Condolences, squared. Firstly on the ER trip and secondly on the shitty treatment. I was recently in the ER, In-patient care, and then rehab, as a health care surrogate; and was bombarded by all of their massive ignorance regarding my vision status and white cane/usage. It got to the point where unless it was a medically necessary question, I started every answer with some variation of, "thank you for the opportunity to correct your ignorance regarding vision disabilities, especially in a medical setting." It stopped almost all off the medically irrelevant questions thereafter. Hope you're free soonly.

I once was told I had to remove my prosthesis for an MRI (unnecessary, but whatever) and while holding my eye in a biohazard bag the nurse asked me if I could see out of it. I responded, "No. I'm not a fucking muppet."

Maybe canes should be used as weapons……….

My ex-husband was questioned about his cane by security at the democratic national convention in 2016. (Same issue - could be used as a weapon). Ridiculous.

You heard it here folks, no canes allowed in the hospital! /s

I recently had an anaesthesiologist ask me if I used 'that' for balance or something.
'It's for mobility because I'm vision impaired'
'Oh so it's for your eyes.'
'..yeah.'


Lets just say I didn't answer the way I really wanted to.

As for point 5, as a nurse I literally ask this anyone who hasn't proven me they're able to. It may have just been a routine question.

The other ones... Yeah. I'm noticing the average person is quite stupid.

Really it’s just ignorance and most people don’t mean it maliciously. I am sure that there’s some jerks who do but most people just don’t get it. So they ask stupid questions. Education is the best remedy unless the question is hostile which is pretty rare and obvious which standing up for yourself is pretty close.

The cane as a weapon one would probably get something sharp from me. That seems absurd. I’d almost want to say against who you? Are you that darn insecure about yourself and your safety. Who do you think I am going to try and fight in here?

In reality I am not sure what I would say probably ask them what they meant and how can it be, it’s a tool I need it to get around or some such thing.

I am usually pretty understanding but that would take the cake.


I get a lot of 5 though as a totally blind person or oh no stop you’re going to fall.

I sort of have to brag a little not that I want to but I need them to realize that I am not a baby and I can walk across the room or use the facilities and be fine. So it’s like I’ve traveled across the country by myself, totally alone, to 6 different state as a single blind woman. Do you honestly really believe I can’t do x. Excuse me. Sometimes at church I am asked and it’s like. Uh. Do you think after walking around on. My own around philly my first couple days there or nyc even around my home state where I currently reside in Los angeles county okay, do you think walking around a church or a sanctuary is that difficult, mind you I’ve been here 100s of times before? Nah I think it’s a piece of cake.

Numbers 1,2, and 5 are just ignorant people trying to help you. While annoying, I don’t think they meant any harm.

Numbers 3 and 4 and just dumb, I get it

I don't understand why there is absolutely zero training to deal with blind people in nursing or medical school. You would think the doctors would be smarter with their additional training, but they aren't. That's the job of random blind people, to train nursing and doctor staff. Seriously, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of education and never sit down with a blind person or have any blind training at all other than ocular anatomy and function.

They don't even teach kids in school what a white cane is, why it is, and how it works. At least not in this state. That's also the unpaid job of random blind people, apparently.

If you do anything other than answer all their extremely personal questions that they have no right to ask, you will get attitude. Because that's your job. Everyone knows that. So, whoever's out there answering every question, if you could stop for a little while, that'd be great. Tell them to go ask their mother, teacher, or the internet.

I was at a gynecologist appointment, and the nurse asked if I needed help getting dressed after my exam .

I'm sure you have the same level of humor as I do and was just laughing in misery lol