Hi Shadab: Thanks for the reply.
Yes, I agree that most of the problems we face in our social interaction isn’t actually due to blindness. It’s a combination of a certain insecurity or lack of confidence in us and the almost total ignorance on the part of the person who we deal with. The issue is, we almost immediately assume ourselves to be the aggrieved party, the proverbial victim, in any situation where we’re forced to handle things from the position of disadvantage (which is almost all the situations). So, quite naturally, we consider the other person as the villain of the story, the insensitive, callous brute who hurt us badly. But the reality is very different. The other person is impacted equally because he/she is as fallible as we are. He/she has lived in the same society where people have a stereotyped opinion about disability since they’ve never encountered disability in their lives. Those who treat us well, by which I mean human, naturally have a backstory in which they’ve had some exposure to disability from childhood. So, ask the sighted individual whether he or she had met a disabled person before and if so, how closely or clearly he/she had seen them. Their answer would help you adjust your expectations and save you from getting disappointed. This apart, I think it’s difficult to be entirely objective about social attitudes because it’s so personal and sometimes people are definitely nasty and inhuman. We can’t put the experiences in black and white. I believe the change has to happen from us. We should stop talking about the limitations created by blindness and instead talk about the positive things. When I give a talk, I never fail to mention how my blindness helps me focus on the work at hand. It’s scientifically proven that vision provides almost 70% of sensory perceptions and the lack of it gives a kind of internalization and concentration that can never be achieved by someone who can see. The problem is, we don’t often feel positive about our condition and therefore end up sounding like victims in the public space. Yes, we should talk about our rights and fight to win our space, but much more important is the fact that we should highlight the uniqueness of our experiences and talk more positively in the public. Many disability icons had done this before and we should do the same. I know some people may not agree, but this’s the only effective way to engage with the society. Hope this answers your question in some way. Rgs, Subramani On 3/22/20, shadab...@gmail.com <shadab...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Sir, > > Your blogposts have great fodder for anyone interested in blindness. > > Visually impaired aren't seen as common folks as evident by our experiences > and which you so well put down in your blogposts. > > I feel that sometimes the problem lies in our own perspective--which is > obviously shaped by what we go through. > > I mean that sometimes people don't treat us differently, but because we have > been treated so in the past, so we automatically presume that it's a > treatment meant only for us. > > Sometimes people talk rudely or politely or sweetly or angrily with me, and > I'm quick to attach their reaction with my visual impairment. Curiously, > afterwards I learn that they weren't even aware about my condition, and > therefore it was their natural behaviour. > > Additionally, many of my sighted friends tell about their common every-day > dealings, describing how someone was insulting or helpful for them. I put > myself in their place, and think that had such a behaviour (good or bad) > been done with me, I would have quickly linked it with my blindness. > > In these practical, ever-speeding times, it might sound stupid for me to ask > this question, but bear with me... > > Is there any test to know that the treatment done with us was provoked due > to our blindness? > > I have racked my mind a great deal on this question, and am guilty of > ruining my limited time and potential as its consequence. I have even > incurred financial and professional losses on myself due to this question. > > Oftentimes (not always) the impacts of disability get apparent in different > ways. Some get depressed, some overconfident, some irritable...and in me it > probably manifested in this way. > > Anyway, now I try to tell myself that it's a first-class foolishness to shed > this point any thought, and eventually it's improvement what matters--so I > must squeeze out all my energies there. > > Any insights? > > Sorry for such a longish email. > > Cheers, > > Shadab > > http://www.husainjournal.blogspot.com/ > > > -----Original Message----- > From: AccessIndia <accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in> On Behalf Of > Subramani L > Sent: 22 March 2020 00:47 > To: accessindia <accessindia@accessindia.org.in> > Cc: Voice Vision. <l...@voicevision.in> > Subject: [AI] 5 tips for the blind to stay safe from Coronavirus pandemic > > 5 tips for the blind to stay safe from Coronavirus pandemic > > Blindness in the time of Coronavirus could be dangerous for some, especially > if they live in a densely populated country like India. > What makes it even more of a risk is the fact that it won’t be always > possible to avoid physical contact. > > I’m not sure if this’s the case if you live in a Western country where > independence is highly encouraged and people don’t so readily intervene in > the activities of a blind person, but at the same time, without personal > experiences, I wouldn’t like to make a general statement about life as a > blind person in the West. > > > > Read the rest of the blog at: > https://grapplingwithrp.wordpress.com/2020/03/22/5-tips-for-the-blind-to-stay-safe-from-coronavirus-pandemic/ > > > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > > > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > -- L. Subramani, Chief Copy Editor, Deccan Herald, Bangalore, Sign up to my blogpost here: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/406190/edit M: 91-9738422284 Facebook: Subramani Lakshminarayanan Twitter: lsubramani60873 Linkedin: L. Subramani website: http://grapplingwithrp.wordpress.com If my mind can conceive it, if my heart can believe it, I know I'll achieve it. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
