Saw this post today and it's what I've been trying to say all along! Just because you threw on a blindfold or plugged up your ears you "know" what's it like to be Blind or Deaf? Have y'all forgotten about adaptive equipment & tools we use to accommodate? Sure it looks like a hard life when you don't have a cane or visual alert flasher!
This study states "...after simulating blindness by having their eyes covered, participants believed people who are blind are less capable of work and independent living than did participants who simulated other impairments like amputation, or had no impairment." Well, WHAT did you use to accommodate the "blindness"? Were they trained in Orientation & Mobility (O&M), did they have equipment? Or were they just blindfolded and shoved into a room?
I agree with the author that "“A lot of the disability that I experience has nothing to do with not being able to see,” said Silverman. “Instead, it’s because I can’t access something like a poorly designed website, for example." The true disability isn't our blindness or deafness, but accessibility and attitudes towards us!
"Simulated sightlessness can harm People's Attitudes towards Blindness"I
This study states "...after simulating blindness by having their eyes covered, participants believed people who are blind are less capable of work and independent living than did participants who simulated other impairments like amputation, or had no impairment." Well, WHAT did you use to accommodate the "blindness"? Were they trained in Orientation & Mobility (O&M), did they have equipment? Or were they just blindfolded and shoved into a room?
I agree with the author that "“A lot of the disability that I experience has nothing to do with not being able to see,” said Silverman. “Instead, it’s because I can’t access something like a poorly designed website, for example." The true disability isn't our blindness or deafness, but accessibility and attitudes towards us!
"Simulated sightlessness can harm People's Attitudes towards Blindness"I
Simulated sightlessness can harm people's attitudes toward blindness
Mainly this study showed the self-centered nature on how people perceive others with disabilities. Yeah the all too common "I could never...", well we didn't ask for it ourselves!! So shut the hell up and be more considerate and less condescending!
I understand the need for simulations for training teachers and professionals, but we need better simulations that includes equpment, accessibility and attitudes. Why not include the disabled people themselves? Wouldn't it be a better teaching tool to interview and shadow a disabled person for a while? See how they do day to day and see where the true hurdles are and then work on those hurdles (such as better access to websites, movie theaters, or communication tactics).
So instead of slapping on a blindfold and fumbling about, or plugging your ears and straining to hear, reach out to someone with a disability and ask, "what's it like for you?"
Tracy,
One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon
I understand the need for simulations for training teachers and professionals, but we need better simulations that includes equpment, accessibility and attitudes. Why not include the disabled people themselves? Wouldn't it be a better teaching tool to interview and shadow a disabled person for a while? See how they do day to day and see where the true hurdles are and then work on those hurdles (such as better access to websites, movie theaters, or communication tactics).
So instead of slapping on a blindfold and fumbling about, or plugging your ears and straining to hear, reach out to someone with a disability and ask, "what's it like for you?"
Tracy,
One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon
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