By SAMUEL M. GENENSKY, PH. D. Special to the Daily Press
Editor’s note: In recognition of October as Disabilities Awareness Month in Santa Monica, the Daily Press presents a month-long series of articles written by members of the City of Santa Monica Disabilities Commission.
What is the real nature of the visually impaired population, recent advances that have improved lives and the most important problems facing us?
People with vision impairments are not a homogeneous population. While many think of “the blind,” most who have vision impairments can read printed or handwritten material if they bring that material close to their eyes, or they can benefit from optical and/or electro-optical visual aids. Of this “partially sighted” subpopulation, many are able to move around in an unfamiliar environment without assistance.
A small percentage of the visually impaired (approximately 5 percent) cannot read printed or handwritten material, even with the help of optical or electro-optical visual aids, and they can only move around with the help of a white cane or a guide dog. This subpopulation of those with visual impairments are generally referred to as the functionally blind.
We are living in a very exciting and a relatively enlightened period for people with visual impairments. Many devices and techniques are now available that 10 or 20 years ago did not exist.
For example: • Computer programs use speech to inform the users what is displayed on their computer screens, and that give users auditory access to printed and typewritten material with the assistance of an electro-optical scanner. • Descriptive audio/video devices inform the listeners of what is going on in a TV program or film when no one is speaking. • Telephone communication, including a source (National Network) that will read the content of more than 70 newspapers each day at no cost to visually impaired users.
We may ask, what do people with visual impairments need most of all?
From my perspective, the most important thing we need is to be regarded first and foremost as being people, and not as “the blind.” We want to be judged on the basis of what we can do and not on the basis of our perceived disability.
To highlight the idea of ability over disability, recently I was riding in the car of a friend who was driving while talking on a cell phone. Now, I am very much a functionally blind person. Even so, I was able to sense that my friend was driving beyond the intersection that he needed to turn on if we were to arrive at our destination.
I had to let him know he was now on the wrong path, even though I was reluctant to interrupt his phone conversation. He found this to be hilarious and told the person he was talking to on the phone that his blind friend had just pointed out that he was heading in the wrong direction!
Dr. Samuel M. Genensky is a retired mathematician and visual aid designer. He is the founder of the Center for the Partially Sighted.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 30, 2006. Read the original PDF.