Re: a few complaints about the blind comunity
@Afrim and Gene, funny, I could say exactly the same about attitudes among the general population over here. Whatever laws Britain does or does not have, generally unfortunately the "blind = alien" attitude still persists. It's interesting, my friend with the arthritis went from having a very invisible disability with her depression which people treated rather badly, to having a very visible and acceptable one with her wheel chair and has often stated how nice people are, both about access, and just on a basic social level.
It's still unfortunately true however that if your blind, most people think you don't exist. That people don't know about screen readers etc is understandable, sinse obviously if you've never had to use one why would you know about it, but what bothers me more is the attitude of blind people as alien, as intrinisically different, as not being part of society.
Indeed, I always think it is quite odd that now there ar
e lots of different characters on tv in wheel chairs, from villainous to heroic to annoying, but on the few occasions a blind person is shown on tv their "blindness" is still the major and most important fact about them, whether they're a super dare devil sensomatic awesome ninja, or a completely helpless person who can't do anything for themselves, either way it is their "blindness" that is their chief defining feature, they are very much "blind! people", not "people! who happen to be blind"
I've actually begun to think in the past few years that in addition to provision for equal access, ie, the state attempting to compensate for biological short comings, there should be some provision for equal inclusion or some compensation for the fact that most blind people end up being very alone and not treated as part of society generally. what form this compensation should take I'm not sure, though I will say it is another reason I don't feel overly guilty about accepting disability bennifit or any particular urge to go out and attempt to apply for a generic job like working on a shopcounter or as a generic cog in some office somewhere just because it's "what other people have to do" (even if I could get one). Of course, if the chance to do something actually interesting that requires my tallents (probably writing or singing), came up I'd definitely take it, but that I'm "not contributing to society" or at least not contributing to the economy is not something I feel exactly guilty over, ---- give me a wife and a bunch of friends and all the acceptance that other people get just by existing then we'll talk.
@Brad, the eldily thing is pretty unique to blindness, particularly I have to say in Britain, where the Rnib refuses to even acknolidge that anyone under sixty exists, (you can get all the braille knitting patterns you want, but nothing like braille tabletop rpg resources), they even on one informational day spent two solid hours on "legacy donations" aka trying to persuade people to leave them money in their wills, which was not just so specific to eldily people it was ridiculous, verged on the brain washing.
This is part of the reason I don't tend to have much to do with groups for the blind setup in britain, ---- that and the fact that of the few people who are! under sixty, far too many are rather cleaquey and specialist school orientated in their attitude.
I will say though be certain with housing what your actually being recommended, sinse different councils work differently.
My own flat for example, is a priority flat. This means that when people apply for council housing, they will give priority to eldily and disabled people with these specific flats first, although not uniquely, my down stairs neighbor is in her fourties and has no disability at all. I was concerned tha
t the flats would have lots of rules and regulations, or a warden who checked in on people, or essentially function more liek an old folks community, however none of those things were the case. In practice it is just like living in any flat anywhere, I can invite my friends round and do what I want and not particularly have anyone check up on me provided I don't you know vandalize anything or the like.
The nice thing is also that sinse Durham city council is my landlord, they basically will provide all the maintenence for free. If my pipes burst or my taps leak, I phone the council and they will send a plummer, they will mow the lawn and take care of the grass, and additionally though I nominally pay wrent, sinse I recieve housing bennifit from the council anyway the housing bennifit pays my rent instead and I only have to pay for utilities like water and electricity, (not to mention my phone and internet).
My flat is also not on an estate or some grotty housing pr
oject, neither is it one of a hole bunch in a huge tower block, it's in a building with four flats on a rather nice road with trees and flowers in the center of Durham, ---- actually next to Durham prison .
I'd therefore suggest Brad you be certain exactly of what your getting and investigate carefully first, sinse I was also concerned at basically being stuck in an old folks community but have not found that the case at all and am very glad of where I live, indeed after living in colidge for five years it's extremely nice to live somewhere with more than one room .
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