[nagdu] The Definition of Blindness

Wed May 27 12:38:00 UTC 2009

Dear All,
    During the recent convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Florida, the Florida Asociation of Guide Dog Users adopted several amendments to its Constitution. Among these changes was the removal of the term "legally blind", substituting simply "blind" wherever that term appeared. This minor change, I explained,was made to keep in philosophical alignment with the beliefs of the NFB. Afterward, one member approached me to express disagreement with the change, sharing the opinion that there was a difference between "visually impaired", "legally blind", and "totally blind". During this conversation, this member asserted that it was deceptive for someone with residual vision to call themselves "blind". In defense of my opinion, I cited Kenneth Jernigan's article, "The Definition of Blindness". For everyone's consideration, I have pasted this article below and have attached it to this mesage. I hope you enjoy it - if you are reading it for the first time - or learn something new, if you have read it before!

Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala-Schoch

The Definition of Blindness

By Kenneth Jernigan

Before we can talk intelligently about the problems of blindness or the potentialities of blind people, we must have a workable definition of blindness.

Most of us are likely familiar with the generally accepted legal definition: visual acuity of not greater that 20/200 in the better eye with correction

or a field not subtending an angle greater than 20 degrees. But this is not really a satisfactory definition. It is, rather, a way of recognizing in medical

and measurable terms something which must be defined not medically or physically but functionally.

Putting to one side for a moment the medical terminology, what is blindness? Once I asked a group of high school students this question, and one of them

replied-apparently believing that he was making a rather obvious statement-that a person is blind if he "can't see." When the laughter subsided, I asked

the student if he really meant what he said. He replied that he did. I then asked him whether he would consider a person blind who could see light but

who could not see objects-a person who would bump into things unless he used a cane, a dog, or some other travel aid and who would, if he depended solely

on the use of his eyesight, walk directly into a telephone pole or fire plug. After some little hesitation the student said that he would consider such

a person to be blind. I agreed with him and then went on to point out the obvious-that he literally did not mean that the definition of blindness was to

be unable to see.

I next told this student of a man I had known who had "normal" (20/20) visual acuity in both eyes but who had such an extreme case of sensitivity to light

that he literally could not keep his eyes open at all. The slightest amount of light caused such excruciating pain that the only way he could open his

eyes was by prying them open with his fingers. Nevertheless, this person, despite the excruciating pain he felt while doing it, could read the eye chart

without difficulty. The readings showed that he had "normal sight." This individual applied to the local Welfare Department for Public Assistance to the

Blind and was duly examined by their ophthalmologist. The question I put to the student was this: "If you had been the ophthalmologist, would you have

granted the aid or not?"

His answer was, "Yes."

"Remember," I told him, "under the law you are forbidden to give aid to any person who is not actually blind. Would you still have granted the assistance?"

The student said that he would. Again, I agreed with him, but I pointed out that, far from his first facetious statement, what he was saying was this:

It is possible for one to have "perfect sight" and still in the physical, literal sense of the word be blind.

I then put a final question to the student. I asked him whether if a sighted person were put into a vault which was absolutely dark so that he could see

nothing whatever, it would be accurate to refer to that sighted person as a blind man. After some hesitation and equivocation the student said, "No." For

a third time I agreed with him. Then I asked him to examine what we had established.

1. To be blind does not mean that one cannot see. (Here again I must interrupt to say that I am not speaking in spiritual or figurative terms but in the

most literal sense of the word.)

2. It is possible for an individual to have "perfect sight" and yet be physically and literally blind.

3. It is possible for an individual not to be able to see at all and still be a sighted person.

What, then, in light of these seeming contradictions is the definition of blindness? In my way of thinking it is this: One is blind to the extent that he

must devise alternative techniques to do efficiently those things which he would do if he had normal vision. An individual may properly be said to be "blind"

or a "blind person" when he has to devise so many alternative techniques-that is, if he is to function efficiently-that his pattern of daily living is

substantially altered. It will be observed that I say alternative not substitute techniques, for the word substitute connotes inferiority, and the alternative

techniques employed by the blind person need not be inferior to visual techniques. In fact, some of them are superior. The usually accepted legal definition

of blindness already given (that is, visual acuity of less than 20/200 with correction or a field of less that 20 degrees) is simply one medical way of

measuring and recognizing that anyone with better vision than the amount mentioned in the definition will (although he may have to devise some alternative

techniques) likely not have to devise so many such techniques as to alter substantially his patterns of daily living. On the other hand, anyone with less

vision than that mentioned in the legal definition will usually (I emphasize the word usually, for such is not always the case) need to devise so many

such alternative techniques as to alter quite substantially his patterns of daily living.

It may be of some interest to apply this standard to the three cases already discussed:

First, what of the person who has light perception but sees little or nothing else? In at least one situation he can function as a sighted person. If, before

going to bed, he wished to know whether the lights are out in his home, he can simply walk through the house and "see". If he did not have light perception,

he would have to use some alternative technique-touch the bulb, tell by the position of the switch, have some sighted person give him the information,

or devise some other method. However, this person is still quite properly referred to as a blind person. This one visual technique which he uses is such

as small part of his overall pattern of daily living as to be negligible in the total picture. The patterns of his daily living are substantially altered.

In the main he employs alternative techniques to do those things which he would do with sight if he had normal vision-that is, he does if he functions

efficiently.

Next, let us consider the person who has normal visual acuity but cannot hold his eyes open because of his sensitivity to light. He must devise alternative

techniques to do anything which he would do with sight if he had normal vision. He is quite properly considered to be a "blind person."

Finally, what of the sighted person who is put into a vault which has no light? Even though he can see nothing at all, he is still quite properly considered

to be a "sighted person." He uses the same techniques that any other sighted person would use in a similar situation. There are no visual techniques which

can be used in such circumstances. In fact, if a blind person found himself in such a situation, he might very well have a variety of techniques to use.

I repeat that, in my opinion, blindness can best be defined not physically or medically but functionally or sociologically. The alternative techniques which

must be learned are the same for those born blind as for those who become blind as adults. They are quite similar (or should be) for those who are totally

blind or nearly so and those who are "partially sighted" and yet are blind in the terms of the usually accepted legal definition. In other words, I believe

that the complex distinctions which are often made between those who have partial sight and those who are totally blind, between those who have been blind

from childhood and those who have become blind as adults are largely meaningless. In fact, they are often harmful since they place the wrong emphasis on

blindness and its problems. Perhaps the greatest danger in the field of work for the blind today is the tendency to be hypnotized by jargon.
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