Hi Dark. Myself I was mainstreamed during all my grade school and high school and I pretty much didn't know any other blind kids I just ran around with the sighted kids and didn't think anything of it. I had good light perception so I actually did not start to learn to navigate with a cane until the sixth grade and didn't start really needing to use it until high school when my light perception started to gradually go away. It wasn't until I started college that I started gradually hanging out with more blind people although the majority of my friends were still sighted. For the most part those of us who were going to college were the pretty independent sort although I've certainly met my share of the ones that you describe. And yes I agree with you that they give the sighted world, which whether we like it or not which most of the time I like it just fine is the world we live in, have a pretty crummy opinion of us. There are other words I could use but I'm keeping my language polite. Anyhow it's kind of funny I now actually have at least as many if not more blind friends/acquaintances than sighted ones. Partly this is of course due to where I work, and it is probably also due to the fact that I'm long since out of college and have unfortunately lost touch with most of my old college chums.
Anyhow, I realize this is starting to stray pretty far from the topic of gaming but it is a fascinating discussion in my opinion so if you wish to continue it off-list that would be cool with me, I realize that probably not everyone is interested in this. Well that's about all for now, I need to go make fresh food for Xena our female green iguana. Oh gods below! That will require me to work with food processors and sharp knives! Let's hope I don't cut all my fingers off, won't be much good for gaming if I do. Game on. Tom -----Original Message----- From: gamers-boun...@audyssey.org [mailto:gamers-boun...@audyssey.org] On Behalf Of dark Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2011 7:12 AM To: Gamers Discussion list Subject: Re: [Audyssey] The importance of patronage Hi Tom. well I must confess I don't associate particularly with younger blind people in this country other than some I've met through this list or online precisely because they can become extremely cleaquey, have lacking or none existant social skills, fail to do things for themselves and regard anyone outside their group with suspicion. For instance I know somebody who flat out was amazed at the idea of me making coffee "without!" a liquid level indicator, sinse the indicator won't fit on the cafetieir I don't particularly have a choice, and when I mentioned how fond I was of my George forman they nearly went into fits at the idea of a blind person using something so dangerous! I'll admit that I have something of a prejudice against this sort of blind! people myself, which actually comes from the two years I spent betwene 8 and 10 at a specialist school which was positively victorian (my teacher was a dead ringer for prof umbridge in the harry potter series). the problem is this sort of thing can really cause problems with other people's atitudes. I was at the Aims music school a week ago which is a very high standard teaching course for professional and semi professional singers. i went last august so I now know people relatively well. The odd thing is I did notice a bit of distance in some people's atitudes and this time I found out why. Apparently they had two blind girls attend previously who one of the ladies in charge described as "dire!" they for instance complained bitterly at nont having an en sweet bathroom when in fact none of the rooms do, and when in fact the organizer had given them a room slap bang next to the bathroom. She described them as tremendously rude, complaining if stuff wasn't done for them, yet getting very unpleasant if people offered to help with anything. Then though she did note that sinse I was at university and had (she worked out), been to a "normal" school she assumed I was different. I will confess this is the reason that outside this list and people I meet related to games, I actually don't have much to do with other blind people in the uk, sinse I always find myself feeling irritated at some of the atitudes involved. Interestingly enough, my mum went through the specialist system and out the other side. she was told for instance in the 70's, when she finished school and was looking at university "typing, telephony or physio therapy" that's why even though i attended a specialist school for two years I wasn't a full time boarder there, and also why I've probably grown up with a rather different atitude to some other people who have hereditory site conditions. Also why I've ended up working on disability as my main research interest. Beware the grue! Dark. --- 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/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. --- 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/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
