Category: the Rant Board
I'm just so sick of other blind people sitting at home feeling sorry for themselves, or making us all look stupid and mentally retarded. So when I go to try to find a job, they don't want to hire the blind because of previous blind people who are lazy assholes!
i'm so sick of posts like this one. worry about your freaking self. instead of looking like a asshole posting shit like this. lol. quit making excuses for not getting the job. everyone gets turned down once in there life. news bulletin, it's not just blind people. sited do too!
wow and not to mention a bit hipicritical... take your own advice you posted on a different board. starfish44
Generic Zoner
14 posts
today 11:46:54
If they don't want to learn to be independent, that is their business! Mind your own business and leave them the hell alone!
Haha thank you Shea, that was awesome.
Starfish, go get an education. you say that we need to leave others alone, and mind our own business, but yet, you seem to be quite well versed in the affairs of other blind individuals. It might be best if you practiced what you preached. And it's persons such as yourself who seem to embody the exact negative and bitter attitudes that causes some to look unfavorably on those of us who are blind. Nothing like bitter blind fools.
agree with Shea.
Starfish, I was initially going to defend you, because I've had very similar feelings about other blind people before. However, I thank Shea for cutting and pasting your other post, because you basically shot your own credibility in the foot.
Although I will say this. Yes, sighted people do get turned down for jobs, and rejection is something every person has to learn how to face. However, anyone who has searched long and hard for employment knows that eventually that rejection gets discouraging. It's also a fact that most of society sees one blind person, and bases their opinions on that one person. So, if their first encounters with a blind person are negative in some way, it will make it doubly hard for the next blind person. I too have been turned down for jobs because blind people before me did not perform up to the employer's expectations, and they are worried about hiring another one. Or, in one case, I ddid get the job. When I performed up to the standards that are set for all the other sighted employees, my bosses were shocked, since they'd given other blind employees a lower set of standards. Even the other blind folks accused me of trying to be, "superblind." So, I have to admit to understanding what Starfish is saying, even though she seems to be inconsistent in her views.
Yes, I should have been more clear about what I meant. I meant as far as job performance, not life.
lol shea, that was awesome, lol.and I just see that whole, I'm sick of ... what ever as an excuse. And all i see you posting aobut is I'm sick of this and I'm sick of that ... do you sit around complaining all the time or sommething? lol
Omg rofl Shea! Yeah, i'm sick of it too, but its not worth complaining about
I agree with shay and fallen moonlight.
Well, I cant say because I have never worked. But I am waiting for Supported Employment.
ug! I hate this, I hate that, change this, change that.
That is what makes us all look bad. Wa wa wa, poor me, I'm a minority.
We shouldn’t judge so quickly, nobody has enough information to support your claims. What would really be useful is investigation. Seeing what people really said to this person.
I always thought the idea that what one blind person does affects how the rest of us look was a load of paranoid hogwash. It still does not mean that a person should act irresponsibly, but what a load to put on any blind person's shoulders when I bet anyone would hesitate to hold any sighted person to such a standard.
And, as for Margorp's comments, all I can say is it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. If we as blind people just stay quiet and hidden and never raise our voices, however it might annoy you personally, we will never have equal access or treatment, because the sighted majority isn't just going to get a clue one day and hand it over. Silence is acceptance, and if you're too quiet you are easily ignored.
hells yeah I agree with post 15
agreed, it does seem that a single blind person is sometimes seen by the sighted majority as an ambasidor for all. the atitude seems to be, oh if one blind person can do it, or can't do it, then they all can/can't do soemthing. be it get into politics, etc. hmm, difficult one this.
I don't care what other people do with their lives i'm on a mission to do whatever i want to do despite the opinions of the sighted community. My mission is to prove to sighted people that blind people can support themselves! So whatever blind person wants to just sit at home and do nothing that's fine! That's your choice! However, that's not my choice! I'm going to try and make a living for myself!
This might be another topic. I have been labled as a super blind. Because of two reasons one I am a fast production worker, and I have a talent for art. I worik with a bunch of other blind people. I don't see why they call me this. Maybe it is because they are too lazy to do any better themselves. I have known people who can see go by the worst of us blind and think that we are all like that. I just hope that I can live in peace without people treating me like that, or like I can't do anything for myself.
I'm sorry but I have to agree that there are a large number of very sad blind individuals out there who are... not sure how to put this and be understood, but... blind. I would have to say that its a number of things, but for example, I feel that some blind people have no concept that there is anything shameful in having someone cut up their food for them, or tie their shoelaces etc. Its an indefinable lack of concern or unawareness that this is just not how the majority of people in the World behave. And yes, I have whitnessed grown blind people having food cut up for them and their shoes put on and laced up, and the people in question showed absolutely no shame what so ever! I wanted to scream!
I'll probably get shot down for saying this stuff, but quite frankly, I'd consider it to be an honour to be called Super Blind, because i deliberately strive for that status. My entire being is focused on being as normal as possible as far as my sighted peers are concerned. That means dedicating huge mental resources to spacial awareness, mobility and orientation, body language (yes I do use sighted jestures deliberately and spent some time learning about them as well as facial expressions), being house-proud which I'm sorry to say many blind people are not, and so on.
there was a girl in choir at school who used to pick her nose openly during rehearsals, and when she was challanged she got very upset because she felt that as she couldn't see the rest of the World, the World couldn't see her!
In my house, when I force myself to remember, I even take steps to remove cobwebs from ceilings right up in the corners because although I can't see them, it doesn't mean they aren't there! If they aren't there, then I've wasted my time trying to remove them with the vacuum, but if they are, then I've made my home look nicer, cleaner, more presentable to my sighted family and friends. As far as I'm concerned, any blind person who does not go that extra mile deserves no sympathy what so ever!
We live in a sighted World, so get used to it!
Completely agreed Matt. I'm the same pretty much. I am completely ashamed of myself when I seem "blind," if you know what I mean. lol that sounds pretty bd I guess.
Sorry, bad.
So, what do all of you think of people who are neither superblinks or non-meat-cutting, non-shoe-tying embarrassments. I guess those folks are just completely out of the picture?
Well, I'm like, kind of like that, sort of...I'm not a super blink, but I'm not completely unnoticably blind either. I have trouble with certain things, not tying my shoes or cutting my meat, but other things, like, well, obviously, I have to feel around when I want to find something. Lol. So I'm obviously blind, but I guess I just try my best to not appear it. I'm not sure if that really answered to your question, but I did my best. heeheehee
But its that willingness to try that's more important than anything you know? The fact that you try at all is the key point.
You do have to relize that it may not always be the persons fault to why they are the way they are. I mean think about your child hood and how you did things, or how people did things for you? Now look at someone elses life who had everything done for them because their parents and family didn't know how to teach them to do it, or was to scarrd to teach them or even just did not want to take the time to do so! So it's not completely the person fauls to how they are! However! They can grow up and relize that they are not like others in witch with getting their food cut and shoes tide. Maybe they at first did not know that they were being treated different adn then when they found out they might not have had the coridge or determination to change. Its like having someone like your teacher give you an answer to one of your questions on a work sheet. Then the next time they give you a couple more untill they are doing most of the work for you. Or just asking for help on how to solve a problem instead of figuring it out on your own. Once you start asking for help, you instenktivly try to to it the easy way. Asking for help. Then you get so use to it that it is harder to go back to doing it on your own with as much or less effert as it was to get the help. I'm sorry if I am not makeing any since but please understand this if not anything else.
You can not change no one but yourself.
So either B!tch and complane about something that will never change or try to help the people somehow Open quote"in a nice way"Closing quote.
There is always going to be people blind or not who becomes verry dependant on others, so YOU! AS! A! open quote"Super Blind Person"Closing quote Stop Open quote"stooping down to their level"Closing quote. Meaning by You think that they are so much in the wrong for being who they are, Well I think that you are in the wrong on the same levels you think of them for talking the way you are now about how helpless they are.
I am going to close this with a personal peace of myself.
I use to be like you. I mean use to by, I am taking a vow to try my best not to critasize others anylonger because they do not meat up to the standers that I hold for myself. I and I alone can met up to standers I place for myself, and to put standers on others is only bringing myself as a humen being down.
do not want to be like you.
I think no amount of overcompensation or assimilation is just going to knock down barriers that have been in place since humans began. I feel at my age that I have nothing to prove to the world because, frankly, the world isn't listening. I will still dress appropriately and act appropriately in public, because I'd like to believe my mother raised me right, but I'm not going to try too hard or try to fool people into thinking I am sighted when I am not. I can claim I am like sighted people in one way. I am good at some things and not so good at some other things and I totally suck at assorted other things, just like sighted people. Hell, most people out there think I'm amazing probably just because I don't wake up screaming every morning when I discover I am still blind and got no supernatural eyesight overnight. I want to just be happy, be myself, live a quiet life and be left alone. I'll try my best to educate people when the opportunity comes along, but some people will get it and some people won't, and if they don't, it's not my fault.
I'm nobody's celebrity, nobody's poster child, inspiration, or ambassador, even if the majority thinks I am any of these things.
Aw, I'm not trying to criticize anyone. I just think it sucks when people isolate themselves, making themselves look bad, or different, or whatever. And then there's the more selfish point of view that it makes the majority of blind people look bad because people are so judgemental. But I agre with godzilla. I'm still at the point where I want to pretend I'm sighted, though. And I mean, taht's good and bad. I have a while to go before I've completely accepted that I'm never going to be sighted again, but at least I'm trying. Lol.
you blindies can look down at me, that's ok. lol and yes, your bllind, like it or lump it. I have my steak cut up before it's served to me. come on gasp, get it over with. Shea said she has her meat cut up. lol. I am one that can't stand fat. If i bite into a big piece of it, it ruins my meal and i won't eat the rest. I would rather have it cut and enjoy my meal, than have to pick through and make sure there is no fat in my steak. you can get on your high horse and look down at me, it's ok, i can take it. lol. Like i could care less what people think about me having my steak cut, i could care less what you think too. i'm blind, I except that. A little assistance with something like this, doesn't make me any less independent than any of you. nit picking at petty stuff like this, looks worse than quietly having a steak cut. lol. my opinion anyway.
Ironically when it comes to these issues, blind people are a lot more judgemental of other blind people than sighted people are. Let's look at the shoelaces example.
If I walk somewhere and my lace comes undone, but I don't tie it back up because I can't be bothered, it's not causing me or anybody any problems, or I'm planning to tie it soon but haven't yet, some member of the public (a sightie to all you judgemental blind people) may tie it for me, or offer to. If the sighted person does tie it, the sighted person is doing that to be helpful, and it is very unlikely that the sighted person will form a negative opinion of blind people because I had my lace undone.
Now let's look at the cutting food example. Some blind people have difficulty with cutting, for a variety of reasons. Some of those blind people may always have difficulty, due to lack of awareness of services that can help them learn such skills, due to it not being possible to access such services, or due to those around them being unable to teach them. There is nothing wrong with them asking sighted people if they'll cut their food for them. Reasonable sighted people will usually cut the food if asked. If we are to say that blind people who can't cut food shouldn't ask others for help with cutting food, then immediately we are saying to all blind people with poor hand strength, or poor co-ordination skills, that they cannot eat in public unless they eat something that doesn't require cutting.
Should we take this further, and say that blind people whose maths skills are so poor that they cannot count money easily, cannot go in shops because they'd need help? If so, surely we should say that blind people who need assistance in supermarkets should also be banned from shopping because they rely on the help of sighted people.
Blind people, more so than sighted people who haven't met blind people, should understand that not all blind people have the same amount of skills, or the same ability to learn new skills. To say that blind people who can't cut their food shouldn't eat where they can be seen by sighted people, to say that blind people who can't tie their shoelaces shouldn't walk where sighted people walk, and to say that blind people who have poor maths skills shouldn't shop, because in these three scenarios the blind people are likely to require sighted assistance, amounts to disability discrimination.
Blind people shouldn't use your insecurity about how the actions of one blind person may affect the way you are treated by sighted people, as a reason for advocating discrimination against blind people who are less able than themselves. It is just as wrong to discriminate against people because of their ability to learn and understand, as it is to discriminate against people because of their ability to see.
I don't go around judging people at every opportunity, I don't create boards or slag people off in public QN's etc. However, this board was here, and I have an opinion so I posted. I'm not saying its a blind man's fault if he can't tie his own shoelaces, I'm saying that there's no excuse, once its been pointed out to that blind man that he really should be tying his own shoelaces, for him to make a real effort to learn how to do that for himself. Its the blind people who don't appreciate that letting sighted people tie their shoelaces or cut up their food for them isn't normal behaviour in society that I'm talking about here.
I would rather not eat something I know in advance is going to be a problem for me in public because I don't want a scene caused or a specticle made of me. I'd rather say to the waitress quietly, "I'd like the half chicken, but could you ask the Sheff if he would mind taking it off the bone please?" That way, sighted people at the tables around me don't have any reason to stare at me when I flick gravy covered chicken everywhere while I'm attempting to cut it off the bone at the table, or watch someone cutting the food up for me openly in front of everyone, when I know what's going through their heads is "Awww, its such a shame isn't it?" I've been on the bus and heard people saying to their friends "Awwww that's a lovely dog isn't it? What a wonderful job those guide dogs do. Its such a crying shame isn't it that he's blind, that nice young man..." All I want to do is crawl under a rock and hide, or, if I'm in a particularly bad mood at the time, turn round and smak that well-meaning but patronising twat in the mouth! Its not a shame I'm blind, its fucking life! Deal with it!
Yeah, I hear you. They mean well but the words seem painful for some reason. They mean to be sympathetic but it seems like they're just looking down on you when they say those things.
for most sighted people, it seems so impossible they could ever go blind. me and a friend had a talk about this, what would happen if he lost his sight then and there? i basically told him what would happen in the first week, to the best of my knowledge, and he was shocked.
Reading through this thread I have to most agree with post 27.
Culture, ethnicity, socio economic status and a billion other factors can determine if a person who is blind or visually impaired can most efficiently assimilate into society.
I personally learned several skills later in my childhood. For example I was taught to tie my shoes at age 9 and that was because of the convenience of velcrow.
Everyone is unbelievably judgmental if the target is not them. I am as independent as I would like to be and I could not care less about anybody’s point of view of me. I will not live my life as a people pleaser because nobody will ever be completely pleased so I don’t spend my energy worrying what people will think. I must confess that I will go off if somebody says something stupid, especially at church… This woman told me I have a spirit of anger and frustration! Oh, shit, and I need to be healed of my visual impairment so then I can exute God’s perfection! For shits and giggles I’m gonna pretend to be healed and give them crazy church people something to really talk about! Muhahahahahahah!
peace
Christ I hate the word "should" when applied to someone else. Who the hell made us God almighty when it comes to someone else's life!
Sure I cringe if I'm on a bus and wind up sitting next to a blind person who is rocking ninety to nothing while pressing their eyes through the back of their head. Sure I cringe. I know that those around us link us together like siamese twins. But, I say fuck 'em, and I pity that other blindy, because he/she is bringing him/her self lots of unnecessary problems. But, Christ, I've got enough problems of my own.
In other words, be critical of yourself to yourself, and compassionate to those around you.
So Shay gets her meat cut up? How terrible! Oops, so do I.
Bob
yaaay, go Bob it's your birthday, or something like that. heheheh
This topic annoys me on several fronts. Let's see how organized I can be.
Would you honestly want to work for someone who was so shallow, narrowminded, and/or down right stupid that they would base hiring you solely on the performance of others? I had a boss who had a bad experience in his past with a blind person. He honestly admitted this and we worked through it.
All of us have preconceptions. When my husband who is blind asked me to marry him, my mom shocked the shit out of me by saying "the fact that he can't see doesn't bother me a bit. What really worries me is the fact that he is over weight and a ham radio operator. You know fat people are lazy and hams would rather talk to china then to their next door neighbor." Well, I fell back on whatever was the 1980's version of "thank you for sharing that." and married him 24 years ago. Guess what, he's still fat, blind and a ham and he does talk to my next door neighbors. So boo ya mom.
When I went away to college, I was fed the crock of crap about me being responsible for the 6 million blind people, first impressions are vital, always be nice and kind so others will like those who come after you, bla bla bla bla. So i let people walk all over me, steal my stuff, and treat me with the lack of respect I was projecting for myself. One dark day in February, it got to the point where I tried to kill myself. I guess I was too depressed to see how coming in to find a dead blind girl in my bed might ruin everyone's day and affect the view the sighted had of all the rest of you.
Anyway, after counseling and too many years of life I have learned that I am not responsible for you or your choices. Sorry Charlie or Charleen, Cutting the meat, tying the shoes or whatever, is your problem and your issue. Each of us has differing abilities and experiences. Do you treat others responsibly and respectfully? Do you listen well and criticize kindly? Are you a good family member, coworker, team player, or friend? These are far more important measures by which we should judge ourselves and others.
Blind folk do not have the dumn butt market cornered. Socially annoying behavior bridges all races, cultures, religions, genders, and disabilities.
For the past two days, I attended a woman's history seminar at my work. On tuesday this woman was the final presenter of the day. She did a program on women in history. I gather she was some kind of famous broadway has been. Anyway, she was so awful I had to leave. I was totally embarrassed for her. I kept thinking "doesn't she know she is singing off key her facts are incorrect and her jokes stink?" She was a middle aged white woman.
Finally,after raising two kids who were toddlers, nothing much embarrasses me. S sorry if I seem harsh.
nice
TheLuggage, I certainly can see that you have a valid point. If blind people act such and such a way, then...well...people we'll see that behavior!
However, there are several factors as to why some blind people act that way. Perhaps they were never encouraged to be better. Perhaps it is society bringing them down...I don't know. The thing to do is pull them aside and show them the way rather than saying they do not deserve sympathy. The people that deserve sympathy are the one's who had to watch that girl pick her nose in the middle of class. Nasty!
However, we must educate and not condemn.
After reading everyone’s comments, all I can say is that, most of your complaints here are refering to other people. I think, its best that we look at ourselves first and our faults before we start up a board complaining about negative things we notice about others. There’s so many bad things we can notice in one day, is it possible to turn it the other way and look at more positive things to notice? I’m aware that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses and like what the previous posters had said, some of those people, who lack the training, have no resources or no one to help them learn. I agree with the previous posters, blind people are more judgemental than sighted people.
Hey, its not true that sighted people base their opinions, just from having one positive or negative encounter with blind people. Everyone is different, we should understand that not everyone will agree to what we think. There actually should be no arguments as far as blind people do this and that. Were just all human beings, we make mistakes, and we have different levels of learning that not everyone gets it the first time. Now, what we can do for other people is not to criticize them but to help them. There is nothing wrong with asking for help if you don’t know how to do something for the first time, as long as you make an honest effort to try doing things on your own the second time around. Being independent is learning to accept what you can and cannot do, and asking for help if you need it. Its not all about being prideful and ashame to ask for help for worries that the sighted person will think differently about you. I think you should not care about what other people think. Its just their opinion, it should not matter, cause in the long run, you’re the only one who has control in your life. You can make things happen or you can just allow things to take place and sit down all day and complain about others. Complaining is a very negative thing to do, instead of complaining at a rant board, why don’t you do something productive. And as far as job rejections, it does not matter whether your blind or sighted, everyone gets rejected. Its not about your visual impairment, but your abilities to contribute effectively to the work place. As far as acting sighted. You know what, act the way you want people to percieve you. Be yourself and I know its hard, but accept who you are and be confident. Being blind is not all negative, it just depends on the person’s attitude toward his or her problem that makes all the difference.
I don't care what other blind people do, I have enough to worry about on my own I don't need to solve everyone elses problems. I do have high standards though so if someone doesn't meat them weather sited or blind I won't consider that person a friend.
if employers or service providers made no judgements about blind people when employing or giving a service, then why do we have the ADA in america and the DDA in the UK? to post fourty, you say:
"And as far as job rejections, it does not matter whether your blind or sighted, everyone gets rejected. Its not about your visual impairment, but your abilities to contribute effectively to the work place. " this is an opinion, sure, but is based on nothing but shit. why did legeslators spend ages drafting the laws in the UK and the US to protect the rights of disabled people if non disabled people have such a high opinion of us? get in the real world please. thanks. sighted people do judge blind people, i've seen it, i've even had it from government agencies who are, oblegated under the law, not to do such things. so please look at stats and atitudes before saying such things.
having looked at the latest stats from the nfb, i find that blind people are not represented at all. they are grouped with those with other sensory disabilities. this does a disservice for blind people, and for those with other sensory disabilities too. the last stats i am sure of were from 2007, and said that in the UK, only twenty five percent of blind or vi were employed. this is more than ten years after the shower of the DDA was enacted into law.
I am usually not one to piss and mone about things but I have been refused jobs because I was blind. They didn't come right out and sayit but...a person can tell. I've had HR people look at me and exclaim "oh...I see!"
yeah margurp, the thing is, all the laws in the world will not stop discrimination against what humans fear most. people make assumptions when they see blind people, then when they see the cost employment of that blind person will be in time and resources, they run a bloody mile. most of the time they don't know what's out there to help, and why should the blind person be expected to be a flag waver for govt schemes, as well as for themselves? but this is the case, at least here in the UK. our laws are shit anyway. a company only has to say, oh, we're unable to afford x or y, adaptation, in a court of law, and that's a valid defence against having to accomodate disabled under DDA.
I have to agree with a lot of people. Sighted people do judge u based on our blindness, often without ever having met anyone who is blind. And yes, sometimes they meet that one blind person who feels that their blidness automatically elevates them to the next thing to royalty. I know a girl here in Twin Falls who's a classic example of that. She's the sort of person who would threaten to sue you simply for refusing to assist her in a grocery store. Then she wanted me to join her in a cruscade to try to get the local public library to allow her to put braille labels on the audiobooks, ad never mind the fact that the labels would probably be gone the next time a sighted person brought the book back in. Needless to say I stopped hanging around her because I realized she had the potential to get me into a lot of trouble. I'm judged enough by employers simply by the fact that I can't see. And the local voc rehab agency seems to want me to sell mysef short by washing dishes and/or tables, presumably for the rest of my life. They never say it in so many words of ccourse, but you a hear the sentiment in their voices and words. That's why if I'm able to find financial aid for it I plan on trying my hand at a medical transcription course and seeing where that leads.
But there are plenty of sighted people who also think they are entitled just for existing and will also sue or threaten to sue at any perceived injustice.
Oh I'm not denying that. I'm just saying that many of them often then turn around and judge all blind folks by one they happen to meet in a grocery store. They decide that just because the one blind person they met threatened to sue them that we're all like that.
Hi.
While I do agree that some sighted people tend to judge blind people, and sadly there is discrimination in some quarters as far as employing disabled people
goes, as Senior said,blind people appear to judge each other a hell of a lot more than sighted people actually judge us. That's why when I'm in a public
place, and I need help, I'd gladly go up and ask a sighted person, I'm lost or whatever, or can you help with such and such, but if there were a group
of blind people there, and no sighted, unless I knew them well and considered them as friends, I'd run a mile rather than ask them for help, cause I'd
probably get shit like: oh, don't you know that yet? er no actually I bloody well dont, deal with it and sod off and live your life! That's why I'll never
admit to a blind person unless I know them well that I may have a problem with this or that. I really don't need that fucking shit from people. Oh and
another thing, guess what? I'm not tidy, my place is a tip sometimes, that's just the way I am, I'm a lazy sod, too lazy to tidy up sometimes, yeah lazy
just like some sighted people are. If my mates are coming round, yeah I'll make the effort, just like any decent self-respecting sighted person would,
But I don't try to impress just cause people will think I do such and such cause I'm blind! I have faults just like sighted people, one being I'm not particularly tidy. I'm not an ambassador for blind people, and wouldn't want to be, the way blind people are perceived by people who are narrow-minded is not my problem! in the same way that any member of the public isn't a constant living representative for their particular nationality or ethnicity, and the behaviour of one shouldn't be a constant source of worry to the others about how perceived outsiders view their particular group .
Sorry for the rant, Tara.
I totally agree! Do you guys think sighted people go around thinking, "Uh oh, I better act like this or do this because I don't want to make all sighted people look bad." Hahaha! I don't think so! I'm not a representative of blind people either because I have my own life just like anyone else and we shouldn't all live like robots who do the same thing and act the same! I especially hate when someone compares me to another blind person and says why don't you do that, so and so does?