I have noticed this one thing being done/said on numerous occasions. It is everyone from grocery store clerks to flight attendants to general people in the area, and it is in poor taste!

NEVER AND I REPEAT NEVER SAY TO SOMEONE WHO'S READING CLOSE, I THINK YOU NEED GLASSES!

It's a real insult to visually impaired people to point out their disability in such a callous manner! HELLO! Don't you think if it would help that they'd have glasses or surery or whatever it takes to help them see better?

I noticed it recently on a flight from HNL-LAX. The person was reading the inflight magazine very closely. The flight attendant made a comment something like "You need to see a doctor about some glasses."

I find such comments in poor taste. They wouldn't say to a hearing impaired person "You need to look into a hearing aid" or to a mobility impaired person "hey did your legs stop working." Nor, would you ever walk up to an African American and say "do you know you're black?" Why is it so acceptable to make a glasses comment to a person with a visual impairment?

That is my big advice for respect of the sight impaired, not simply with traveling but in everyday life! If anyone here has ever made such a remark, shame on you! And please never do it again! It's in poor taste to say the least! Personally, I think it should be in every employee training manual and every orientation training. NEVER POINT OUT ANOTHER PERSON'S SHORTCOMING OR OBVIOUS DIFFERENCE! THEY KNOW IT'S THERE, AND THEY DON'T NEED YOU TO POINT IT OUT!

Hopefully someone reading this will learn something. I posted it here for that reason. There is another link about advice to flight attendants, but this goes beyond advice to flight attendants. It's advice to the person on the street! Use good judgement, and don't make such comments! PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!

I find such comments in poor taste. They wouldn't say to a hearing impaired person "You need to look into a hearing aid" or to a mobility impaired person "hey did your legs stop working."

I agree with you on all except this. I'm Deaf and also mobility challenged, and believe we get these kinds of comments too.

I guess the difference is that most people's vision tends to decline as they get older. I know that my vision is declining and I now have to use reading glasses. I DO NOT view this as a physical disability anymore than gray hair and wrinkles but rather one of the things we tend to laugh about as we get older. One of the problems with today's society, especially American, is that people are too sensitive. (BTW, I am American but now live in Europe, a much more open and less anal society)

Kibison

I have noticed this one thing being done/said on numerous occasions. It is everyone from grocery store clerks to flight attendants to general people in the area, and it is in poor taste!

NEVER AND I REPEAT NEVER SAY TO SOMEONE WHO'S READING CLOSE, I THINK YOU NEED GLASSES!

It's a real insult to visually impaired people to point out their disability in such a callous manner! HELLO! Don't you think if it would help that they'd have glasses or surery or whatever it takes to help them see better?

I noticed it recently on a flight from HNL-LAX. The person was reading the inflight magazine very closely. The flight attendant made a comment something like "You need to see a doctor about some glasses."

I find such comments in poor taste. They wouldn't say to a hearing impaired person "You need to look into a hearing aid" or to a mobility impaired person "hey did your legs stop working." Nor, would you ever walk up to an African American and say "do you know you're black?" Why is it so acceptable to make a glasses comment to a person with a visual impairment?

That is my big advice for respect of the sight impaired, not simply with traveling but in everyday life! If anyone here has ever made such a remark, shame on you! And please never do it again! It's in poor taste to say the least! Personally, I think it should be in every employee training manual and every orientation training. NEVER POINT OUT ANOTHER PERSON'S SHORTCOMING OR OBVIOUS DIFFERENCE! THEY KNOW IT'S THERE, AND THEY DON'T NEED YOU TO POINT IT OUT!

Hopefully someone reading this will learn something. I posted it here for that reason. There is another link about advice to flight attendants, but this goes beyond advice to flight attendants. It's advice to the person on the street! Use good judgement, and don't make such comments! PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been on the receiving end of this sort of comment and have always been stunned by it. Absolutely unnecessary!

I guess the difference is that most people's vision tends to decline as they get older. I know that my vision is declining and I now have to use reading glasses. I DO NOT view this as a physical disability anymore than gray hair and wrinkles but rather one of the things we tend to laugh about as we get older. One of the problems with today's society, especially American, is that people are too sensitive. (BTW, I am American but now live in Europe, a much more open and less anal society)

Kibison



First of all, I've NEVER been accused of being too PC -- we conservatives are often touted for not being PC enough.

Secondly, I'm not talking about mom moving her menu in several different ways to try and get the best look because her eyes are failing her and she won't give in and get bifocals. I'm talking about visually impaired people who have to hold things at their noses to read them -- people with true and obvious visual impairments well beyond the correction of glasses.

I find it very insensitive for people to point those out. And if I were manager at a service industry, I'd fire someone for doing it!

How about taking it in the light it's probably intended? A helpful comment. I'm the first to make jokes about my need for bi-focals. If someone notices I need glasses, well, it's not like I don't know it. My reply is usually "I'm blind as a bat without them." And I laugh with them & at myself.

My suggestion - lighten up. Most people are simply trying to be helpful or, perhaps, make you laugh.

People comment about everything. You just have to roll with the punches. If someone tells me that I curse too much, I tell him to go *&%# himself. If she tells me I drink too much, I tell her cut the crap. Somebody even had the audacity to say that my husband married beneath himself! :eek: ;)

Somebody even had the audacity to say that my husband married beneath himself! :eek: ;)

Gee, I wonder who that could have been. :D