Re: They don't like me because I'm blind...
Count me in the category of lucky ones. It's only but on a rare occasion I've dealt with moronic humans who don't accept me or my blindness. I take your point, Dark, that "doesn't like" is a pretty vague choice of words.
When consequences are to be paid (or if we believe there should be), it makes things far more difficult. Take this highly controversial stance taken by Lyft that says they are considered "a technology company and not a transportation company, therefore, they are not legally obligated to follow the Americans with Disabilities Act in the States." This obviously has significant effects on peoples with disabilities, not just us blindies, and will turn a few heads. Had this been a blindness-only issue, perhaps it wouldn't have even made headlines. In any event, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I get where you're coming from on the whole "unrecognized minority" thing.
Even locally here in the state of Pennsylvania, we are facing issues surrounding the merging of vocational rehabilitation services that would blend blindness-related services in with the mix of everything else. We barely get the services we need (depending on where you are in the state) as is, and this merge caters to the overwhelming majority. That is, peoples with disabilities who are not blind.
This whole blindness thing gets to be such a pain in the ass. Blindness has been very inconvenient; however, it has taught me the value of problem-solving and alternative thinking. That being said, though, I can't help but feel my life would have been at least slightly more fulfilling if not for better human interaction. The problem with this "getting down on myself" way of thinking is that just because I'd have had my sight since birth doesn't mean I'd grow up to make the same decisions in life -- joining choirs, being friends with the people I've made friends with, going to college where I attend now and pursuing computer science -- what if I turned to substance abuse? What if I had gotten caught up in the wrong crowd? (the sad truth is that I almost did, but my blindness was an obstacle because I couldn't run around town at age 12). It's hard maintaining the balance of "I hate the inconveniences of being blind" and the "blindness has taught me a lot in life" things.
That point was far more tangential than I intended, but felt it was somewhat pertinent to the original post.
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