White canes..
Brian Gaff
carrying the stick can still be an issue. Maybe the real problem is one of
public education.
Certainly around here where there is a large number of Koreans, they seem
not to know what the white cane is. Is it not a standard now over the world,
or are there other ways in some countries, for vips to make their impairment
obvious for other members of the public.
Brian
--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email: bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Frog2000
> If anyone heard the recent In Touch edition, I was surprised that for some
> carrying the stick can still be an issue. Maybe the real problem is one of
> public education.
>
> Certainly around here where there is a large number of Koreans, they seem
> not to know what the white cane is. Is it not a standard now over the world,
> or are there other ways in some countries, for vips to make their impairment
> obvious for other members of the public.
>
> Brian
>
> --
> Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
> graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
> ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It is shocking that in the 21st century, MANY people are still not
aware of the white cane, or have many misconceptions about the blind
and legally blind. If I use a cane, many people want to "overhelp" me.
Without it, people assume I need NO help at all. I am visually
impaired/legally blind. How about airport travel. My friend is totally
blind. We let the airline know that we needed assistance. The flight-
attendant helped my friend, but assumed, since I had glasses, I
ndeeded none.
Brian Gaff
disgruntled friend saying they waved at me from across the road and even
though I was looking at them I made no sign back.
I keep on telling people that my eyes look ok, but they are not. maybe I
need to have 'my eyes do not work tattooed on my forehead.
I understand that if I conformed to the media stereotype of 'the blind' I'm
be fine.
The blind stereo types are..
Person with dark glasses hanging off of a golden Labrador dog... the person
not the glasses..
Man or woman wearing slightly strange often food stained clothing with
unkempt whit hard and dark glasses tapping hesitantly with whit cane.
They either expect you to be a saint with superhuman powers of hearing or a
grumpy old sod.
The fact that we are these things plus lots of other things much like other
people seems to phase them.
Brian
--
Brian Gaff - bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Frog2000" <frog...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:5820ad25-2253-452d...@o30g2000vbc.googlegroups.com...
chris mcmillan
<5820ad25-2253-452d...@o30g2000vbc.googlegroups.com>,
Frog2000 <frog...@my-deja.com> writes
>On Apr 9, 2:27�pm, "Brian Gaff" <Bria...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>> If anyone heard the recent In Touch �edition, I was surprised that for some
>> carrying the stick can still be an issue. Maybe the real problem is one of
>> public education.
>>
>> Certainly around here where there is a large number of Koreans, they seem
>> not to know what the white cane is. Is it not a standard now over the world,
>> or are there other ways in some countries, for vips to make their impairment
>> obvious for other members of the public.
>>
>> Brian
>>
>> --
>> Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
>> �graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
>> Email: bria...@blueyonder.co.uk
>>
>>_______________________________________________________________________
>
>It is shocking that in the 21st century, MANY people are still not
>aware of the white cane, or have many misconceptions about the blind
>and legally blind.
Part of the problem lies in the 'white cane'. Not all canes are white.
And when they're not white, what does the extra colour mean? Over here
in the UK, someone who's deaf-blind has a red stripe on their cane - but
that's not the case elsewhere in the world.
I've just watched the film 'Blindsight' (six Tibetans teenagers - with
their German teacher who's blind, plus Eric Weihenmanyer the US chap
who's blind and who's climbed 7 highest mountains of the world. In the
film you see the young people using white canes - and one of them
clearly is using a cane with a lot of red on it. Probably acquired via a
'use it again' scheme somewhere.
Sincerely Chris
--
Chris McMillan
http://www.chinavision.org.uk/
http://www.oneplusone.org.cn�
chris mcmillan
<bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> writes
>Yes, the same goes over here as well. I constantly get the phone call from a
>disgruntled friend saying they waved at me from across the road and even
>though I was looking at them I made no sign back.
>
>I keep on telling people that my eyes look ok, but they are not. maybe I
>need to have 'my eyes do not work tattooed on my forehead.
>I understand that if I conformed to the media stereotype of 'the blind' I'm
>be fine.
>
sighted, unable to drive, but show no outward sign of being visually
impaired. We can see well enough to cross the road, can walk for miles
unaided - but have to take great care in today's crowded ill mannered
environment not to be mown down by whizzing bikes on pavements or
knocked out by parked cars on pavements.
>
I recently had a girlfriend staying with me: she had her guide dog with
her. She only got her dog in Dec last year but we've gone out and about
many times over the years sometimes with other visually impaired people
showing no obvious signs. Its amazing how different people treated us -
or rather her with the dog and me as the appendage. Except when I
physically *needed* a hand. My friend can leap on and off trains
without needing a hand. She's got good balance skills and I haven't.
We're both under five foot. She got the help and even though I asked for
a 'hand up' into the train, the chap doing the assisting ignored me.
Yes, I do wear specs. Seems I have to book the assistance for myself
too if I actually need a leg up. We shall see how I fare next weekend
when I go on a train with another girlfriend who has a white cane only.
>
Even better when we all meet up: around 30 of us. Two guide dogs, one
white cane. Last year I seem to remember we were more or less ignored
as a group to get on with it and the lady with the guide dog when we
went into a restaurant was helped discretely allowing the rest of us to
feed our own faces. (Buffet type place).
>
>The blind stereo types are..
>Person with dark glasses hanging off of a golden Labrador dog... the person
>not the glasses..
>
>Man or woman wearing slightly strange often food stained clothing with
>unkempt whit hard and dark glasses tapping hesitantly with whit cane.
>
specs, a peaked cap (they've obviously worked out peaked caps don't
always mean young lager lout) and the hesitant white cane.
>
>They either expect you to be a saint with superhuman powers of hearing or a
>grumpy old sod.
>
>
> The fact that we are these things plus lots of other things much like other
>people seems to phase them.
>
in Russia. One sighted bloke with them (partner of one girl). I'm
looking forward to hearing how this went. They didn't get into scrapes
on the air crafts that I do know.
Sincerely Chris
>Brian
Brian Gaff
done, and nobody is doing it.
I will use myself as an example. Due to the bleaching effects of RP, even
low amounts of light set off flashing and swirling patterns in front of me.
Thus even if I had much useful vision left, in such situations I have been
known to wobble a bit and also get very tired and a bit grumpy. Now of
course nobody else can see this problem, If I wear wrap around cut all out
glasses, its quite uncomfortable, and when in company, its almost impossible
to get anyone to chat with you who is sighted I find.
However, if I leave them off and allow the flashing, my eies look OK except
for the occasional wobble and change in size of my pupils for no apparent
reason. This then means people will talk to me.
I am seriously thinking of having some CDs made with these and other
explanations on them to hand out to the general public. You just get so fed
up with going over the stuff again and again, sadly with th same people
sometimes.
I think anyone with an invisible disability is stuffed. Wheelchair folk have
a symbol, but the others cannot point to much at all, and so for the average
person there is nothing wrong with you.
Brian
--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email: bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"chris mcmillan" <spam...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:iiO6cpDb...@chris.mcmillan...
chris mcmillan
<Bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> writes
>Well, the snag is the degree of sight.
>
at the 'sighted end' of partial have even less chance.
>
>There is a lot of education to be
>done, and nobody is doing it.
>
voluntary work for the visually impaired since 1973 and quite honestly I
don't know that much has changed in acceptability since then.
>
>Thus even if I had much useful vision left, in such situations I have been
>known to wobble a bit and also get very tired and a bit grumpy. Now of
>course nobody else can see this problem,
>
people will ever see that happening and everyone of middle age can wear
specs, so I am just like everyone else.
>
> If I wear wrap around cut all out
>glasses, its quite uncomfortable, and when in company, its almost impossible
>to get anyone to chat with you who is sighted I find.
>
wraprounds because there is nothing else that will fit over my
prescription lenses. I can't make up my mind whether my friends see the
specs first and ignore me on those days or whether they genuinely are
not seeing me as they walk past in church. (Which is where I mostly meet
my local friends).
>
>However, if I leave them off
>
lens to read something. These are people who've known me for over 25
years in some cases too so you'd think they'd be used to me first.
>
>I am seriously thinking of having some CDs made with these and other
>explanations on them to hand out to the general public.
>
Galway so if people look blank I throw in his name and they know someone
famous who has it. Then I can say how I'm different (worse off
probably) than him. But that's only because I've seen him perform.
>
>
>I think anyone with an invisible disability is stuffed. Wheelchair folk have
>a symbol,
>
didn't do me any good. And although the loop symbol has remained in use
for the hard of hearing the sign of visual impairment slowly disappeared
from shop windows.
I hate the idea of wearing a peaked cap and wrap-rounds I can tell you:
I must look a right freak, but I've been driven to it by the sun.
Sincerely Chris
--
Chris McMillan
http://www.chinavision.org.uk/
Brian Gaff
when she had just got out of a swimming pool and suggested she should have a
special cap with blind person written on it as she said she ran into people.
Actually people swam in front of her, she is very good at going straight. I
cannot repeat what her northern Irish response was, but it was probably not
what the member of the public was expecting.
The number of times sighted folk have come rushing out of shops and bumped
into me, or fallen over the cane is ridiculous.
Brian
--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email: bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"chris mcmillan" <spam...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:6LHsG$K4eDJ...@chris.mcmillan...
chris mcmillan
<Bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> writes
>At least you have not had what a fiend had.
>
regularly and away from water would be familiar guide dog owners on an
island. They've not said anything to me on this sort of thing but I bet
they've had a few tales over the years.
I think that takes the biscuit.
I'm off this weekend for a school get together where we range from fully
sighted (1), people who were regarded as PS as children but who have
scraped through our driving test, a bunch of us with partial sight or
registered blind with fairly good close vision to two guide dog users.
We've escaped any 'adventures' so far, but who knows! In a city where
disability ought to be taken for granted if anywhere, any arguments over
guide dogs will not go unnoticed!
Sincerely Chris
>Someone genuinely came up to her
>when she had just got out of a swimming pool and suggested she should have a
>special cap with blind person written on it as she said she ran into people.
>Actually people swam in front of her, she is very good at going straight. I
>cannot repeat what her northern Irish response was, but it was probably not
>what the member of the public was expecting.
>
>
>The number of times sighted folk have come rushing out of shops and bumped
>into me, or fallen over the cane is ridiculous.
>
>Brian
>
--
Chris McMillan
http://www.chinavision.org.uk/
http://www.oneplusone.org.cn�
Frog2000
> Part of the problem lies in the 'white cane'. Not all canes are white.
> And when they're not white, what does the extra colour mean? Over here
> in the UK, someone who's deaf-blind has a red stripe on their cane - but
> that's not the case elsewhere in the world.
I agree that that certainly adds confustion, but we have enough
trouble nationally to educate. I always thought there were
international symbols for tnings. Guess I was wrong.
--
http://speech_for_blind.tripod.com
Backup/Encryption/more...
Brian Gaff
them falling over white canes as you quite openly go on your way.
Also, of course a lot of white canes are not really white, they tend to be
reflectively coated which tends to make them look grey.
In any case, ask anyone what a disabled person is, and you will get
wheelchair as an answer, clearly there is a stereotype at work here.
Brian
--
Brian Gaff - bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
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"Frog2000" <frog...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:1ecd68b9-6321-4cdd...@k19g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
J. P. Gilliver (John)
<bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> writes:
[]
>In any case, ask anyone what a disabled person is, and you will get
>wheelchair as an answer, clearly there is a stereotype at work here.
. This certainly seems to be the case for museums and the like; their
websites are often very proud to talk about how accessible the museum
(or stately home, farm, whatever) is, but they seem to think this only
means wheelchairs ... sometimes, they've even gone to lengths to make
the website accessible - but not the museum itself! ..
. Actually, this sounds like worthy of a new thread, so I'll start one
...
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
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