Hi! Pretty blind but not completely blind person here. I can't speak for everyone but if you legally cannot drive then welcome to the blind community. The thing is, you can have 20/20 vision but have almost no field of vision or you could have a wide field of vision and be 20/800. Or they can have 20/40 on very particular conditions. My right eye fluctuates between 20/300 and 20/100 but I'm still legally blind in that eye since I only have 20% field of vision. Honestly you and I don't know the whole situation and I have more important things to be offended over like the idiots who grab my arm in public.

I personally don't give a shit, but I'm considered non-pc most of the time.

I guess I'm in the minority. I don't offend easily, but this is one of the few things I do find offensive.

It doesn't bother me when it's an off-hand comment/joke like that, but it bothers me when I'm talking to someone about my vision loss and they come back with something like "yeah, my vision's horrible without my glasses" or the even more ridiculous "I'm legally blind without my glasses." No. You're not. The literal definition of legally blind makes that impossible.

There's so much more to my blindness than visual acuity. There's monocular vision, there's retina damage to my remaining eye, visual field loss, loss of contrast sensitivity, colorblindness, nystagmus, a history of cataract and glaucoma, and roughly a dozen eye surgeries.

My husband's visual acuity without his glasses is actually far worse than mine. With them, his vision is 20/20. He's never once tried to relate them as being anywhere near the same thing, because he knows they're not.

The people who think they are the same thing really get under my skin.

Saying. you're blind without your glasses when I tell you about my vision loss doesn't make us buddies. it doesn't make you relatable. It just makes you sound dismissive and inconsiderate.

I’m legally blind. Limited field of vision with RP. I don’t find it offensive.I’ve had completely blind folk say no your not blind. Your low vision.

I actually really dislike it - a few people at work say it so casually and it irritates me so much. I know that’s just me being sensitive to it though (some of them are new, and in this time of working from home have never met me).

But then, I don’t call myself blind. I’m what the UK system calls “sight impaired” or “partially blind” but I don’t use the latter term. I may use a cane at certain times because of certain issues, but I’m nowhere near blind - visual acuity is 20/80 with best correction, 20/120 without anything. But I’ve got field loss both left and right, questionable depth perception, nystagmus and no really useful night vision.

It's annoying. Really the more annoying thing is direct comparisons, like "oh, I'm so blind too...when I'm not wearing my glasses." Which is kind of like saying "oh, you're in a wheelchair. I also can't walk while I'm sitting down."

Blind people, I think, have enough serious day-to-day issues, including but also beyond discrimination, that we haven't really gotten fully into the whole microaggression thing yet as a community. I kind of do think it will happen, or at least a vocal group of blind people will try to take that up. But really there is so much shit that is straight up not accessible at all that caring about language is a total distraction. I would prefer that someone use the most un-PC language and hire a blind person than say all the right things and never do anything to make a change.

I get why people say this—their reality is all they know so to them it could feel really limiting. I wouldn’t call someone out because they’re not going to understand and just get defensive.

I think while people may be well intended or not really thinking much about an off handed comment like that, what they don’t realize is that thinking like that can (not all obviously),take away empathy toward someone who is VI or Blind.

In my experience, both with deafness and vision issues, sometimes people get that idea that “oh I’m SO blind!” And then when they interact with someone who’s blind/vi etc., they don’t listen.

Especially in workplaces or social environments, I’ve experienced “oh my god, I’m so blind / deaf / whatever too!” and then they tune out when I don’t respond they way they expect or they question why I am doing something a certain way because of my vision/hearing etc. That’s what upsets me—they think they’re empathizing or just saying something offhandedly, but it often leads to a lack of willingness to accommodate someone / empathize as needed.

offensive? no, but I would call it annoying and somewhat dismissive but since it is a place a work I wouldn't say something, your doctors patients could see it as something to complain over instead I would talk to your boss about how you feel about it, though be prepared to have them think you are "overly sensitive" or a"SJW"

also I feel like the English words for visual impairment are weird. To me "visual impaired" doesn't mean blind but it does in English as far as I can tell (from what I learned on this sub)

To be offended I suppose I'd have to think of some situation where a visual impairment would be of some advantage. ROFL.

I think the difference is whether your vision corrects or not, but ultimately I don't care what other people call themselves or their disabilities. It doesn't make me less blind.

I wouldn't say I find it offensive, but I find it annoying as hell.

Yea it does bother me. 20/100 tho is pretty bad. But glasses can correct it for them. They dont know what it truly means to be blind or visually impaired. Sure its just an exaggeraion I guess and it doesnt bother me that much, but it is kinda annoying and I can see why someone might feel offended by it.

No couldn’t care less

Jokes highlight and bring awareness with light hearted comparisons and reminders.

When it moves away from humor and overexaggerating is when I think a problem will start.

I don't care, I only think it's a problem if someone is making jokes like that on purpose being rude because let's be honest here some people don't realize what blind actually is that like example of my case I didn't know that I could fall into a bind I'm technically legally blind I do have some Vision in my eye on the right side but it's got in a little bit worse because I have light sensitivity issues and do the my failure at the light sensitivity test at least I think that's what it's called it's a sin will you push the buttons when you see the little lines I'm considered legally blind at this point LOL so in summary I don't care they which are like just don't be rude about

Yes, it really pisses me off.

But you should NOT call them out, No matter how hard you tried, they just wouldn't 'get it,' and you'd risk losing your job because you upset a patient. Just let it slide..... and realize those people have probably never met a real blind person, so they truly have NO idea what it's like.... It's not worth the fight.

Isn't 20-100 vision considered legally blind? I guess it depends on the area itself, but where I live it is.

I honestly dont care, unless there making fun of blind people but to a certain degree they kind of are blind

I always find it very ironic when one of my carers comes in looking for something, not really looking that hard at all, and then I (blind person with very limited mobility) comes over and produces said item. I often get "oh I'm so blind!" If I like the person I'll ask them if they'd like a long cane with that.

Don't give a fuck.

Offensive? As many others have said, no. It is kind of annoying and ignorant, though.

I don't care and I don't think most people do, although there's a few people here who seem keen on getting all wound up about it.

Still, for myself, I have enough things to worry about beyond just words.

[deleted]