I have my own list of silly questions I get repeatedly asked, and the top one on my list is being asked how blind people brush their own teeth - whereupon I try to explain to them that in general they're standing in front of the bathroom mirror due to the wash basin being below it...
Stay well Jacob Kruger Blind Biker Skype: BlindZA '...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...' ---original message--- The Herald, Scotland (UK) Opening your eyes to the many blind myths IAN HAMILTON March 27 2009According to the sighted people around me, I've been letting down the blind community. I don't appear to be fulfilling all my obligatory requirements as a fully paid-up member of the blind brother- and sisterhood. I'm not sure how far back in time blind typecasts evolved, but I don't seem
to be conforming to any of them. I'll explain.Contrary to the myth that blind people have heightened audio talents to make up for visual loss, I am living testimony to the opposite. When I sing I sound like a camel with a hernia, rumbling my way through a song. Mark, my blind piano-tuning friend, said that he didn't believe in people being truly tone deaf. He thought that if someone could hear and appreciate a piece of music, they couldn't possibly have a problem. Then he heard me sing. Mark reassessed his theory and made an exception in my case. He went a step further and added: "Ian, your singing is against human rights and it should be immediately band from public areas." So let me emphasise: blind people don't have hearing like highly sophisticated radar systems; they can't hear a fly break wind six miles away in a hurricane. My hearing is no better than average; it's just that I have learned to use it more and
have learned more about sound.When it comes to playing musical instruments, it's no different. Frustratingly, I've had a go at a number of instruments over the years with no success. I'm so bad, I can barely get a tune out the radio. Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, George Shearing and Geoff Healy have done me no favours and I
feel I've let everyone down by not fulfilling my blind stereotype. advertisementAnother myth is that when moving around, blind people look like the walking dead, arms outstretched in front of them, at shoulder height, in order to feel their way. In a room that I'm familiar with, I don't do this, although, admittedly, I have walked into the occasional door, but I'm sure someone must have moved it while I was out. Another "bad habit" I've got is looking at people when I speak to them. Now I think I am just being polite. Let's be honest, it's not hard - all a blind person has to do is to turn their face towards the voice, but doing this doesn't half confuse people. "Is he
blind? I knew he could see a little, he's looking straight at me."Now, this next one always makes me laugh. People are always disappointed when I don't ask to feel their face, so that I can get a better understanding of what they look like. Going around seizing people's ears and inadvertently sticking my thumbs up their nose to get a better understanding of a stranger's looks isn't for me. We can blame a 1980s pop video and American films for this fallacy. Oddly, those people who do offer their face for examination (usually drunks and idiots) - are not
generally the kind of people I would like to get my hands on.And, yes, I do like to use a knife and fork when I eat. Since I'm into blaming people today, who can I blame for the myth that blind people eat with their hands? Ah, Mikey from Big Brother. I can blame him for compounding this myth. Of course, the odd brussels sprout has been known to shoot across the table and I've also been known to shovel peas into my lap, but who hasn't? Comments such as: "Oh, isn't it wonderful how he's using his cutlery" come on! It's not exactly micro surgery. Now, that
would be impressive.As for sport, for years sighted people have attempted to persuade me to take up blind bowls, a traditional game popular within a section of the blind community. After the wood left my hand, I had no idea how good or bad my shot was and I relied totally on sighted volunteers to give a commentary. My last myth to banish is that blind people cannot use technology. As regular readers of this column understand, I am a techno geek. It's true, I do have all the hi-tech stuff such as GPS and talking phones that will let me e-mail on the move, and yet I don't even have the basic blind tools such as a Braille watch or an audio liquid level indicator. It appears that the only blind stereotype I do conform to is having a guide dog; thankfully, this is one symbol of blindness I am more than happy
to have. SOURCE http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/featuresopinon/display.var.2498082.0.Opening_your_eyes_to_the_many_blind_myths.php ---------- To send a message to the list, send any message to blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ---------- To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to blindza-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the subject line --- The 'homepage' for this list is at http://www.blindza.co.za
