Blindness: What Do People Think

            Blindness; it seems to be a topic that is rarely understood. I became curious as to how much those around me knew about the condition that I and the others faced. Thus, I surveyed several individuals about the subject. However, since the topic of blindness is too broad, I decided that the best course of action would be to restrict my survey to six basic questions. Tall together, I believe that these questions can further my paper in the long run.

            The survey consisted of fifty seven people wandering about on the Dixie College campus. I thought I knew what their responses to my questions would be, but I was proven surprised on more than one account. For instance, when asked if they believed the blind to be independent, I found that 75.4% believed that blind individuals were independent. Now, since this is such a small survey, one would be hard pressed to come to an accurate conclusion. That, and college campuses are a melting pot of people from multiple locations. Nevertheless, I can use these results to show that independence of the blind is something to be maintained, which brings up the topic of properly training the blind.

The results concerning this particular topic didn’t surprise me in any way other than how many people had heard of a blind training center before. Even though the percentage was greater than I’d anticipated, the fact that 68.4% of those surveyed hadn’t ever heard of a blind training center, and even fewer knew their purpose. I can use this data to push the point that awareness of blind centers and what they can do needs to be made more widely known.

            However, it’s going to take more than just one person’s voice to make the matter heard. That’s why I got the public’s opinion on the subject. All total, 94.7% agreed that knowledge of centers for the blind should be made more commonly known. This fact brought me quite the surprise when I followed it up with whether or not people thought that having blind individuals go through these centers would make them more capable of living productive lives in society. 98.2% of individuals thought that the blind could become an effective part of society if given the specialized training in a blindness center. I can use this particular piece of information rather well to further my cause. The idea that it isn’t just the blind that want the blind to succeed in life helps to bring my argument into a better position on the battlefield.

Lawyers

             I recently gained the privilege of interviewing my uncle Tut about what a lawyer does. For most of my life, I thought lawyers did nothing but yell at each other in a court room and try to take advantage of the other party. But now that I’ve talked with my uncle, I know that the stereotypical lawyer makes up a small portion of their total population.

              Since my uncle Tut lives in Orlando Florida, I had to speak with him over the phone. Noise was rampant throughout my house, so I went to my room and closed the door. Doing this didn’t stop the noise from penetrating my line of hearing, but having the door shut did allow me to hear my uncle’s words. Turns out, uncle Tut is the type of lawyer that helps legal transactions move along smoothly. Like other lawyers, they attend law school for three years after obtaining their Bachelor’s degree. However, a lawyer must be licensed before legally entering their practice.

              My uncle’s insights into the life of a lawyer provided me with a small glimpse into a world that I would have otherwise remained ignorant towards. There was ring my argument out more fully in my up coming research paper. one thing however, that made me decide never to become a lawyer. I never want to spend forty to fifty hours a week at work. However, having my uncle dispel the shadow of distrust surrounding lawyers from my mind, uncle Tut has givwn me a way to further my argument in my argument in my up coming research paper.

              I plan to use what I’ve learned to deconstruct several of the misconceptions about blind individuals, and to show how this reality is possible. Gibing an example that everyone can identify with will allow me to draw my readers’ attention to an argument that would normally be brushed off as a topic that only concerns those it generally brings to mind.

Blindness: Is it a Blessing or a Curse?

            It is often assumed that those who are blind are unable to take care of themselves, but this is most certainly not true. While there are some that do fit this description that is only due to that individual’s choice to do nothing about it. I myself believe that just because someone is born or becomes blind, doesn’t mean that they aren’t capable of enjoying their lives in relatively the same manner as those around them. We who live in the blind community have just as much potential to participate in daily activities without being told how to run our lives. We can play games just as well as anybody else, as well as perform effectively in the work place. We only need the proper training.

              However, there are many obstacles facing one who is blind, or visually impaired, when trying to gain employment. One of these factors is the lack of proper training. There are centers where the blind can learn to be independent in their everyday lives. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of the blind community know of their existence. This is partly due to most blind services being located in larger cities throughout the states. Other times, families don’t even know that specialized training is even available to their blind family members. I myself didn’t know that I was able to receive such instruction until I was about thirteen years old. The Occupational Training Center, located in Salt Lake City, is where I received what training I was able to obtain within a three months time frame. Normally, I would’ve attended the center for about six to twelve months, but I’d already enrolled for my fall semester at Dixie College. Thus, my instruction was cut short.

              Nevertheless, it was in Salt Lake that I discovered what a blind person could truly do. I doubted myself at first, but then I met Denis. Denis used to have sight, but lost it somewhere in the middle of his life. Denis worked in construction before joining the ranks of the blind community, but he didn’t let that deter him from living his life to the fullest. He now runs the shop at the Salt Lake training center. This was where I decided that I could do anything I put my mind to. Denis’s example was what inspired me to complete what I could during my sojourn In the Salt Lake area.

During my training, I was required to wear a blindfold while I participated in my classes. The instructors didn’t allow me to do anything on my own until they were sure that I was able to perform a task without injuring myself. The instruction I received involved a healthy mixture of: cooking, cleaning, independent travel, technology and brail. I only had shop for a week or two. But it wasn’t just attending this specialized training that brought me to the level of awareness I have today. I’ve gained more perspective of what the blind could do by playing sports with others I’d met over the years. One of these individuals is a young man by the name of Kirt Manwaring.

              Kirt has been blind since birth, and has been a good friend of mine ever since we first met. We’ve played Goalball together, but he gave me an opportunity two summers ago that helped me to understand what a house with a totally blind person was like. I got to stay with Kirt’s family for Father’s Day weekend. During that time, he challenged me to a game of chess. The pieces were textured so as to help distinguish between opposing teams. Playing against him showed me that the blind can do things that are normally considered impossible. We just need to do them differently than those around us.

              This idea of doing things differently than others has also seeped into my personal philosophy about everyday life. In my opinion, going blind has allowed me to come to know those around me by who they really are, and not how they appear. This has provided me with a new level of understanding. The blind are the same as those around them. Sure, they may not be able to see as well as the general populous, but they have trials and tribulations just like any other person. We feel the same emotions, and can feel the same sensations of touch and smell. We can also enjoy movies just as much as the next person, though the professional descriptions given to them are more similar to an audio book than what others would consider a movie.

              All in all, being blind isn’t the end of the world. It merely opens a new hallway of opportunities. Whether one enters this new realm of experience is entirely up to them, as is any decision in life. I believe that those who are blind, though they may not be able to do everything that those with sight can do, are capable of things that the normal populous would consider impossible. One person that embodies this line of thinking rather well is “Dare Devil.” Even though his ability to see sound is something that a blind individual isn’t able to do, he still provides an example of how there’s more to the blind than meets the eye. Their potential, like those around them, isn’t determined by looks or how many words they know. It’s what’s within that makes a person great.

              If we who are blind, or are becoming blind, aren’t treated like helpless animals, and given the proper instruction, we can accomplish truly wonderful things. I also believe that if we were to do a better job of allowing those around us to understand what we can do, the world will eventually come to realize that like any other person with disabilities, we are just people trying to live with the cards we have been dealt. There even times when our situation is better than some who have no problem seeing the world around them but there is one thing I’d like to know. Is blindness a blessing, or a curse? Others may disagree, but I believe that being blind in the world we live in today, though it may have its disadvantages, is a fascinating way to live.

Goalball: The Greatest Sport

              Goalball is the greatest sport I’ve ever played. It provides an excellent release for one’s emotions. Along with this, those who play it develop a profound sense of trust towards their coaches and individual team-mates. Being blindfolded compels the Goalball competitors to work together as a unit while still maintaining their own personal roles. Together, players try to roll a ball with bells inside past the apposing team. The way the sport is played is like a fusion of: soccer, bowling, and dodge ball. Along with these combinations, Goalball also has things in common with Basketball. The taller you are, the more likely you are to get on a team.

              Despite all of its energy and audience suspense, Goalball does have one thing that needs to be changed. Currently, there are certain eye-sight requirements that must be met if one is to become a Goalball player. An individual must have a documented eye disease, or eyesight below a level of 20/100. This requirement is shutting the gates of possibility for many potential athletes. I’ve taught some of the boys in my neighborhood how to play Goalball, and there were quite a few that had a natural gift for the sport. Opening Goalball for all those who have sight or no sight will allow it to become more widely known throughout the world. Not only that, but it seems unfair that being able to compete on state levels or higher is denied to those who can’t see badly enough.

The Cane

              A cane is one of many tools used by the blind. They come in a variety of styles due to the likes and dislikes of every blind individual. They are important to the community I am a part of because they provide others and I with a basic means of getting around in unfamiliar territory. Apart from warning a blind individual of impending obstacles, a cane also acts as a warning to those around them.

              Having their cane with them not only allows the blind community to detect objects in their paths, but showing one’s cane, on the part of the blind, can become an act of courtesy. I learned this regrettably through experience. Before I was able to accept my blindness as a part of who I was, I refused to take it anywhere. As a result of this, I ended up walking into an elderly gentleman while my mother and I were shopping. The man not only yelled at me for being a stupid teenager, but he also said some hurtful things to my mom. This experience taught me that not making my blindness known to those around me could also harm those I came into contact with.

              Since then, I’ve come to appreciate the safety having a cane provides. I recently attended an independence facility in Salt Lake City. I was given an instructor to help me truly learn what a cane was for. Through my travel lesson experiences, I learned how much freedom being able to use a cane for daily travel gives a blind individual. Sure, they’re restricted to on foot and public transportation, but this gives the blind the opportunity to get out on their own and relieve some of the stress on the shoulders of friends and loved ones.

               But how much a cane relays back to its owner isn’t dependent on skill alone, they must also be made out of the proper materials. Since canes are smacked against the ground constantly, they have been designed to be as light as possible while still maintaining a modicum of durability. Most canes however, have been constructed using: heavy metals, fiberglass, rubber, plastic, along with graphite, though graphite canes are a fairly new development. Along with the different materials canes are made of, the model of cane also contributes to its proper way of use.

              There are three categories of canes: rigid, collapsible, and telescoping. Of the three, the rigid and telescoping canes are most alike. While one can be stored comfortably in a bag or case, this still doesn't change the fact that they both use replaceable tips. Such tips have to be replaced every couple months. The rapid ware of metal cane tips is why some blind individuals prefer the collapsible cane. This type of cane may be heavier, but collapsible canes have large plastic tips that can endure for years.

              Over the years, I’ve learned that every category of cane suits the need of a different blind individual. Once the right combination of cane and user is found, the cane owner must do all that is within their power to prevent their cane from being destroyed. A cane doesn’t do a blind person any good when it snaps from reckless behavior in the middle of a city block, especially if the cane gets jabbed into their stomach as a result.

              Out of all the things I’ve said about canes, I’d have to say that their most important function is helping the blind to detect the obstacles around them. Having a cane really comes in handy when I am deep in thought, as well as when I go window shopping at the Gateway mall in Salt Lake.