Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!mit-eddie!mintaka!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!David.Andrews From: David.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (David Andrews) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Re: Am I a son of a blinkie or what? Message-ID: <15286@bunker.UUCP> Date: 31 Oct 90 03:03:52 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: David.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org Distribution: misc Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA Lines: 50 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 11404 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] HK> Are we HK> supposed to be polite, understanding and complacent all of the HK> time?" As far as giving blind people a bad reputation, forget HK> it, you are not that powerful, all you are doing is showing HK> others what a jerk you can be. Think about why people are HK> constantly asking you if you need help, I can't believe it is HK> only because you are blind. Have you considered it may be the HK> way you act? As far as having the right to blow up just like HK> sighted people do, sighted people don't get rude and nasty when HK> some one offers assistance, they usually thank the person for HK> taking the time. Even sighted people are often offered help HK> when they don't need it, they usually have enough common sense HK> to say no thank you and leave it at that. No Maggi, you are HK> not expected to be polite, understanding and complacent all of HK> the time. You are expected to act in a humane and civil HK> manner. Maggi, do you jump all over a person when they help HK> you when you really need it? Or is that okay? and if it is HK> okay, how in the world are people supposed to know when and if HK> you need help? Wake up Magi, you live in a community, a place HK> where people have to get along with each other, instead of HK> getting mad, why not try using your sense of humor? You will HK> get your point across without offending anybody. Henry, I think you are being a little hard on Maggie. Yes, it is possible that she and others of us may act in ways that encourage people to deluge us with help. Willie Wilson once made such a suggestion to me when we were discussing a similar matter. In my case, I know it isn'T TRUE AS I am an extremely fast walker. To give you an example, I was once walking down a street in Chicago, full speed, which for me is as fast as any dog user I have walked with. A person proceeded to chase me down the block yelling, "you are going the wrong way." I did not know that person and he obviously could not have known where I was going and if I was getting there corectly. He of course in his own mind knew that no blind person could know where he/she was, and how to get anywhere, so I had to be going the wrong way. Many sighted people have a very poor idea of what blind people can do, hence the constant offers of help. They are of course well intentioned but often uninformed. Your point about sighted people politely refusing help does not hold true. Yes, some of them act that way, but being human too, I am sure some of them have some bad moments. Further, it is unlikely that they receive the volume of offers we do. David Andrews ... Your Sound Alternative -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!David.Andrews Internet: David.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org