| We're the new blind order |
listen now to the last talkshow from BlindKiss. |
ABOUT US
So, Who runs BlindKiss?
BlindKiss was setup by Sara Morgan and Damon Rose. They are blind. Scary isn't it? The many varied articles you read on the site have been written by approximately 10 like-minded writers, all of whom are tragically stricken too. Sadly, for this small group of people, light will never be bothering their retinas. In short, they're fucked.
Well, we decided to set up BlindKiss.com when years of web searches for the word 'blind' brought up little more than just hideous resource sites: like as if we're one dimensional needy peple with no passion or a culture. So, here it is, BlindKiss, a website that will hopefully say something about your life as a blind person rather than what the paid professionals of the blind industry think is important. Well, that's the idea. Now the trick is to juggle it so that people don't think we're just a bunch of whinging crips - always difficult that one.
If you want me to get artsy or wanky about it, well, I guess we felt we didn't have any kind of voice ANYWHERE. There are a few established media outlets that reflect a certain aspect of being blind, but they have restraints that stop them from speaking freely and openly about life. We want to legitimize the blind experience (our lives) by having a platform on which we are able to spout the most colossal amount of rubbish. It's our considered opinion that just talking and sharing stuff about every aspect of our lives, with blind as the norm, is an important step forward in everything from self worth and pride through to the legitimacy of our experiences, and a sense of a blind culture. It's a hell of a strong and recognisable culture and when blind people get together there's always a lot of similar experiences we can share and relate to.
The people involved in creating this site are a healthy mixture of cynics, creatives, realists and Rubik's Snake champions (i made that last bit up). We all agree that blind people have a bit of an image problem: people tend to think we're not very capable, extremely naive and, umm, have big auras and really good senses of smell. All a bit odd sometimes to be honest. This appalling ppublic perception of us is omnipresent and, hence, if you were to lose your sight tomorrow you'd probably think it was the end of the world, would have few role models to latch on to, (Stevie Wonder? David Blunkett?) and it'd be fairly easy to spiral into a life of dependence, joblessness and sleeplessness where "your wireless must be very important to you".
Well being blind is simply not like that, even though the press and schmaltzy TV movies might want to perpetuate that bizarre stereotype, it's all so far removed from the truth that it's incredible - but also rather damaging to us. The media and literature should be forced to face some kind of trial for their incorrect portrayals of our lives as disabled people over the years, our loss of earnings, our life situation ... oh I could go on and on. You get the message, right? Well this site is about redressing the balance a little, showing our lives as they really are. I went on holiday with a group of blind friends once, we went to Greece. We met a bloke out there who became really pally with us, fell in with our dark senses of humour and our lifestyle pretty quickly. He got it! Early on I remember sitting in a Taverna telling him about the fact we'd all been to a boarding school for blind children / young adults. Of course he cracked the usual gags about boarding schools, nudge nudge, all boys together, y'know and I started spinning him a line about having been a prefect at my school - total lie. "oh yes, each of us had a young fag who we'd get to make us tea and toast - then we'd beat them to within an inch of their blind livs if they didn't polish our shoes so that we could feel our faces in them."
He didn't get it, the conversation passed on to the next subject but then suddenly he started laughing and laughing, doubled over and practically fell to the floor as he caught on to the stupid comment I'd made. He couldn't believe I'd said it. Frankly it was rather mild for us, we're usually far darker and more wicked, but he got it.
So what am I saying? Well I don't bloody well know do I? I guess I want to say something about the realities of being blind. If a documentary series were created for TV about the realities of blindness it would be dark and depressing and pitiful. If you read this website, you'll realise that those documentaries about blind people you're used to clearly aren't made by blind people and bare little relation to reality. REALITY CHECK TIME, always question what you see on TV: especially if it's a blind man who can smell a burning farmhouse 10 miles away. If you don't already know, then I'm not going to tell you! |