Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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“If I Was Blind I’d Kill Myself”- Advert Hurt (upsidedownchronicles.com)
submitted 7y ago by fastfinge
blind_devotion08 3 points
While I think it's not the most compassionate thing to frame losing one's sight as such a negative and traumatizing thing, I can almost understand it. I'm legally blind, (Diagnosed with RP at 11 yrs,) and I've learned over the years that losing something that was a major part of your life, be it a sense, a limb, or a loved one, can have a tremendous impact on your life the moment you're aware of the impending loss. There is a coping process for each. What I think the advertisement could have done better was to replace the second half of the video with clips of the woman getting help coping with her new life without sight. Show the woman smiling at the end!
The title of the blog post, sadly, is a sentence I've heard said out loud, to my face by adults who really should have known better. A fifth of the world has disabilities, and a great big portion of those are people who are blind/VI. As one of them, I'm proud to report that I'm happy, getting married in ten days, and have a positive outlook on the future, all things considered.
The title of the blog post, sadly, is a sentence I've heard said out loud, to my face by adults who really should have known better. A fifth of the world has disabilities, and a great big portion of those are people who are blind/VI. As one of them, I'm proud to report that I'm happy, getting married in ten days, and have a positive outlook on the future, all things considered.
modulus 1 points
I have to say I disagree with that position. The advertisement presents blindness as negative, because it's no shit negative. Also, it's trying to create empathy for the situation of someone who's just found out they'll lose their sight. People in that situation are going to be afraid and distressed. Because it sucks. And because they think it sucks probably more than it actually does. Point of it all being, they need support to deal with things, learn the skills they will need, and so on and so forth, so they can keep having the non-sucky life blind people can have. And that's what the advertisement is about.
To say that someone losing their sight fears for their job is not to say blind people can't work. To say that they are afraid and uncertain is not to say that blind people can't be happy. But when people are on the start of the process, it would be unusual to not be afraid. Depending on their work, losing their job may well be on the cards, etc. I think this view that blindness is some sort of neutral thing is oversensitive. No, it's not a neutral thing, it sucks; hint: if you have to compare it to terminal illness and war and famine to come ahead it means it's pretty bad.
To say that someone losing their sight fears for their job is not to say blind people can't work. To say that they are afraid and uncertain is not to say that blind people can't be happy. But when people are on the start of the process, it would be unusual to not be afraid. Depending on their work, losing their job may well be on the cards, etc. I think this view that blindness is some sort of neutral thing is oversensitive. No, it's not a neutral thing, it sucks; hint: if you have to compare it to terminal illness and war and famine to come ahead it means it's pretty bad.
fastfinge [OP] 2 points
Yes, but on the other hand, ads like that aren't helping me get a job. In fact, they're making absolutely every single thing I ever do, or will ever try to do, a hundred thousand times more difficult, by promoting the perception that blindness is a tragedy that makes people helpless and hopeless. There are far better and more upbeat ways of encouraging the newly blind, that don't also involve screwing the rest of us.
modulus 2 points
I don't think that's the content of the advertisement at all. It doesn't say "now that you are blind your life is over and you will never work again", it just says that you will fear and need support, both quite accurate for people becoming blind. I understand that the tone is generally negative, but I think you'd be hard pressed to present becoming blind as something positive, and this is about support in hospitals for recently diagnosed people, so how could you present it?
fastfinge [OP] 1 points
Disclaimer: this is a topic I am passionate about. If this response appears heated, it isn't directed at you, or anyone in particular. I am speaking as myself, not as one of the mods, and all views are welcome here.
> I think you'd be hard pressed to present becoming blind as something positive
Pretty sure I could manage it. I mean, not seriously, but as a self-deprecating bit of humor, sure. And perhaps that's the way to go; discussing depressing topics through humor is one way we find strength. Either that, or showcase blind people who are currently successful and happy, and talk about the journey they took to get there. That way the ad might start off negative, but it could end on a more upbeat tone. That would at least put a positive spin on it. But it won't happen, because the only purpose of that ad is scaring people into donating money, and if it means screwing those of us who actually are blind to get a few extra bucks, they couldn't care less. The CNIB in Canada also does this, and it's the primary reason I will no longer have anything to do with the organization. In Canada, we're finally transitioning our talking book library away from the CNIB and towards CELA and our public libraries. Once that change finishes, I will cancel my CNIB membership entirely.
I'm not against realism and practicality, not at all; feel free to reference many of the more depressing posts about education and employment that I've made in this very sub! There are enormous problems in the blind community, and we need to talk about them. But we need to talk about them from the perspective of finding solutions, using practical work-arounds in the meantime, and staying upbeat. Otherwise, not only will we fail to accomplish anything, we'll harm ourselves in the eyes of public perception. It might be a little hard-line, but I don't believe there is any place what so ever for negativity in an ad that is to be shown to the general public. Yes, let's be open and honest about our problems and challenges. But let's not talk about them in the same breath as we beg for money! Half of the problems blindness causes in the first-world can't even be fixed by a charity. We need companies to understand just how capable we really are, and make the changes needed to create an accessible work environment. We need educators to realize that blind people are just as capable of achieving academic success as anyone else, and take the time to teach us. We need people everywhere to know that we live, and play, and laugh, and love, just as often as everyone else in the world does. None of these problems can be solved by someone donating $20 to help the poor blind people, and then giving themselves a pat on the back. Yes, charities for medical research towards cures for various types of blindness are fine. But that's the extent of it. And those charities need to be run and administered by the blind (something that doesn't apply to the RNIB or CNIB), and they need to be extremely careful that they aren't harming the people who can never be cured when they ask for money. I think The Vision Walk that this sub recently supported did a pretty good job of that: it didn't portray anyone as helpless or hopeless, and it involved blind people themselves actually showing up and participating. So let's have more of that, please, and less extreme negativity, that only helps the sighted administrators of charities for the blind keep getting paid.
In closing, despite my complaints about this one ad, the positive advertising that I want does happen frequently. AMI in Canada has been doing a series of excellent ads focusing on the importance of audio description that clearly show the problem, what the solution is, and aren't at all sad or negative. I spent 20 minutes searching youtube to try and find you a link, but sadly I couldn't. Then I got distracted $1. However, be assured that the ads aren't "Think of the poor blind people who can never ever watch TV again! Doesn't it just make you want to cry? Give us money right now!" And that's exactly the tone I get from the ad featured in the original link.
> I think you'd be hard pressed to present becoming blind as something positive
Pretty sure I could manage it. I mean, not seriously, but as a self-deprecating bit of humor, sure. And perhaps that's the way to go; discussing depressing topics through humor is one way we find strength. Either that, or showcase blind people who are currently successful and happy, and talk about the journey they took to get there. That way the ad might start off negative, but it could end on a more upbeat tone. That would at least put a positive spin on it. But it won't happen, because the only purpose of that ad is scaring people into donating money, and if it means screwing those of us who actually are blind to get a few extra bucks, they couldn't care less. The CNIB in Canada also does this, and it's the primary reason I will no longer have anything to do with the organization. In Canada, we're finally transitioning our talking book library away from the CNIB and towards CELA and our public libraries. Once that change finishes, I will cancel my CNIB membership entirely.
I'm not against realism and practicality, not at all; feel free to reference many of the more depressing posts about education and employment that I've made in this very sub! There are enormous problems in the blind community, and we need to talk about them. But we need to talk about them from the perspective of finding solutions, using practical work-arounds in the meantime, and staying upbeat. Otherwise, not only will we fail to accomplish anything, we'll harm ourselves in the eyes of public perception. It might be a little hard-line, but I don't believe there is any place what so ever for negativity in an ad that is to be shown to the general public. Yes, let's be open and honest about our problems and challenges. But let's not talk about them in the same breath as we beg for money! Half of the problems blindness causes in the first-world can't even be fixed by a charity. We need companies to understand just how capable we really are, and make the changes needed to create an accessible work environment. We need educators to realize that blind people are just as capable of achieving academic success as anyone else, and take the time to teach us. We need people everywhere to know that we live, and play, and laugh, and love, just as often as everyone else in the world does. None of these problems can be solved by someone donating $20 to help the poor blind people, and then giving themselves a pat on the back. Yes, charities for medical research towards cures for various types of blindness are fine. But that's the extent of it. And those charities need to be run and administered by the blind (something that doesn't apply to the RNIB or CNIB), and they need to be extremely careful that they aren't harming the people who can never be cured when they ask for money. I think The Vision Walk that this sub recently supported did a pretty good job of that: it didn't portray anyone as helpless or hopeless, and it involved blind people themselves actually showing up and participating. So let's have more of that, please, and less extreme negativity, that only helps the sighted administrators of charities for the blind keep getting paid.
In closing, despite my complaints about this one ad, the positive advertising that I want does happen frequently. AMI in Canada has been doing a series of excellent ads focusing on the importance of audio description that clearly show the problem, what the solution is, and aren't at all sad or negative. I spent 20 minutes searching youtube to try and find you a link, but sadly I couldn't. Then I got distracted $1. However, be assured that the ads aren't "Think of the poor blind people who can never ever watch TV again! Doesn't it just make you want to cry? Give us money right now!" And that's exactly the tone I get from the ad featured in the original link.
modulus 2 points
Ok, it may be possibel to have presented it better, but the reason it's presented this way is probably because it works. Sure, showing the person coping with it and being fine would be preferable but it would also take more time and cost more, possibly get less attention.
While I agree with many of the points you make regarding the way society sees us, and that the problem is not about money, this particular campaign is about a particular issue which requires funding. Note this is a very specific campaign with goals: only 1 in 3 hospitals in the UK has a sight advisor. What does the campaign ask you to do? Not give money to the evil RNIB and its evil sighted administrators, but sign a petition to the British government to improve this support, which to me seems like a pretty good idea.
So in closing, this campaign doesn't:
* Ask for money for RNIB.
* Ask for money for the poor blind people who will never have a life.
* Complain about problems of blindness while begging for money.
* Fill the pockets of the evil RNIB administrators.
This is a campaign about one of those problems which requires actual social support: sight advisors in hospitals. It's not even particularly about curing blindness.
I think it's notable, and I'm not attacking you personally either, how people reach this conclusion that the negative campaign is exploiting the blind and asking for money for some unaccountable RNIB bureaucracy, when looking at the actual claims of the campaign they're really specific, and about an issue which requires action by the NHS and which doesn't involve the RNIB getting any money. That's why I think the reaction is oversensitive and a little misplaced. I don't think this should be the only type of campaigns that blind advocacy organisations carry out, but I don't think they're out of order, either.
While I agree with many of the points you make regarding the way society sees us, and that the problem is not about money, this particular campaign is about a particular issue which requires funding. Note this is a very specific campaign with goals: only 1 in 3 hospitals in the UK has a sight advisor. What does the campaign ask you to do? Not give money to the evil RNIB and its evil sighted administrators, but sign a petition to the British government to improve this support, which to me seems like a pretty good idea.
So in closing, this campaign doesn't:
* Ask for money for RNIB.
* Ask for money for the poor blind people who will never have a life.
* Complain about problems of blindness while begging for money.
* Fill the pockets of the evil RNIB administrators.
This is a campaign about one of those problems which requires actual social support: sight advisors in hospitals. It's not even particularly about curing blindness.
I think it's notable, and I'm not attacking you personally either, how people reach this conclusion that the negative campaign is exploiting the blind and asking for money for some unaccountable RNIB bureaucracy, when looking at the actual claims of the campaign they're really specific, and about an issue which requires action by the NHS and which doesn't involve the RNIB getting any money. That's why I think the reaction is oversensitive and a little misplaced. I don't think this should be the only type of campaigns that blind advocacy organisations carry out, but I don't think they're out of order, either.
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