Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Does it ever bother you when effectively sighted people use hyperbolic language to claim they are blind? (self.Blind)
submitted by KingWithoutClothes
Hello everyone,
TL;DR: I get very frustrated over sighted people hyperbolically claiming they're "blind". How do you feel about it?
I'm quite curious and also a bit anxious how this is going to turn out. Some people here may agree with me, others may completely disagree.
For starters, my question may come off as gatekeeping and people usually hate that stuff (understandably so). However, my intention is not to gatekeep visual impairment and I believe that a line can and should be drawn somewhere. In my opinion, it would be completely absurd to claim that every person on this planet who needs to wear a pair of glasses is "visually impaired". Just like I don't have a hearing disability if I have to ask you to repeat your last statement. Anyway, I digress.
In recent times, I've seen/heard lots of people, both online and offline, say stuff like: "Ugh I'm so blind." What these people usually mean is "I need a second look to find my phone" or something equally trivial. On a different sub, a redditor recently asked: "What's something that bothers you about yourself?" Responses were "being bald", "being impatient" and similar things you'd typically expect on such a thread. However, I was kind of thrown off by one of the comments. It said something like: "I hate the fact that I always need to grab my glasses first after waking up before I can look at my phone. Without my glasses, I'm a blind, stumbling idiot."
There were several things that frustrated me about this response. For starters, the redditor in question seemed to consider it a huge deal to grab his glasses from his nightstand; an action that takes 3 seconds. I couldn't help feeling bitter about this, having to spend literal hours every single day taking entire cocktails of eyedrops (especially now that I've had 2 recent eye surgeries). I'm sure many of you have experiences similar to mine.
Furthermore, I was massively annoyed about the fact that this guy can "cure" his "blindness" by putting on a pair of glasses - something that's of course not possible for me - and yet he's so ungrateful about it.
Yet, what frustrated me most was his self-classification as "blind". To be clear, I fully understand that blindness is a spectrum rather than a black-or-white issue. In fact, I'm not fully blind myself (I have about 2% vision in one eye) but I usually call myself blind. However, just because blindness is a spectrum doesn't mean it includes fighter jet pilots who've got a bad eye day.
My wife needs strong corrections for her glasses and contact lenses, so I know what that's like, roughly speaking. Here's some of the things my extremely far-sighted wife can still do without her glasses and without any special accessibility tools: ... almost everything. Yes, she might have some trouble reading a newspaper for an extended period of time but that's about it. She can still cook, she can ride her bicycle to work, she can help me with my eyedrops, she can even write by hand (albeit with a bit of trouble). I'm sorry if this offends some people but for fuck's sake, that's not "being blind".
Now, some people will probably tell me: "calm down, they're just exaggerating." Obviously, I'm aware of that. It still really bothers me though. I can't quite pinpoint why I get so triggered by this but I think it's a cummulation of factors. To complete ingratitude is certainly one of them. However, there's also the trivialization of *actual* blindness and visual impairment. It's a bit like the people who claim to suffer from depression when really, they mean "I've been feeling a little down for the past 2 days." Or people who have their butt touched at a nightclub and later compare themselves to rape victims. It inadvertently ridicules and negates the severity of the condition some people are actually dealing with.
Sometimes when I'm at the hairdresser and I tell the girl about my condition (never unsolicited, only as an answer to a direct question), I get something back like: "oh yes, I know, I also have really shitty eyesight, yesterday it took me 10 minutes to find my keys although they were right there on the table haha!" I'm always tempted to reply: "that's such a douchebag comparison" but of course I don't because I don't want to be rude. Still, judge me if you want but I get kinda hurt by these comments. I know people mean them nicely (as a way to cheer me up) but they actually achieve the opposite; they piss me off. Also, here's a question for all you fine folks: does a stupid or hurtful comment become okay simply because it's well-meant? What if I say something racist but I genuinely mean it nicely? Personally, I'd argue the comment is still racist, regardless of my intentions. Same goes for ableist comments.
Lastly, I also think it's interesting that people who know me and know what I'm going through (such as my wife, friends, parents) never say these kind of things. To me, this suggests they realize the obvious difference between having an eyesight of 80% on two eyes AND being able to correct it with glasses vs. needing a white cane outside. They realize how utterly absurd it is to equate the two. I only hear these aggravating comments from people who don't know me (properly) and presumably also don't know any other blind or visually impaired person.
Anyway, I'd love to hear your stories. Do you ever get these comments? How do you feel about them? I feel like the blind/VI community has a bit of an unhealthy tendency to tell its members to "stop crying and man up", so maybe my rant will be viewed as very whiny here. However, they are my genuine feelings on the matter and I can't help feeling this way. What is it like for you?
TL;DR: I get very frustrated over sighted people hyperbolically claiming they're "blind". How do you feel about it?
I'm quite curious and also a bit anxious how this is going to turn out. Some people here may agree with me, others may completely disagree.
For starters, my question may come off as gatekeeping and people usually hate that stuff (understandably so). However, my intention is not to gatekeep visual impairment and I believe that a line can and should be drawn somewhere. In my opinion, it would be completely absurd to claim that every person on this planet who needs to wear a pair of glasses is "visually impaired". Just like I don't have a hearing disability if I have to ask you to repeat your last statement. Anyway, I digress.
In recent times, I've seen/heard lots of people, both online and offline, say stuff like: "Ugh I'm so blind." What these people usually mean is "I need a second look to find my phone" or something equally trivial. On a different sub, a redditor recently asked: "What's something that bothers you about yourself?" Responses were "being bald", "being impatient" and similar things you'd typically expect on such a thread. However, I was kind of thrown off by one of the comments. It said something like: "I hate the fact that I always need to grab my glasses first after waking up before I can look at my phone. Without my glasses, I'm a blind, stumbling idiot."
There were several things that frustrated me about this response. For starters, the redditor in question seemed to consider it a huge deal to grab his glasses from his nightstand; an action that takes 3 seconds. I couldn't help feeling bitter about this, having to spend literal hours every single day taking entire cocktails of eyedrops (especially now that I've had 2 recent eye surgeries). I'm sure many of you have experiences similar to mine.
Furthermore, I was massively annoyed about the fact that this guy can "cure" his "blindness" by putting on a pair of glasses - something that's of course not possible for me - and yet he's so ungrateful about it.
Yet, what frustrated me most was his self-classification as "blind". To be clear, I fully understand that blindness is a spectrum rather than a black-or-white issue. In fact, I'm not fully blind myself (I have about 2% vision in one eye) but I usually call myself blind. However, just because blindness is a spectrum doesn't mean it includes fighter jet pilots who've got a bad eye day.
My wife needs strong corrections for her glasses and contact lenses, so I know what that's like, roughly speaking. Here's some of the things my extremely far-sighted wife can still do without her glasses and without any special accessibility tools: ... almost everything. Yes, she might have some trouble reading a newspaper for an extended period of time but that's about it. She can still cook, she can ride her bicycle to work, she can help me with my eyedrops, she can even write by hand (albeit with a bit of trouble). I'm sorry if this offends some people but for fuck's sake, that's not "being blind".
Now, some people will probably tell me: "calm down, they're just exaggerating." Obviously, I'm aware of that. It still really bothers me though. I can't quite pinpoint why I get so triggered by this but I think it's a cummulation of factors. To complete ingratitude is certainly one of them. However, there's also the trivialization of *actual* blindness and visual impairment. It's a bit like the people who claim to suffer from depression when really, they mean "I've been feeling a little down for the past 2 days." Or people who have their butt touched at a nightclub and later compare themselves to rape victims. It inadvertently ridicules and negates the severity of the condition some people are actually dealing with.
Sometimes when I'm at the hairdresser and I tell the girl about my condition (never unsolicited, only as an answer to a direct question), I get something back like: "oh yes, I know, I also have really shitty eyesight, yesterday it took me 10 minutes to find my keys although they were right there on the table haha!" I'm always tempted to reply: "that's such a douchebag comparison" but of course I don't because I don't want to be rude. Still, judge me if you want but I get kinda hurt by these comments. I know people mean them nicely (as a way to cheer me up) but they actually achieve the opposite; they piss me off. Also, here's a question for all you fine folks: does a stupid or hurtful comment become okay simply because it's well-meant? What if I say something racist but I genuinely mean it nicely? Personally, I'd argue the comment is still racist, regardless of my intentions. Same goes for ableist comments.
Lastly, I also think it's interesting that people who know me and know what I'm going through (such as my wife, friends, parents) never say these kind of things. To me, this suggests they realize the obvious difference between having an eyesight of 80% on two eyes AND being able to correct it with glasses vs. needing a white cane outside. They realize how utterly absurd it is to equate the two. I only hear these aggravating comments from people who don't know me (properly) and presumably also don't know any other blind or visually impaired person.
Anyway, I'd love to hear your stories. Do you ever get these comments? How do you feel about them? I feel like the blind/VI community has a bit of an unhealthy tendency to tell its members to "stop crying and man up", so maybe my rant will be viewed as very whiny here. However, they are my genuine feelings on the matter and I can't help feeling this way. What is it like for you?
Kylefornicationn 6 points 2y ago
Honestly, it’s a figure of speech... let’s not be a super sensitive community, and focus the outrage towards actual things of importance
don’t go into a blind rage
don’t go into a blind rage
Laser_Lens_4 3 points 2y ago
Lol that last sentence.
codeplaysleep 4 points 2y ago
Someone casually speaking in hyperbole doesn't bother me.
What bothers me are the people who say things like "I'm legally blind without my glasses" and legitimately consider themselves blind.... You're NOT legally blind. Legally blind means your vision can't be corrected beyond a certain amount and for most people who are blind, it goes way beyond visual acuity. If you can put on a pair of glasses and see just fine, you're not in any way blind.
It irks me because it's then usually followed by them claiming they can relate to us or understand what it's like to be blind and they just don't. Or it makes them think that anyone who's legally blind also has correctable vision - and that's the exact opposite of what it means.
My husband has 20/400 vision without his glasses. With them on, he has perfectly normal, 20/20 binocular vision with a full visual field, good depth perception, a full range of color vision, good contrast sensitivity, and he can to do things like drive at night and walk around in the dark.
Meanwhile, my vision is 20/200 without glasses. It's also 20/200 with glasses, with a 17º visual field, night blindness, monocular vision with no depth perception, poor color vision and poor contrast sensitivity, photophobia, and severe nystagmus.
One of us has a refractive problem. The other has a laundry list of eye diseases.
These are very different things!
Not that my husband is one of those people who makes this "I'm legally blind" claim. I'm just using his vision as an example. He knows he's not and he knows his vision and his eye health is leaps and bounds better than mine. I've just encountered countless people with similar vision to his make that claim and seriously mean it.
What bothers me are the people who say things like "I'm legally blind without my glasses" and legitimately consider themselves blind.... You're NOT legally blind. Legally blind means your vision can't be corrected beyond a certain amount and for most people who are blind, it goes way beyond visual acuity. If you can put on a pair of glasses and see just fine, you're not in any way blind.
It irks me because it's then usually followed by them claiming they can relate to us or understand what it's like to be blind and they just don't. Or it makes them think that anyone who's legally blind also has correctable vision - and that's the exact opposite of what it means.
My husband has 20/400 vision without his glasses. With them on, he has perfectly normal, 20/20 binocular vision with a full visual field, good depth perception, a full range of color vision, good contrast sensitivity, and he can to do things like drive at night and walk around in the dark.
Meanwhile, my vision is 20/200 without glasses. It's also 20/200 with glasses, with a 17º visual field, night blindness, monocular vision with no depth perception, poor color vision and poor contrast sensitivity, photophobia, and severe nystagmus.
One of us has a refractive problem. The other has a laundry list of eye diseases.
These are very different things!
Not that my husband is one of those people who makes this "I'm legally blind" claim. I'm just using his vision as an example. He knows he's not and he knows his vision and his eye health is leaps and bounds better than mine. I've just encountered countless people with similar vision to his make that claim and seriously mean it.
SupermarketSweep 3 points 2y ago
Yes, this is one of my pet peeves, too. I feel like people say this in an effort to relate to or empathize with me, but it comes across as insensitive. If you can slap on some glasses and read from a distance, drive, enjoy the majesty of the sunset, whatever... you're not legally blind.
JenniferJuniper6 2 points 2y ago
“Legally blind without my glasses” pisses me off too, and I’m not blind at all. I’m a lawyer, though, and legal blindness is determined by *an actual law* which requires maximum possible correction to be in place for the measurement. So it’s a contradiction in terms. I think people say that as a way of trying to make themselves interesting, and it really does diminish the situation of people who are actually blind. I’ve known a number of blind people in the course of my life (one was in law school with me) and I know my situation of needing glasses is nothing like being blind. My prescription is 20/800. Sometimes I like to look at the world with my natural vision, which is interesting, but it still can’t make me know what being blind is like, because my glasses or contacts are always available. And also because myopia is my only problem, so even with 20/800 vision I get quite a lot of visual information—colors and shapes and distance perception and peripheral vision. It’s just blurry.
bradley22 2 points 2y ago
It doesn’t bother me.
The person in that post would actually be blind without their glasses, they would stumble around like a blind idiot because they’ve not had training in how to do things blind because they have no need to.
I think you’re over reacting a bit here. Also if you felt that way, why not post on that post and see what the poster says?
The person in that post would actually be blind without their glasses, they would stumble around like a blind idiot because they’ve not had training in how to do things blind because they have no need to.
I think you’re over reacting a bit here. Also if you felt that way, why not post on that post and see what the poster says?
DrillInstructorJan 2 points 2y ago
No. I think it's a bit close to deliberately misinterpreting people. They don't mean blind like I'm blind, and we know that.
BlueIr1ses 2 points 2y ago
It annoys me a bit. Mostly because I don't think the general population understands how wide the vision spectrum is and it sure would be nice if they did. After I got my artificial eye, my good friend asked me if I could see well out of it... Um, no.
I will say that your example about people with correctable vision not understanding may be off. Before my first cataract surgery, my correction was about -18. Without my glasses, I couldn't do much independently. So, some people with correctable vision have a good idea of what vision impairment means.
I will say that your example about people with correctable vision not understanding may be off. Before my first cataract surgery, my correction was about -18. Without my glasses, I couldn't do much independently. So, some people with correctable vision have a good idea of what vision impairment means.
Revolutionary_Cod460 1 points 2y ago
It really doesn’t bother me. I hate peoples moaning about terms like blind date or being blind sideed. Like it’s just speach. I really don’t care.
achromatic_03 1 points 2y ago
Like others, I mostly get annoyed when people talk about being blind without their glasses, and then I usually give the clinical definition of blind to them. I've even put in a testimony like that for our DEI training at work, so everyone there has to hear it! The other casual mention of feeling blind is something of a minor annoyance. However, I think if you substitute the word blind with some other disability or minority status, it sticks out as being more problematic, which may just speak more to our level of tolerance for tossing around the word blind so casually, much like mental health conditions like bipolar and crazy...So, until we have a very pervasive movement or somehow have a "tortoise straw" moment, I don't see it changing.
oncenightvaler 1 points 2y ago
My skin is thick on this issue, I either laugh along with the joke and say in a cheeky tone "No, I'm blind" or I just ignore it, depending on my mood.
Laser_Lens_4 1 points 2y ago
I jokingly chastise my partner whenever she does it, but it doesn't really bother me. Only time it does is if someone is doing it intentionally to get under my skin, but that's not something I have to deal with on a regular basis.
nowwerecooking 1 points 2y ago
I’m usually the “you’re being a little too sensitive there” person, but in this case I totally agree. A comment like that would irk me beyond belief. It makes me angry that so many sighted people take things like driving and just being able to see in general for granted. I think I hold my close friends and family more accountable about that than people I barely know (meaning I would actually call them out but in a nice way of course). It’s frustrating and it absolutely sucks to be in our position, but in a way we get to show people a different life perspective
BenandGracie 1 points 2y ago
No.
[deleted] -1 points 2y ago
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