All I see is blackness
My eyes are open
Still, nothing but darkness
Close your eyes
See what I see
But know for me there is no compromise
You treat me differently, as though I’m invisible
But I can still hear you
Even if you’re not visible
No matter our differences my feelings run true
It hurts to be ignored but laughter is grand
The same as it is for you
Even in the darkness I see you
So why in the light
Do you still have no clue
Open your mind
Turn off your judgments
You may like what you find
Equality is sweet
Differences are beautiful
So shake my hand the next time we meet
Written by: Nicole Rae
PLAYING THE BLIND CARD... Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those cards you hold well. And always remember when life's got you down, keep your head up... you can't see the ground anyway.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
How To Give Directions To A Blind Person
Giving directions to a blind person can be tricky if you’ve never done it before. A lot of sighted people are of course very visual so it’s easy to give directions that don’t work for the visually impaired. This article is intended to teach a sighted person how to give descriptive directions that will help a blind person get to their destination safely without confusion. It’s not as difficult as it seems if you just follow a few simple tips.
When giving directions to a blind person it’s important to be as specific as possible. We can’t see landmarks; street signs or any other visual cues that would help us indicate where we are. This means giving directions needs to be like drawing a picture. When doing this activity you pay lots of attention to detail right? Well, that’s what a blind person needs when they ask how to get somewhere.
Many blind people navigate freely around their town or city every day. But even the most experienced traveler can get mixed up or lost on occasion. When they do they have to depend on people around them to figure out which way to go. It can be very scary and frustrating not knowing where you are whether you are blind or your sighted. When you’re sighted though it’s a little easier because you can retrace your steps and visually search for what it is you’re looking for.
Blind people have to be careful because one wrong turn or step can throw their sense of direction completely off track. Once this occurs it can sometimes be hard to regain control. That is when the person might solicit assistance from someone passing by, or from someone in a near by shop.
If you are ever asked for help don’t panic. Just remember what I said about drawing the picture. Use descriptive words to express what you are trying to say.I can’t stress enough the importance of being specific.
Use phrases like, “turn right,” or “straight ahead three blocks.” It’s not necessary to talk to them like they are three but it is necessary to convey the directions in a manner they can understand them. Try and imagine getting somewhere with your eyes closed. What type of information would help you get to where you needed to go?
Never use words like, “it’s on main street,” “There’s a big sign you can’t miss it”. The reason the first example isn’t a good one is because the person might not have a clue where Main Street is. Never assume the blind person you are helping is a seasoned traveler. It’s okay to say something is on Main Street but add some more detail with it. For example, “If you go straight ahead four blocks that will bring you to Main Street. Turn right there and it will be the third driveway on your left.” The reason the second example is no good is somewhat obvious. The person you are helping is blind silly. They can’t see the big sign unless it’s in the front of the store and they run into it. Even then, they don’t know for sure that’s the sign they were supposed to be looking for.
When you’re done explaining the directions try to make sure they understand what you said. Be sure to do so in a polite way though. It could be easy to misconstrue this has talking down to the person. If you have time and they still seem confused, don’t be afraid to ask if they would like you to show them. They might of course say no but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. The offer might be appreciated and welcome. It’s possible they wanted to ask you to show them but felt awkward. If they do accept your offer be sure to ask them what type of help they need if any while walking. Some might just want to walk along side you unassisted. Others might prefer to use something called sighted guide. This means that they hold your arm. No two blind people are alike though so checking with them on their personal preference is a must.
If you follow these few steps you shouldn’t have any problems giving a blind person directions. It’s not really that different from giving directions to a sighted person. There’s just more specific detail needed to properly convey your instructions. If you have any other questions about giving directions feel free to leave them in the comment section of this post. If you would rather you can also use the contact me link to send me a private message.
If you liked this post please share it with your friends. For further information you can also check out the You Tube channel for this site. There you will find a video called How To Talk To A Blind Person. There will be more videos to come on the topic of relating to a blind person. There’s a link that will take you directly to the You Tube channel on this page.
When giving directions to a blind person it’s important to be as specific as possible. We can’t see landmarks; street signs or any other visual cues that would help us indicate where we are. This means giving directions needs to be like drawing a picture. When doing this activity you pay lots of attention to detail right? Well, that’s what a blind person needs when they ask how to get somewhere.
Many blind people navigate freely around their town or city every day. But even the most experienced traveler can get mixed up or lost on occasion. When they do they have to depend on people around them to figure out which way to go. It can be very scary and frustrating not knowing where you are whether you are blind or your sighted. When you’re sighted though it’s a little easier because you can retrace your steps and visually search for what it is you’re looking for.
Blind people have to be careful because one wrong turn or step can throw their sense of direction completely off track. Once this occurs it can sometimes be hard to regain control. That is when the person might solicit assistance from someone passing by, or from someone in a near by shop.
If you are ever asked for help don’t panic. Just remember what I said about drawing the picture. Use descriptive words to express what you are trying to say.I can’t stress enough the importance of being specific.
Use phrases like, “turn right,” or “straight ahead three blocks.” It’s not necessary to talk to them like they are three but it is necessary to convey the directions in a manner they can understand them. Try and imagine getting somewhere with your eyes closed. What type of information would help you get to where you needed to go?
Never use words like, “it’s on main street,” “There’s a big sign you can’t miss it”. The reason the first example isn’t a good one is because the person might not have a clue where Main Street is. Never assume the blind person you are helping is a seasoned traveler. It’s okay to say something is on Main Street but add some more detail with it. For example, “If you go straight ahead four blocks that will bring you to Main Street. Turn right there and it will be the third driveway on your left.” The reason the second example is no good is somewhat obvious. The person you are helping is blind silly. They can’t see the big sign unless it’s in the front of the store and they run into it. Even then, they don’t know for sure that’s the sign they were supposed to be looking for.
When you’re done explaining the directions try to make sure they understand what you said. Be sure to do so in a polite way though. It could be easy to misconstrue this has talking down to the person. If you have time and they still seem confused, don’t be afraid to ask if they would like you to show them. They might of course say no but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. The offer might be appreciated and welcome. It’s possible they wanted to ask you to show them but felt awkward. If they do accept your offer be sure to ask them what type of help they need if any while walking. Some might just want to walk along side you unassisted. Others might prefer to use something called sighted guide. This means that they hold your arm. No two blind people are alike though so checking with them on their personal preference is a must.
If you follow these few steps you shouldn’t have any problems giving a blind person directions. It’s not really that different from giving directions to a sighted person. There’s just more specific detail needed to properly convey your instructions. If you have any other questions about giving directions feel free to leave them in the comment section of this post. If you would rather you can also use the contact me link to send me a private message.
If you liked this post please share it with your friends. For further information you can also check out the You Tube channel for this site. There you will find a video called How To Talk To A Blind Person. There will be more videos to come on the topic of relating to a blind person. There’s a link that will take you directly to the You Tube channel on this page.
Friday, February 17, 2012
10 Things Better Not To Say To A Blind Person
1. “Look at that!”
2. “OMG did you see that?!”
3. “Can you grab the wheel for a second?”
4. “You’re not really blind. You’re faking.”
5. “Did you know ray Charles?”
6. “In your imagination, are you still blind?”
7. “Catch!”
8. “Do I have something in my teeth?”
9. “I waved at you when I saw you at the store yesterday. Why didn’t you wave back? That was rude.”
10. “We need to get their in a hurry. Do you wanna borrow my bike?”
2. “OMG did you see that?!”
3. “Can you grab the wheel for a second?”
4. “You’re not really blind. You’re faking.”
5. “Did you know ray Charles?”
6. “In your imagination, are you still blind?”
7. “Catch!”
8. “Do I have something in my teeth?”
9. “I waved at you when I saw you at the store yesterday. Why didn’t you wave back? That was rude.”
10. “We need to get their in a hurry. Do you wanna borrow my bike?”
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Scary Movie
The worst part about watching a scary movie is that my imagination tends to be worse then what’s on the screen. It might be a normal and totally typical scary suspense scene. My mined however, portrays it as the top ten scariest movies of the year all rolled in to one movie. I think it’s the whole idea of the unknown. You know, the boogie man is behind every corner and all that?
When I was a kid I loved scary movies. I watched them all. Nightmare On elm Street, It, Pet Cemetery and all the others. I didn’t even bat an eye lash back then. I could handle watching things that my big brother didn’t even like. He would find an excuse to have to leave the room while I laid on the floor cheering for more.
Now though, yeah not so much. I still like the idea of a scary movie now and then. They just scare the holy living crap out of me. I will watch them but never alone. Certain ones I wont even consider watching if I know ahead of time that the plot line doesn’t work for me. Which to be honest, these days that’s pretty much all of them.
When you can’t see suddenly the music is twice as creepy. People jumping out to frighten the unsuspecting victim makes you scream when it never did before. The voice of a vicious serial killer sounds much more menacing and gets engraved in your mind for later dream torture.
Once it’s over and I go to bed I tend to reenact what I just watched and of course think of all the reasons it’s logical, realistic, and was indeed going to get me in my bed. Thus, I don’t do a lot of sleeping on nights I watch a horror movie. Which of course is why I don’t watch them very often? I’m just not a fan anymore. I do miss the thrillers very much but my anxiety tends to override the desire.
Next time you rent a good horror flick try watching it for the first time with your eyes closed. Make sure you don’t peek. Try and remember when it’s over what your mind imagined and then watch it again with your eyes open for full viewing pleasure. Once that’s done compare the two experiences. When you could see it was it much different then you expected? Did your imagination run wild with overly exaggerated scenes while your eyes were closed? Did you jump and gasp more often? If you do actually take this challenge, I encourage you to leave your experience in the comment section of this post.
For the readers that are blind, do you feel the same about scary movies as I do? Or, are you much braver? Maybe you’ve even have found you love them more now that you can’t see? For those who were born blind how do you feel about scary movies? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section as well. I have disabled captcha when commenting so this process should be easier now.
Did you like this post? If so, please share the link with your friends. Be sure to check out the Facebook fan page and You Tube channel for this site before you go. Oh, and if you haven’t taken the “who are you?” pole yet please be sure to do that as well.
When I was a kid I loved scary movies. I watched them all. Nightmare On elm Street, It, Pet Cemetery and all the others. I didn’t even bat an eye lash back then. I could handle watching things that my big brother didn’t even like. He would find an excuse to have to leave the room while I laid on the floor cheering for more.
Now though, yeah not so much. I still like the idea of a scary movie now and then. They just scare the holy living crap out of me. I will watch them but never alone. Certain ones I wont even consider watching if I know ahead of time that the plot line doesn’t work for me. Which to be honest, these days that’s pretty much all of them.
When you can’t see suddenly the music is twice as creepy. People jumping out to frighten the unsuspecting victim makes you scream when it never did before. The voice of a vicious serial killer sounds much more menacing and gets engraved in your mind for later dream torture.
Once it’s over and I go to bed I tend to reenact what I just watched and of course think of all the reasons it’s logical, realistic, and was indeed going to get me in my bed. Thus, I don’t do a lot of sleeping on nights I watch a horror movie. Which of course is why I don’t watch them very often? I’m just not a fan anymore. I do miss the thrillers very much but my anxiety tends to override the desire.
Next time you rent a good horror flick try watching it for the first time with your eyes closed. Make sure you don’t peek. Try and remember when it’s over what your mind imagined and then watch it again with your eyes open for full viewing pleasure. Once that’s done compare the two experiences. When you could see it was it much different then you expected? Did your imagination run wild with overly exaggerated scenes while your eyes were closed? Did you jump and gasp more often? If you do actually take this challenge, I encourage you to leave your experience in the comment section of this post.
For the readers that are blind, do you feel the same about scary movies as I do? Or, are you much braver? Maybe you’ve even have found you love them more now that you can’t see? For those who were born blind how do you feel about scary movies? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section as well. I have disabled captcha when commenting so this process should be easier now.
Did you like this post? If so, please share the link with your friends. Be sure to check out the Facebook fan page and You Tube channel for this site before you go. Oh, and if you haven’t taken the “who are you?” pole yet please be sure to do that as well.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
No More Captcha
I've been trying to figure out how to get accessable captcha but still no luck. I wanted to announce that for the time being I have disabled the captcha when leaving comments all together. Once I discover a more accessable form of captcha it will be back up again.
I hope this makes it easier for blind and those with low vision to leave comments on posts of their choice. This will be continued on a trial basis. What I mean is, I'll keep it this way as long as a stupid spam bot doesn't start blowing up the page. Hopefully I will have found something that works well before then.
As always thanks for reading and I hope you come back soon. Oh and by the way! If you haven't joined the site or the Facebook page be sure to do that before you leave :)
I hope this makes it easier for blind and those with low vision to leave comments on posts of their choice. This will be continued on a trial basis. What I mean is, I'll keep it this way as long as a stupid spam bot doesn't start blowing up the page. Hopefully I will have found something that works well before then.
As always thanks for reading and I hope you come back soon. Oh and by the way! If you haven't joined the site or the Facebook page be sure to do that before you leave :)
Monday, February 13, 2012
Blind People Doing Big Things... Ice Skating
Stash Serafin has been blind since birth. Yes, that’s right, totally blind since birth! He is an unbelievably awesome example of Blind People Doing Big Things. His passion and drive has inspired many people.
Stash has been figure skating since 1968. He has helped raise money for Olympic skaters as well as for projects for skaters with disabilities. He has done numerous motivational speeches and appeared on Good Morning America as well as the radio.
Apparently Stash is a multi-tasker. Not only does he skate beautifully but he has also co-written a book titled You Can’t Get it’Cause You’ve Already Got it. You can find this book on Amazon.
The video I am linking below is one of three on his You Tube channel. In this video Stash performs his electrifying skating moves seemingly effortlessly. He spins and jumps in time with the music. He performs completely unassisted as he glides across the ice. Hitting the side walls of the rink is a danger but it doesn’t stop him. His skill comes from hard work and skating by sound. Every time he clears a jump or masterful spin the crowd erupts with cheers and applause. In between skate scenes you will get to hear from Serafin himself.
I hope you like this video as much as I did. I encourage readers to check out his other videos on his channel.
Stash has been figure skating since 1968. He has helped raise money for Olympic skaters as well as for projects for skaters with disabilities. He has done numerous motivational speeches and appeared on Good Morning America as well as the radio.
Apparently Stash is a multi-tasker. Not only does he skate beautifully but he has also co-written a book titled You Can’t Get it’Cause You’ve Already Got it. You can find this book on Amazon.
The video I am linking below is one of three on his You Tube channel. In this video Stash performs his electrifying skating moves seemingly effortlessly. He spins and jumps in time with the music. He performs completely unassisted as he glides across the ice. Hitting the side walls of the rink is a danger but it doesn’t stop him. His skill comes from hard work and skating by sound. Every time he clears a jump or masterful spin the crowd erupts with cheers and applause. In between skate scenes you will get to hear from Serafin himself.
I hope you like this video as much as I did. I encourage readers to check out his other videos on his channel.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The next You Tube Video
Hello all! Please come check out the latest video on You Tube for Playing The Blind Card called "How To Talk To A Blind Person".
It just gives a few helful tips on the right and wrong way to talk to a blind person.
Please be sure to subscribe to the video and leave a comment with your thoughts.
Over to the right is a link that says "subscribe to me on You Tube". Pressing this link will take you directly to the You Tube channel for this site.
Do you have any ideas for upcoming video topics? Leave a comment below with any suggestions.
It just gives a few helful tips on the right and wrong way to talk to a blind person.
Please be sure to subscribe to the video and leave a comment with your thoughts.
Over to the right is a link that says "subscribe to me on You Tube". Pressing this link will take you directly to the You Tube channel for this site.
Do you have any ideas for upcoming video topics? Leave a comment below with any suggestions.
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