Does Society Treat the Blind any different and the Deaf?

Babyblue said:
What is O&M training?
Click to expand...

O&M stands for orientation and mobility. O&M training consists of teaching the blind and visually impaired how to travel safely indoors and outdoors with a white cane or guide dog.

Some of the skills that are learned during O&M training include learning how to read traffic patterns/crossing streets safely, identifying cardinal directions, using the correct cane technique in certain environments (for example, "diagonal technique," "two point touch," "three point touch," etc.), learning address systems and how they work in a given neighborhood, finding a certain room/location within a building, learning how to navigate in crowded or noisy environments, learning how to ask for assistance from other pedestrians/people, following routes using a Braille/tactile map, following routes according to an O&M instructor's directions and learning how to take public transportation (i.e. bus, taxi, subway, train, plane, etc.).
 
Hear Again said:
O&M stands for orientation and mobility. O&M training consists of teaching the blind and visually impaired how to travel safely indoors and outdoors with a white cane or guide dog.

Some of the skills that are learned during O&M training include learning how to read traffic patterns/crossing streets safely, identifying cardinal directions, using the correct cane technique in certain environments (for example, "diagonal technique," "two point touch," "three point touch," etc.), learning address systems and how they work in a given neighborhood, finding a certain room/location within a building, learning how to navigate in crowded or noisy environments, learning how to ask for assistance from other pedestrians/people, following routes using a Braille/tactile map, following routes according to an O&M instructor's directions and learning how to take public transportation (i.e. bus, taxi, subway, train, plane, etc.).
Click to expand...

Thanks.
 
Hear Again said:
I'm surprised the NFB had information about guide dogs at the convention -- especially since they don't promote the use of dogs and had an extremely long article in the "Braille Monitor" about dogs vs. canes.
Click to expand...

There were ample amounts of guide dogs at the convention, as well as I believe two guide dog schools with tables set up handing out information about their programs.

I do think some of the dogs at the convention gave people the bad idea about dogs, ranging from them entirely ignoring the human attached to them and sniffing out other dogs, to quite a few (three in one week that I was there to witness...) taking a tumble down the stairs. Of course, there were quite a few good dogs, but still.. I don't think it looked too incredible in the face of an overwhelming amount of extremely capable cane users.
 
Aleser said:
There were ample amounts of guide dogs at the convention, as well as I believe two guide dog schools with tables set up handing out information about their programs.

I do think some of the dogs at the convention gave people the bad idea about dogs, ranging from them entirely ignoring the human attached to them and sniffing out other dogs, to quite a few (three in one week that I was there to witness...) taking a tumble down the stairs. Of course, there were quite a few good dogs, but still.. I don't think it looked too incredible in the face of an overwhelming amount of extremely capable cane users.
Click to expand...

Oh believe me, I've also seen my share of extremely incapable NFB cane users. Just like guide dog users, they're not all perfect.
 
Wokamuka said:
:eek3:
Click to expand...

You're surprised by that? I'm not. I've been a member of the NFB since the mid 80s and I've seen my share of poor NFB cane users.

I have nothing against the NFB, but not all of their members know how to travel as well as they claim they do. Even Kenneth Jernigan (may he rest in peace) was known for using sighted guide most of the time.

I'm not the greatest cane traveler either, but at the same time, I never claimed to be.
 
Hear Again said:
You're surprised by that? I'm not. I've been a member of the NFB since the mid 80s and I've seen my share of poor NFB cane users.

I have nothing against the NFB, but not all of their members know how to travel as well as they claim they do. Even Kenneth Jernigan (may he rest in peace) was known for using sighted guide most of the time.

I'm not the greatest traveler either, but at the same time, I never claimed to be.
Click to expand...

yep, they are equally competent/incompetent. My travel skills are not the greatest, but i have seen some wonderful travelers, and then i have seen some that... well... not so much.
 
Hear Again said:
Oh believe me, I've also seen my share of extremely incapable NFB cane users. Just like guide dog users, they're not all perfect.
Click to expand...

Oh, we saw a share of cane users who had no idea where they were going or how on earth to get there. I'm simply pointing out that, given the relatively small amount of guide dog users, and the high percentage of them that didn't seem very capable (represented at the convention, not in general), it did not at all seem to be a good representation.
 
Aleser said:
Oh, we saw a share of cane users who had no idea where they were going or how on earth to get there. I'm simply pointing out that, given the relatively small amount of guide dog users, and the high percentage of them that didn't seem very capable (represented at the convention, not in general), it did not at all seem to be a good representation.
Click to expand...

That's pretty sad.

It's stressful enough for a dog to attend a convention without having to guide a handler who doesn't know where he/she is going.

I have to admit that I've seen much better behaved guide dogs at the AADB convention. Not once did we have any dog fights, accidents or injuries.
 
I was watching a video in DeafVideo. tv and an ASL instructor was asking an important question about sensitivity and priority. Since this was a previous situation in the past, he wanted to know how others dealt with a situation like this one.

There was a Blind student learning ASL in his class. Other sighted & hearing students were allergic to the Blind student's guide dog.

The ASL instructor asked in the video since the Blind student had a right to bring his guide dog because for one - he has priority first. The other students ranks second.

The sensitivity issue came in. The ASL instructor asked how others would deal with sensitivity.

Other replied as "Ask the blind person to park the dog outside like you park your car." Others would reply, "Leave the dog outside", "Sighted people came first."

I replied to the ASL instructor and to the other people.. "Asking me to park my cane outside of the classroom was like asking the blind student to park his guide dog outside. Who is going to guide me into the classroom?" That answered the sensitivity issue all by itself.

Sensitivity and priority does come together in some instances.
 
Mrs Bucket said:
I was watching a video in DeafVideo. tv and an ASL instructor was asking an important question about sensitivity and priority. Since this was a previous situation in the past, he wanted to know how others dealt with a situation like this one.

There was a Blind student learning ASL in his class. Other sighted & hearing students were allergic to the Blind student's guide dog.

The ASL instructor asked in the video since the Blind student had a right to bring his guide dog because for one - he has priority first. The other students ranks second.

The sensitivity issue came in. The ASL instructor asked how others would deal with sensitivity.

Other replied as "Ask the blind person to park the dog outside like you park your car." Others would reply, "Leave the dog outside", "Sighted people came first."

I replied to the ASL instructor and to the other people.. "Asking me to park my cane outside of the classroom was like asking the blind student to park his guide dog outside. Who is going to guide me into the classroom?" That answered the sensitivity issue all by itself.

Sensitivity and priority does come together in some instances.
Click to expand...

I agree, Mrs. Bucket.

Unfortunately, it seems that sighted-hearing people use the "allergy excuse" far too often.

I once had a professor who tried convincing me that he was severely allergic to dogs.

However, whenever I was in class (I sat directly across from him in front of the lecturn) I never noticed him wheezing, sneezing or showing any other symptoms. I didn't file a discrimination complaint against him (since he didn't continually force the issue), but I did make my university's disability office aware of his comments so that other students with service dogs would be forewarned in case they encountered any problems.
 
not to change the subject but as i am an ASL student we have to talk to deaf people and write papers about it, so this morning i started emailing someone from DARS deaf services here and they kind of just brushed my questions off and told me a little, but told me i should contact DARS DB. any idea why?
 
typeingtornado19 said:
not to change the subject but as i am an ASL student we have to talk to deaf people and write papers about it, so this morning i started emailing someone from DARS deaf services here and they kind of just brushed my questions off and told me a little, but told me i should contact DARS DB. any idea why?
Click to expand...

This is just a guess, but I wonder if the person you communicated with assumed that you wanted to go into DB terping (especially if you mentioned that you were legally blind) and/or thought you would be better off doing DB terping instead of d/Deaf terping.

:hmm:
 
I think for the most part society in general just ignores the blind while they view the deaf as dumb because poor speach is often associated with deafness and society attributes this to lack of intellegnce.

I know being only partially deaf even my friends and family assume I do not know as much as I do simply because I may pronounce words differently. It's how I hear them. But they do not understand.
 
IndieVisible said:
I think for the most part society in general just ignores the blind while they view the deaf as dumb because poor speach is often associated with deafness and society attributes this to lack of intellegnce.

I know being only partially deaf even my friends and family assume I do not know as much as I do simply because I may pronounce words differently. It's how I hear them. But they do not understand.
Click to expand...

Oh believe me Indie I can tell you from personal experience that sighted-hearing people also view the blind (no pun intended) as if they were stupid, so that kind of thing doesn't just happen to the d/Deaf.

For example, I've had people talk to me in a high pitched "baby" voice as if I were a child. Needless to say, it's insulting and completely uncalled for.

Before I wore hearing aids I've also had people walk up to me and shout in my ear because they thought I was deaf.
 
Hear Again said:
Oh believe me Indie I can tell you from personal experience that sighted-hearing people also view the blind (no pun intended) as if they were stupid, so that kind of thing doesn't just happen to the d/Deaf.

For example, I've had people talk to me in a high pitched "baby" voice as if I were a child. Needless to say, that's insulting and completely uncalled for.

Before I wore hearing aids I've also had people walk up to me and shout in my ear because they thought I was deaf.
Click to expand...

I agree it is totally uncalled for and insulting! I use to work for a state funded organization that handled mildly to severely retarded people. I was a medical driver and assistant. I observed educated specialist talk to even the mildly retarded as if they were children! They were smart enough to know they didn't like it. I spoke to them normal. They liked me a lot. I would not see some of them for months, and when they did see me they remembered my name! So if professionals treat people like this, it's not surprising regular people do. I think it's this over kindness that comes off to phoney that is most insulting. It is taken as talking down to them. Uncalled for for any adult regardless disability.
 
IndieVisible said:
I think for the most part society in general just ignores the blind while they view the deaf as dumb because poor speach is often associated with deafness and society attributes this to lack of intellegnce.

I know being only partially deaf even my friends and family assume I do not know as much as I do simply because I may pronounce words differently. It's how I hear them. But they do not understand.
Click to expand...

I dont really think society ignores the blind, I do think we get looked down upon a little because of doing things differently.
 
Back
Top