Blind PSA

Remember that time I told a blind joke on my blog (more to come, I promise, plenty of Helen Keller jokes, too)? OK, this is the other side of that, the side where I do a blind people public service announcement.

Being married to a man who is blind, and working in a library for the blind for 7 years, I have some etiquette to share today.

1. Always speak to and look directly at the blind person. They can’t see you back. That’s OK.
2. Do not ask questions about a blind person of their partner or assistant such as, “Can he sign this?” Ask the blind person.

The thing that all partners or assistants of blind people learn right off is not to make eye contact with anyone who needs to communicate with the blind person – nurses, store attendants, auto mechanics, etc. If you do, they’ll often try to deal with you rather than the blind person. You just let your eyes roam around the room while they figure it out with the blind person.
Last note about handicapper etiquette was reinforced lately by a friend of hubby’s. Hubby is the Pres. for the Michigan Association of State Employees with Disabilities and so people with lots of kinds of disabilities are involved. Little people (dwarves for those out of the current vocabulary loop) ALWAYS want your help in the grocery store because they can’t ever, ever get to their wife’s favorite kind of barbeque, vinegar and rosemary potato chips with the patently absurd health-conscious claims and exorbitant price located on the top shelf. And they’re never going to get to it on their own. Totally OK to offer help in a grocery store. Little known fact: little people have a better sense of humor than the rest of us.