Page 12 - The Exceptional Harley Fetterman

Blind people should not be viewed as helpless but rather as equals
in today's fast-moving, ever-changing world. We're going to look
through a magnifying glass at what is a person, examine the
stereotypes blind people have to stare in the face, and finally what tips
can help both blind and sighted people see each other for who they
really are.
What is a person? As defined by The American Heritage Medical
Dictionary, a person is the “composite of characteristics that make up
an individual.” No one person can be encompassed by one
characteristic. So why am I being defined by one of my characteristics
by other people? Human, being primates, evolved to rely heavily on
eyesight in order to identify non-poisonous plants in more primitive
times. Today, with the technological advances, humans no longer have
to use eyesight to make sure they are not biting into poisonous fruits;
however, sight has become hardwired into our brains as a necessary
tool. Because of this, people today feel that life without sight makes a
person helpless. Because of this, I have had numerous awkward
experiences where people believe themselves to be helping me, seeing
as they have sight and I don't. One particular instance comes to mind
in a deli. After having ordered my lunch, I was, without warning,
picked up and carried to a random seat, where I was dropped without
rhyme or reason. Even though the intention of the sighted man was
good, the reason he believed I needed help was because of my
blindness and nothing else. In short, by assuming that a person is
helpless because he/she is blind, sighted people are dropping blind
people's statuses to characteristics.

Blind people have to stare many stereotypes in the face. A common
one is that blind people cannot do anything because they are blind.
This is very untrue in the United States today. With iPhones, Braille
Notetakers, public transit systems, and state agencies, blind people
have tons of opportunities to succeed. Also, many tools and devices
like kitchen utensils, wood-working tools, appliances, and exercise
equipment require little to no adaptation. In fact, in an essay by Dr.
Kenneth Jernigan, blindness was made out to be better than being left-
handed. Unfortunately, I'm left-handed too—meaning finding
stringed-musical instruments can be very challenging. I learned to
shoot a gun right-handed, and today, I still am forced to juggle a cane

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