What Is It Like To Be Blind?
Introduction
This article was created for people who have no visual impairment. I hope to provide some general information about any type of vision loss, whether it’s someone who cannot see at all or someone who has partial vision loss. Please keep in mind that this article was written from the perspective of someone who can see.
What is it like to be blind?
This can be a difficult topic to talk about when you have lived your entire life as a sighted person, because itās hard to know what it feels like to be blind.
The World Health Organization estimates that there are about 39 million people in the world who are blind and another 284 million who have low vision.
Some people in the blind community say that they have never seen anything, while others say they can see shapes and colors but not any details. There are individuals blind from birth, while others lose their sight later in life due to an illness or injury.
It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to live in a world where you cannot see anything. I would guess that navigating your surroundings can be very challenging. And it’s not just about the physical aspects, it’s also about the emotional and mental aspects.
Some of our visually challenged friends say that being blind can have its advantages! They do not have to deal with the distractions of the world and can focus solely on their senses. Besides that, they can also learn how to do things without sight and explore more than sighted people.
How do blind people navigate?
Blind people navigate the world in different ways. Some use a cane, others use a guide dog, and some rely on their hearing for navigation.
The most common way for blind people to navigate is by using a long white cane. It is usually made of fiberglass or aluminum and the cane is used as an extension of their arm that helps them detect obstacles in their path.
What is the Difference Between Blindness and Visual Impairment?
Blindness is a complete or near total lack of vision. It is a disability that prevents people from being able to see anything, even when wearing corrective lenses or contact lenses.
Visual impairment (VI) is the loss of eyesight that does not reach the level of blindness. It can range from mild to severe and may be temporary or permanent.
What are some of the most common misconceptions about blindness?
It is often assumed that blind people are helpless and cannot do anything on their own. This is not true. Blind people can do anything that a sighted person can do, they just need to use different methods to get the same result.
Some misconceptions are that blind people have no way of telling the time, or that they cannot read books because they cannot see photos or pictures. These are false, there are many ways for blind people to tell the time and read books such as Braille or audio books with descriptive text.
Blind individuals have a difficult time finding love. Not true! They can find love through online dating sites and other social media platforms just like the rest of us.
The American Council of the Blind (ACB)
ACB is a national organization that was founded in 1961 but many of its state affiliates and local chapters have a history that can be traced back to the 1880s. They provide resources, programs, services, and support to the blind community. Their goal is to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of lifeĀ for all blind and visually impaired people.
Conclusion
I hope this post helped to better understand what it means to be blind or visually impaired.
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