Category: Let's talk
Hi all. What would you like to be refered to as? What I mean is would you like to be refered to as blind, visually impaired, disabled, etc. It doesn't matter to me what people call me but I tend to refer myself to as being bisually impaired. I don't know, it's something I picked up at work because even though some of us are totally blind we are refered to as visually impaired or VIP ( visually impaired personell) and I just stuck with that. It also sounds more formal then blind in my oppinion.
Troy
I don't care as long as it's not something that's making fun of us but normal would be nice we're not differant just because we can't see.
I don't care either way. I mean, blind VI, a bat, sightless, you get the picture.
I've never quite understood the logic of calling people visually impaired. The idea behind it was because apparently calling people either parcially sighted or Blind was supposedly categorizing and therefore deamed politically uncorrect. That to me is a crock of bullshit because all it actually does as a term is create confusion. Parcially sighted means that you can see a little, you have some useful vision. Blind means that your eyes are totally screwed and can be of no practical use. Visually impaired on the other hand tells people that there is something wrong, but doesn't actually go so far as to give any useful information.
So far as I am concerned visually impaired was just a term thought up by people who had too much time on there hands to think about ways of making the World a better place, without actually achieving anything meaningful! I'm blind, can't see a damned thing and that's that!
I agree, Harp. It sounds like visually impaired might be an nfb word to keep us all equal. But, I don't know. Good question.
I generally use blind to mean people with absolutely no sight and visually impaired to mean some degree of vision.
Agreed with buckeye cat. I hate being referred to as visually impaired. My eyes don't work, at all. Thus, I'm blind.
agreed with the two previous posts. I hate it when people kind of, dance around the word blind. I guess they're embarrassed to say it or whatever but hell, just say it all ready!
What about, in my case, being refered to as a man, or a Seattle resident, or that amusingly eccentric guy, or a fellow human being. I'm not ashamed of being blind, and blind would be the simple one-syllable word that describes the function of my eyes, although I have light perception. However, to be referred to as blind seems a bit limitting, as that's only a part of who I am. But also, being called "A person who is blind" is also awkward because it assumes that people think I'm not a person unless they are told in the first place. Just a bit on the condescending side, don't you think? Just don't call me normal, because I'm far from that. Normal is a setting on a clothes dryer! LOL!
I don't think of myself as a visually impaired individaul. I want to be treated equally like a normal person would be treated. I don't like how people think we are different because of a disability we may have, when in reality were all normal beings.
To me, blind is blind and I really don't like most of the other terms. The one that really bugs me most is "challenged." I can deal with "visually impaired" "blink" (don't like the term "sightless"), but blind is blind and I'm going to be just as blind tomorrow as today.
It doesn'T matter to me either, though correctly, I am visually impaired. However, to our school, I am blind, cause I work with Braille. At first I was too proud to admit that but now I have to say, I don'T care.
Lol, I call my self a blink too. Like I'll be with a group of friends and someone would come a long and I'll say something like yeah we are a bunch of blinks.
Troy
Divine Dragon, be careful what you wish for, please. Maybe I'm just being cynical here, but I see people treating each other equally bad and I wouldn't wish that upon myself. Yeah, I don't like to be thought of as either a superman or a freak with a toddler mentality. I guess what I can say in a tongue-in-cheek way is I want to be seen as different but I want people to love it. Here I go treading in the dangerous land of idealism, but what do you guys think about changing the idea that being different is bad, wrong, shameful, scary, dangerous, offensive, etc.
To each his/her own Labrynth.
Chris, to be treated equal ... I mean oyu ahve a point. But there are just certain areas where you just can not be treated like a sighted person. I mean it already begins when you are somewhere you don't know your way around. To a sighted person they would say "Just follow me", or "Just look, the way is described". With a blind person, they have to do it differently of course. Even with a visually impaired person you have to cope differently than with a sighted one.
Well like I said beofe to each his/her own. I was just staing my opinion is all. I think I have that right to do so.
Urm.. Well like I said before to each his/her own. I was just stating my opinion is all. I think I have that right to do so. Sorry had to repost that due to my mispellings.
Of course you do. I just stated my opinion as well, just wanted to remark that you can#t always be treated the same. That#s all I said.
Divine Dragon, everyone has the right to their point of view no matter what. I can't take that from anybody and having a difference of opinion is no atempt by anyone to take any rights from you. Disagreement is not hatred. Disagreement does not mean shut up unless you agree with the majority. Disagreement is only disagreement. This is the internet and I can only hurt you if you allow it. That is to say, I can only hurt you if you decide to read something into my words that implies harm to you and this is a function of your own mind and emotions and has nothing to do with my actual intent. I encourage you and everyone to express your opinion wherever you can. Don't cave in and don't get defensive if people disagree with you, because they mean no harm and don't hate you unless they actually say so. Heck, I don't know you from Adam so why should I have any hostilities toward you? I just dont' play that. Now, back to the subject at hand, please.
I don't care, as long as you don't call me to late for breakfast! lol But I really don't mind.
Lol
lmfao! matty
Well, I don't like the term "blind." It refers to something you can use to shut out sunlight shining through a window and anyone who doesn't understand somebody having no sight at all will refer to us as "he/she's blind" so, I've always been Visually Impaired since birth, or mum says I'm disabled, but I prefer to say I'm Visually Impaired.
Hmmm, if people didn't constantly refer to me as the Blind girl at school, i may well not have issues with that word, but it seems to be the way everyone defines me,...seems they can't remember names anymore...*sighs*
However, i do have quite a bit of useful vision, so i really prefer to be called something other than blind, so iether vision impaired or partially sighted.
for me, visually impaired. i was called a blind bat at school, and it put me off the term blind, for life i'll say. if i'm in a good mood, i'll say i'm a blink, or a blindy windy. but mainly it's visually impaired for me too.
Well... The way I see it is people call me by my name! Nothing else... Not blind (though I am) not V.i. etc etc. We all in the blind/v.i. boat don't call each other things that might offend because we are all in that catagory. But, unless people are asking about my blindness for curiosity's sake without being disrespectful, I'll tollerate words like blind or V.i. So I tell everyone right off that I wish to be called by my name not the blind girl or anything else like that or at least not in front of me!
V.I. P (Very important visually impaired/blind lol person
Usually people refer to us as blind whether we like it or not. I'm totally blind, I don't even have light perception, so I'd rather not be refered to as visually impaired or parsially sighted. Like harp said, visually impaired is a politically correct turm meant to dance around the word blind. No need to do that. Saying "blind" won't kill ya! Of course I want to be treated as a person with abilities, but I am blind, that's a fact of life that can't be changed, so it's no use running away from that. Blink is more like a word used among blind people, like an inside turm. Most sighted people wouldn't understand it. One turm I absolutely despise is "visa". It is used among blind people here in Israel as a joke sort of. It refers to the different cards blindies (another inside turm I like) carry around: a card for discount on public transportation, a card for social services etc. It's like we have several visa cards. I just never liked being refered to by my friends as a visa. I am blind, not ashamed of it and not ashamed to say it!!!
I'm definitely not ashamed of being blind. I accept that.
hay
there is no point in being ashamed of being blind? did u bring it on your self? but at the same time slang words, like blink, blinky or veesa {witch by the way i like} lol are all just fun termes to me! like harp and buckeye cat! i agry with them v.i.p. is sum weekling term for eatehr being blind or parshal! my self! i am blind un sighted? is jus taking the piss blind will to thanks! of corse ferstly i am andy! and i only like the term v.i.p if i am in a situation wair i feel i might be a verry important person! lol
thanks
andy!B
Well, Blind, seriously, what so bad or insulting or derogative with Blind or disabled. It's true, I can't see, so I am blind and blindness is a disability. Hahaha, I find the fuss very funny.
Blind is fine with me. It is one of the adjectives whichare used to describe who I am. In fact it's a lot better then some, e.g., large and in charge, big mouth, bossy, and/or tough.
i hate the term disabled. i am not a roadblock on the interstate.
visually challenged is another one that sticks in my craw. whatever that is. challenges are things we choose to persue. no matter how hard I try I'll still be blind. It's something I can't change.
It's like the whole death thing. Please, after I buy my one way ticket, say I died. I did not pass on, decease, or whatever. I'm dead, and if you say otherwise I['ll come poop on your birthday cake.
I really don Keir what people call me just as long as its not anything but blind. Anything more that can be perceived as something Else I really don't like.
Blind Visually impaired its all the same to me.
Really visually challenged? I wouldn't mind it, I'd just find it odd. Well, I don't mind visually impaired either. And Ooooo, I love synonyms so I don't mind all those you listed for death.
I guess either parcially sighted or visually impaired.
Well, since I'm a totally I just say blind or totally blind. Normally, I steer clear of political correctness but the wording makes sense here. If you have vision it can be impaired. But if you have nothing then there's nothing to get impaired in the first place.