Why the Word "Blind," is Inaccurate When Referring to Limited Eyesight in Today's World of Words

The word "blind," has been the definition of somebody who does not have the use of their eyesight for as long as there have been words. I believe in today's world of words, the definition of the word "blind," has changed to define one who is unknowing or unaware. Society often changes the definitions of words to fit our changing world. Think of the word "friend," most of us picture somebody who shares the same interests as us, somebody who has been through thick and thin or somebody who knows you well and understands your personality traits. Then Facebook was invented and the definition of "friend," changed significantly. We appear to currently define a "friend," as anybody we know. Some people however, have hundreds or even thousands of "friends," according to Facebook, but do they really have that many friends? Do they even know that many people? This is just one example of the constantly changing definitions of words. 

So back to the word "blind," Why do I think it has a different definition? 

Most of us have heard of, or been on a blind date. You are unaware of who this person is, and you know nothing about them, including if they are your type. haha Here the word "blind," is implied to mean unaware and unknowing. Now think about two different types of studies used for medical or psychological testing of products or techniques on a group of people:  blind and double blind studies. 

A blind study is when the participants do not know if they are receiving the actual treatment being tested (experimental group) or receiving no treatment/a placebo (the control group). However, the administrators know who receives which treatment. 

A double blind study is when nobody, not even administrators of the test know who is receiving which treatment. 

Both types of studies imply some degree of the unknown or unawareness. So, society has effectively changed or confused the definition of the word "blind." 

Things change, people change and life never stops. I believe it is important to embrace change to some degree. I have decided to stop using the word "blind," when referring to somebody who has a lack of eyesight. Instead I prefer to use the words "visually impaired." I know, it's two whole words as opposed to one, but it's better than saying "blind or visually impaired." From a journalistic standpoint those three words are redundant. 

There are a wide array of visual impairments, which span from the person who says "I can't see without my glasses or contacts," to the person who says "I can not see at all." All of these people have something in common: They all have impaired vision. The term visually impaired does not state to what degree of visual impairment a person has, but that's  the beauty   of using this term as opposed to the word "blind," which used to imply that somebody had no eyesight. The word "blind," has such a negative stigma attached to it; who wants to be known as the person who knows nothing about anything? Not I! 

So what is my rationale? 

I've been conducting my own personal social experiments on sighted people for the last 18 months or so,Many of which  I had never met  before. I would refer to myself as a person who is blind when talking about my eyesight, or lack of it. I would keep this up for a couple of conversations. Then I would switch the term and use the words "visually impaired." I would often talk to classmates in one college class and use the word "blind," and use the words "visually impaired in another class.  I realized that people seemed to regard me as an individual first, who happens to have less eye sight when using the words "visually impaired." When I would use the word "blind," people tended to regard me as a person who is unaware or unknowing, and that anything I knew was simply amazing.  

I'm sure many of you who may be visually impaired or who work with people who are visually impaired are shaking your heads at this post and saying "surely a simple word can't be responsible for shifting the misconceptions of people who are visually impaired." Yes, you are correct; one word is not the magic bullet. However, if society has inadvertently changed the definition of the word "blind," to mean unaware or unknowing, wouldn't it be necessary to accept the change and use two words that clearly state the definition of a person's lack of eyesight? I'm of course suggesting the words "visually impaired." Society understands that "impaired," means limited functionality. Think of what alcohol does to peoples judgments when they consume too much of the stuff. It Impairs specific parts of the brain, correct? So if somebody is "visually impaired," society should understand that to mean a person's eyesight is not functioning fully. The word "blind," means unaware and unknowing, and the last time I checked I was neither of those. 

The moral of the story? 

If you see a person who appears to have limited eyesight, and you must refer to their limited eyesight use the words "visually impaired." When you are seeing this person for the first time and your mind is looking for words to remember them by, try not to think "oh there's a blind girl or guy," instead replace the word "blind," with the words "visually impaired." You may find yourself able to see the concepts of limited eyesight much clearer. 

Winter Travel: getting around a cold, wet and slippery landscape on foot

A lone guide dog and handler  slip and slide a cross snow and ice covered sidewalks. The two of them pick  their way through piles of snow. The temperature hovers just above zero degrees F, and the winds produce  windchill readings that often approach negative ten Degrees F. The prevailing winds, which blow anywhere from 10-30 MPH polish the frozen snow to a smooth, shiny, icy finish that could rival a neatly groomed indoor ice rink. Even with all of this the team manages to maintain their standard team speed of three miles per hour. How do they do it? 

As professional pedestrians my guide dog and I face all sorts of wintery weather conditions;  bitterly cold and dangerous icy conditions, driving rain, sleet, snow, hale and high winds that can blow a 50 pound Labrador off course. Life goes on, no matter what the weather is doing, and it's all about how I prepare myself and my dog to handle the conditions. Like pilots, I follow minimum and maximum operating conditions. For example, the minimum temperature for safe travel is -20 Degrees F and the maximum operating temperature is 110 degrees F (using the appropriate gear for extremes). The only types of weather that ground travel from a safety standpoint are extreme blizzards, thunder storms and extreme winds. 

The above mentioned anecdote has been a real life experience during the late fall and winter. Every day is a judgment call on what type of winter gear will help us get safely to and from classes and around town. It's pretty easy to prepare a human for the weather, but a dog who spends roughly 50-60 percent of their time indoors, and who is unable to tell you if he or she is cold or hot is something else. Depending on the winter weather I outfit my guide with rough Wear dog booties and a heavy, fleece lined coat. 

The booties keep wet snow, ice and salt from building up in between their toes and on their pads. Salt and other de-icing chemicals is hard on a dog's feet, and in some cases can cause their pads to be very sore. If we have traveled any significant distance over de-iced sidewalks, my dog gets a rinse down in the tub at the end of the day to remove the dirt and de-icing chemicals that have been flecked on to her belly. I do not use soap, because it would dry the dog's skin out, leading to skin irritation and hot spots. Just like people's hands or feet prolonged contact with cold and or wet surfaces  can cause frostbite. Still, it's a system of give and take with the booties. My dog does not enjoy wearing them, and she gets less traction on the ice. However, they protect her feet from the elements. I always keep a set of booties in my bag just in case I decide to put them on. 

The winter coat   is more than just a fashion statement. My dog wears her coat when the air temperature drops below 25 degrees F. This keeps the dog's core warm, especially when waiting for the bus, or standing on a windswept street corner waiting to cross.   

It can be very disconcerting for a guide dog when one day the entire outdoor landscape changes from well contrasted sidewalks, curbs, steps  and crosswalks to a white, featureless work environment. Guide Dogs generally learn specific, well traveled routs, but like people with sight  they rely on visual cues to guide them along. When thees are taken away, my dog's task of guiding becomes more challenging. I have to slow down significantly to allow my dog to orient herself and make the correct judgment calls, especially when turning or locating a street curb. Sometimes I have to be more encouraging than usual in an attempt to assist my dog in locating things. 

 I must be completely focused so that I can assist my dog while traveling over snow and ice. I have developed smaller "sub-routs," along my desired travel rout to avoid the worst of the slippery conditions. Sometimes it's as simple as slowing down my dog, or as advanced as asking my dog to turn to the right or left, zigzagging around large patches of finely polished ice. Communication between my dog and I must be top notch in order to achieve safe and efficient travel. OUr reflexes must be sharp. Often times both my dog and I don't know how stable our next step will be. Is it scary? No, it's part of life, and I rely on my experience and adventurous spirit to keep me standing up. 

Winds can make a 50 pound Labrador's job of guiding quite a challenge. A cross wind blowing 25 MPH, gusting to 40 MPH has enough force to push my dog over by two or three steps. She counters this by turning her body slightly into the wind and pulley with all her strength. As a result it is very challenging to maintain a completely straight line of travel. It feels like we are zigzagging slightly down the sidewalk, and that's because we are. Sometimes slowing down helps  keep us on track. I have my own challenges with wind. The constant blowing in my ears makes it very difficult to localize traffic or other audible landmarks. My best defense is to be more cautious and assess each situation individually. Sometimes it's necessary to divert to an intersection that is easier to cross. 

The moral of the story? 

Life keeps moving, no matter what the weather is doing. One of my jobs when it comes to independent travel is to overcome, adapt and always be prepared, putting my dog's needs of comfort and safety above my own.