Unfortunately, too many people see only the surface person. He's blind, she's deaf; therefore, they are not smart is sometimes the conclusion oftentimes reached and more times than not is incorrect. When we begin to judge based on a person's appearances, we lose sight of who they really are or more to the point, their capabilities. In this way, we do them a grave injustice, by not giving them an opportunity to "show" just what they can do.
Not really, Evelyn. It would be highly unlikely for someone to reach college age, have a significant sensory disability, and not be aware of it. The problem arises when OTHER people become aware of the student's hearing loss or vision problems and start making assumptions about what the student can or cannot do, would or would not be interested in, based on their own limited experience and fears. For example, if a blind student wanted to work with computers, but the instructor cannot imagine how you can possibly work in this field if you can't see the computer monitor, the student may be counseled away from a viable area of interest. Another example might be a deaf student being prohibited from participating in some activity because someone else decides that it could be dangerous for him because he won't be able to hear if someone calls out about danger.
