for ourselves. I mean, hello! we're blind, not stupid. I've even had someone come up to me and talk slow and very very loud to me, just because I'm blind. Talk about stupid! so I just talked back to them the same way, they did to me. I said, "I'm blind, not deaf. So don't talk to me like that". Sorry about the rant, btw.
hello every one. don't love when you are work with a famly mamber and you are going down stairs and they grab you under your arm pit. and one day I was coming out of my aunt's house it was dark and mom say all I can't see. and I ll at her. and don't hate when they say to you well you have better memory.
Yeah, I don't much like the assumption that I'm supposed to have better memory than others. Although i don't consider many questions stupid, I'd have to say a stupid one is when a very few people ask who goes with me/takes care of me at school or them assuming that I need someone to do that.
Luckily that doesn't happen often at all.
I was at a Thanksgiving dinner last year at a church and we were getting ready to leave to go home when this one lady said, "Oh you can move?" I'm like um... if you see me standing up I must could move right? That's what I wanted to say to her. She was lucky I was in a good mood, if I really wanted to be rude and nasty I could've said worse things than what I just simply said to her. And she's like "Oh God bless, you can move!" I'm like God bless you to make such a stupid comment like that.
I hate it when people grab you to "help you", when you can do it by yourself. I feel like a little baby, and it's so annoying when people think that I've got a better memory than them, cause of my being blind.
I was recently asked how do I know when it's safe to cross the street. I couldn't think of any wisecracks, so I just politely informed them that I've been using a white cane since I was seven and they drilled street crossings with me like math was drilled in school. I hated both, but preferred monotonous street crossing drills to math. A 10-year-old kid asked me how I make dinner and I told her I use a stove and microwave and whatnot just like any sighted person. I also have had the slow talking and it was by an old lady who walked worse than I did, hobbling on a support cane and all. I was just about to cross a street when she puts her hand on my shoulder, gets right in my face, and yells, "CAAAAAN IIIII HEEEEELP YOOOOOUUUUU?!?!?!?!?!?!" I told her, "Hey, you just turned me into Helen Keller, thanks for your help!" and crossed my street safely without her. I've also been involuntarily handed braille menus at restaurants because the sighties fail to notice I'm a blink who reads large print and my braille skills suck. Oh yeah, then there was the time at the internet cafe where even though the counter was kind of tall, I use an NFB cane which is quite tall itself so still visible and the chick behind the counter goes "Can I see your drivers' license for verification?" and I waved my cane around and went "HELLO! Blind here! I have an ID you can use though!"
I think the stupidest thing is, when some one asks you if your asleep, cause your eyes aren't wide open like everyone elses, and you just finished talking to them. I kno little kids don't understand, but adults? I mean, I try to explain it to my 4 year old neice, in a way she can understand it, and even she! has a better idea of it than an adult. She says that I have "dolly eyes", and then she goes on to tell a person that I can't use them like other people can.
Here's one I forgot to tell you! My friend Miriam asked if she could touch my fingers! I asked her why! She got upset, she said that my fingers were sinsitive than hers were! It ddidn't make a lot of since to me! Anther thing! People get excited when they learn I ccan sign my name and when they learn I can type on the computer! I explain the eye thing to my neices! This girl that I know named Brittany always wants to help me! My best friend Maria makes me dwhat I can do for my self!
personally, I've seen most of this to me, and to other blind people I've been around.
example, I was recently buying a nice coffee from burgerKing. I pulled out my noteTeller to make sure I didn't overcharge myself, because I've been intentionally shortchanged before. Once I handed over the money, the person with my order simply went on a glowing, uh...thing. How I'm so amazing cause I'm using money like a normal person. I simply said, so...what would you expect me to do, expect everything for free?
yet another example of sighted stupidity occured when I went to a hockey game. it started off nice enough, a little twatBox 13 year-old that I've known all of 4 years decides to ask whether I often go around slamming people with my cane. I said no, and remarked that he'd be my next victim if I changed my mind.
later on during the game, the same kid asked why I had a radio with me. Well genius kid this must be. I told him to look at the ice, he said he was, so I asked why he was looking at the ice. He said to see the game, and then asked me once again why I had a radio. I told him that he had indeed answered his own question. and for the record. I swung and missed with the cane next time I saw this twatbox.
Dolly eyes? Haha! That's cute.
I honestly haven't encountered much sighted stupidity in my life. There was a guy in my comp class last semester who was always fascinated by the books I brought with me to read when I had down time. He would ask me what page I was on, and then say: "Wow! I couldn't read that much if my life depended on it!" I tried explaining to him that it was no more than a sighted person would read if they were reading the same book, only that it's Braille and so makes it seem like more, but he didn't get it. He was funny, though, so I didn't mind. I've encountered more overprotectiveness than I have stupidity, people wanting to help me when I don't need help and the like. And there was a security guard once who was walking me somewhere, and he grabbed my hand to guide me. He still tries to do that whenever he's walking somewhere with me, hold my hand instead of me holding his arm or just walking alongside him, either of which would work fine.
Garret I would have made sure I got him with it, given that sort of comment...but that's just me. I've had a similar thing with money at supermarkets, and such. If I'm with someone, the person behind the counter, will give the money to whoever it is I'm with, unless I put my hand out for it...even then, some people still give it to the sighted person. That, or they ask them what I want, if I'm somewhere getting food for lunch.
lol Garet that's so funny
Well, I think that sighted folks, however hard they might try, will never really understand what it's like to be blind or what it's like to have any disability, no matter how hard they try and simulate it. You really kind of have to be there and be there permanently so your mind gets into the idea that you just won't magically get better one day. When you simulate vision loss or get into some kind of temporary situation, your mind still expects things to normalize after a time. I also don't expect people to know how to treat me necessarily. I just wish that they would relax. Stop worrying about saying the right or wrong thing. Stop thinking you are socially obligated to be some helper thing whether I actually need it or not. Stop thinking that you are obligated to be kind and polite, but keep your distance because we practically live in another world and will never ever relate on any level. Stop thinking that being in my presence will shame you amongst your friends or make you look uncool. Also, stop thinking that being in my presence will improve your image and make people see you as a selfless saint. Just relax, be yourself, let me be myself, and see what happens. Ah, sometimes I am such an idealist that I amaze myself. LOL!
The following is intended to be funny and has probably been read by most, but not all, blind people. So, don't take it seriously and tell me what a jerk I am, and, if you've read it before read it again and chuckle. I just thought it appropriate to re-post this here.
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What To Do When You Meet a Sighted Person
(Author Unknown)
People who use their eyes to receive information about the world are called sighted people or "people who are sighted." Legal "sight" means any visual acuity
greater than 20/200 in the better eye without correction or an angle of vision wider than 20 degrees. Sighted people enjoy rich full lives, working, playing
and raising families. They run businesses, hold public office and teach your children!
How Do Sighted People Get Around?
People who are sighted may walk or ride public transportation, but most choose to travel long distances by operating their own motor vehicles. They have
gone through many hours of training to learn the "rules of the road" in order to further their independence. Once that road to freedom has been mastered,
sighted people earn a legal classification and a "Driver's License" which allows them to operate a private vehicle safely and independently.
How Do You Assist a Sighted Person?
Sighted people are accustomed to viewing the world in visual terms. This means that in many situations, they will not be able to communicate orally and
may resort to pointing or other gesturing. Subtle facial expressions may also be used to convey feelings in social situations. Calmly alert the sighted
person to his surroundings by speaking slowly, in a normal tone of voice. Questions directed at the sighted person help focus attention back on the verbal
rather than visual communication.
At times, sighted people may need help finding things, especially when operating a motor vehicle. Your advance knowledge of routes and landmarks, particularly
bumps in the road, turns and traffic lights, will assist the "driver" in finding the way quickly and easily. Your knowledge of building layouts can also
assist the sighted person in navigating complex shopping malls and offices. Sighted people tend to be very proud and will not ask directly for assistance.
Be gentle yet firm.
How Do Sighted People Use Computers?
The person who is sighted relies exclusively on visual information. His or her attention span fades quickly when reading long texts. Computer information
is presented in a "Graphical User Interface" or GUI. Coordination of hands and eyes is often a problem for sighted people, so the computer mouse, a handy
device that slides along the desk top, saves confusing keystrokes. With one button, the sighted person can move around his or her computer screen quickly
and easily. People who are sighted are not accustomed to synthetic speech and may have great difficulty understanding even the clearest synthesizer. Be
patient and prepared to explain many times how your computer equipment works.
How Do Sighted People Read?
Sighted people read through a system called "Print." This is a series of images drawn in a two dimensional plane. People who are sighted generally have
a poorly developed sense of touch. Braille is completely foreign to the sighted person and he or she will take longer to learn the code and be severely
limited by his or her existing visual senses. Sighted people cannot function well in low lighting conditions and are generally completely helpless in total
darkness. Their homes are usually very brightly lit at great expense, as are businesses that cater to the sighted consumer.
How Can I Support a Sighted Person?
People who are sighted do not want your charity. They want to live, work and play along with you. The best thing you can do to support sighted people in
your community is to open yourself to their world. They are vital contributing members to society. Take a sighted person to lunch today!
What Should You Do When You Meet a Blind Person?
1. If you're in a bar and she's really cute, buy her a drink.
2. If he's your landlord, pay the rent on time.
3. If she's your boss, suck up.
4. If he's your teacher, do your homework.
5. If she's looking for a job, check her references.
6. If he's on the jury, sound convincing.
7. If she's on the jury and you're up for the death penalty, pray.
8. If he's your chiropractor, lie down.
9. If she's your coach, get up and run.
10. If he's your father and you want a new car, be good.
11. If she's your wife, remember her birthday.
12. If he's your minister, give generously.
13. If she's your rabbi, volunteer. For anything.
14. If he's on the school board, tell him your ideas.
15. If she's a politician, tell her your demands.
16. If he's your therapist, tell him your dreams.
17. If she's your accountant, tell her your goals.
18. If he's your landlord, pay the rent on time.
19. If she's your landlord and you fall on the ice on the unshoveled walk in front of your building, sue her.
20. If he's your landlord and you fall on the ice on the unshoveled walk in front of your building and you are illegally subletting a rent-controlled apartment
in New York, kiss his feet.
lmao!
Hey all don't you like when your family want you to have sight and you say no thanks family I live longer with out and I not miss it. ll at the family member. thanks erica.
Hello folks. I live in Cedar City Utah. Utah is a very conservative state. In fact it is the most conservative state in the union. That said, I will tell you some stupid comments I get from people. “You can’t see all the bad stuff out there.” I know what they are talking about. So I tell them their are other ways to get me aroused. For example having a hot sexy lady read me some Greek literature. Or if I am in a chat room on the phone or computer and 2 or more people are having phone sex. They automatically shut the hell up. When you are in a conservative state such as Utah people seem to think sense you are blind you can’t do anything wrong or you are some how this spiritual giant or crap like that. What bauthers me the most is when people tell me I am amazing because I travel to places on my own. The same people who tell me that crap would do what I do if they lost their site. Maybe not at first. But if they got training somewhere such as The Louisiana Center for the Blind they would do what I do.
Lmao! bob, where did you find that? Weird! but funny.
I have been asked some pretty weird things. One person asked me how I feed myself. I just stared at her with raised eyebrows. Another time, I had a friend who asked me how AI sleep. She was under the impression that I sleep with my eyes opened or something like that. Wow!
I contacted my telephone provider to ask them to send my bill to me in Braille. The nice man on the other end of the phone said, "certainly, where abouts in Braille do you live". Totally true!
I was in the hospital after having Hannah. The nerse came around with the pain meds and I was busy with the baby at the minute. I told her to just put them on the table and I would take them in a minute. She refused to put them there. She said, @hold out your hand and I'll open them and put them in your hand. I don't want you to swallow the package!@ OMG! I was speechless! lol
Lizzy
One time someone asked me how my cane told me where to go.
um! why would someone be as stupid as to ask how your cane tells you where your going. lol! I had someone asked me once, how I knew where I kept all my cd's, and how I knew wich was wich...
Some of these questions are asked out of pure ignorance, I think. At other times, people just seem to be genuinely curious. Other than my previous post, I haven't really got anymore stupid questions.
once someone asked me if i saw blurry, and i was like, um, i dont know, i was born blind and i dont know if i see blurry, and they were like, "how can you not know if what you see is blurry" and i had to explain the whole thing over again, but they still didnt get it
once someone asked me if i saw blurry, and i was like, um, i dont know, i was born blind and i dont know if i see blurry, and they were like, "how can you not know if what you see is blurry" and i had to explain the whole thing over again, but they still didnt get it
Sometimes people ask me if I would like to see if there was anything to make us see, but I say no, because if I could see after I've been so used to not seeing all my life, there would be no use for the things I already know like braille and using Jaws and I'd have to do things like learn to read print, I guess.
Yes, and if we could see, we'd have to learn a new way of doing things, just like those who lose their vision.
On tour sometimes, people ask if I need help going to the bathroom haha!
How do you avoid the temptation to ask if they mean getting to the bathroom or--well--something more personal?
When I was a kid at the school for the blind we used to have "regular" school classes take tours through our facilities. When I was in the fifth grade I had this kid--I guess he or she was about my own age--ask me how I could go to the bathroom if I couldn't see. Before the teacher could interrupt, I told him/her that it was big enough I didn't have to look for it. I got in big trouble for that one.
Bob
I agree with those of you (probably all of you) who say you get pissed at people's assumptions about blindness. They assume and almost never ask. Anyone ever encounter sighted people who treated you like your blindness might be contageous?
No, but my brother (who has mild cerebral palsy) has. He was working at a local grocery store, and a man did not let him get the cigarettes he (the man) wanted and made a comment about not wanting to catch what he had. I was told, well that same brother was when we were at another store, "not to let her touch the plate." She had something out for samples, and my brother was going to help me get one. It wasn't like I was going to put my hands all over them anyway. I did not want what she had after that. I understood why she wouldn't want anyone to touch the food, but to me, it felt like she thought I was contagious or would not be competent enough to know what I was doing.