I was delighted to join fellow blind culture creators, Lachi and James Tate Hill, for an important, fun, sexy, and a little bit punk discussion of how to have blind pride in an ocularcentric world. As writers and artists we need to think less about inclusion and more about shifting culture in our direction. I’m tired of saying: “Let me in!” I look forward to living in a world where blind people are perceived as movers and shakers, not simply consumers to be accommodated by sighted makers when they feel like it. I want to live in a world that dismantles not only stereotypes but also normalcy. Being “normal” is boring. It’s also probably impossible.
Listen to this episode of Embodied HERE or wherever you get your podcasts! And keep reading more about the episode from the producers at North Carolina Public Radio (WUNC)…
Perceived: Disrupting The Blind Stereotype
Published June 3, 2022 at 10:57 AM EDT
Anita got glasses young, and as a kid every time her prescription got worse, her anxiety about losing her vision spiked. She realizes now how much of that fear was ableism at work. Three artists who’ve lost their sight and found myriad ways to fortify a culture of blind pride show her it’s about disrupting the binary and pushing for a more accessible, creative future.
Meet the guests:
- Dr. M. Leona Godin, writer, performer, educator, and the author of “There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness“
- James Tate Hill, author of the novel “Academy Gothic” and the memoir “Blind Man’s Bluff“
- Lachi, award-winning recording artist, songwriter, and inclusion advocate
Read the transcript | Review the podcast
