PBS Documentary

I saw a preview on the web about the PBS documentary "The eyes of me" about 4 blind teenagers. I'm not sure why but it rubbed me wrong. To be fair I only saw the preview and not the documentary so it might not come across how I perceived it would. The students in the film looked scary, timid, unstable, and cognitively deficient (I nice way of putting it). I don't like the idea of creating or further enhancing the idea that blind people are helpless, in need of pity, and sort of incapable. There are many of us that are very strong in personality, that carry ourselves professionally, that are intelligent, and that can do whatever we put our minds too. The film preview seemed to show a number of mannerisms (or blindisms as we call it) that do not make us as blind people come across very well socially. Even we discuss the problems with certain blindisms so as to not develop them.

It's just that I have made it so far in life and have overcome so many difficulties and the fact that this disability is so out in the open bothers me. I hate that when someone sees my cane they automatically make certain assumptions. I'm afraid this documentary only helps to further those assumptions. I train with some very neat blind people that can do anything and I also train with individuals that have issues socially. It's just part of the mix. I just don't like being categorized so quickly in people's minds.