Hi Thomas,
Yes but you see that's where I think social integration falls down and it fails so many people. It fails us because of the reason you've just outlined, it also fails the person in question because they aren't gaining anything by being in a mainstream environment. I think that mainstream is good when it works but for the retarded lot it doesn't work far from it. I came from the specialist education system in England which is fading out now. But the amount of people with mental disabilities we had at these blind schools really did create a problem because whether you like to admit it or not, if you are exposed to them 24 hours a day 7 days a week, you start to be affected by them. The rules and regs of the school become set up in favour of the people with mental disabilities and inhibit the natural ability for social and emotional development in the rest of the population. Yes social integration fails big time if you ask me. -----Original Message----- From: gamers-boun...@audyssey.org [mailto:gamers-boun...@audyssey.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Ward Sent: 08 March 2010 20:06 To: Gamers Discussion list Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Help with some ignorant ppl Hi Darren, Exactly. I don't know how many times I've been with a bunch of other blind class mates and one of them would draw public attention to all of us by rocking, poking his/her eyes, picking their nose, or some other socially unacceptable way of drawing attention. I really really hate that kind of behavior from my own fellow blind peers as they draw precisely the kind of negative attention I try to avoid. I like to fit into the croud and not stand out like a sore thumb as much as is possible. However, I remember there was this one student, where I went to school, who had a mental disability as well as being blind. I believe he was mildly retarded. Whatever the case is he constantly was the one the mainstream students based their opinions of blind people on. He'd walk down the school hallway going, "yah, yah, yah, yah," in a monotone that was sure to bring attention to him. He pickd his nose, picked wax out of his ears, rocked, poked his eyes, and generally was the walking/talking worst example of a blind person you can get. Even though this kid was mildly retarted, as i said before, other sighted students and even some of the teachers acted as though I was mentally disabled as well. I know it wasn't totally this kids fault having had a mental disability, I don't think his parents tried to correct his bad social behavior, but I resented the negative attention all the same. It is that kind of negative example I think of that can really hurt our cause to be seen as just another average Joe or Jane who can't read print or see colors, but is otherwise normal. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gam...@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
