Hi this might be in the wrong place but I have question and that is would people ask a person in a wheel chair how they can take photos the answer should be no so why is it OK to ask somebody with a white cane? if it was an interest of how you do it question that would be fine but all I have encountered are implieing that blind people cant take photo.
and the site receives a small commission
Question
- Thread starter mark19
- Start date
thanks for you reply
- Messages
- 1,254
- Name
- Colin
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I don't get it either. Of course a blind person can take a photo by pressing the button but with an image being purely visual, the ability to see able to see must be essential to creating the desired result. No? Visually impaired would be different depending on how severe the impairment is. Correct me if I'm wrong.
SarahLee
TPer Emerita
- Messages
- 13,060
- Name
- Sarah
- Edit My Images
- No
I think people will always have some natural curiosity if they see somebody who is obviously visually impaired/blind using a camera. It's human nature to wonder how you perceive things through the viewfinder, whether there are other non-visual cues that you pick up when preparing to take a shot etc etc.
In fact, I think there may be something to learn for fully-sighted photographers in understanding some of those answers and in having that conversation.
As you suggest in your post though, I suppose it all depends on how the question is asked.
< Mod hat on for a second > This has the potential to become an emotive thread, so can I remind everyone to keep it polite and civil when posting please?
In fact, I think there may be something to learn for fully-sighted photographers in understanding some of those answers and in having that conversation.
As you suggest in your post though, I suppose it all depends on how the question is asked.
< Mod hat on for a second > This has the potential to become an emotive thread, so can I remind everyone to keep it polite and civil when posting please?
- Messages
- 2,028
- Name
- Go on, have a guess
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Had a look at a previous post (Aug 12) and indeed the OP has a visual impairment and registered blind.
I can only presume they have been a 'victim' of some ignoramus and it has caused the question to be asked.
Can only say it's human nature to be curious, along with human nature for people to ask in a manner of ways. If it's the fact that someone has been blunt in their questioning, you should feel proud that you can achieve something more with less
Phil.
I can only presume they have been a 'victim' of some ignoramus and it has caused the question to be asked.
Can only say it's human nature to be curious, along with human nature for people to ask in a manner of ways. If it's the fact that someone has been blunt in their questioning, you should feel proud that you can achieve something more with less
Phil.
- Messages
- 4,968
- Name
- Steve
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Blind does not necessarily mean No Vision.
To be deemed as a Registrred Blind Person a series of tests are undrrtaken with many who have some vision and differing levels of acuity.
Obviously the absence of eyes from birth or accident at any time is what many will instantly know as a "blind person".
Other conditions my cause someone being registrred blind (eg Diabetic Retinopathy for one).
So a blind person may have some vision.
When the sight is poor but will not be deemed 'blind' then you move to "visually impaired" status which does qualify for allowances and assistance.
So being regidtered blind may not in itself stop the use of a camera!
PP is also not hindered with many software add ons to the Operating System.
H
Last edited:
- Messages
- 347
- Name
- Gary
- Edit My Images
- Yes
As others have said, I would ask because I'd be very curious as to the dynamics of how the person is composing their shots. I think if I ever met a visually impaired photographer that they could probably teach me a thing or two about how to use the available light as I guess they would be more sensitive to what the light was actually doing. That's just a guess though, and I'd hope that if I did meet one they wouldn't take offence at me asking!
OK to make things clear yes I am registered blind but I still have some unclear vision in one eye and yes I will never see my images the way i would like to or as someone with good sight can. I think it very narrow minded to think that taking a picture is just pushing a button. photography to me is something I can enjoy and do regardless of my condition for me its not all about seeing the image its also about making others happy with images that i have taken. if someone said to me can i ask how you manage then i would sit and explain, but to be honest I get "you cant take photos your blind" or "you don't need that white cane if you can use a camera" I could go on but I wont I just struggle how this becomes acceptable. also I dont understand why it is so hard for some people to take people like me as I am and talk to me and appreciate that i am doing something that might not seem possible but can be done. There is only a very small percentage of blind people who have no vision at all, but people do assume that blind means no vision at all.
- Messages
- 3,080
- Edit My Images
- No
i get that and i'm not blind , although it normaly ends with , you're f***ing useless
- Messages
- 1,560
- Name
- Martyn
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I think you've highlighted a lot of the problem, they assume that you have no vision, don't get angry or insulted by people ways, educate them.
There are many people around who have something about them or something that has happened to them that effects how they do things, the trouble is there is also an equal amount of small minded people or maybe I should say 'uneducated' who don't understand so jump to a conclusion, very often the wrong one.
I'd be interested to know how the next person who says "you can't take photos you're blind' reacts if you just say to them 'would you like me to show you'
good idea
To me blind means zero vision and partially sighted is used for other visual impairments. But I have zero experience with loss of vision, so probably need educating. I am also in the camp of being interested in what the 'man with the white stick' is doing and think that the majority of people would be interested. Surely only the dregs of society would be so crass as to say the things that have been said to you. Rest assured that the majority of people are not like this and will be purely interested whilst remaining silent.
magicaxeman
An Idiot
- Messages
- 3,095
- Edit My Images
- No
Our brains seem to be wired in such a way that they pigeon hole things and group similar things together making recognition and recall easier.
In this manner if we see someone with a white stick we recall that blind people use white sticks, just as we do similar with people in a wheelchair, we see these items and assume white stick, must be blind, wheelchair, cant use their legs.
Neither are true as there are blind people who have some sight and people in wheelchairs who have some use of their legs.
Its just the way our brains work and it extends to every experience we have and all of the senses.
As for Mark's question ...I think it depends how the question is phrased, it can be pure curiosity as I myself would have or it can be downright rude.
I've had similar myself with some asking how I can take my pics, its varied from curiosity to rudeness and in the case of social services & the DWP accusations that I'm not taking them how I say I am and in fact that I'm going outside to take them.
When your disabled in anyway you do have to learn to have a tough skin to a degree but I don't think there is any reason to feel angry about curiosity.
Sadly a lot of younger disabled people I see on the net seem to react with rudeness or anger towards able bodied people who are either curious or offer to help, all under the banner of "able-ism", I personally loathe it, there is no need to be rude to someone just because they ask you a question or offer to help you..being polite costs nothing.
In this manner if we see someone with a white stick we recall that blind people use white sticks, just as we do similar with people in a wheelchair, we see these items and assume white stick, must be blind, wheelchair, cant use their legs.
Neither are true as there are blind people who have some sight and people in wheelchairs who have some use of their legs.
Its just the way our brains work and it extends to every experience we have and all of the senses.
As for Mark's question ...I think it depends how the question is phrased, it can be pure curiosity as I myself would have or it can be downright rude.
I've had similar myself with some asking how I can take my pics, its varied from curiosity to rudeness and in the case of social services & the DWP accusations that I'm not taking them how I say I am and in fact that I'm going outside to take them.
When your disabled in anyway you do have to learn to have a tough skin to a degree but I don't think there is any reason to feel angry about curiosity.
Sadly a lot of younger disabled people I see on the net seem to react with rudeness or anger towards able bodied people who are either curious or offer to help, all under the banner of "able-ism", I personally loathe it, there is no need to be rude to someone just because they ask you a question or offer to help you..being polite costs nothing.
- Messages
- 928
- Name
- Paul
- Edit My Images
- No
Mark, I'm sorry that you've encountered prejudice and ignorance, the world seems full of it on many levels. Sometimes because people are cruel, more often because they are just downright ignorant, result is still the same. I think there are also people who mean well with a comment, however a poor choice of phrase, timing or judgement let them down and it comes across poorly.
On a flip side, I was put into a slightly awkward situation by a customer some time ago. He was present whilst working upon his sportscar, as he was interested in what I was doing - no problem. He is a very intelligent man, a PhD holder in the subject of languages and a lecturer at university, and a very interesting chap to talk to. To my mind irrelevant, he also has suffered from Spina Bifida from birth, and is confined to a wheelchair. We were chatting about this and that as I worked, and then he announced late afternoon that I was 'obviously uncomfortable with his disability'. I was a little unsure of how to respond to this, he explained that he felt there was an atmosphere because I'd not asked him about being a wheelchair user AND owner of a sportscar, etc etc. To be honest I was a little offended, and said that I had no real opinion on the subject, and saw him as a customer who enjoyed cars like me and many others. I felt no more need to comment on his mobility than I did a wearer of spectacles on their vision shortfall, etc. It was really uncomfortable after that and he said he felt I'd been rude by 'ignoring the obvious'. Sometimes, you just can't win.
On a flip side, I was put into a slightly awkward situation by a customer some time ago. He was present whilst working upon his sportscar, as he was interested in what I was doing - no problem. He is a very intelligent man, a PhD holder in the subject of languages and a lecturer at university, and a very interesting chap to talk to. To my mind irrelevant, he also has suffered from Spina Bifida from birth, and is confined to a wheelchair. We were chatting about this and that as I worked, and then he announced late afternoon that I was 'obviously uncomfortable with his disability'. I was a little unsure of how to respond to this, he explained that he felt there was an atmosphere because I'd not asked him about being a wheelchair user AND owner of a sportscar, etc etc. To be honest I was a little offended, and said that I had no real opinion on the subject, and saw him as a customer who enjoyed cars like me and many others. I felt no more need to comment on his mobility than I did a wearer of spectacles on their vision shortfall, etc. It was really uncomfortable after that and he said he felt I'd been rude by 'ignoring the obvious'. Sometimes, you just can't win.