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Blind and Visually Impaired Community

Full History - 2019 - 08 - 15 - ID#cqnqra
17
What crosses the line when trying to help visually impaired/blind people people (self.Blind)
submitted by dankglam
What is frustrating when someone trys to help you/them.

And how do you/they feel when this happens.

Thanks!

edit: thank you for all of the feedback, much appreciated. Have wonderful day/night all of u
ConstantIncident 14 points 3y ago
Touching without asking. I've had people grab my arms or my bag without asking beforehand and it sends me into panic mode.
dankglam [OP] 2 points 3y ago
I can imagine Thanks :)
HDMILex 12 points 3y ago
Lifting the bottom of our canes and trying to guide us by pulling it. Anybody who does this is an idiot with absolutely zero common sense and decency.
dankglam [OP] 4 points 3y ago
Oh god do people actually do that
HDMILex 2 points 3y ago
yeah man
WarHamster40k 12 points 3y ago
Unsolicited "help". The person assumes that, since the person is disabled, they obviously need assistance and are incapable of getting help on their own. Personal examples include someone trying to help me across the street while I'm already halfway across, "warning" me that the person I'm dating is ugly (while that person is standing in front of me), or thinking they can grab my cane and start moving it around in order to help me navigate without even asking (it's like "helping" someone with directions by grabbing their steering wheel as they drive).

There are a bunch more, but this is a good start.
dankglam [OP] 3 points 3y ago
Thanks that's wonderful advice. I'll avoid doing that in the future.
bscross32 2 points 3y ago
And some people who try to help you cross at an unsafe time. Just because they want to run across and hook across to the opposite corner doesn't mean I wanna get creamed.
felisyadina 1 points 3y ago
Wait... I need to hear this story about someone waning about your date IN FRONT OF THEM.
vwlsmssng 7 points 3y ago
When something is taken and not offered.

Being ignorant or patronising are internal to the someone. It is not down to the recipient of the offer to discern whether the offender is ignorant or thoughtless or lazy or arrogant or malicious.
dankglam [OP] 2 points 3y ago
Well put, thanks. I'll edit better phrasing.
HalfBlindAndCurious 5 points 3y ago
All the above. Also (this has become less common for me) asking someone else to speak on my behalf. Like when a waitress would come up to us and ask my cited friend or fianceee " what does he want for his lunch" we have a policy of remaining silent until the question is asked of me. I'm perfectly prepared to ratchet up the tension because I'm an arsehole and it's fun but also because people need to learn a lesson.
Altie-McAltface 1 points 3y ago
I call this "talking around" someone.
skycaster15 5 points 3y ago
The being grabbed after being told I dont want to be grabbed. It is grounds for assault and i will use that to get you off me.
razzretina 4 points 3y ago
Everything mentioned so far. The unsolicited help is a huge problem, especially when the person "helping" doesn't want to take "no" for an answer and refuses to understand that what they are doing is not helpful and may be dangerous.
Being touched or grabbed without warning. I don't know why people think they can just manhandle us; you wouldn't do that to anyone else. Just offer an elbow or ask if the blind person needs you to guide them, damn.
For a dog user, talking to the dog while we're in motion, grabbing the harness handle, etc. There's a giant sign on my dog that says in huge letters that even I can read what you shouldn't do around her.
Cattus_deam 4 points 3y ago
Not quite a case of offering help, but sometimes people sit in the hallway and will not move when my husband comes down the hall with his cane. At times they won't move even after getting run into.
Another thing is when we are navigating doors, he will open the door and someone behind will grab it and pull it wider, knocking us off balance.
bscross32 3 points 3y ago
Grabbing us or our canes... just doooooooon't.
the9thpawn_ 3 points 3y ago
Ask before you grab/help someone and don’t get hostile if someone turns down your help. Dr Amy Kavanaugh has written about $1 with people doing this. It’s disorienting if someone grabs you/your stuff and it’s scary. If someone pulls this I’ll yell at them.
Kbomb13 3 points 3y ago
Wait, are you guys getting help?
ukifrit 3 points 3y ago
When people think they can read my mind and start doing unsolicited stuff. Opening my backpack and grabbing my arm / shoulders are good examples of this kind of attitude.
Californiaolivia 3 points 3y ago
When it feels like it.
Awaywithwords6 2 points 3y ago
Strangers telling me I am doing a “great job” when I walk down the street with my cane. I am not 5
Mokohi 2 points 3y ago
Guiding me without saying anything. I once had two girls grab me by the arm and start to drag me. I was terrified and pulled the pepper spray out from my purse. They instantly let go and explained they wanted to help me inside. I yelled at them that I knew where I was and they were extremely reckless for grabbing me like that. I could have seriously injured them because I thought they were trying to kidnap me.
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