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May 27, 2019

Dear Public,

Harassment of blind people has been going on since the beginning of humanity but has never been significantly recognized as an issue of society. Being blind is a disability that makes a normal life hard to live, and harms blind people both physically and mentally (Visionaware). By spreading awareness of blind-abuse, people will feel more comfortable standing up to the alleged-harasser, spread word of the topic themselves, and recognizing other problems that the blind community face as a whole.

Amit Patel, a blind individual, is pushed and shoved on a daily basis. He stated that both him and his guide dog, Kika, are shoulder charged, hit with bags, umbrellas, and shoes, every day. Patel said that putting a camera on his dog helped reduce the amount of bullying drastically, and he could now see who it was that was pushing him, how they were doing it, and if the shoving was deliberate or not (Independent). Making cameras more accessible for people with disabilities could reduce the amount of harassment and catch the perpetrators.

Worldwide, there are 217 million people who have moderate to severe vision impairment, thirty-six million people are blind, and approximately 80% of vision impairment is avoidable (World Health Organization). Donations to the American Foundation for the Blind helps make treatment, technology, and equipment more easily accessible to the blind (American Foundation for the Blind).

All in all, harassment to blind people happens every day, and it is time that society recognizes it. Publication about body and dog cameras can be made, and donations to blind centers can help make people’s lives easier.

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Works Cited

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Austin, Henry. “Blind Man Attaches Camera to Guide Dog to Expose Abuse.” *The Independent*, Independent Digital News and Media, 6 Jan. 2017, $1.

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“Dealing with Workplace Bullying When You Are Visually Impaired.” *VisionAware*, $1.

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“Vision Impairment and Blindness.” *World Health Organization*, World Health Organization, $1.

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“Other Ways to Give.” *Other Ways to Give | American Foundation for the Blind*, $1.