Abstract In this article the writer reviews and contrasts two physical impairments, blindness and deafness, using scholarly research on the subject of blindness and visual impairment as well as Nora Ellen Groce's "Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha's Vineyard". The writer maintains that most people believe that to see is to perceive acutely and hence to understand, while to hear without seeing leaves one left to conjure up pictures in the mind's eye as to what likely is there making the sound. Further, the writer points out, not only are people uninformed about eyesight during aging, but they tend to be ignorant of local resources available to them. The writer maintains that according to a study, the most effective tools for informing people about eyesight issues are newspapers for adults and the Internet for younger people.
Outline:
Introduction
Blindness, Low Vision, and the Search for a Model
Deafness on Martha's Vineyard
Deafness in Two Swedish Counties
Blindness - "Promoting a Message on Vision Loss..."
Works Cited
From the Paper "To be deaf, or blind; if a hundred people were given that choice, hypothetically, how many would choose deafness over being sightless? Ninety? Ninety-five? All one hundred? It would likely be most, if not all, one hundred, because vision offers so much to the brain, the senses, and the heart."
"That is not to discount the impact of serious hearing loss, but clearly, most people believe that to see is to perceive acutely and hence to understand, while to hear without seeing leaves one left to conjure up pictures in the mind's eye as to what likely is there making the sound. Approaching a train crossing in reckless fashion without the aid of auditory support is potentially suicidal, of course; but approaching a train crossing with no auditory abilities and yet using keen eyesight for oncoming train traffic is making the best of an impaired situation - and also it is just the use of good sound human judgment."
Abstract This paper discusses the life of an individual who has the sensory impairment of deaf-blindness. The paper goes into detail of how a person with this impairment must live and learn to communicate, using methods other than vision and hearing. Different methods are introduced as well as opinions and research by experts in the field. Finally, there are individual testimonies as well as techniques, which allow communication to occur.
From the Paper "After communication is successfully achieved there are still many difficulties that a person must face. We all have to remember that a deaf-blind individual may actually have no sight or hearing. Venturing outside of the home and classroom is often very difficult. One thing to make hearing, seeing, or both people aware of is that when outside, deaf-blind individuals use a red and white cane."
Abstract This papers begins with Heward's chapter on blindness and low vision and their nature as sources of individuality and challenges in educational settings. It looks at how Heward favours understanding of the visually impaired as having a different perception of life and the world. He is also a proponent of rectifying Braille as compared to Internet sources selling appliances to aid blind, low vision students as though these were essential.
From the Paper "Individuals faced with blindness or low vision as a lifelong or acquired disability are apt to confront a great variety of materials, especially, on subjects of adaptations that are possible to permit normal living, including the needs of Education. This paper explores a number of substantial Internet sites addressing blindness and low vision, directly, and with reference to other published material in William L. Heward's chapter on blindness and low vision in the 2002 edition of Exceptional Children - Introduction to Special Education (402-437)."
Abstract This paper discusses the pros and cons of pursuing a full inclusion policy of placing blind children in general education classrooms.
From the Paper "Since the passage of the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) and its reauthorization, educators have confronted tremendous pressure to mainstream children with disabilities in deference to the IDEA's least restrictive environment (LRE) provision. Essentially, to the extent possible, children with disabilities, including blind children, should be educated alongside their non-disabled peers in general education classrooms."
Abstract The paper examines the study by M. Knauff and E. May entitled "Mental Imagery, Reasoning and Blindness", which presents evidence that is relevant to the study of mental imagery in congenitally blind individuals. The paper also examines the study by A. Vanlierde and M.C. Wanet-Defalque entitled "The Role of Visual Experience in Mental Imagery", which examines the impact of visual experience on mental imagery formation. Additionally, the paper looks at a study by S. Lambert and colleagues entitled "Blindness and Brain Plasticity: Contribution of Mental Imagery?", which is concerned with the responses of the brain, particularly the primary visual area (PVA) in blind individuals during participation in mental imagery. The paper concludes that it appears that visual imagery does not occur in those blinded early in life but only in those who are blinded later in life.
Outline:
Visual Imagery and Interference
The Role of Visual Experience in Mental Imagery
Blindness and Brain Plasticity
Summary and Conclusions
From the Paper "The study by Knauff and May (2006) focused predominantly on the interference which visual imagery may exert on reasoning ability. It does however also present evidence which is relevant to the study of mental imagery in congenitally blind individuals.
"The study cites several previous studies which have shown that there are differences in the use of visual images in sighted people and those who are congenitally blind. It has also been shown through these studies that the use of spatial reconstruction is not significantly different between the two groups. It is this information which was used as the basis for the experimental design which the study used. The hypothesis is also based upon this information, along with the information from previous studies which have shown that visual imagery interferes with reasoning where spatial imagery does not."
Abstract This paper analyzes the question through philosophical, medical, and semantic rationale. It shows why many would argue against the fact that blind people can technically visualize color, but it also contends that many blind people have vividly described color and the how it effects all the senses.
From the paper:
"The question at hand is, "Do blind people (from birth) have a concept of color"? In answering this fairly, I must be extremely careful not to think myself superior, nor to dare think that I know better what is happening inside the mind of my blind neighbor than she herself may do. However, this is a question that seems to have long plagued philosophy, and it remains a profound metaphor for the relationship between experience and understanding. Therefore, it must be approached with both an eye to the actual experiences and thoughts of those who have been born blind, and to the long held ideas of science and philosophy."
A look at Georgina Kleege's essay, "Call It Blindness", in which she describes how people view and stereotype the blind as well as her view of her condition, blindness.
1,640 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 1 source, 2000, $ 53.95
From the Paper "In Georgina Kleege's essay, Call It Blindness, she describes how people view and stereotype the blind as well as her view of her condition, blindness. Kleege explains how eyes are supposively the windows to ones soul, and how important the eyes are pertaining to love and beauty. The eyes have certain qualities that "glow with affection, smolder with passion, dilate with emotion"(Kleege 397), and without the trait of vision people view the blind as less attractive or even having uncontrollable sexuality."
Abstract The paper discusses how there is great similarity in the stories, "Blindness" by Jose Saramago and "The Plague" by Albert Camus, both which deal with different types of plagues. The plague by Camus is similar to the black plague, spread by rats. In "Blindness" the white blindness starts with an unnamed man simply called the motorist who becomes blind driving into town. The paper shows how both books offer character studies of people caught or trapped in a situation from which there seems no escape.
From the Paper "The children in both Blindness (the little girl) and in the Plague represent innocence caught up in madness. In both stories the madness is caused by a disease but it is the break down of society that is the real story. Without the constraints of society and laws people revert back to their lowest forms, like animals on the hunt for survival. Only the children are innocent and without guile. They are caught in a situation they don't understand. They are the true victims in both stories because there is nothing they can do to help themselves. They can't become a hero like the doctor's wife and the doctor in the Plague. They can't save themselves like Cottard with his evil machinations. They are both left to the vagaries of fate with their only hope in others."
Abstract Atwood's novel, The Blind Assassin, is a novel of embedded stories, memoirs, newspaper clippings, a novel written by one of the characters, and stories told by a distant and secret relation within the family's daughters, Iris and Laura. Blindness is offered as a kind of purposeful ignorance, or a refusal to look at what is happening, and as well as a kind of freedom from the consequences of knowing what is happening. In the contexts of Iris' recollections, her family represents a Pandora's Box of secrets and betrayals, and as the novelist, Atwood is referring to the ways family secrets can destroy a family. The Blind Assassin is, however, much more than a story about secrets, but a revelation about writing, remembering, and living in the shadows of our own lives.
Abstract Oedipus, the main character in Sophocles' play "Oedipus Rex", could not see the truth, but the blind man, Teiresias, "saw" it plainly. This paper discusses how Sophocles uses blindness as a motif in the play since Oedipus, known for his intelligence, is ignorant and therefore blind to the truth about himself and his past. It also shows that when Teiresias exposes the truth he is shunned and how Oedipus has to overcome his "blindness," realize the truth and accept fate.
From the Paper "Unwillingly, Teiresias the blind seer provides Oedipus with the hurtful truth. Although before the truth is announced, Oedipus describes Teiresias as a "seer: student of mysteries." Oedipus looks to Teiresias for help in finding the murderer of the former king. He is trusted and respected by everyone in the city as evidenced by his introduction as "the holy prophet In whom, alone of all men, truth was born." Yet, when Teiresias speaks, reluctantly but honestly to Oedipus, he is shunned and his credibility and motives are attacked. Oedipus accuses Teiresias of plotting against him and helping Kreon become king. He claims that Kreon " has brought this decrepit fortune-teller, this collector of dirty pennies, this prophet fraud" to him."
Abstract This paper takes a look at various blind musicians and the contributions they have made to the music world. The paper discusses the life and work of Blind Tom, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Blind Lemon Jefferson.
Outline:
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Contributions of Blind Musicians
Conclusion
From the Paper "By the time he reached his majority, Blind Tom possessed a repertoire of hundreds of pieces, all contained in his memory alone. In would appear, that in this individual's case, the inability to see also accentuated his other auditory abilities: "Tom's memory extended to other auditory information besides music: he could repeat without error conversations of up to fifteen minutes that he had overheard. He could also sing back songs in French or German (which, of course, he could not understand) after only one hearing" (Winner, 1996, p. 134). While musical savants may be the rule rather than the exception when it comes to musical genius, there are some well-known examples of blind musical prodigies as well but these musicians have not received as much attention. According to Haroutounian (2000), musical prodigies in general typically reach an advanced stage of development quickly and are capable of pursuing professional careers at an early age; however, some musical prodigies tend to experience a sort of "mid-life crisis" when they reached adolescence: "What happens to the bird who sings and doesn't know how it sings? That's what happens to child prodigies. They wake up and ask themselves dangerous questions about how they do it -- and they have no answers" (Haroutounian, 2000, p. 3). Furthermore, Goldstein (1998) reports that most traditional colleges and universities are ill-prepared to address the special needs of musical prodigies in general and blind students in particular, so it is a wonder that there are any professional blind musicians at all, but some persevere and these individuals are discussed further below."
Abstract In his play, "Oedipus Rex," ancient Greek writer, Sophocles, invites us to ponder the nature of destiny and how, wise as we think ourselves, the very acts by which we work to avoid our fate only bring it rushing to meet us. Most of us have a good idea of what the concepts of blindness and vision mean and how they differ from one another. This paper shows, however, that Sophocles thinks otherwise and gives us good reason to wonder just how different they are from each other. In fact, by the time Oedipus stumbles beyond the gates of Thebes, we begin to realize just how entangled vision is with blindness, for nothing blinded Oedipus to the inevitability of his fate so well as having had it shown to him. Seeing his fate did not enlighten him; it put him in greater darkness.
From the Paper "This is the biggest kind of blindness in Oedipus; the absolute inability of human beings to see all the myriad ways in which things work to bring us to our fates. Had Oedipus done what we flatter ourselves to think we would have done, namely consult the assumed parents with the new information before doing anything, and then sitting on our hands to make sure the prophecy didn't come to pass, it wouldn't have made any difference in the end. Had he become king of Corinth, at some point he would have had to go to war with Thebes, ended up killing Laius in open battle, and been forced by some obscure custom to marry the vanquished king's widow to retain the crown. In another sense, we are all Oedipus, trying to understand and outwit fate."
Abstract This paper examines the causes of various types of blindness such as macular degeneration, river blindness and stargardt disease. It also discusses various ways of overcoming some forms of blindness with treatments such as medication, silicon retinas and bionic eyes.
From the Paper "The most common of all forms of retinitis pigmentosa is a gradual degeneration of the rods and cones, which are known as rod-cone dystrophy, usually beginning with night blindness. Night blindness is like the experience normally sighted individuals encounter when entering a dark movie theatre on a bright and sunny day. Unfortunately, people with the disease cannot adjust well to dark and dimly lit environments. Patients tend to experience a ring of central vision loss in their mid- margin with small islands of vision in their very far margin."
Tags: retina, macular, degeneration, river, stargardt
Abstract This paper explores the degree to which the U.S. Constitution may be said to be "color-blind". It argues that the Constitution is not color-blind because it permits many instances of bigotry to go unchecked in private life. To bolster this claim, the paper places a great deal of emphasis upon the work of Dr. Neil Gotanda, entitled A Critique of "Our Constitution is Color-Blind". The paper also focuses on the controversial case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) in which racism was seen to be upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court despite the eloquent protests of one of the presiding Justices.
From the Paper "Gotanda also insists that the First Amendment - specifically its Freedom of Speech Clause - has been used by the federal courts to strike down government efforts to outlaw "racial domination". What Gotanda appears to mean when he talks of "racial domination" is that recent years (Gotanda was writing in the early 1990s) have seen the "resurgence" of racist speech on university campuses after decades of determined effort by non-whites to wrestle back control of the image-making process from Caucasians. As a result, racially motivated speech which defames - or at least casts in a negative light different - groups has been protected by a Constitution that is allegedly "non-racial" in construction. In any case, Dr. Gotanda, if this writer understands him correctly, is putting forward the notion that American society has always been dominated by Caucasians and, therefore, permitting racially-offensive discourses on university campuses allows the dominant group in society to continue to articulate views supporting invidious distinctions between races without fear of any disciplinary action being taken. In other words, whites have crafted negative images of non-whites since the founding of America and this group, so powerful in the media, in the judiciary and even still in academia, is allowed to continue on with making negative distinctions because the Constitution - written as it was and amended as it has been by (predominantly) Caucasian males of property and significance - permits it."
Abstract The paper discusses how technology is capable of enhancing the blind's perception of popular culture and their interaction within it. The paper then shows how the blind will still be unable to experience the Information Age schema of popular culture in the same kind of depth with which a sighted person can. The paper adds that the difficulty the blind have in accessing this information is only likely to get worse as pop culture continues to evolve around the increasingly rapid intake and processing of new, visual information.
From the Paper "There is little denying the reality that popular culture is, in contemporary society, largely shaped by new developments in technology. It is an "environment of accelerated change, where the evolution of technology has become the primary force behind pop culture (Rudman, 2006). For the majority of people, the intersection of technology and popular culture can seem so seamless and ubiquitous as to be unnoticeable. Most, especially the younger generation, have fully adapted to a world of YouTube videos, blogging, virtual worlds, and 24-hour cell phone access.However, the fact that popular culture has become mired in technology, like the Internet, which can be a fundamentally visual medium, can present significant challenges for individuals who are blind or sight impaired."
