I often see blindness as a great paradox. There is a vast difference of thought as to what it means to be blind according to someone like me, who has only experienced such, versus sighted individuals.
For me, blindness is the richness of sound; the ability to use air-conditioning hums to realign me so that I can find home. The auditory object perception that helps me to locate the trash dumpster, in conjunction with its smell of course.
Smell also plays a role. I notice the scent of freshly done laundry as it wafts out of nearby apartments and realize that my neighbors have returned. The oven conjures up childhood memories as lasagna or chocolate chip cookies, both huge favorites, are prepared within its confines.
Sighted people no doubt pick up on much of these subtleties as well, but I have it on good authority that since sight makes up 90 percent of perception, sighted people can be a bit slower in really appreciating the vast array of stimuli generated through the other senses.
For many sighted people, and yes I know not all, blindness is the worst fate one can imagine. It suggests an inability to take care of oneself, be educated properly, and perhaps most notably, to gain and maintain employment.
I am affected by these perceptions, just as my blind friends are. And yet I am gratified to live in an era where mainstream and blind are rapidly merging, which is helping to open the eyes of many to their unexamined, patently false assumptions of the possible.
You can read more of John’s stories on his blog, BlindTravel.net.
