[nfb-talk] Fw: Implanted chip allows blind people to detect objects'

[David Andrews]

John:

In a sense, I think you and Steve were debating two different ends of 
the same subject.  I suspect you were talking in general about an 
opportunity to see or not, and I think Steve was taking a more 
literal view, would you put up with the inconvenience, expense, risk 
etc.  Yours was more philosophical, his more practical, both parts of 
the ultimate decision-making process for all of us.

Dave

At 10:50 AM 11/5/2010, you wrote:
>What do you mean its not as simple as I've made it out to be? The 
>only thing I'm saying is that wanting my vision back doesn't mean I 
>feel inferiour. Well, yeah, that is a pretty simple comment but the 
>issue itself is simple. Or do you think that if I want my vision 
>back I must not have fully adjusted to being blind? I say that's ridiculous.
>
>Steve, don't go over board trying to be fair. Sometimes you've got 
>to call a spade a spade. What's right is right.
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>; "qubit" 
><lauraeaves at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2010 7:56 PM
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: Implantedchip 'allowsblindpeopleto detectobjects'
>
>
>>I would submit that at least I don't know enough about this device 
>>to know whether I would want it or not.  I don't think, Ray, it is 
>>as simple as you make it
>>out to be, nor is it as simple to me as John makes it out to 
>>me.  If I could have vision at very low cost and at very low risk, 
>>I would take it. If, however,
>>having this device would require that I take antirejection 
>>treatments for the rest of my life or if the cost is such that it 
>>would be like buying a second home, I
>>wouldn't find that worth the risk.  I would certainly be curious to 
>>see what vision is like, but I don't see having vision as such a 
>>benefit to be worth a cost that
>>would leave me strapped or at the risk of my health.  If one were 
>>to be willing to take an implant that provided vision at the risk 
>>of leaving one's kids without
>>a parent, for example, I would wonder about that persons priorities 
>>and whether their blindness was unnecessarily limiting them.  I 
>>think, though, that we
>>have to recognize that there will be some honest differences 
>>between individuals that can't be attributed solely to one's 
>>adjustment.  Also, we would have to
>>consider what getting vision back really means.  Those who think 
>>that they could get vision back and immediately get a higher paying job may be
>>disappointed.  The experience of some indicates that it takes time 
>>to learn how to adequately use vision when one gets it back, and 
>>one would most likely
>>not be able to immediately drive, for example.
>>
>>Best regards,
>>
>>Steve Jacobson

                         David Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
Follow me on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920