Monday, February 11, 2013

Sh#t People Say to Blind People

"Why is there braille on drive-thru ATM machines blind people cant' drive?"

Response: Have you ever heard of a passenger's seat


"Why is their signs in restaurants saying 'Braille Menu Available', blind people can't see that?


Response: Blind people have sighted friends and family.


"Why would blind people have an iPhone?"


Response: There's an accessibility app for that.


"I'm going to speak slowly and loudly to you so you can better understand me."


Response: So by doing that you're saying being blind means that I'm also deaf and have impaired comprehension.... okay.


"See if I cover my eyes I can see what a blind person sees."


Response: Actually a very small percentage of the visually impaired see darkness. Most do have light perception. 


"You're not blind you're faking it."

Response: Just because I have ambulatory vision (the ability to see around a room) doesn't mean I can see everything. (This is how most people who have low vision see.)



The above statements were not written to shame those in the sighted and visually impaired community. The above statements are said to people in the visually impaired community by friends, family, strangers, co-workers and even by doctors. I wanted to bring awareness to the ignorance that many people have about those who are visually impaired.  Advancements in technology and better legislation in the past few decades has vastly improved the lives of the visually impaired. As someone who has only known about their visual impairment less than a year I can say I had similar misconceptions about blindness too.  Everyday I learn something new about how having a disability doesn't mean your life is limited.


If you liked this post please share it by clicking one of the lovely buttons below. Also don't be afraid to leave a comment below. What sh#t as a visually impaired or disabled or any ability abled person have you heard?


You might also be interested in reading:


Some Misconceptions About Blind People

Resources for the Blind
Subscribe To the Tommy Edison Experience 
Fleksy - Happy Typing! 
Initial Reaction Caught on Twitter





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