text: are blind people afraid of the dark ?   ok, i am  going to  cut thru the blindfolds that many seem to have , lol, and fill you  in on some facts about the blind.   ok! here we go.  no, the blind are not afraid of the dark. why should we be? seriously, its dark 24/7/365 for us!! hello!?!?!  2. very few of us are scared of heights. but before i lost all of my vision , i was stuck on top of a tall ferris wheel with a blind friend who didn't realize how high up we actually were ( i could still tell!! ) and he would rock the cart / seat thingy and  yet i could read the sign saying not to, that it would tip over!! i have been terrified of heights ever since. however... huh, i love to fly. go figure.  3. never grab a blind person's arm and try to show them where to go by pushing them ahead of you. this is scarey, you could shove us down stairs and we'd have no idea!! rather, offer us your arm, and let us grab it around the elbow and guide us, letting us follow you. then if you step up or down, without telling us ( whih you should tell us if you do, please ) we will feel you arm go up or down with your body's  movements.   4. if you run into someone with a guide dog for the blind, there are a few rules there as well. please, never pet one unless you have asked permission. i mean, it is a tool that is being used just like a  jackhammer or a screw driver. you wouldn't ask to pet those while being used, would you?? lol  also, never ever feed things to guide dogs when you find them. they have very strict diets so that the person who uses them knows when they eat , and thus, when they will need to relieve themselves so that the person  using them can maintain a strict schedule. we have to clean up after our dogs, remember. no matter where we go.   5. always speak to a blind  person directly, perhaps slightly touching them on the arm to let them know that you are speaking to them, if you don't know their name. never ask questions about them or to them through someone who might be with them. we're blind, ok? not deaf and obviously not nearly as dumb as some of the idiots we are forced to deal with, trust me. oh, and you don't have to yell at us, it doesn't help us understand you. lol     i hope this information helps you out a little. i conduct seminars teaching more courteous and effective communications between waitstaff/personel and the disabled to create better relations. you wouldn't believe some of the things people have heard and been taught about the blind.  it can be hysterical at times. thanks for wanting more info!!