Hearing loss is a bigger loss than blindness. many would disagree. But it is a fact. When people go into coma, one is asked to keep talking to the patient, it is to keep him alive, grounded to life. The eyes may be closed, mind shut off but hearing is on and the brain is tuned to grab any sounds and specially voices.
To get a better picture of deafness over blindness, one exercise can be done, many would have done, it is from everyday life we all would have experienced in life. Mute the TV and keep looking at the movie or documentary or a song anything. What do you experience? After few minutes, you lose all interest in it after a while and maybe sleep off after a while. Now close your eyes and listen to any CD of your choice, what do you experience? Body starts to react to it, music or speech, your brain is full on into hearing and you are alive. So its the sounds and hearing that keeps us more alert and alive and focused and is very essential to lead life. One needs to develop language for living.
To get a better picture of deafness over blindness, one exercise can be done, many would have done, it is from everyday life we all would have experienced in life. Mute the TV and keep looking at the movie or documentary or a song anything. What do you experience? After few minutes, you lose all interest in it after a while and maybe sleep off after a while. Now close your eyes and listen to any CD of your choice, what do you experience? Body starts to react to it, music or speech, your brain is full on into hearing and you are alive. So its the sounds and hearing that keeps us more alert and alive and focused and is very essential to lead life. One needs to develop language for living.
Except that being independent is nearly impossible when you are blind. Even walking independently is difficult. You can't drive, can't read (traditionally)...how do you shop or cook or even walk around your own home without crashing into everything? How about even finding your cane (with is essential to being safe and mobile), if it even falls over?
ReplyDeleteYour comparison is very shallow and doesn't consider real life at all.
Btw, we have had captions on our TV since 3 years BEFORE our child was deaf. They are mandated by federal law in the US, and allow us to follow movies with the sound off, (including when we are on the phone) without missing anything. Whereas the accommodation for the blind (descriptive video service) is in no way federally funded and nearly impossible to find.
I agree, being independent is very difficult in terms of blindness. What I mean to say is about being grounded. A person who loses his hearing , if left alone, slowly loses language and eventually gets lost in his world. A blind person with his hearing still intact still remains connected with the world just by listening to all the sounds around him. See any old person who lost his hearing,he would eventually be lost into himself and soon loses his interest in life and eventually doesn't want to live. People also leave him alone as there are fewer means of communication. There was a case with a friend's grand dad.Family said he is alone, doesn't want to mix around and sits in his room by himself. An audiologist friend got him hearing aids and they saw his eyes light up. Not only did he sit with the family in the family room, he started to play with the kids and got his life back.
ReplyDeleteDeaf people can use hearing aids but what is the option for a blind person ?
Deletejust having HA don't solve the problem. its a long journey. And am talking about people who lose hearing later in life or are in coma and how hearing keeps them connected to life.
ReplyDeleteBeing independent is not impossible just because of blindness. I use a cane or guide dog. There are skills such as problem solving, mental mapping, listening to patterns of parallel and perpendicular traffic, cardinal directions/a compass, auditory and tactile feedback, and asking people for directions or using a gps for travel in familiar or unfamiliar areas. My computer has text to speech software that reads what I type and the info from a website, email, document, ETC. I have braille to take notes, make lists, and read books. I take the bus, cab, or hire a reader/driver to help with grocery shopping, addressing envelopes, or reading misc info. I know my apartment, so I don't crash into anything unless I am dizzy from not-blindness-related health issues. Food can be judged by smell, how it feels in the skillet when touching it with a spatula, the sound of water or other things when they boil. My iphone talks, so I use the timer on that for food.
ReplyDeleteI have great regard for the blind who despite this handicap manage an independent life. After reading your comment, I think I feel you and I are no different, Good going !
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