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Home / Thoughts / Blindsimming vs using a wheelchair

Blindsimming vs using a wheelchair

Written by Sean on Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Over the last several months I’ve emailed with someone who’s BIID makes her want need to be blind. There have been many interesting conversations. While she doesn’t live and work full time as blind, she does blindsim a lot. She tells me she can spend entire weekends in "blind mode", and that she finds doing house chores almost easier (certainly more enjoyable) while blindsimming. I started pondering what it would be like to blindsim.

Blind leading the blind?

Ohh, I don’t have any desire to be blind. I am just curious to experience complete loss of vision, and of learning to function. And before any of you accuse me of untold ills, I will readily admit that it wouldn’t be the same, that I know I could stop at any time. It would not be a game, although it would be significantly different than using the wheelchair.

Part of what fascinates me about my reaction is that when playing the "What if?" game, I always come back to the fact that of all disabilities I would rather not ever acquire is blindness. Blindness or a TBI. I know I’d cope, obviously (well, obviously to me), but I’d rather not. Yet, I have this intense curiousity to see what it would be like (pun intended).

I’ve already downloaded Jaws, a screenreader for my computer, though that’s mostly because I use it to test websites for accessibility. I’m considering getting myself a cane, only for around the house obviously, as it would not do to just appear in public using a cane, walking while everyone knows me sighted and wheeling! I’d also be interested in getting "blind" contact lenses. Because I think it’s too easy to cheat with just closing your eyes, or wearing dark glasses. There would have to be an element of limited choice. It has to be more complicated to open your eyes and see than to try to figure out your way out of a pickle.

But it’s not something I’ll do. It’s not money I have to spare. Perhaps some day, but in the meantime, I’m wheeling. Because a wheeler is how I see myself, it’s who I am. It’s what I am. Blindsimming would be an interesting experience. Wheeling is me. Just like I suspect my blindsimming friend feels. Wheeling is an interesting experience for her, whereas blind is her. And when I think of her, I usualy think of her as blind.

I like people to think of me as I perceive myself. It’s only fair I’d think of them as they perceive themselves.

Tags: Blind, Blindsimming, Wheelchair, BIID, Screenreader, White+Cane, Transabled

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