KC Discrimination

[Andrew MacLean]

I think that the strategy of being open, even very public about KC is probably the best policy. But however much you make information available, small minded people will still find a way to be small minded!

In the end you ust have to hope they never live with any sort of disability, because if they did, the memory of the cruel, crass and insensitive things they have said or done might seem all the more burdensome.

I am fortunately fairly well protected from unkind remarks, but just after my graft I was travelling by train to Glasgow when I heard another passenger (sounded like a girl, probably about 14) say "that's my minister, from the school. It's all right, he can't see us!"

At that she, and whoever it was whom she was addressing, got off the train. I don't know why it was all right that I could not see them

[John Smith]

Andrew,

I would have been sorely tempted to shout out "Maybe not, but I can still hear you!"

Maybe it would have given her something to think about!

[Louise Pembroke]

I get fed up with the sunglasses/dark glasses jokes too and having to explain. Some of the thoughtless responses are out of ignorance, some are clearly discriminatory, but others because there is no visual indicator to them like a white stick. The council's visual impairment teams do have those little badges with the eye and shadow symbol, might be useful.

[Andrew MacLean]

John

I think I probably did better than that. At the first assembly I attended after getting back to work, I told the story. Everybody laughed, and it made my point about the different ways in which words spoke could land with people who hear them.



Louise,

I really like the idea of the badge. We often wear ribbons to show awareness of things like cancer or AIDS. I have a badge that somebody bought for me that shows awareness of male cancers (my father had just died following many years with Cancer of the Prostate).

A badge that alerted people to eye problems might do both of two valuable things: it might head off embarassing comments AND it might offer people a chance to ask what the badge is for and facilitate a conversation about a condition of which they may not have heard!

Andrew

[Louise Pembroke]

My thoughts exactly Andrew! I've got myself one, it's very sturdy but small, it has the recognised eye symbol with shadowing over half of it. It's the symbol most people recognise, like the hard of hearing sign. I carry mine around now with my sunglasses so that if I am without my lens, I put that on to alert others that my sight is impaired. I have also mentioned previously that the RNIB also do collapsable 'symbol' sticks [to indicate partial sight]. I know most of us probably wouldn't want to hold one unless we really had to but if we are in a stange place and lenseless, or blinded by light, or at night and unable to see the steps, it might be another tool. My view is, I'll have everything at my disposal but just use something if I'm having a wobbly day.

[Knight]

would you believe I got followed around a store bc I looked like a 'shoplifter' because I was wearing sunglasses!?!
Yeah, I should know better, but I had the addition of suffering from the tail end of migraine as well, I had turned around annoyed and looked at the securityguard and asked why he was following me. I asked him to call for the manager then I started - I had a sore head, my eyes were aching, the lights hurt my eyes it made them water etc - cheap apologises and athe usual 'we're sorry' please come again - that's been the last time I ever went to that store and I wrote a letter to their head office asking sarcastically if wearing sunglasses was a trademark of a shoplifter and assuming so it must be hell during the summer! Pig ignorance and uneducated morons, if you 'look different' then by some stardards it seems you're up to no good.
Just bugs me!

[Andrew MacLean]

Knight

Aarghhh!

Don't wear a hoodie or baseball cap with your sun specs. Maybe you should name the store sp that we can all inundate the manager with letters of complaint about the way they insult a fellow sufferer.

A

[Louise Pembroke]

Yeah, tell us the store and I'll go around with the girls all in dark glasses and offer some Sigourney Weaver - a la Alien films or Linda Hamiliton - Terminator 2 tough girl one liners. We'll have them begging for mercy!
It is that thing about looking different, vulnerable or upset - people assume the worst.

[Knight]

Yeah, tell us the store and I'll go around with the girls all in dark glasses and offer some Sigourney Weaver - a la Alien films or Linda Hamiliton - Terminator 2 tough girl one liners. We'll have them begging for mercy!
It is that thing about looking different, vulnerable or upset - people assume the worst.

oh T2-Alien girls ... could you maybe instead go to my house and we'll just have a party, console me and stuff!

And I wasn't wearing a hoodie or a cap, I was actually wearing a simple dark grey suit, no tie, maybe that was it! They saw me walking around a bit aimlessly, but with what I said, a migraine, and my lesnes out I couldn't really see the signs and apparently walking up and down the same area once or twice is suspicious behavior
As for the store itself, it 'was' a Safeway now turned over to Asda, so probably all different staff... I still don't go there out of principal thou.

[Louise Pembroke]

Well funny you should say that Knight because John, Per and I previously discussed having a KC party [minus disco glitter ball and strobe lights] where the dress code would include cool funky glasses and I offered to wear my Star Trek 'Borg' outfit complete with 'occular implant'. Then we would have a graft beauty contest, Miss and Mr Graftee 2006!
Seriously though, isn't it amazing what is perceived to be suspicious behaviour.