by Bob Branco
During a late November phone chat, a very familiar topic came up which prompted me to express my opinions more strongly. Two particular blind people continue making the following accusations: Restaurants don't know how to treat blind people. Hospitals don't know how to treat blind people. Doctor's offices don't know how to treat blind people. This generalization frustrates me. I understand why some blind people have these bad experiences, but I need to say what I always say: There are a lot of sighted people out there who simply don't know enough about blindness. That is not a criticism. As blind people, we need to be proactive when in a situation that appears frustrating to us. Alan Dalton, a member of the Perkins class of 1968, put it best: There are times when blind people should provide teachable moments.
During many conversations about this issue, it appears as though it doesn't seem to matter what these two individuals say or do in an environment where they are being maltreated. As a result, one of them suggested that the Commission for the Blind provide training sessions at facilities where it appears that sighted people don't understand blindness. I think it's an interesting suggestion, but here's my question. Does the Commission for the Blind have time? The Commission is a state agency providing services to blind clients. Do they have time to hear about which clients are not being treated properly, and where this maltreatment is taking place? No matter where we go, there is the possibility that a waitress, a nurse, an orderly, a doctor, a teacher, a secretary, or someone in another profession will not be familiar with blindness. This is where we are proactive. If it appears that someone doesn't understand sighted guide, patient advocacy, how to tell us where the food is on our plates, or any other accommodation, I would much rather work with these sighted people rather than criticize the establishment that they work for. Basically, it comes down to the individuals who provide the service, and not the establishment itself.
I will gladly speak for myself when I say that for the most part, I receive excellent service at restaurants, medical facilities, and lots of other places. No matter where we go, we're going to have excellent service, decent service or poor service. Should the Commission for the Blind go out of its way to train all of these agencies and businesses about blindness protocol? What if all the people that the Commission trains leave their jobs next week? Does the Commission have to come back and do another training? I've often said that the major consumer organizations of the blind should continue to provide as much public awareness as possible where blindness is concerned. I maintain that opinion. However, I think part of this public awareness is to encourage blind people to do their own training. We certainly know how we want to be treated in society. However, a sighted person should not be criticized for not having enough understanding of what blindness is all about. There are many things that we are unfamiliar with. Is that something we should be criticized for? No. It just means we can learn what we don't understand.