Monthly Archives: April 2016

Book Review: “The barefoot Lawyer

30 Saturday Apr 2016

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No one is saying that there aren’t problems being a blind person in the western world; from high unemployment rates to ignorance of our skills to access refusals with our guide dogs, no one can say that being blind is easy. But what if you lived in a country with a government whose interest truly is themselves and you can be thrown in jail for speaking out?

The barefoot Lawyer

By Chen Gwangcheng

For years I’ve wondered what it’s like to be blind in another country, particularly one with different access challenges than those faced in the western world. Sure, there’s this book that details a sighted person’s perspective teaching at blind schools in Tibet and India, but very few first-hand experiences translated into English. So I bought this book and read it on a recent trip. As soon as I plugged in my headphones, I was taken away to rural China and the life of Chen Gwangcheng.

Publisher’s Summary

It was like a scene out of a thriller: one morning in April 2012, China’s most famous political activist – a blind, self-taught lawyer – climbed over the wall of his heavily guarded home and escaped. Days later, he turned up at the American embassy in Beijing, and only a furious round of high-level negotiations made it possible for him to leave China and begin a new life in the United States. Chen Guangcheng is a unique figure on the world stage, but his story is even more remarkable than anyone knew.
The son of a poor farmer in rural China, blinded by illness when he was an infant, Chen was fortunate to survive a difficult childhood. But despite his disability, he was determined to educate himself and fight for the rights of his country’s poor, especially a legion of women who had endured forced sterilizations and abortions under the hated “one child” policy. Repeatedly harassed, beaten, and imprisoned by Chinese authorities, Chen was ultimately placed under house arrest. After nearly two years of increasing danger, he evaded his captors and fled to freedom.
Both a riveting memoir and a revealing portrait of modern China, this passionate book tells the story of a man who has never accepted limits and always believed in the power of the human spirit to overcome any obstacle.

A Brief note on Audio

I almost threw in the towel after the prologue. The narrator, David Shih, is a competent narrator for this book, but there are portions of the book that are written from the point of view of Chen Gwangcheng’s wife. The producers of this audiobook chose not to have a woman narrate those small portions of the book, but with no verbal indicator that the point-of-view change was occurring, it was very disorienting to have an instant scene switch. This only happened in a couple of spots throughout the book (particularly those describing the escape), but it is worth considering if you choose to listen to the audio.

Early Life and Education

The author details his life in straightforward prose. His family had him do farm chores; his brother taught him to identify trees by feel, and with the exception of education he was treated like every other member of the family. Even when he went to school and received training to read, write, use a computer and travel independently, his family was as supportive as they could be at a distance; they saw what happened to many blind people in the countryside making a living as storytellers and relying on the kindness of townspeople for food and lodging. He is neither self-pitying nor self-congratulatory, simply describing the way things were. This lends the book a sense of honesty and yet emotional distance that in my opinion is a great strength and yet its biggest downfall.

Advocacy Work

After graduating from college, Chen Gwangcheng became what he calls a “barefoot lawyer”,similar to what we in the west would call an advocate – he would go to court to demand rights for people whose rights had been violated, but he didn’t have formal legal education. In China, Chen Gwangcheng says, it’s not uncommon for the government to break its own laws, particularly as it comes to blind people, because they believe blind people wouldn’t be able to fight back. At one point in his advocacy work, he was thrown into jail for years and then held under house arrest, during which time he was unable to openly communicate with the outside world, his wife was beaten in front of their daughter, and his son lived with his grandparents far away.

Family Life and the Support of Others

The author does an admirable job of explaining his family dynamics, from his earliest memories of his family and their sacrifice so he could attend school, to his wife’s family’s opposition to their marriage. His family may not have done all the “right” things according to all the information we have, but they did better than most with the knowledge they had about blind people. His wife ultimately laid down the law with her family that this was the man she would marry, something unheard of in rural China

Chen Gwangcheng also chose to learn as much as he could from others, relying on their assistance as needed only until the point that he could do things for himself. During his escape, he relied on his own knowledge of his neighborhood – primarily provided from his wife – and the assistance of others. It was partly his own tenacity, patience and willingness to take chances and partly the kindness of others that ultimately got him out of China. He has no difficulty describing what he did himself and what he hoped others could do for him, simply because that’s the way it is and his life depended on it.

Emotional Distance And Unresolved Conclusion

I stated this earlier in this blog post. There is something emotionally distant about this autobiography. Whether this is because it’s how the author himself details things or whether it’s cultural, I couldn’t say. But it makes this book shine the brighter, even as it lacks emotional language. It’s not that it’s flat, it’s just that things are told matter-of-factly about feeling frustration or despair without the emotional component of so much western writing.

The book also ends once the author arrives in the USA, leaving it somewhat unfinished, as he arrived in 2012 (three years before the book was published). This reader would love to know what he’s doing now, how his family is, and what his future looks like to him.

Conclusion

A well-written, generallly well-read book about being a blind man – a barefoot lawyer – in contemporary China. 4/5 stars.

Satire: Choosing a Guide… Criminal?

22 Friday Apr 2016

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It happens every day. A video is posted on facebook and a zillion comments follow. Against my better judgment, I read some of the comments on one of these shares. Interspersed among comments wishing that more video was shown of the dog to the “awwwww doggie!” responses was a group of people who expressed that it was cruel for dogs to be “enslaved” to serve people, even people with disabilities that “need extra help”. I’ve never met one of these types (at least one that acknowledged it openly), but many of my friends have. What surprised me was a comment stating that it was not only cruel of us as humans to force dogs to work for us, but that criminals should be trained to provide guiding services to blind people.

 

OK, so forcing a dog to work for love and praise and pets and treats and constant companionship is cruel… but forcing a blind person to be at the mercy and whim of another person – criminal or not – is completely logical? And training a released criminal to perform guiding services at the whim of a blind person is not enslavement? Oooookay. Let’s run with that line of thinking. If someone chose to do this… how would one be matched with a guide criminal?

 

Which institution will train your guide criminal? It would be advantageous to select an institution close to home, because there’s no way a blind person can travel independently before they are matched. So blind people should all live in the basement of their chosen training jail or prison, and in the event that’s not possible, they should at least live next door, with no tricky streets, steps or any changes in elevation more than 1/16 of an inch. Ideally, the jail or prison should screen their guide criminals carefully, produce capable trainees, and make sure they are trustworthy people, but the fact they’re there at all should be sufficient reason for blind people who are recipients of their trained guide criminals to weep and genuflect in gratitude. I’m sure there will be studies eventually, but what previously-enjoyed activities would increase the success rate: embezzlement, robbery, assault, drug possession, driving under the influence of alcohol? And would it be expected that a guide criminal should be able to continue to enjoy these activities post-placement, even if it might put the blind person at risk?

 

What attributes would be preferred? Sure, compassion is one; they need to love what they do in support of the poor poor blind people of the world… But what about reliability, personality, habits, age, gender… I mean, this person is supposed to be on-call for guiding duties 24/7 in the unlikely event that a blind person would actually want to go somewhere. So you’d want someone with a good enough work ethic to – at a moment’s notice – keep a blind person safe from creepy people, from falling down stairs, or from looking or acting normal in any way… but they can’t be reliable enough to hold down any other job after all of that training in case the blind person needs their services. How much do you tell a blind person about their guide criminal’s life pre-placement? They shouldn’t care, but occasionally one of them might ask about their great skills or bad habits or health problems or family background or why they would want to be a guide criminal in the first place.

 

The logistics of working with a guide criminal… What if they get distracted and wish to go on a hot date with that attractive person across the street? Would they need to bring their blind handler along for this date? What do guide criminals eat? Where would they sleep? Does anyone cover medical expenses in the event they get sick and can’t work? What behaviors or health conditions would make a guide criminal no longer fit for service? Since blind people are incapable of deciding things for themselves, who decides if a match just isn’t working out?

 

I don’t think the guide criminal lifestyle is for me… I’m off to enslave my dog by taking her for a run around the neighborhood, followed by a seriously good game of fetch, a big bowl of fresh water, and a snuggle on my bed. Doing such things with a guide criminal would be… really creepy. But, hey, thanks for indulging my catharsis in imagining a life where conscripting the time, dignity, and autonomy of not only blind people but post-released criminals is a thing…

“But… You Don’t Look Blind”

15 Friday Apr 2016

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“You don’t look blind.”

Every blind person I know has heard this comment – or wishes they had – at one point or another. Since it’s a common comment with wide-ranging social implications and viewpoints by the recipient, a blog challenge went out to several friends on Facebook. Once this post is published, I will link to the others’ posts at the bottom of this one. I’ve never done a “blog challenge” before, so here’s my first!

 

Who Gets this Comment?

Almost every blind person I know has received it at one point or another, especially those whose blindness is caused by genetic vision loss rather than the result of surgery, illness, or trauma. Even if the blindness is visibly obvious, if a blind person does something or expresses an opinion that involves a degree of “advanced competence” or normality, it isn’t unusual for those words to follow. It is often given by strangers when we’re out doing ordinary things like shopping or crossing streets or applying for jobs…

Is it a Compliment?

these words are meant by many as compliments, similar to “I forget you’re blind!” But denying the reality of someone’s blindness, or acknowledging that they would be treated differently because of it, is rather insulting, no? And just because you fear living your life with blindness (it’s a well-documented fear) doesn’t mean that those of us who live with blindness or visual impairment – cannot be happy, competent, “normal” people. So whether we look blind or not… what difference does that make to you? You don’t look ignorant…

Broader Implications

Many friends with vision impairment that’s not visibly obvious have been told that they don’t require accommodations due to the fact that they aren’t “disabled enough”, get questioned when they enter public buildings with service dogs, and basically have to prove that they require the supports they need. For someone such as myself, no one questions the fact that I can’t see, but expresses shock at my hobbies, job history, or desire to live a “normal life” (the nerve of me!). So blind people get the short end of the stick on so many levels: we’re either visibly blind and are objects to be pitied or belittled or scorned or asked endlessly what happened to our eyes, or we don’t “look” blind and don’t deserve the accommodations to live our lives as productive consumers, employees, or citizens. Sometimes I wish I could hear “You don’t look blind”, but then I realize that it really isn’t a compliment… having to prove a negative – that I can’t see. And if you expect someone to identify themselves as blind by anything more than a cane or guide dog to travel safely… I seem to recall a system of forced self-disclosure about seventy years ago in Germany…

Why can’t I just Take it as Intended?

Part of communicating, and doing so effectively, is that the giver and receiver of communication both process it as intended. It isn’t easy to be public property, and everyone seems to have an opinion on what I look like, what activities I can enjoy, and if I can travel safely by myself) just because I am blind, and I look like it. I don’t have the time and mental energy to get angry at everyone who tells me how great it is that I have the teeny tiny bit of vision that I do (as though my life is more valuable than someone with none), who asks what happened to my eyes, who thinks there’s no way I can be competent and happy. Not everything is worth nitpicking over, because not everything is a fight. And yet… I am angry over something that’s supposed to be complimentary. Maybe it’s a bit of jealousy that my blindness is never ever questioned. Maybe it’s frustration over the fact that I am blind and travel with a guide dog (and before that with a cane) that makes me highly visible. Maybe it’s the fact that because I look blind I get treated like a child, and if I didn’t I would have to actually convince someone that I am blind because I am independent, competent, and can think and act for myself. So, yes, I am angry… Wouldn’t you be?

 

Other Perspectives

Thanks to those who’ve taken up this challenge as well. It’s not my challenge, but am glad for the alternate points of view. It makes for a nuanced discussion on this topic.

Charlie lives in the land of the visually impaired, too “blind” to be considered sighted and too “sighted” to be blind.”

Lauren describes conversations she has frequently and discusses the importance of not judging a book by its cover… or, in this case, a disability status based on outward appearance.

Ashley isn’t  offended by the comment itself, but the accusations of fakery followed by outright disrespect and discrimination that follow.

If at all possible, Buddy is more polite and more assertive than just about anyone on this topic.

Meagan asks an important question: What, exactly, does “blind” look like? And if you can’t answer that question reasonably…?

First They Denied Access…

09 Saturday Apr 2016

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Earlier this week, my friend Meagan wrote a brilliant blog post about selective discrimination. If you haven’t read it yet, you should, because it’s important. I had full intentions of writing about a similar topic from another angle; thankfully she is gracious enough not to point out that SHE wrote about it first…

Over the past six months or so, since becoming more involved in the disability rights movement and meeting more people, I’ve come face-to-face with some of my own ideas about disability, access, and availability of information. People with a wide range of disabilities – those who are deaf or hard of hearing, who use wheelchairs, who are on the autism spectrum, who live with PTSD – have been far more patient than I deserve. I’ve had my own sense of privilege pointed out – just because I have access to something doesn’t mean that everyone does, and how dare I sit back and be content that I have access to facilities, employment, or information, when the fight for equality is far from over for everyone else? If you live with a disability, and even if you don’t, I hope you’ll consider the next few paragraphs carefully, make whatever necessary changes in yourself, and realize that it’s up to you and me to make things happen, even if it doesn’t directly benefit us.

Let’s start with a few examples. Several followers on twitter have recently opened up a huge discussion about a popular podcasting website that provides audio posts for their blind followers, but delays (if it publishes at all) the publication of transcripts so that deaf or deaf-blind followers can follow along. Many blind people are pushing for TV networks and video-on-demand services like Netflix to provide descriptive video, even as closed captioning has been part of TV networks for years now so that those who are deaf or hard of hearing can more fully enjoy movies and TV programming. In either example, many of those who have received access to the information or service are strangely silent on pushing for others with different accessibility needs to have that same access for themselves. What about physical access to buildings? Just because I have two strong feet and the ability to use them to propel myself forward, how dare I take for granted the ability to walk into any building I choose – a shop, a restaurant, a concert venue – and not even have to think twice about it? Many wheelchair users have to contact restaurants ahead of time to ensure there are ramps to the building, or make sure the seats they purchased for that blockbuster concert are truly accessible. Many are too gracious to point out that we all have our own struggles, but that’s hardly the point now, is it?

 

Among service dog users, the guide dog is the most commonly recognized. But many other service dogs exist. What gives guide dog users (myself included) the right to police what specific services another’s service dog provides so long as it mitigates a disability? How dare we sit smugly by when other legitimate service dog teams are denied access to public facilities just because we are the privileged and most recognizable? What gives other service dog users the right to tell guide dog handlers how much more training our dogs need than theirs? I’ve seen all of this and more… and it’s ugly. And I’m not even touching on the service dog fakers…

 

The blind community in and of itself is not exempt from such stances of privilege. There is an outspoken outrage when a guide dog user is denied access to a restaurant, movie theatre, or taxi. Yet, in moments of vulnerability and candor, some blind people who prefer to travel with canes acknowledge that there’s a teeny tiny part of themselves that is grateful that the battle for access isn’t directly related to them. Until this past week when two blind friends using canes were refused entry to a restaurant because the eating area was upstairs, modern instances of service denial to the blind traveling with canes are exceedingly rare. Several of my deaf-blind friends have had blind people question their dignity and right to access information, resources, and employment services. None of these things are right, and no one should ever indicate that discrimination in any form is OK… and yet…

 

I’m going to go out on a limb and borrow an oft-quoted and paraphrased poem by Martin Niemöller. Maybe this will help the disability community realize that we’re not so different after all, and denying access to some of us should be considered equally as horrible as doing so to all of us:

 

First they denied access to the service dog handler, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a service dog handler.

Then they denied access to buildings for the wheelchair user, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a wheelchair user.

Then they denied access to information for the deaf, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not deaf.

Then they denied access and accommodations for the autistic, and I did not speak out— Because I was not autistic.

 

Then they denied access and dignity to those with PTSD, and I did not speak out— Because I did not have PTSD.

 

Then they denied access to me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

The Empowered Series: Elegant Insights

03 Sunday Apr 2016

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Believe it or not… some people actually do inspire me. As I have made clear to my readers, I am against the idea of people with disabilities in general (and blindness in particular) being viewed as inspirational for simply existing and going about our days. That being said, I DO feel inspired, and empowered, by people who blaze their own paths through entrepreneurship, creativity, and/or empowering others. As such, I am starting a monthly series on this blog – calling it the Empowered series – featuring an entrepreneur or artist and/or business owner who is blind or with other disabilities. Initially, I had planned this for the 15th of the month, but my first featured artiste is expanding her business through a group fund raiser, and I wanted to give her work some exposure…

 

Laura Legendary: Elegant Insights

Laura is the driving force behind Elegant Insights Braille Creations. After the sudden death of her husband only months after their marriage, she received a “worry stone” which had the word “survivor” engraved on it. On the other side, the same word was written in braille. The seed of inspiration was planted, leading to a years-long search for companies that provided brailled products that were also fashionable. Nothing quite fit the bill, so Laura started Elegant Insights five years ago, creating necklaces, bracelets, and charms that incorporated braille words like “love”, “cherish” and “hope”, or a customer can customize their own piece.

 

Scattered Leaves Charm Bracelet

 

A few Fun Facts

– Laura likes beautiful things that sparkle; one of her favorite things to work with is copper because of its shine. She remembers the sight and the “warm glow” of it.
– Not only does Elegant Insights create necklaces and bracelets, but purse charms and cane charms that provide some audible as well as visual style to standard white canes and purses and backpacks.
– One of Laura’s favorite things to do is find new sources for her stones, findings, and components.
– If she had to pick a favorite stone to work with, Laura admits that she’s partial to rose quartz and “anything purple.”

 

How she Does It

Laura has an eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. Right now she does not have any vision, but she does have visual memory, and from a young age she has had a strong sense of fashion which hasn’t changed with the loss of her vision. She sources beads, findings and gemstones from a variety of sources; it’s one of her favorite parts of the creative process. Along with a small staff, she makes all necklaces, bracelets, and charms by hand, using standard jewelry-making tools. Everything is made in-house, including the braille components, and all staff have workshops or workbenches in their homes. Much of Elegant Insights’ business is done online, but a few times a year they are featured at trade shows and conventions.

 

What’s Next?

An opportunity has been presented to be featured through Amazon’s Handmade platform. This will greatly increase the exposure of Elegant Insights Braille Creations. In order to expand to meet the expected new demand for product, a crowdfunding page has been created. The funds raised will go to purchasing extra tools, supplies and findings, and hiring and training new staff. Laura would appreciate any donation or further exposure to help her novel business expand.

 

Even though I have had a hard time with the “inspiration” angle of things, I have a hard time denying that I am inspired by Laura’s creativity, novel products, and willingness to take risks. I appreciate Laura’s willingness to answer all of my nosy questions. Visit her website, support her work, share her insight… and look at all the pretty things!

A purse charm with a sun, moon, and stars motif. The word "Shine" is written in braille