Anyone would agree that blindness is a lack of eyesight. The dictionary would define blindness as much more than that. Many terms that all of us who are speakers of the English language use associate the word blind with something different from the lack of eyesight, generally carrying a negative meaning if said about a person. Some examples of this are: a blind decision, blind judgment, blind choice, blind alley, blind faith, blind chance, and there are many more. Blindness need not indicate a lack of judgment, a lack of ability, or anything except a lack of eyesight. Yet all of us associate much more with blindness than the physical lack of eyesight, and we must teach ourselves not to overreact to blindness since it really is only the lack of eyesight. If proper training and opportunity are available to a person who cannot see, blindness can be reduced to the level of a mere physical nuisance. Without proper training and opportunity and understanding that blindness affects only the eyes—blindness can be a disaster. Understanding that blindness affects only the eyes can make the difference between a happy, productive life and a bitter existence of agony and frustration.
After some experience with blindness and some training in new skills, it is possible for a blind person to come to regard blindness as a characteristic, just as height, weight, age, sex, and skin color are characteristics. All of these characteristics affect our lives. They make it easier or more difficult for us to do various things. These characteristics may prevent us from doing certain activities, but none of them by itself would prevent a person from living an active, happy, productive life. Consider two examples. The characteristic of being 70-years-old or 10-years-old will prevent a person from getting a job as a weight lifter or a business intern trainee. Yet, these ages are generally normal, active, happy times of life. The characteristics of being 6'4" tall and weighing 200 pounds may be excellent for someone who is trying to qualify as a basketball or football player, but they will prevent a person from getting a job as an actress to play Scarlett O'Hara or as a lead ballet dancer.
For some reason our society collectively has an exaggerated concept of the hugeness of the problem of blindness. Of course, if anyone had the opportunity to choose whether or not he or she wished to be blind, no one in his or her right mind would choose blindness over sight. On the other hand, the loss of eyesight is only the loss of eyesight. A blind person still has knowledge gained throughout a lifetime; he or she still has valuable experience, the same ability to learn and four other senses. Eyesight really amounts to one of the five pathways through which information can be sent to the brain. Blindness is simply the lack of one of the five pathways for information to reach the brain. Four pathways are still open. If all five senses are working, most data is duplicated two or three times as it goes to the brain. Therefore, we can and do ignore the duplication. If one pathway to the brain is blocked, we simply depend on information supplied through the other senses. These senses will not change because of blindness, but we use them differently. We do this to a large degree without thinking about it, but we often feel better about it when we understand what we are doing. Furthermore, we learn to do it better with practice.
MYTH: Blind people can hear better than sighted people.
FACT: Blind people can hear the same as sighted people. Some blind people have very poor hearing; some normal hearing. Blind people rely on information they hear more than sighted people do.
EXAMPLE: Mrs. Jones (sighted) and Mrs. Baker (blind), were driving across town in a car.
Mrs. Baker: "We must have just passed the elementary school."
Mrs. Jones: "Yes, we did. How did you know that?"
Mrs. Baker: "It sounded like we passed an army of kids back there."
Mrs. Jones: "I didn't hear anything."
Mrs. Baker: "You were looking, not listening."
The techniques suggested in this book may not be easy or comfortable at first. But they will work. After you have used them for a while, they will become more comfortable. Even so, you may be able to develop methods that are better for you than those we have described. This book merely suggests ideas to help you do what you need to do. If you find other techniques that are better for you, by all means use them.
Blind individuals need to use their hands to get information. You should not be afraid to touch things you want to "look at." If a blind woman goes to a meeting of a woman's club and hears everyone talking about Mabel's gorgeous new handbag, it will generally be considered reasonable and proper for the blind person to examine it by touch. Of course, it depends upon how well the blind person knows Mabel, but everyone present will know that this is the best way for a blind woman to appreciate the handbag. It is perfectly sensible for a blind person to pick up most merchandise in stores and examine it by touch. Obviously, some judgment must be used about tearing open sealed packages, but you can identify by touch the kind of tool needed, the style of clothing or furniture, the shape and design of decorative items, and many other bits of information that will affect how satisfied or dissatisfied you will be with your purchase. Too often blind people do not touch things when it would be useful to do so because they are afraid of being conspicuous. Indeed, it will be noticed. So what? Any person who is at all different will be noticeable in groups. A tall, white haired man is noticeable. Santa Claus in a department store is noticeable. A person in a wheelchair is noticeable. The President of the United States surrounded by the Secret Service is noticeable. A soldier in uniform home on furlough is noticeable. A lady in a mink coat who drives a Rolls Royce is noticeable. A blind person with a white cane is noticeable. It is not something to be ashamed of. If you feel OK about blindness and handle it in a matter-of-fact manner, others will take some of their cues from you.
If your hands are stiff or numb or bent, you will need to take this into consideration as you make use of the methods suggested in this book. However, many of our suggestions will be useful in any case. Do not assume that stiffness or numbness will prevent you from using your hand effectively. It is not an advantage, of course. But you can feel a great deal in spite of considerable stiffness or numbness in fingers.
To most newly blinded people, it will seem unreasonable to hope for independence in travel. Yet, if training is available and it there are not other serious disabilities, real independent travel is simply a matter of learning and putting into practice some relatively simple techniques. The biggest part of learning to travel for a newly blinded person is that he or she must learn to know that this is reasonable, safe, and possible.
Similarly, the office of the AAF frequently receives letters and phone calls from people who feel that, because of blindness, an individual must move into a nursing home. Yet, most blind people live in their own homes or apartments, doing their own cooking, housework, yard work, and taking part in hobbies and community activities as desired. In most cases when a blind individual wishes to remain in his or her own house or apartment, this is possible and reasonable. If the blind individual really prefers to live in a retirement home, this may also be reasonable. If there are other serious problems such as loss of memory or illness that requires a great deal of medical care, the nursing home or retirement home may also be desirable. In this case, it would be problems other than blindness that would make the nursing home desirable or necessary.