I remember when my teacher thought I was lying about my eye condition to the point where I broke down in tears .I had to tell my liaison officer so he could do something to help
Its so disgusting teachers do things like this. I've had this kind of reaction too when I was at school, it got so bad my mother had to take me out of school and get my local council involved.
I love when kids ask questions. I love it SO much actually! I love to encourage them to be curious, and I love teaching them. Parents tend to get really panicky though. When their kid asks a question, they start pulling the child away, desperately trying to get them as far away from me as possible. It's so frustrating! I want to help you both understand. I'm not offended, and I don't bite.
Me too :) I find children are so eager to know more and to learn and as I work with kids I usually find that if you explain to them and give them lots of opportunity to understand they'll grow up with a better understanding of disability. So, like you I love it when kids ask me questions, because it could be the difference between them growing up with a negative association towards disability and a positive one. I know what you mean about parents though, more so when I don't have my guide dog though and I'm using my cane. Its like they think I'm gonna hit them with it or something lols. So yeah I totally get you there :D
SOD REPRESENT! lol! I love when people say "but you are too pretty to have a disability!" or I heard on the bus "she'd be cute without the wheelchair" which I obviously piped up and said "wheelchair or not, I am totally out of your league!"
+Fashioneyesta oh I'm a scrapper and I don't hold back if people are thinking I'll always be nice and sweet because I have a disability. um no! if you are rude, I will say something. one of my BIGGEST pet peeves is when people pat me on the head like a dog or ask me where my carer is. gah!
I love when people think you've not already tried/considered/used various things like glasses would be first thing you'd try if they were suitable lol they must think you'll be so grateful to learn about glasses you'll be "cured" by their wisdom lol my brother thinks I'm faking needing a powerchair and stairlift as I can "walk" because I can walk a few steps he thinks I should be able to walk everywhere!
I know right! Its like what do they expect us to say to them 'oh wow! I'd never have thought o that right next stop the Opticians to get me a pair of glasses.'
Thank you spreading awareness for life with SOD and visual impairments!!! I was born with SOD and so much of this rings true! I love your quote about having to explain so you can move on with your day. I know people have good intentions, but it does get frustrating sometimes. The one that bothers me the most is when someone sees me holding something up close and makes a comment about needing glasses. I have a nystagmus, so it's not just visual acuity that's the problem. Anyway, thanks for this video!
Great video!:) A lot of the things you mentioned happened to me as well, I habe a visual impairment too. Another frustrating thing, a teacher at school said, was that he told me that I should not get such a lot of extra time for my exams (I get 30% time bonus). I mean, he has no idea of what it is like to have low vision and in my opinion he does not have the right to evaluate that... Anyways, one question I want to ask you Emily: How do you get your nails that pretty coloured? I have tried a lot but I still struggle with that because after I coloured my nails it does not look that good because the nail polish is on the skin next to the nail as well. Lots of regards, Isa:) ♡
I have nystagmus; once an acquaintance told me that my "[your] eyes aren't moving today!" I didn't quite know what to say, mumbled something about it being impossible and she actually argued back and tried to convince me that she was right!? I've had one memorable bus journey where my white stick was in my bag and I was sitting in a priority seat and two old ladies got on and started loudly talking to one another about how inconsiderate some young people were, unnecessarily taking up the priority seats at the front of the bus. I didn't say anything, when my stop approached I got out my stick and went on my way. I wish I could have seen the look on their faces! I tend to get a lot of unwanted pity, I wear glasses as I am also very slightly short sighted and people have suggested I need a new prescription when they've seen me holding things close to read them and I often get people questioning my "blindness" when they see me with my white stick.
I can relate so much with you on this, I've had so many people look at me in shock when they see my cane or guide dog. Especially in bus situations. I don't wear glasses myself, but I've had lots of people suggest things to me like 'can't glasses help' or 'don't you use braille?' Even though they might be trying to be helpful its not because like I'm sure if glasses would help I'd use it.
Fashioneyesta Don't you think life is not worth it sometimes............... I do my brother he is 20 years old and he has tried to kill me on 3 different occasions when he wanted to be fucking stupid. My mother put my brother in charge of my care. He has almost tried to set my house on fire cooking. He is a careless fucking idiot and he doesn't care about anyone but himself.
Had an incident on the bus today. Sat in the priority seat next thing somebody came up and said you have to move, you can’t sit there, you are not old or disabled. My cane was in plain sight, then on the way back we got on the bus I politely asked somebody if it was possible for them to sit somewhere else, well she said no you are faking because you don’t want to sit somewhere else. No I’m not faking it.
LOL! Oh god...the 'I dated this blind person....maybe you know them?' is just ridiculous...but your telling of it is really amusing. Why would you know them?!?! Great video as always. Entertaining but helpful. And you're looking autumny and gorgeous (not 'considering'...just plain fab, fullstop).
as a fellow visually impaired youtuber - I only discovered your channel recently but YES to all of this!!! People ask me all the time if I can get surgery to fix my disability. Loved this!
"Can i Pray for you?" ...i have no issue with religion, however it offends me that people obviously think that i need divine help to cope with the stress of my visual impairment. Some of them actually think that God might give me a miracle and give me my peripheral vision back. They really struggle to understand that im completely happy with the way i am, and although they thought offering a prayer was a nice gesture, it's actually just insulting.
I get this too, I'm of the same opinion as you. I don't have a problem with people practicing a religion, but its really insulting when they say that my religious beliefs have an impact on my disability.
Hattie I got this for the first time about a year ago. I use a wheelchair and I was at the mall with my mom and grandma Christmas shopping and two guys came up to me and asked to pray. It was an extremely awkward situation. I just had to say "Thanks, but I have people waiting on me."
I have albinism and registered blind - my favourite from the last few months is I was crossing the street at the lights and the pedestrian light had just started to flash a countdown when a woman behind me started to yell "Watch out! You're going to die!" because a car was stopped, waiting to turn the corner. Like I was born on that kerb just waiting for her to help me. And way to freak anyone out who couldn't actually see the car. Needless to say, I was furious.
Oh my gosh! Thats such a silly thing to say to someone, how about just 'theres a car turning the corner.' I've had something like this too where I was about the cross the road and was getting my guide dog ready to walk when this woman lunged at me and grabbed my arm and said 'No! Not yet! Not yet!' It really shocked me, because I wasn't expecting it x
On the odd occasions that I've been with you when this has happened I have looked at your face and that says it all! I know exactly what you are thinking and i have to stop myself from laughing at you and at your exasperated expression! 🤔😳🙄
'Can't you get laser eye surgery' always makes me chuckle, amazes me how some people think that laser eye surgery is the cure for everything eye related :')
My first and second grade teacher would always asked me how many fingers she was holding up and when I guessed correctly, she would follow by saying "you're not really blind." Also, if they're not doing it already, someone should start a similar campaign in the states.
Thats awful! I can't believe teachers say things like that, I had similar experiences of that when I was at school. I agree, I think it would do really well in the US :)
Wonderful video as always Emily. :) I get the curing and glasses queries most often. There's a well-meaning curiosity behind it, but if those things were guaranteed to help, I would have done them, surely! Another thing I get occasionally, which I had an instance of just the other week, is when people try to explain my disability to others - i.e. when they're introducing someone else to me. Rather than saying I'm visually impaired and leaving it at that, they'll try to explain it further, to look like they understand - but all they do is make things sound worse than they are. Just keep it simple. If the other person wants to know details, let them ask me, it's safer!
Thanks Glen :) And I know right, I think people are well meaning when they say it, but its like they think that we wouldn't try things to make our life easier. I know, sometimes with disability less information is more otherwise things get far to complicated!
I have Spina Bifida (curved spine) and I need to use a wheelchair because of it. The weirdest things I've heard are "How do you sleep?" and "Do You have a bed?" People think that just because I use a wheelchair that means I'm glued to it 24/7.
Sometimes people really need to think outside the box or just put themselves into our shoes and think about it form our side. But, its as if people can't get past our disabilities.
I have spina bifida too! My youngest daughter ( who I was lucky enough to adopt) has sb as well. People say and ask the strangest things sometimes... how I react definitely can depend on my mood that day!
Kelsey Sparks I've had a few of my US followers tell me about this happening. Its not something I've heard off here in the U.K.. I can't believe people would do something like that, because it makes life so much harder for actual assistance dog owners.
Wonderful video Emily as always. I'm a wheelchair user, living with a invisible illness called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. My walking is very reduced so I use a wheelchair everywhere I go. I've been told that I look too young, I've also been told I don't look disabled. I get where I get asked constant questions about my disability and how it affects me by complete strangers. I believe these situations are made worse as they are in public, where other people can hear. I agree with you how being asked what's wrong with you can be tiring. I find a lot of people stare at me. And because I can walk for short periods of time, I hate the looks I get when maybe I stand for a moment. I agree with everything you have said in this video. Thank you for making these videos. We may have different disabilities, but most of what you have said today, I have also experienced. Thank you Emily. Love your videos. X
Thank you so much :) I'm really glad you could relate to this video and my experiences. Its so annoying that people feel its ok to scrutinise us just because our disability doesn't correlate with the idea of disability in their head x
Fashioneyesta I'm glad I could relate. It is very annoying. And this is why this campaign is so important. It's good to see you part of it. I saw your work with Unilad, and I was happy to see it was a RU-vidr that I tune in to regularly and also the fact that I can relate to you, despite having different disabilities. Good to see you raising awareness and being part of the #EndTheAwkward campaign. X
Your video is very funny but also very important. I have been legally blind for many years and have heard many of the same comments my favorites are what's wrong with you that you have that dog, do you train that dog, who is the dog really for, and my favorite do you know sign language. Every week something similar is heard. It does get old after a while. Thanks for your videos
I swear they think we should be wearing the giant black glasses you see on movies or shows and it drives me crazy when people look at me weird when I use my long cane at night but not in the day because I can manage if it's bright. AMEN on the people thinking you are faking!
I don't usually get offended by the questions that people ask me. I usually just smile and then try my best to educate them. What does offend me often is the media's portrayal of blind people. There are very few people on tv or movies where I can say 'yes, they portrayed a blind person well.' These are few and far between and I'm often sat, completely livid and ranting at the tv screen when I see blind people portrayed on tv or movies. Also is it just me, or does it make you hopping mad when you hear people say on tv something like 'it's all black/all dark' when describing their eye sight? ugh it just gets to me.
Pretty fox scarf, and your nails match it perfectly! I'm a matchy-matchy person, so I love that. I think it's part of being the eldest child in the family! Anyway, you always look lovely, and I think you have the prettiest hair color I have ever seen. Now, about the subject matter of the video, we sighted learn so much from you, and I am amazed at how rude people can be. Holding up fingers and asking you to tell how many?? How insulting is that?!?!
Rhonda Weber aww thanks Rhonda! 😘 I love matching to! Your comments really brighten my day and I'm so pleased you liked this video. I'm just so glad I have followers like yourself who are kind, understanding and sensible and understand where I'm coming from. You restore my faith in humanity especially when I get so many comments like what I mentioned in the video x
I use a wheelchair, somebody once said to me 'I'm very good at talking to disabled people' he was cutting my hair at the time so I didn't want to laugh too hard at him
"Don't worry, there will be a cure for your eyes someday". The thing is I already happy about myself, about my disability lol people just don't get this
Fellow blogger introduced me to ya blog, so thought check out ya RU-vid channel too. I use wheelchair as well as a crutch and it confuses people, like you must be one or the other. Even with explanation still are baffled, that's even with family members. I like there is campaign like this, hope one day to be part of it. Let's keep this discussion going... New subbie :)
about guide dogs--it's illegal and wrong for an employee of any establishment to ask you if your animal is a guide/support animal. Even when they are not support animals and/or don't have harnesses. This is one reason so many people are allowed to bring their animals everywhere in california. I think people should ask only when an animal does not have a harness, only because of health codes and in consideration of others with allergies.
Melissa Antoinette Melissa Antoinette are you based in the US? As far as I know we don't have a law against that in the UK. I agree, the only time people should only be allowed to ask if the dog isn't wearing a harness for health and safety reasons.
In the states establishments are allowed to ask two questions- Is that a service dog and what tasks do they provide. No special harness or identification is required and they are not allowed to ask for either. They are not allowed to ask about a person's disability. Just thought I would share what I have recently learned about this.😁
thanks for sharing! its so interesting to see what people can come out with but with a little education and videos like these it will help people know the facts!
yes we can look good, put together and even GASP sexy and turn on men with that look. yes people do just go online and get vest or the dogs its a big issue here in the U.S
R5cali family lols that's brilliant! Oh my gosh! That must make it so bad for actual service dog owners. In the U.K. you have to get the dogs from the charities they are trained back and they all have identity cards and numbers and so on. So it's not something I've ever come across in the Uk, but thank you for the info I'll bare that in mind 🙂
we have that to i have ab I,D for mine and went thru all that but get this its actually illegal to ask for he ID you dont need to be given one your word is good not even joking not even a vest just your word the place i got mine did for whatever reason and also no one think we should make ID legal ive gotten into arguments over this i mean sounds an easy fix to me
R5cali family ah that's interesting how the ID card thing is in the US. In the U.K. there are situations where they can ask to see it like if I wanted to use a moving escalator the operator is within their rights to ask me to show it.
Fashioneyesta yea that sounds fair and a point i made in the argument was we as humans we get IDed all over the place at the airport, the bar, events so whats the big deal we also have work IDs to it would be the dogs work ID cuz there working
Great video people t say to me those comments a lot , I had that comment last week in college when a girl from one of my classes told me , oh but I feel that you can see very well ... That comment gathered me a lot because that she thinks that I'm faking it I'm a white cane user and I'm the only one who uses it in my college ,some people thinks that I'm using it to get some Attention. Its kinda hard for me to deal with those questions and comments when I am the only blind girl who uses the white cane there .
Maybe it's because I use the cane, but I find that I don't get a lot of these questions. Instead, I get grab when people think that I need help or are trying to help me. Maybe this will change once I get a guide dog.
I got that too as a cane user, mind you I still get people grabbing me with my guide dog. But, not so much people seem to want to hinder me more now by distracting my guide dog and petting her.
Fashioneyesta my friend says that people talk to her guide dog more than they do to her. I'm just glad that the number of people grabbing you when you get a guide dog reduces because I'm tired of being grabbed at least once a week, usually more.
Ashley Bonvie I have epilepsy and I personally hate being called epileptic, I hate that term, when people say to other people oh Danielle is epileptic I say no I’m not, I’m an epilepsy sufferer so please don’t call me epileptic.
I had a funny situation. I was in a department store before I gotten my white cane. I had my hand out to the side so I wouldn't bump into anything while walking. when a clerk came up to me an asked if she could get me an electric cart. I'm thinking how many aisles do you want me to take out, and do I get points for people as well? how about the domino effect. laugh out loud. I know she wasn't thinking. I just thought it was funny. I'm legally blind not lame. I can walk I just can't see as well.
I have cerebral palsy and I get ask can I pry for u I also get ask what wrong with u what happen why do u walk like that I also have people's guess what my disbilty is like ask me if I have als or ms or a had stroke there have been people's thinking that I can't do something because I do have a physical disbilty when I very able to do it and have tell that person 2 or 3 times that I can do it able to they even try to get someone else to do it I been told by someone that she was very sorry that I walk really bad and slow I was walking cross the park lot when a girl said that girl have issue ( talking about me) I been told that i am to young to physical problems people's have say that they r sorry that I have a physical disbilty
Yeah I have heard of that happening in other countries, but in the UK you have go approach a charity and apply for a dog via them. They have to be registered and you have to be qualified with your dog under your name and so on. So in the UK fake assistance dogs aren't something you'd necessary see.
Unless a service dog is causing a problem no one should question it. It's not their business, they are not owed an explanation and no one has an obligation to share their disability with a complete stranger.
Most of Your comments are valuable that i can relate to too people who are stereotypical and don't have a lot of education relating to visual impaired or disabled people like since you are visually impaired is there any treatment cure for it i was born with it i don't want to be cured i won't to live my life the way i am
Abdul Albashir Exactly, I get that not everyone knows about sight loss and people are not trying to be unkind. But not everyone wants or can be cured of their disability.
I'm a wheelchair user and when I'm out in public with my friends people will tell my friends how cute I am even though I'm right there. It's almost like they think I'm a baby in a stroller and they are talking to my parents. It's so funny!! I have also been accused of being a faker with my service dog and wheelchair. It is the most insulting thing ever. I can't physically be without them, why one earth would I want to fake that. And don't even get me started on my parking permit. Haha.
Oh my gosh! Thats shocking and also so cringe worthy, it relates to that whole talking to the person your with and not you thing. I get that a lot too and its just like "hello I can hear you and I can talk to you!" Sometimes I wish people would realise how they can make someone feel when they accuse us of faking our disabilities and how uncomfortable it can make a person feel xx