Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Question for All (self.Blind)
submitted by Whirrrledpeas
Hello,
I'm doing a 'Perspective Social Media' project where I weekly put myself in environments that are not natural for me. The purpose of the project is to teach myself (and viewers) compassion for others who have less than I do. I've cut electricity, running water too. I slept outside with no shelter and lived off of 50 cents a day. Walked instead of driving, etc.
This is an ongoing project and the one thing I have not touched yet is absence of sight or hearing. I've done a lot of research on how individuals born without sight (and those who lost after birth) and there seems to be a split on how those individuals feel about people simulating deafness or blindness. I've read that people who were born blind or deaf don't view themselves as suffering from a loss and therefore it appears ignorant for those with sight wanting to temporarily live a day without that sense.
I'm here because I'm genuinely wondering if this is something I shouldn't touch at all or if it is something others could learn from. I cared for my aunt who was (she passed away from cancer last year) blind since age of 8 and we used to talk a lot about how things were for her. She was also autistic so her views on the matter are all I know.
I'm claiming ignorance here, so please be nice, yet honest, with me. Thank you in advance.
I'm doing a 'Perspective Social Media' project where I weekly put myself in environments that are not natural for me. The purpose of the project is to teach myself (and viewers) compassion for others who have less than I do. I've cut electricity, running water too. I slept outside with no shelter and lived off of 50 cents a day. Walked instead of driving, etc.
This is an ongoing project and the one thing I have not touched yet is absence of sight or hearing. I've done a lot of research on how individuals born without sight (and those who lost after birth) and there seems to be a split on how those individuals feel about people simulating deafness or blindness. I've read that people who were born blind or deaf don't view themselves as suffering from a loss and therefore it appears ignorant for those with sight wanting to temporarily live a day without that sense.
I'm here because I'm genuinely wondering if this is something I shouldn't touch at all or if it is something others could learn from. I cared for my aunt who was (she passed away from cancer last year) blind since age of 8 and we used to talk a lot about how things were for her. She was also autistic so her views on the matter are all I know.
I'm claiming ignorance here, so please be nice, yet honest, with me. Thank you in advance.
KillerLag 3 points 6y ago
From what I've observed (so this doesn't emcompass everyone), people who are blind/low vision don't have a problem with a sighted person using a blindfold to simulate vision loss by itself. Most of the time, the issue arises when that person says "Oh, this isn't so hard" and does some trivial task to show what they can do. It is one thing to put on a blindfold and walk down the hallway of your own house. It is another to put on a blindfold, walk out the door, catch the bus, have to change busses at an intersection, then problem-solve what to do when construction has moved the bus stop.
My organization uses blindfolds and low vision simulators so sighted people can experience what it is like to be blind or low vision. But what we try to do is not trivialize what that vision loss is like for those living it.
A friend of mine in the US does prosthetic hands, and part of her program involved using a prosthetic hook hand for a week. It's one thing to use that hook to pick up clothes... a LOT hard when you are trying to cook dinner :O
My organization uses blindfolds and low vision simulators so sighted people can experience what it is like to be blind or low vision. But what we try to do is not trivialize what that vision loss is like for those living it.
A friend of mine in the US does prosthetic hands, and part of her program involved using a prosthetic hook hand for a week. It's one thing to use that hook to pick up clothes... a LOT hard when you are trying to cook dinner :O
awesomesaucesaywhat 2 points 6y ago
So long as it's not just showing people "how hard" blind people have it I think it could be a good project. One thing to definitely focus on is how blind people adapt and are able to do a whole lot more than most people think (living on their own, travelling, cooking, working, hiking). There's a book called "touch the top of the sky" about a blind man who climbs Mount Everest, and I remember reading this summer about a blind man who hiked Mount Kilimanjaro.
Also, maybe not bill your project as learning about "people who have less", perhaps describe it as learning about people with different circumstances or circumstances you hadn't really considered before.
Also, maybe not bill your project as learning about "people who have less", perhaps describe it as learning about people with different circumstances or circumstances you hadn't really considered before.
Whirrrledpeas [OP] 1 points 6y ago
That's definitely something that I wanted to convey. I wanted to actually learn to adapt over a period of time to show circumstances we aren't used to. I definitely appreciate the perspective and suggestion of it not being what we have less of, but what some don't understand. Thank you.
awesomesaucesaywhat 1 points 6y ago
In that case maybe focus on some adaptations such as creating a labeling system for the pantry, using some assistive tech like voiceover or a screen reader, and talking to an orientation and mobility instructor about basic cane skills and how the cane works. Best of luck!
[deleted] 1 points 6y ago
[deleted]
intrepidia 1 points 6y ago
Some groups / organizations have used blindfolding and having people performing nominal tasks as scare-mongering. The fact is the day to day lived reality of someone whom is blind or low vision is very different practically, physiologically and psychologically. But being rendered temporarily "helpless" for the sake of demonstration does more to misinform than to help.
To do a respectable job of this, you'd have to dive deep and I would contend you would need to do this for longer than a week (i.e. the point that the brain starts re-wiring itself and involve an orientation and mobility instructor to teach personal navigation and a daily living skills teacher to teach cooking, household management etc. That might make for a more nuanced and balanced perspective but would take more work on your part to come to fruition.
Just my .02
To do a respectable job of this, you'd have to dive deep and I would contend you would need to do this for longer than a week (i.e. the point that the brain starts re-wiring itself and involve an orientation and mobility instructor to teach personal navigation and a daily living skills teacher to teach cooking, household management etc. That might make for a more nuanced and balanced perspective but would take more work on your part to come to fruition.
Just my .02
Whirrrledpeas [OP] 1 points 6y ago
This portion of it, I would absolutely take an immeasurable amount of time with. I would never want to use a simulation or project to show the scariness of it all. This is why I'm asking these questions, because I want to do something productive and meaningful if I can. If I did this, I would work on it for a month at minimum.
intrepidia 1 points 6y ago
I have in my minds eye some paths forward for you. feel free to PM me and depending on where you are located, I can plug you into people whom you can build a productive story line around.
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