Does Society Treat the Blind any different and the Deaf?

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Doug5

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Does society assume the blind are less intelligent like they sometimes do with the deaf?
 
Doug5 said:
Does society assume the blind are less intelligent like they sometimes do with the deaf?
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Now, that's what I call an interesting question! :)

HOH and deaf people range from missing out conversation in larger groups to not able to speak at all, both situations making them look stupid. Blind people are just helpless?
 
flip said:
Now, that's what I call an interesting question! :)

HOH and deaf people range from missing out conversation in larger groups to not able to speak at all, both situations making them look stupid. Blind people are just helpless?
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I dont think blind people percieve themselves that way.

Yea, I know that the misconception of deaf or hoh people being less than intelligent comes from us missing out what is happening or what is being said. We usually end up with this "huh?" expressions. LOL!

I wonder if there is a forum for blind people. Maybe we should register on such a forum and read about their experiences with the sighted world?
 
shel90 said:
I dont think blind people percieve themselves that way.

Yea, I know that the misconception of deaf or hoh people being less than intelligent comes from us missing out what is happening or what is being said. We usually end up with this "huh?" expressions. LOL!

I wonder if there is a forum for blind people. Maybe we should register on such a forum and read about their experiences with the sighted world?
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Ops, I was a bit quick on the keyboard. I didn't mean blind people are helpless, but the society perhaps make that assumption, like deaf people are dumb. Recently, I met a hearing blind man that did know some sign language. The deaf guy next to me, asked, is that man really blind? Prejudices are everywhere.:dunno2:
 
Why would the deaf guy ask that? I mean, there are deaf-blind people, so they know sign language even though they don't see. They feel hands.

I don't know how the hearing see blind people. I mean, I read stories about Helen Keller and other people, they are normal people just like us. I don't assume anything. I just sometimes wonder what it feels like to be in their shoes and try to live a normal life.

I thought there was a deaf-blind person here. If so, then we should ask deaf-blind people. I would believe they would know something even though they're not hearing.
 
I taught one of my friend in high school who is blind some sign language. She's hearing, but she picks up sign language just like any other sighted people do. Of course she have to feel mine hands instead of looking at it, lol.

I read or heard something at one time and it said that blind children will have easier time getting accommodations they needed in comparison to deaf children because parents accept blindness more easily and are quicker to get help for them.
I think it makes sense, because parents of deaf children usually want them to speak and usually doesn't learn sign language and as result of that, quite a lot of deaf children get left out or behind.

I think "deaf=dumb" and "blind=helpless" is pretty much what the society see in them.
Since being deaf means one's communication is being affected, where being blind means one's independence is being affected. Even though in reality, they can do fine in those areas if it was done right.
"Ignorance"...ya know that annoy thing, our greatest enemy...ugh.
 
Hiya. DeafBlind person, right here.

As a personal belief, I think that society at large, and even the deaf community, views blindness as far more "tragic" a disability. While deaf or hard of hearing people may be preceived as retarded, we're usually just preceived as... incapable, and it's a constant hassle.

In regards to blindness being "accepted" more easily, I don't think that's at all true. Parents are masters at denial. They hide behind covers like "visually impaired" and "low vision" to deny the fact that their child has a serious visual or neurological disorder that leads to legal blindness. Because of this, the amounts of legally blind children who are not exposed to basic things like using a white cane to travel safely or learning to read braille is incredibly high. These children are taught to cling on to the 10, 8, or even 4% of vision they have left, using various "low vision aids" such as high power magnification, to make them more "normal."

Shel: In regards to forums for blind people, there aren't really any. Livejournal has a few blindness-related communities, and the NFB (the National Federation of the Blind, a group composed not of people speaking for the blind, but of blind people speaking for ourselves) has many of those email-lists. The AFB (American Foundation for the Blind) has a message board, but it's pretty much a dump that's never used.
 
Aleser said:
Hiya. DeafBlind person, right here.

As a personal belief, I think that society at large, and even the deaf community, views blindness as far more "tragic" a disability. While deaf or hard of hearing people may be preceived as retarded, we're usually just preceived as... incapable, and it's a constant hassle.

In regards to blindness being "accepted" more easily, I don't think that's at all true. Parents are masters at denial. They hide behind covers like "visually impaired" and "low vision" to deny the fact that their child has a serious visual or neurological disorder that leads to legal blindness. Because of this, the amounts of legally blind children who are not exposed to basic things like using a white cane to travel safely or learning to read braille is incredibly high. These children are taught to cling on to the 10, 8, or even 4% of vision they have left, using various "low vision aids" such as high power magnification, to make them more "normal."

Shel: In regards to forums for blind people, there aren't really any. Livejournal has a few blindness-related communities, and the NFB (the National Federation of the Blind, a group composed not of people speaking for the blind, but of blind people speaking for ourselves) has many of those email-lists. The AFB (American Foundation for the Blind) has a message board, but it's pretty much a dump that's never used.
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Just as with deaf children, it is expected that the child will use their weakest sense to compensate? Pffffft!
 
jillio said:
Just as with deaf children, it is expected that the child will use their weakest sense to compensate? Pffffft!
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It's honestly incredible what you see. I once encountered a girl with -20/800- vision who had grown up believing (and still believed) that if she just "paid attention" with her vision, she'd be able to see well enough to get around without a cane. For comparision, 20/20 vision is average vision, 20/200 is legally blind. That's an accident just waiting to happen.
 
Or as a more recent example, a deaf and newly blind woman was told by her neuro-opthamologist that she is refusing to sign the forms that declare her legally blind (even though she is) that would get her orientation amd mobility training, because she wants to make sure there's absolutely nothing that can be done before she gets a cane.

Apparently, it'd be a waste of time and money to be able to walk out of your own house without tripping over a step if you end up recovering some of that vision...
 
Aleser said:
It's honestly incredible what you see. I once encountered a girl with -20/800- vision who had grown up believing (and still believed) that if she just "paid attention" with her vision, she'd be able to see well enough to get around without a cane. For comparision, 20/20 vision is average vision, 20/200 is legally blind. That's an accident just waiting to happen.
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Poor kid! Just like telling a deaf child if he just listened harder, he would understand. Where do people get these ideas? And if the girl had of stepped in a hole and broken her leg, I guess that would have been her fault, too!
 
I think I may have posted this before, but I was walking across campus with one of my students who happens to be blind not long ago. He uses a service dog, and on our way to where we were going, there were several people who spoke to the dog, but didn't bother to speak to the student. They would pass and say "Hi, Freddie." to the dog, and no "Hi" for the student. I was WTF? There is a person on the other end of that leash, you morons!
 
jillio said:
I think I may have posted this before, but I was walking across campus with one of my students who happens to be blind not long ago. He uses a service dog, and on our way to where we were going, there were several people who spoke to the dog, but didn't bother to speak to the student. They would pass and say "Hi, Freddie." to the dog, and no "Hi" for the student. I was WTF? There is a person on the other end of that leash, you morons!
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Disabled people are invisible, you know.

A friend of mine uses a forearm crutch and is frequently ran into. On her worse days she uses a wheelchair and when she talks to people they often don't know who is talking to them (Look downwards!) or they run into her and her chair. :dunno2:
 
Ouch.

For some reason that remind me of one girl in motor wheelchair who seemingly refused to avoid hitting people in her path on the campus. People sometimes have to dodge out of her way. I think it's rude especially that she could have hurt someone with her motor wheelchair. But I have no idea if she have problem reacting fast enough or people have been giving her hard time for many years or whatever.
 
Silentwolfdog said:
Ouch.

For some reason that remind me of one girl in motor wheelchair who seemingly refused to avoid hitting people in her path on the campus. People sometimes have to dodge out of her way. I think it's rude especially that she could have hurt someone with her motor wheelchair. But I have no idea if she have problem reacting fast enough or people have been giving her hard time for many years or whatever.
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Well, I'll use one example. When I'm at deaf events, I hit people's ankles. Alot. Because (duh) very few people can hear my cane's metal tap, many people don't notice I'm coming, and I sure as hell don't notice them. As I'm not fond of doing the zombie-hands act to avoid hitting people, I just give up and accept the fact that someone's walking out of there with a smacked ankle.
 
Aleser said:
Well, I'll use one example. When I'm at deaf events, I hit people's ankles. Alot. Because (duh) very few people can hear my cane's metal tap, many people don't notice I'm coming, and I sure as hell don't notice them. As I'm not fond of doing the zombie-hands act to avoid hitting people, I just give up and accept the fact that someone's walking out of there with a smacked ankle.
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:laugh2:
 
Silentwolfdog said:
Ouch.

For some reason that remind me of one girl in motor wheelchair who seemingly refused to avoid hitting people in her path on the campus. People sometimes have to dodge out of her way. I think it's rude especially that she could have hurt someone with her motor wheelchair. But I have no idea if she have problem reacting fast enough or people have been giving her hard time for many years or whatever.
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If someone walks in front of me on the sidewalk when I've been walking in a straight line in that direction I will not move out of the way. I was walking on that line first so they should yield (damnit). It's not rude it's courtesy on the part of the person who has decided to walk into me and my path.
 
Heh, lol.

I guess it's fine as long as you didn't hit anyone with a broke or sprained ankle. Or otherwise they would be in agony for a couple of minutes. lol
 
I have to admit I feel sorry for the blind. I know the blind doesnt want sympathy just as the deaf dont want sympathy. To me not being able to drive a car has to be a huge hassle. Plus, I really enjoy driving. If I lost my sight thatd be something Id miss.

From the movie Ray, it doesnt look like the blind are treated any better than the deaf. He had to watch out for people cheating him out of his money. For example someone could give him 2 singles and claim its 15 dollars. A one or a twenty doesnt feel any different. Hence he demanded to be paid in dollar bills so he could count his money. He was also excluded from groups because of his blindness. Some might think theyd be stuck looking after him because they assume hes helpless.

I love that movie. It gave me a lot of respect for him. Not just for his muscial abilities, it was his shrewd business sense that really impressed me. You always hear about how musicans are cheated out of their money. With him it was almost the other way around.

Another question worthy of a thread is, how do the differently abled keep from being angry and bitter about bad experiences they have with ignorant "normal" people?
 
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