FAQ’s

Background

Blind and visually impaired people get asked A LOT of questions about their vision. This space is dedicated to answering the ones I’ve received most frequently, often from well-meaning people who possess genuine curiosity. Please read below for snarky, informative answers to people’s burning questions.

Why don’t you just wear glasses? Why don’t you get LASIK? Etc.

Prescriptions glasses, LASIK eye surgery, and other corrective measures are incredibly beneficial to many different types of people. The key word I’ll highlight there, however, is corrective. The anatomy of my eyes doesn’t allow for significant correction because what’s present is fundamentally impaired.

Imagine this: your vehicle isn’t working and you go to get a specific part fixed. A normal person would get the proper replacement part, install it, and move on. For me the piece needed doesn’t exist and my vehicle has to try its best with what its got until a piece is discovered, repurposed, etc. The point is that my eyes have tried their best to acclimate to a world that isn’t suited for them and my vehicle is just going to hit more bumps on the way.

Confusingly, I do wear glasses sometimes, but that’s mostly because people have said I look good in them. While I wish shooting lasers into my eyes could solve my issues, it’d probably just make things worse in the end. Plus, glasses frames can be stupidly expensive. Silver linings, right?

Since you don’t see well, you must have great hearing, right?

Nope! I’d say my ears are about average given how many times I’m asking people, “What’d you say?” I think one reason people ask this question is because they think if people’s eyes don’t function well, they must just use their other senses instead which in turn get strengthened. I’m still heavily reliant on my vision, however bad it is, and this doesn’t give much space for my hearing to get any better. Loud bars, concerts and events haven’t done me any favors, so I’m not holding my breath that things will change much in this area.

One area that may be more enhanced than the average person is my situational awareness. Something I like to say is the more I know a space the better I can see. What I mean by that is that I may hesitate more navigating an environment if I’m not familiar with it. However, I know where my furniture is placed, where I hang things, and what’s in my cupboards in my own space. I tend to be more aware of these things because I don’t always have my vision to give me a heads up on them like sighted people might. So, I try my best and definitely take comfort in familiarity. The moral of the story is this: if I break something in my place, it’s my fault. If I break something at your place, it’s your fault. Seems fair, right?

When did you learn braille? How much braille do you know? Etc.

Braille can be helpful for those who know it and use it; however, not all blind people automatically get enrolled into a braille course out of the womb. People have a lot of different opinions on it, but a common theme these days is that, with growing technology use (voiceover, accessibility options, etc.), braille isn’t as prevalent as it once was. I volunteered to learn it while in high school and learned the braille alphabet, 189 contractions of words, the Nemeth Code, and other important components. I’d explain more about everything, but it turns out that braille is a bit of a use it or lose it type of thing. This site is a nice snapshot with some fun facts for those interested.

Nuance is present everywhere and this rings true for the blind/visually impaired community as well. While I don’t use braille often, if at all, that doesn’t mean many others don’t use it. It’s a helpful tool and possesses an important space for those it’s relevant for.

The Funny Ones

This is a space for the more bizarre questions that I’ve gotten. In most cases, I’ve gotten these more than once and, rather than giving an answer, I’m often left asking questions myself after hearing them. A disclaimer here is that I don’t want to discourage people from asking genuine questions. If you’re curious, please ask. I just ask that they come from a place of respect and openness. Enjoy!

Is your eye condition contagious?

I’m not sure where this comes from. No, it isn’t contagious and I’m not sure how it could be. So, sighted people can rest easy.

Do you speak braille?

Sure, I’ll give it a shot. Dots 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 and dots 1, 3, and 5.

That spells “no.”

It’s not a language so it’s not the most efficient way to speak. That’s especially true coming from me whose braille is as rusty as most of America’s infrastructure. I’ll leave it in its print form for everyone’s sake.

Do you speak ASL (American Sign Language)?

This question in itself isn’t necessarily bad; however, when people ask in the context of meaning if I speak braille or not, it sure feels that way.

So how do you… you know… *whispers* have sex?

Yes, I’ve gotten this one a lot. It’s a weird question to pose to someone. “How do you have sex with your partner?” is my usual response to this. I’m not an alien, so if you haven’t had the birds and the bees talk yet I’m surely not the one to give it you now.

What are you, blind?

There are some funny stories from friends who I met for the first time who said something close to this. People like to joke and, when they aren’t aware that I’m visually impaired, this one comes up often.