HI guys. I am with the general consensus on this study. It left me puzzled.
Evidently I have a "strong preference for sighted over blind" as well. Makes
zero sense to me. I will definitely be interested in reading the ultimate
outcome.
Kristina Brown, VRS North Dakota
From: visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Miller, Anna
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2017 8:49 AM
To: DLeeflang@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; joanne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: gambrose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; bjlejeune@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; OrientationAndMobility
Subject: [visionrehabtherapist] Re: Final Reminder: Unconscious attitudes about
people who are blind
CAUTION: This email originated from an outside source. Do not click links or
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As a blind person, this concerns me. Even if whatever the study was looking at
was a valid area of exploration, I would be interested to understand the
methodology behind it and why so many people were having trouble getting
through it or not being allowed to select the answer they wanted. Doesn't this
not being allowed to select/change your answer just continue to promote all
kinds of negative stereotypes that we fight against on a regular basis?
Kind of a sad way to start a Monday.
Anna Miller, CRC, CVRT
[cid:image001.jpg@01D02A8A.388DB990]
From:
visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dawn Leeflang
Sent: Friday, November 03, 2017 3:58 PM
To: joanne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:joanne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: gambrose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:gambrose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
bjlejeune@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:bjlejeune@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
OrientationAndMobility
<orientationandmobility-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:orientationandmobility-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Subject: [visionrehabtherapist] Re: Final Reminder: Unconscious attitudes about
people who are blind
My sentiments exactly!
I hated the forced-choice element; it didn't seem to make sense. On the
surface it looks like a poorly-executed study.
I am thinking/hoping that they are looking at something deeper - like how many
times I tried to choose "positive" or "competent" for the blind category, or
even choosing the well-dressed man as "blind".
I felt as if I were betraying my students by being forced to choose negative
words for the blind photos. So, in the end, I did not like the survey.
I definitely can't wait to hear about their methodology and interpretation of
results.
On Nov 3, 2017, at 3:41 PM, Joanne Laurent
<joanne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:joanne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
The survey does seem a bit odd. All it did was try to program me into believing
blind and negative go together and sighted and positive go together. If I hit
anything different than associating blind and negative I got the red X and was
forced to change my answer to put blind on the negative side. In the pictures
the sighted people were all happy and good looking and the blind people-not so
much. Would love to know how they are making attitude determinations based on a
study that forces only one answer. Not once was I allowed to choose an answer.
Very strange.
From:
visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Grace ;
Ambrose-Zaken
Sent: Friday, November 3, 2017 12:16 PM
To: bjlejeune@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:bjlejeune@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
'OrientationAndMobility'
Subject: [visionrehabtherapist] Re: Final Reminder: Unconscious attitudes about
people who are blind
Hi BJ:
I took the survey and found out that I have a "strong preference for sighted
over blind". However, I am not clear that typing a key on a keyboard can
correctly or incorrectly say so much about a respondent. For one real reason: I
feel I was forced to say the images of those who were not using a cane were
sighted- and that preconceived notion made me angry. I was angry while I took
the test that somehow my manual dexterity would determine my inner, darkest me
- .
How can a study of attitudes about blindness start off on such a bad note and
then not impact the results??
Also, would you be able to elaborate on this study methodology? My career has
been to teach grad students how to listen and treat their customers with visual
impairment like human beings they are. My invention the toddler cane comes
from knowing that these little beings are doing remarkably well and can really
blossom when they finally get consistent 2-steps of tactile warning.
What is the point of this survey?
In the end, I hope you can convince me that there is a benefit- that somehow
these underlying inability to type P and I quickly enough on images negatively
impacts the lives of people I actually interact with?? I have hired and
currently have more or at least, equal number of adjunct professors who are
visually impaired as sighted. Actively recruited blind students into my
program? I don't feel this study makes any sense at all.
What is the definition of preference and since it was capable and incapable
words- am I to believe I find blind people incapable?
<image001.png>
From:
visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of LeJeune, B.J.
Sent: Wednesday, November 1, 2017 10:06 AM
To:
visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [visionrehabtherapist] Final Reminder: Unconscious attitudes about
people who are blind
Good Morning Everyone,
We would like to remind you of our invitation to participate in a research
study being conducted by the NRTC on Blindness and Low Vision to determine
whether employers have different implicit (or unconscious) attitudes about
people who are blind compared to professionals who work with this population.
We have already collected data from a sample of more than 400 employers, and
125 blindness professionals, but we need to collect data more from blindness
professionals.
Specifically, we are looking for sighted professionals who provide direct
services to people who are blind or visually impaired. Your participation would
involve answering four multiple choice questions and completing a picture and
word sorting task. The picture and word sorting task was designed to measure
sighted person's implicit attitudes about the competence of people who are
blind, so vision is required for participation in this study. The entire
process should take 10 minutes or less.
What's in it for you? You get to learn your own personal implicit attitudes
about people who are blind (an interpretation of your results will appear at
the end), and, if requested, we will send you a copy of the results of the
overall study when it is ready. We can also enter you into a drawing to win a
$100 gift card, which will be provided to one randomly selected participant.
Note that all of your responses will be anonymous, so we will not be able to
connect your test results with your name. If you want the overall study results
sent to you or to be entered into the drawing for the gift card, you will
provide your contact information in a separate survey. To participate, follow
this link: https://www.research.net/r/NRTC_IAT
The survey will only be available through November 12, so please participate
now if you haven't already. It will require access to a keyboard.
Thank you! If you have any questions about this study, contact Michele
McDonnall (m.mcdonnall@xxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:m.mcdonnall@xxxxxxxxxxx>). This study
is approved under IRB-17-255 by Mississippi State University.
If this research sounds interesting to you, please consider applying for one of
our open positions: http://blind.msstate.edu/about-us/employment/ We are always ;
looking for people who have knowledge about and an interest in people who are
blind or visually impaired.
Thanks,
BJ
<image002.png>
B. J. LeJeune, CRC, CVRT
National Research and Training Center
on Blindness and Low Vision
P. O. Box 6189
Mississippi State, MS 39762
P: 662-325-2694
F: 662-325-8989
bjlejeune@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:bjlejeune@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
www.blind.msstate.edu<http://www.blind.msstate.edu/>
Dawn Leeflang
Rehabilitation Teacher / O&M Specialist
(415) 258-8496
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
1155 Market Street, 10th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
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