Calling visually impaired people blind is too scary, says charity – but it is still seeking a better term
CALLING people “blind” is old-fashioned and misleading, a charity has said as it looks for a new name.
Oxfordshire Association for the Blind is searching for alternatives to make it more appealing and less “scary” to young and visually impaired people. Laura Howdill, the charity’s fundraising manager, told The Daily Telegraph that people had been shocked and upset by the charity’s name because of the stigma and misunderstandings attached to the word “blind”.
“There’s so many different eye conditions, from tunnel vision to flashing – all kinds of things that prevent people from being able to safely get around. It just doesn’t really encompass the range of problems that people have, and it’s quite misleading in that very few people have no vision at all,” she added.
“We’re trying to create more of a positive image because actually there are people who are severely sight-impaired who are doing incredible things.
“We started a project to help young children and families, and we’ve been told at the hospital when a child gets a diagnosis, and they give them a leaflet, you can see the parents physically react in shock to see the words ‘Association for the Blind’. Someone else asked what our charity name was and they were really upset and shocked by it.”
She suggested the new name could incorporate “positive” words such as “vision”, which have a “double meaning – with our vision for the future”. The charity has already received a number of suggestions for their new identity, but the final decision will be a joint one, said Clive Cure, the Association’s director.
Mr Cure said: “We’ve been aware for a while now that our name could be a barrier to visually impaired people who may not see themselves as blind. This is a great opportunity to refresh our image, bolster our presence and make people aware of our services.”
Other charities have already stopped using the term “blind” such as Berkshire County Blind Society, which became Berkshire Vision in 2015.
Oxfordshire Association for the Blind supports more than 2,800 people every year and its services are free.