No need to be sorry

More often than not, whenever someone realizes that a person is blind, either on the phone or in person, the very first few words out of their mouth are, “I’m sorry.” For those of you who read this, I’d like to impart a few words of wisdom as seen through the eyes of a blind person, so to speak.

First of all, I know that these words are almost always meant in the true sense of honesty and compassion and they probably come out of being uncomfortable in the situation in which one finds themselves at the time. But speaking for myself, it also makes me feel very uncomfortable.

The words, “I’m sorry,” should never be taken lightly, no matter what. Whenever someone says that to me upon discovering that I am blind, I often try to decipher why it has been said. Is it because the person saying it is uncomfortable? Is it because they are really sorry? Or is it because they do not know what else to say? My response is almost always, “No need to be sorry.”

Whatever the reason, I don’t think that there is any need to say, “I’m sorry,” to a blind person. We are blind and this is what it is. We have no choice but to carry on with our lives and there is absolutely no reason for a sighted person to be sorry about this. Compassionate and/or understanding, yes. Empathetic and/or sympathetic, yes. Just my few words of wisdom for today.

I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and share my blogs with others. Come by and visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca.