For a brief period of time, there was a term that sighted people were using
to avoid using the word, "blind". I don't remember the precise phrase, but I
do remember this weird incident. I was attending a platform address at the
Long Island Ethical Humanist Society. I don't remember anything about the
talk that was given, but I do remember that the guest speaker used that
blindness avoidance term during his talk. So at the end of his talk when we
all had a chance to speak with him individually, I told him that as a blind
person, I wanted him to know that I, and the many blind people whom I knew,
did not resent the use of the word, "blind", that is an honest,
straightforward description of our disability, and we are not ashamed of it.
I wanted to reassure him that it is perfectly OK to use the word, "blind".
Amazingly, he did not accept what I said, but instead, he gave me some
rationale for refusing to use the word. I was furious. Here was a person
saying that he didn't wish to disrespect a group of people and he then
disrespects a member of that group by refusing to receive feedback on his
decision.
Miriam
