Lesson Purpose: Discussion of NFB philosophy during a chapter meeting is one of the best methods to build a cohesive and informed chapter body. The topic of this lesson is one possibility from a nearly inexhaustible supply that can be drawn from NFB literature, sponsored programs, activities and/or initiatives. Presenting a philosophically based discussion is important for both new and established members; it quickens the understanding and acceptance of our beliefs and promotes a genuine and lasting commitment to the Federation’s work.
[Instructions for the Discussion Leader: Helpful notes to aid the discussion leader will be enclosed in brackets [ ] and are not intended to be shared with the members.]
[How many blind people have you heard say, “I’m not blind.” We hear them, we may have empathy for them, however there is an ugly truth about this --- argument of theirs --- that needs to be recognized and put into perspective. This lesson is a discussion topic which is intended to get at the core issue of a blind person’s reluctance to identify him- or her self as being “blind.”]
[The Structure of the Lesson:
A. Start the discussion by presenting the topic argument statement found in Section 1. (If needed, use the discussion questions and answers which are also provided in Section 1 to open and guide the discussion.)
B. Present the short “When are you blind?” scenarios found in section 2. (A set of questions as a measurement tool to probe the core reasons for this choice are provided and can be applied to all scenarios.]
--Section 1: The Philosophical Argument
[Read the following statement to the members.]
--Philosophical Argument:
Point of View 1: It is reasonable, even important, for a person who has a severe visual impairment, one which is causing a recognizable functional limitation, to openly admit to that degree of blindness and to openly use a recognizable blindness skill or tool to efficiently overcome that limitation.
Opposing Point of View 2: It is reasonable for a person with a severe visual impairment to choose to hide his blindness, to choose not to use a recognizable blindness alternative, choosing to use instead a more inefficient visual method to complete a task.
[The following questions (Q) and answers (A) can be used to guide the discussion down the intended path to an outcome of understanding that which is more philosophically sound. It is not totally necessary during this initial phase to get your people all on the same page, because more discussion, enlightenment, and consensus will occur as the philosophical merits of the “When are you blind?” scenarios are examined in Section 2.]
-(Q)- Who is hurt by denial? Being “blind” can come in many different forms and severities. A blind person can be totally blind; roughly 1 blind person out of 10 is totally devoid of sight. Or a blind person can be partially sighted, with a restriction on functioning fitting one or more of the large number of causes of blindness. Yet there is a common denominator or thread of truth tying them all together in the mind of the public--their visual deficit. Their blindness, when recognized by the sighted public as being functionally different, results in these blind individuals all being judged and treated according to the same prevailing societal attitude toward blindness. And so, when a blind person denies his or her blindness and/or refuses to use a proven blindness skill or tool, who or what then is in control? Who is preventing the individual from being able to do his or her best? And for the individual who chooses the tactic of total denial of blindness, what is it that they are accomplishing? Does this action in the end actually change their status in life to a more positive one?
-(A)- A blind individual who does not accept and embrace his or her blindness, is a person who is divided within him or herself, and further compounds the challenges he or she faces. The world’s prevailing attitudes are against us, and a blind person cannot afford to also be against him or herself.
-(A)- Good blindness skills make a mockery of all the negative attitudes towards blindness, and to give in to those attitudes is to perpetuate the lie of blindness as a near total disabling condition.
-(Q)- If you give in to the prevailing negative attitudes toward blindness, and allow them to force you to deny your blindness and not do what you know is efficient, smart, to best cope with the functional limitations of blindness --- who benefits, how and why?
-(Q)- Be brutally honest in your answer. Tell us when it is that you experience the negative effects of being blind. How do you react, and who ends up in control?
-(Q)- Is there a time when it is okay not to reveal your blindness? Explain.
-(A)- Most often the negative and more hurtful effects of being blind happen in the “how” people react to us, verses those times when blindness creates an actual problem in functioning.
[As you and your chapter work your way through the list of “When are you blind?” scenarios, each activity needs to be measured against the following philosophical examination tool. Read the measurement tool aloud to your group and refer back to it at the conclusion of each scenario.]
-#1- Is the blind person in the scenario hiding or being open about his or her blindness? Explain.
-#2- How are the sighted characters reacting? Explain?
-#3- Is there a positive or negative control factor going on? Is the blind person in control and if necessary, using a blindness skill or tool to be the most efficient and most effective (“the best person”) he or she can be? Or is the blind person allowing societal pressures to control, forcing him or her to choose to use lesser effective methods to function less effectively?
(All of the following scenarios are true stories)
#1 My orthodontist and I were talking about people’s varying reactions to me and my blindness. He revealed the following about himself- “I’m not blind like you are, however if I took my glasses off, my left eye would be rated at legal blindness, 20 over 200. I’m lucky that my glasses correct my vision to 20/20.” He was talking, leaning over, peering down to where his fingers were deftly working with the brackets and wires glued to my teeth. Laughing, “And not too long ago, I had a patient quit my services --- I was just starting my initial exam, leaning in to view what I needed to see and he says, ‘WOW, why are your lenses magnifying your left eye like that? Is there something wrong with your vision?’” The doctor’s voice turning serious, “I explained that I had 20/20 corrected vision. But that wasn’t good enough for him. This guy gets up, walks out, saying, ‘I’m not going to trust the work of anyone with eyes like that. I’m out of here!’”
#2 Linda was thrilled to get the position as front office receptionist. She was a great people person, loved organizing, and was very detail oriented. Her vision was right at legal blindness, 20/200 with best correction. She used a long white cane for travel. For her office duties she used screen enlargement software for the computer, a handheld CCTV to read hard-copy materials, and a system of colored stickers to more quickly identify certain files. The first week of the job was great! She learned all her basic duties. Then, the district manager came through --- saw Linda reading a list, retrieving information for a customer who politely waited. She heard him say, “I must have called in here once every day last week, got that new clerk of yours each time, thought she was great, and never had the thought that she was nearly blind.”
#3 “No way!! I’m not going to use those big books in class!” The youth sounded and looked very stressed, as he stormed out of the kitchen, ending the conversation with his parents.
“You know the other kids tease him about his ‘gynormus’ books.” His mother said.
“Yeah, I know,” his father said. “Teasing about a book is only the half of it --- bullying, or at the least isolation, is what he has to put up with when the teachers aren’t around.”
#4 I was working with a guy on his interviewing skills and he said, “During an interview, I never tell them I have a problem with my sight.”
“What about if the job requires you to read stuff, like on a computer screen or hard-copy?” I asked, I knew this would be a problem for him; I had learned this from a previous conversation.
“Nope. I don’t tell them until I get on the job and start to prove myself.”
#5 Hurrying off the bus, back into the midday heat and glaring sunshine, Randy cut across the parking lot toward Target; his sunglasses didn’t help much, he still had to squint. Reaching the front doors of the store, he didn’t hesitate, plunging in to the cool air-conditioned dimness of the entryway. Then--- “OOF!” Randy went flying over a waist-high obstacle, landing hard on the floor. Looking back, glasses gone, he saw shiny silver circles and lines seemingly floating in the air.
“What’s the matter with you! Are you blind? Didn’t you see me sitting here in my wheelchair?” Spoke an indignant voice at waist height.
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