Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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"My eyesight might be deteriorating - but my determination never will" - BBC News (bbc.co.uk)
submitted by vwlsmssng
Fridux 5 points 2y ago
I have a theory that goal-oriented people extract gratification from achievements, as in reaching the summit of a mountain, regardless of how they got there, whereas process-oriented people like me extract gratification from experiencing things, as in climbing the mountain, even if we never get to the summit. As a result I do believe that losing a sense and thus the ability to fully immerse oneself in reality is much harder to cope for the process-oriented kind, because yes, it's still very much possible to achieve things, but the adaptations usually end up ruining the experience.
My belief in this theory is based on my observations that the people who either write or are featured in articles like this always talk about achievement as if it was the only thing that matters. Seldom do I come across an article like this stating that doing something blind is actually enjoyable for the process rather than the end goal.
My belief in this theory is based on my observations that the people who either write or are featured in articles like this always talk about achievement as if it was the only thing that matters. Seldom do I come across an article like this stating that doing something blind is actually enjoyable for the process rather than the end goal.
siriuslylupin6 1 points 2y ago
I think I am more of a process type but I also have some of the goal stuff. I just have a lot of strength and grit and lots of it. I am a more aggressive harder person though. Lost my sight early on and kept going I am a blind person who’s done a lot because I refuse to let anything lay in front of me. But I am the sort who does more then most very physical and pragmatic but also adventurous.
DrillInstructorJan 5 points 2y ago
I've talked about that article with a few different people and I don't get it. It says she, and I quote, "struggled to find anyone with a story like hers." Really? She's not the only person ever to get RP. Her story sounds pretty typical to me. One of the people I've spoken to recently is in the middle of having what sounds like pretty much the same horrible experience, albeit my buddy went from diagnosis to light perception in seven months, which doesn't give you much time to react.
OK, so I guess the person featured in the article has got the whole social media thing down and is making a whole brand out of it, and I don't blame her for taking what she can get out of life. I mean her no ill will at all, I wish her every success, I'm just not sure why she's being put on a pedestal.
What she's achieved can be achieved by anyone with sight problems. I don't want anyone to end up thinking that it takes special magic to do that. It doesn't.
OK, so I guess the person featured in the article has got the whole social media thing down and is making a whole brand out of it, and I don't blame her for taking what she can get out of life. I mean her no ill will at all, I wish her every success, I'm just not sure why she's being put on a pedestal.
What she's achieved can be achieved by anyone with sight problems. I don't want anyone to end up thinking that it takes special magic to do that. It doesn't.
annibear 3 points 2y ago
Yeah, I get what you're saying. The way I always think of it is, "would you write this same article about a sighted person?" Like, if a blind person summits Mount Everest, awesome! That's super worthy of an article because a sighted person doing the same would be worthy of an article. A blind person holds down a job and can get around independently? You wouldn't write an article about a sighted person doing that.
niamhweking 2 points 2y ago
I think it does depend on the help etc they got. So it doesnt suprise me if some have never met others with VI. From day 1 we linked my daughter up with government services, support groups, family days etc. Other families purposely havent linked their kids up with services, not wanting them to seem or see themselves as disabled or linking themselves up with services. I'm only in this world for 8 years now but I'm repeatedly meeting VI people/adults or parents of VI people who "never knew" something/somewhere existed.
DrillInstructorJan 3 points 2y ago
That is a double edged sword. Personally I err toward people being absolutely as independent as possible and not becoming totally absorbed into the disability. That doesn't mean you shouldn't meet other people. Even so it's not like I'd have been massively involved with loads of blind people if I could see, so I don't really feel the need to do it now I can't. My whole goal with this is to have it mess with my life as little as possible and to bury it as deep as I can. That's probably not very deep, often, but I'll do what I can.
If it were me I'd probably have done what you've done, but I'd be very careful about it because government services, support groups and family days are in the same groups as special schools and clubs for adults. They're great but they're not real life and people need to be able to deal with real life, and ideally without seeming weird. Some of the wierdest blind people I've come across went to special schools the whole time and I'm not sure it's a great idea.
If it were me I'd probably have done what you've done, but I'd be very careful about it because government services, support groups and family days are in the same groups as special schools and clubs for adults. They're great but they're not real life and people need to be able to deal with real life, and ideally without seeming weird. Some of the wierdest blind people I've come across went to special schools the whole time and I'm not sure it's a great idea.
niamhweking 2 points 2y ago
Yep, people can get very institutionalised. We do 2 family days a year (cos I think it's nice for parents to meet up, it's good for my daughter to meet others similar and it's good for her sibling to meet other siblings) and she gets technology in mainstream school but yes it cannot be your identity
siriuslylupin6 1 points 2y ago
Sure not the only one I take a similar approach to life called tough as nails most of my existence who’s going to stop me is the question.
FantasticGlove 2 points 2y ago
This is just standard inspiration porn bullshit. It doesn't really help anyone. IDK, I just never really enjoyed these kinds of stories.
niamhweking 2 points 2y ago
I think the overall thing to take away from these aren't they wonderful" articles is to educate the general public on disabled peoples abilities. People with VI know exactly how capable they are as do their families, it's everyone else that needs to know!
DrillInstructorJan 3 points 2y ago
I get what you're saying, but honestly that article isn't actually making her look that capable. It's making her look like she has a job, fine. It's also making her look like her whole life and every aspect of her identity revolves around the disability, which personally I think is not so ideal. She says that's not true, which may be fine, but she's not giving us a lot of insight into what else she does. That's why I'm cautious.
siriuslylupin6 1 points 2y ago
A lot of these articles aren’t or when sighted people actually write about blind people. But interesting I can see that.
vwlsmssng [OP] 2 points 2y ago
I think it is like when a read technical articles, if its a topic I don't know I think they are really clever, if it is on my home turf then they are full of deficiencys.
[deleted] 1 points 2y ago
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