Last Updated on November 5, 2020
The reason behind why do blind people wear sunglasses: Blindness is the lack of the ability to perceive objects in the surrounding world visually. And blind people can be immediately distinguished from others since the blind walk with glasses. Why are they using this accessory?
Are All Blind People Completely Blind?
Many people who are blind from birth and who have lost the ability to see at a young or adult age retain the so-called residual vision. Of course, it cannot be compared with vision in the usual sense, but they can distinguish between light and darkness, see the blurry outlines of objects.
Do Blind People See Black? What Do Blind People See
Very often, people with good eyesight are interested in the question: what do the blind see. Many people think that they see black with an admixture of glowing spots (this is what we see when we close our eyes). However, this is not quite true. The world view of a blind person depends largely on the age at which he lost his sight.
If this happened in maturity, then he will think like a sighted person and perceive the sun as yellow and the grass as green. If a person was born blind, then he simply does not know what darkness or golden glow looks like. Therefore, asking him about what he sees will most likely answer: “Emptiness,” and will not lie.
Dreams of the Blind
Note that the situation is approximately the same with dreams. A person who lost their eyesight in adulthood will tell you that at first, they had dreams with colorful pictures. Then all this disappeared, and sounds, smells, and tactile sensations replaced the images. At the same time, a person who is blind from birth will see absolutely nothing in dreams.
Suppose we are dreaming of a sandy beach. The sighted will be able to enjoy all the details of this place: azure ocean, white sand coast, colorful hammock, and bright sun. A person who is blind from birth will feel the smell of seawater, the wind blowing, the heat of the sun, he will hear the sound of an oncoming wave, feel the sand on his fingers. Blind since childhood, video blogger Tomi Edison describes his dreams as follows:
“I dream the same thing as you. For example, I can sit at a football match, and in a moment, be on my birthday when I turned seven.”
Of course, he does not see any of the above. His dreams are composed of sounds, tastes, tactile sensations, and smells. Like any other blind man, these feelings help Tomi Edison navigate space in reality and in a dream.
Do the Blind See a Bright Light?
For several decades, scientists have been wondering if blind people see anything. In 1923, Harvard University graduate student Clyde Keeler discovered in a scientific experiment that they can’t see, but their pupils can react to bright light.
Eighty years later, his colleagues at Harvard continued their research and found special light-sensitive cells ipRGCs in the eye. It turned out that they are located in the nerves that carry signals from the retina to the brain. Cells ipRGCs respond to light but do not affect vision in any way. Most people and animals have such cells, so even the completely blind can see a bright light.
Why Do Blind People Wear Sunglasses?
There are several reasons why this accessory should be used:
1. Improved Vision
As mentioned above, many blind people retain residual vision. And they need special glasses to expand the capabilities of the so-called tunnel vision – a condition in which the eye perceives only the image that falls on the central part of the retina and does not see objects on the periphery.
2. Sun Protection
Blind people use sunglasses because many of them become hypersensitive due to illness and react more sharply to the sun and artificial light sources.
3. Protection Against Mechanical Stress
Sunglasses and a white cane are the must-have outfits for the visually impaired in public. These objects act as signals to other people that there is a blind person in front of them, and care must be taken.
4. Aesthetic Component
Due to muscle damage or relaxation, a blind person’s sight can be wandering and look strange or even intimidating to ordinary people. Therefore, dark glasses are also a barrier that protects both the blind and those around him.
5. To Protect the Eyes What is in Front of Him
To protect the eyes (so that the eye does not stumble upon anything because you cannot see what is in front of him).
6. In Order Not to Embarrass Others
Because not everyone can keep their eyes constantly closed, and eyes that do not react to light or movement look creepy for many. Now some blind and visually impaired people refuse this accessory, but many blind celebrities have worn and are wearing it – Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Diane Schuur.
Conclusion
Therefore, dark glasses continue to be subconsciously associated with blindness. In any case, when seeing the blind, one must be correct because, despite the aggravation of other feelings, their life is much more difficult.
You may also like to read