Back in the 60's and 70's many of the agencies serving the blind
worried that the use of the word Blind turned potential clients off.
In Seattle, Community Services for the Blind, a private agency,
changed their name as often as they changed their underware. They
tried several handles over the years. Vision Services, and Sight
Connection were popular.
Once, during a national conference, a Worker for the Blind explained
that he side stepped the "offensive word, Blind" by referring to
"Sightless Citizens". I spoke from the floor, saying, "I am a blind
man, and I am offended that you, a professional in the field of work
with the Blind, cannot bring yourself to call us what we are". But
seriously, for many years, Blind was a very hard word for me to apply
to myself. I noticed that other blind people also struggled with the
label. "Blindies" and "Blinks" were often used by blind people, when
talking about themselves. Anything to avoid having to use the B word.
That professional worker believed by not using the word Blind, he was
showing his sensitivity. but what he was doing was reinforcing the
negative feelings about the word.
And that white travel cane, that symbol of blindness, a tool that I
began life as a blind man, hating with a passion. That white travel
cane that is always with me these days, along with a white support
cane, that cane made it possible for me to travel independently across
most of our United States, Canada, and Mexico. When sighted people
say, "You got your stick?" I tell them, "It's my white travel cane.
It's taken me from coast to coast. Please show it a little respect."
I can only speak for myself, but that transition from sighted to blind
was a very difficult one for me. Without ever being aware of it, I
had developed a negative attitude about blindness. And that smug
professional worker had no idea how much a part of the negative
attitude he was by calling Blind by other names.
Carl Jarvis
2/8/21, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
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
