Public Education

By Phyllis Schockner

I have been visually impaired since birth from ROP. It has gotten worse over the years, but that's not what I'm writing about. It seems that over many years the education of the public seems never to change. I have been told that we, the blind, have to educate the public. But I, for one, am very tired of doing this.

Some of the situations I have encountered have been funny but most not. There have been times when people grab my cane, dragging me across the street even if I didn't want to go. I know that there have been many of you with the same experience.

I have been asked more than once, "What is that?" and I ask in return, "What is what?" and they grab my cane and say, "This." I just can't believe that people in this day and age don't have a clue as to what a white cane is.

I have also been told, "You don't sound blind," a statement that puzzles me. How are we supposed to sound? But most of the time people tell me, "I can't believe you can do that," referring to the many things I do.

One time at Christmas a person ran into me and told me to watch where I was going. Well, I didn't say a word. I put out my cane as far as I could and swept it from side to side. He went flying. I walked past him and said, "Can't you see where you're going?" and walked away laughing.

Now I know that maybe that wasn't the proper thing to do, but you get to a point that you have to do something. I would have liked to see a policeman try to arrest me. That would have been a story for the papers.

With the proper help, and without the obstacles, we can do almost anything except drive a car. And that is changing. Who knows? Maybe in the future the cars will drive themselves.

But the public needs to learn who we are and what they should do. Oh, but where to start?

Thanks for listening.

[Phyllis Schockner, ROP total in the left, 20/800 in the right but with a full appreciation for life. You can e-mail her at  rons@linkline. Her web site is www.outa-sight.com. Her ICQ number is 8965011.]