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Running head: THE BLIND COMMUNITY

The Blind Community and the Components of their Lives

Monica Munoz
University of Kentucky

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THE BLIND COMMUNITY
Abstract
This essay explores the culture known as the blind community. It defines what exactly it means
to be blind, and discusses the various stereotypes made of those who are visually impaired. One
of those being that their senses are heightened to compensate for missing one. This paper also
goes into detail describing several of the accommodations used to make the lives of those
members of the blind community easier. Some of these being service dogs, applications, and
even a simple cane.

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The Blind Community and the Components of their Lives
There are many different types of cultures in this world. Some, more obvious than others.
According to Merriam Websters dictionary (Merriam Webster, n.d.), culture is defined as the
beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular group, place or time. In other words, its basically just
being a part of something. One culture that particularly interests me is the Blind community.
They are abundant, especially on the University of Kentuckys campus. They are also wildly
misunderstood. In this essay, I will explain what it means to be blind, the different types of
accommodations members of the blind community use throughout the day, and shed some light
on the variety of stereotypes people have formed of them.
What, might you ask, entails being a member of the blind community? It is as self
explanatory is it gets. This culture consist of those people who have been diagnosed as legally
blind. Legal blindness occurs when a person can visualize at 20/200 or less with their better eye.
In simple terms, someone who is legally blind can see at 20 feet, what someone with 20/20
eyesight can see at 200 (Legal Definition, n.d.). Many people think that when you are blind,
the only thing seen is darkness. Through my interviews, I found that to not entirely be true.
Although that is the case in some situations, many actually have light perception. They can tell
when it is bright outside, just as well as they can tell if it is dark (S. Clark, personal
communication, October 10, 2014). Almost as much as 80% of individuals who are considered
legally blind actually have some remaining eyesight (Simulations, n.d.). There are
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quite a few different conditions resulting in the loss of vision. Too many to name, in fact. While
some can be born with it, others can acquire it over time through an illness, disease, or even
some type of physical trauma. One condition that I find particularly fascinating is albinism.
Typically, that is known for the lack of pigment in the skin or hair. Most, however, dont realize
that people with albinism suffer from a lack of pigment in the eyes as well. This results in a
sensitivity to light and glare, along with numerous other vision problems. Many, in fact, are
actually considered to be legally blind (Albinism, n.d.). Another interesting cause of blindness
is diabetic retinopathy. This is an eye condition that results directly from the detrimental effects
diabetes has on the body. The smallest change in the tiny blood vessels of the retina can lead to
vision loss, and that is exactly what happens in these cases. Diabetic retinopathy severely
damages the circulatory system of the retina (Diabetic Retinopathy, n.d.). A more commonly
known, yet misunderstood eye condition is glaucoma. This is a disease that results in the loss of
peripheral vision, and if gone too long untreated, total and irreversible blindness. It is caused
from the pressure of fluid inside the eye being too high. Unfortunately, many people suffering
from glaucoma do not realize it at first, because it often times progresses with little to no
symptoms or warning signs. That is why it is extremely important to have regular check ups with
your eye doctor (Glaucoma, n.d.). Thankfully, though, there are many different ways to make
life easier for those who are suffering from blindness.
One thing that most people associate to those lacking sight, is seeing eye dogs. Or, as
some might call them, service dogs. Although they are fun to pet, they do serve a great purpose
that most dont quite understand. During my interviews, I asked what role their service animals
played in assisting

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them throughout the day. These highly intelligent animals are able to navigate their owners
around any obstacles that might be in their way. For example, the dog will stop in front of a
street curb, or a set of
stairs, so that the person they are guiding knows there is something in the way (S. Clark, personal
communication, October 10, 2014). They are also trained to be very tame and good in public
places, so as not to disturb the peace in a quiet setting such as a classroom. There are a number of
ways to acquire a service dog. You can get one through a program, a private trainer, or you can
train one yourself. Although getting one personally tained can be rewarding, most people get
them through a program. This is because it is the easiest, most budget friendly and efficient way
to get a good quality pet that will do its job (Guide Dog, n.d.). As with everything else,
owning one of these animals comes with not only many advantages, but quite a few
disadvantages as well. First and foremost, they are not always available. It can be hard to find a
service dog that is readily trained right when you need it. For the most part they go through
months, even years of training. Because of this, they can be quite costly. Training is expensive,
along with equipment like harnesses and dog necessities. Not only that, but dogs can be
extremely high maintenance. It can be rather difficult to deal
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with the upkeep of a seeing eye dog. For those
that find these disadvantages to be a deal breaker,
the simple cane is the next best option. This is a

tool that many visually impaired people have chosen to use for a very long time. Possibly
because it is the most basic, cheap, and versatile thing you can find. Not much training is
required to get the hang of it, and it can be almost as useful as a seeing eye dog. Plus, it can come
in handy if for some reason a dog isnt available (Long White, n.d.). Service animals and canes
arent the only tools people belonging to the blind community manipulate to make their lives
easier. In fact, they have many different accommodations. One, in particular, being something
called a Braillenote. According to my interviewee (S.Clark, personal communication, October
10, 2014), this machine is basically like a computer. Instead of having normal keys, though, they
have different buttons that one would use to form the different braille characters. This comes in
handy for taking notes in class, among other things. Braille is another thing that is greatly
misunderstood regarding this culture. It was invented in the 1800s by a frenchman named Louis
Braille (How was Braille, n.d.). It consists of a series of raised dots used to be read with the
fingertips of those who are visually impaired. It is not, as some may believe, a language, as much
as it is a code used for languages to be written and read. When every letter of every single word
is expressed in braille, it is known as Grade 1 braille. There are very few pieces of literature
expressed using this technique. What most use is called Grade 2 braille. This is when the dots are
used in combination with others to form a multitude of contractions or whole words. There are
189 different letter contractions, and as much as 76 short term words used in Grade 2 (How is
Braille, n.d.). This helps tremendously in reducing the amount of paper needed to produce
books and other things used to make the reading process easier. Aside from Braillenotes, and
other
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technologies using braille, there are quite a few gadgets out there to assist the visually impaired.
One of those being an iPad, or any other tablet or computer (S.Clark, personal communication,
October 10, 2014). When my interviewee first informed me of this, I was slightly taken aback.
Simply because you typically need sight to operate and use anything with a screen. Especially, a
touch screen. However, it became much more clear when I was informed that there are different
softwares and apps you can get in order to have the screen read to you. One app in particular is
called voice over. All you have to do is press a certain part of the screen and it will be read
straight to you, making tasks that would normally be hard for someone lacking sight, pretty
simple (S.Clark, personal communication, October 10, 2014). Although these accommodations
are made to make life easier, and better, for the blind community, they do come at a pretty hefty
price. Typically, the Braillenote can run anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000 (S.Clark, personal
communication, October 10, 2014). Not only that, but you have to consider the cost of taking
care of the animals as well. Add everything together and it can become very expensive.
Many people have formed their own ideas about members of the blind community, some
of them turn out to be completely false, while others turn out to be true. For example, it is a
common thought that those who are visually impaired have a much harder life than those who
are not. However, during my interviews I asked both of the people I interviewed (A.Clark &
S.Clark, personal communication, October 10, 2014) whether or not they thought normal things
such as going to class were more difficult for them, they both said no. Ms Clark claimed that
once you find the correct routes and get used to it, it is not difficult at all. She also said that
people work very well with her to try and make things easier (personal communication, October
10, 2014). For example, one of her professors
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uploaded the lecture slides to blackboard using a file that was not compatable with her screen
reader. All she had to do was let that professor know, and she was more than happy to change it
to something that worked for Ms. Clark. It just goes to show that especially in todays world,
those people with disabilities, in this case vision loss, can lead a life just like any other person.
Another thing that most people think they know about those who lack sight, is that their other
senses are heightened in order to compensate for the fact that they are missing one. Ms Clark
stated, Ive heard that scientifically its not true. But, people that I have been around say that it
is true. I dont think that its necessarily heightened. Its just that you have to use them more so
you know how to use them more effectively. (S.Clark, personal communication, October 10,
2014). This idea completely makes sense. Not only because you have to use them more, but also
because you dont have sight to distract you from the other sensations around you. Her brother
agreed with this statement wholeheartedly, and when inquired about his opinion on this matter,
gave almost the same answer that Sydney did (A.Clark, personal communication, October 10,
2014).
Even though it is not uncommon to see someone who is a part of the blind community on
a day to day basis, it is uncommon to understand exactly what that means. There are numerous
different reasons one could potentially become blind, and there are even more ways to live life
after the fact. What I learned through this project is that although they were dealt a difficult hand
in life, those who are visually impaired make the most with what theyve got. And, in all reality
they are just like anyone else. It almost makes me look at my life in a different light. These
people were so positive about their situation. They have accepted their disability with grace, and
have hit the ground running. I know quite a

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few people who did not even attend college because they thought it would be too hard. The
individuals I interviewed can not even see what they are being taught, yet they found a way to
make it work in order to achieve their dreams, with no excuses being uttered from their mouths.
This is a truly admirable quality in a human being that I hope to hone in on one day. In this
essay, I wanted to explain what it means to be blind, describe the different types of
accommodations those who suffer from this disability use throughout the day, and shed some
light on the variety of stereotypes people have formed of them. Hopefully it has been an
informative and entertaining piece about the members of the blind community and what that
entails.

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References
Glossary of Eye Conditions: Albinism. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2014, from
http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/eye-conditions/12
Glossary of Eye Conditions: Diabetic Retinopathy. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2014, from
http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/eye-conditions/12
Glossary of Eye Conditions: Glaucoma. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2014, from
http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/eye-conditions/12
Guide Dogs. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2014, from
http://www.livingblind.com/guidedogs.html
Legal Definition of Blindness. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2014, from
http://www.blind.state.ia.us/legal-definition-blindness
Long White Canes. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2014, from
http://www.livingblind.com/whitecanes.html
Simulations of Vision Loss. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2014, from
http://www.blind.state.ia.us/legal-definition-blind
[Untitled photograph of BrailleNote]. Retrieved October 29, 2014 from:
http://www.boundlessat.com/Blindness/Notetakers/BrailleNote-Apex
[Untitled Photograph of Guide Dog and Canes] Retrieved October 29, 2014 from:
http://www.whitecaneday.org/
Webster, M. (n.d.). Culture. Retrieved October 10, 2014, from
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http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture
What Is Braille? (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2014, from
http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/braille/what-is-braille/123