Tony Baechler tony at
Wed Apr 10 04:20:19 EDT 2013

I agree.  John on this list has his own story of how he got hired by the 
math department of the University of Wisconsin.  However, it makes a lot 
better case if the blind person can read and write.  Let's take an average 
sighted person.  I suppose there are exceptions nowadays, but I can't 
imagine an employer hiring that average sighted person if they don't have 
literacy.  For one thing, how would they fill out the job application?  The 
blind person's solution would either be a sighted reader or a scanner, but I 
would guess that most employers would find it rather strange if a sighted 
person brought their reader with them and explained that they can't read 
print.  I do agree with you completely that the blind person needs to try 
harder and has more to overcome, but I still think that literacy has a lot 
to do with it, regardless of being blind.  Nowadays, most jobs require at 
least a college degree and I don't see how a sighted person would get one if 
they can't read.  Granted, reading Braille isn't the same as reading print, 
but at least the blind person can show the ability to take notes, phone 
messages, etc.  In the computer industry, I've heard that it's a lot easier 
to do programming with a Braille display, but I don't have one and I'm not a 

On 4/9/2013 11:18 AM, acollins at wrote:
> Hi Tony.  To a certain extent, you are right.  But while being able to
> read and write properly, and have good gramar is important, I would
> argue that the misperceptions, and misunderstandings about blindness
> are the larger problem.
> Most sighted folks just don't have a clue about what is possible for a
> blind person, and because they can't conceive of how a blind person
> functions through out his daily life, they aren't willing to give a
> blind person a chance.  Saddly, I've experienced enough of this kind of
> behavior to know that what I say is true.
> A successful blind person always has to try a bit harder, and make a
> better impression than his sighted counterparts.  I'm not crying in my
> beer, just expressing the facts.  Blind folks who allow themselves to
> feel sorry for themselves, just won't cut it, and there are a lot of
> them out there.  Saddly, like thesong says, "That's just the way it is."

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