Disabilities

Powerful_Blaziken88

The last thread on this hasn't had activity since January, so I figure it's out of date. If mods think otherwise, please let me know.

As with the creator of the last thread concerning this topic, I'm interested in disabilities other people have. For one, even if it's not in a good way, it makes you unique, or at least less the same as everybody else. As well, I'm interested in seeing how people cope with their own disabilities.

Now I'm sure half of you are not going to believe me or will otherwise scoff or laugh at me (I don't blame you), but I have one very big disability: I'm blind. However, thanks to a special program for the computer that equips it with speech, I can still freely communicate over the Internet and otherwise use the computer for any other needs.

However, that still brings up one very important question, which is "ZOMG how do you play Pokemon!"
In short, I rely on sound and memory. Every Pokemon has a cry, which I've memorized and know what Pokemon is what. Each attack is accompanied with a different sound, so I know what attack I'm using and I'm being smacked with or is otherwise being used by the opponent. There's a sound when you run into a wall or can't go in a certain direction for whatever reason (water, trying to go up a ledge, etc).
Memory helps out a lot too. If I travel a certain area of the game enough, I eventually get used to the area and can navigate it much quicker.

Obviously, there are still problems (Maylene's gym, Sky Pillar from R/S/E), but I do have friends who are able to assist there.

As for expressing this disability, I've had up and down feelings about it. At first I was shy, but once I got to know the people I was communicating with I decided to be more open about it. However, when D/P came out and Wi-Fi battles were available, I kind of shied away from telling everyone who didn't know, because I was afraid They wouldn't think I'd be a worthy opponent or they'd just plain hate (that last bit's just me being paranoid, but whatever). However, it's stupid keeping something like that concealed, and I figure Smogoners are a little more intelligent than some of the people at other forums I go to. BTW, if any of you do visit Marriland's forums, this is why I always asked for FC's typed out instead of in trainer cards, as my speech program does not recognize them.

Feel free to comment, ask questions, laugh, etc. Oh and obviously discuss your disabilities.
 
Could I get you to test the new site for usability when it's done? I don't know how speech programs fare against it, but I use rather clean and semantic markup on the site so it should work ok.
 
I'm just dumbstruck by the fact that you can not only manage, but partake in recreational activities such is playing pokemon. You're my hero!
 
yeah, you're pretty hardcore if do in fact do this. it's really cool that you don't let your disability limit you. aside from the skepticism, i'm pretty impressed. actually i'm really impressed. good for you.

what other things do you do that most other blind people don't?
 
chaos said:
Could I get you to test the new site for usability when it's done? I don't know how speech programs fare against it, but I use rather clean and semantic markup on the site so it should work ok.
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I will when it's done, sure. The old site worked fine, if that helps any.

As for other things I do other blind people don't, I really don't know. Believe it or not it was a couple other blind friends who actually got me into Pokemon. Mind you I'm the only one who actually went on to learn about the competitive stuff, but the others certainly know how to cope.

I'd just like to say thanks to all of you for not thinking this was some sort of bad joke.
 
Wow, that is just absolutely amazing. Really is, the fact that you memorized all the cries and have to navigate your way through the game by listening to the bumps and etc. is unbelievable. big, big props to you. you really are an inspiration, and show that no matter what there is a way.
 
I'll say straight up that I believe you.

But can you elaborate on how that special program with speech for blind people to use a computer work? I'm curious.
 
Well, it uses a speech synthesizer and basically reads whatever its special cursor goes over. It has a number of "scripts" which enable it to work with certain programs. There's one for Internet Explorer, for instance. These scrips help it recognize text appears in certain programs, or gives it special features that make it easier for someone who's blind to use the program. For example, if I hit "E" in Internet Explorer, it will bring me to the nearest edit field. It also has many keystrokes built in so you don't need to use the mouse. Even if you need it, there are keystrokes that let you do that too!

It's kind of hard to explain everything about it, it's just one of those things you just have to experience. Think of narrator, except much clearer speech, many more features, and it recognizes more than just basic things like the desktop and Notepad.
 
This kid is amazing actually, he's even written a guide on the Battle Frontier! I don't have any disabilities myself, and I'm amazed you're able to cope so well. Best of all, you live in the same province as I do! I guess your other senses get better, don't they? That's what I've read anyway.
 
Wow, that's amazing.

The first thing I wanted to say after reading about half of your first post was "can you actually answer things people ask you?" but I can see you can. That's pretty incredible.

The whole "how do you play pokemon" thing was probably the last question I would have actually asked though. That is pretty cool, how you can still identify everything just by sound and memory. If I was blind, I'd never have the patience to do all of that.
 
Roy said:
i am really impressed. have you had this disability all of your life?
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Yes, although for the first 9 years of my life I had a little bit more vision than I do now. I still was considered "legally blind" but I could see things as long as they were close up, but then my eyesight started going away, I can't remember the reason though. And since then I've only been able to see light.

Arseus said:
I guess your other senses get better, don't they? That's what I've read anyway.
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In a way that's correct, but I don't think it's so much my other senses getting better. I think it's just we rely on our other senses more and focus on them more. Yeah, they probably develop a little better since we use them more, but it's more that we focus on them than them actually being statistically better. That's what I think, though. I could be wrong.

P.S. You guys can talk about your own disabilities if you have any too, there's no reason for me to be the spotlight of this topic. Or is there? :P
 
Haha, well, you are legally blind, which is probably worse than any of us can say. It really is no small feat that you're able to play video games just by sound and memory; I'm sure if I were in your shoes I'd probably give up on video games altogether.

I don't really know if these are appropriate questions -- I've never really "met" a blind person before -- but how do you get along in daily life? How do you handle school/work? Do you have a guide dog or anything like that to help you get around?
 
Foreys said:
Haha, well, you are legally blind, which is probably worse than any of us can say. It really is no small feat that you're able to play video games just by sound and memory; I'm sure if I were in your shoes I'd probably give up on video games altogether.

I don't really know if these are appropriate questions -- I've never really "met" a blind person before -- but how do you get along in daily life? How do you handle school/work? Do you have a guide dog or anything like that to help you get around?
Click to expand...
Don't get me wrong, there aren't many video games I can play very well. Aside from Pokemon, the only other one I really got into was the original Super Smash brothers for the N64. I wasn't too great, but on some stadiums I was ok, and Pikachu's "B" move especially helped as I could tell if someone was close to me, and in which direction.

As for your questions, all of my school textbooks are either in braille or in e-text, and I do my work on the computer, although the odd time I'll use braille. Daily life isn't much different; the only thing is I have to memorize where different things are, for example where the different foods are in the kitchen. Lastly, I'm actually planning to get a guide dog next summer.
 
everyone in the world has disabilities. Look at Tom Cruise he cant read but he can still be an actor and remember the lines by heart.
 
Blaziken, I have to say, I really am impressed. It's so great to hear someone with a disability such as yourself playing a whole game just by memory and sound. You're going through life like a normal person and that's inspiring imo. I feel like a (BAN ME PLEASE) for bitching about my vision going from 20/20 to being nearsighted in 2 years. Getting into competitive battling could be a real challenge for you, but seeing how you're handling everything else, I think you can do it. Wish you the best of luck, and I don't have any real dissabilities, I just had to post to say this.
 
First of all wow, I think you're a true inspiration that you are even able to play a videogame at all without sight, let alone competitively. Another question if thats alright: Does it affect you socially at all?
 
wow, that´s a whole new level of pokemon playing

becaue I´m a pokémaniac as well, I´d like to ask how you manage to work with items and moves? I can imagine how you battle, you first use all attacks and then memorize their position, but what if there´s only text like in your bag, how do you choose/attach items and stuff like this? how do you check the stats of your pokemon? what if your pokemon levels up and tries to learn a new move? you can´t know what it is unless you make a note on every level up and check a pokédex on the learnset...sorry if these are silly

I have a problem with the term disability, because I don´t really know what exactly can be seen as one (looked up in a vocabulary and there were many possible meanings), well, gonna risk it being called an idiot for talking about this kind of stuff, but for me it would be being an introvert and very shy, not very talkative, having problems with communicating with others as I prefer to sit at home, play pokemon or watch TV etc. and I hardly speak 10 sentences per day sometimes; don´t get me wrong, I like the way I am but it is a hurdle sometimes (finished university a month ago and being not talkative doesn´t really help a lawyer/attorney or how that is called in the future)

I should probably start playing tennis again which I stopped some time ago because of an injury and also needed to focus on finishing university...tennis was kind of my only social life for many years (11)
 
you are pretty amazing, i have to say that to you. most people wouldn't even dream of something like this and would have gone into depression and/or seclusion ages ago. to be able to do all this is very brave and props to you!
 
The first thing I thought of as I was reading the initial paragraph was Dare Devil. In a sense, you're the Dare Devil for the Pokeworld!
 
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