The ability to see is often something we overlook and likely won’t fully value until it’s taken from us. With blindness, however, the issue is more complex than it appears at first glance (pardon the pun). Consider influential figures such as Helen Keller, who left an indelible imprint on society, largely due to her blindness. Some individuals with blindness refuse to be identified as handicapped, perceiving their condition as a unique gift. It might sound surprising, but there’s scientific backing to this perspective. When one sensory faculty is lost, the remaining senses intensify slightly to compensate. So, if a person can’t see, their hearing might be more powerful than that of someone with regular vision. In fact, some individuals with blindness employ echolocation for orienting themselves. If this reminds you of how bats navigate, you are spot on! Uncover more with these 25 pieces of lesser-known information about blindness!
Featured Image: Ken Teegardin via Flickr
Guide dogs (for blind or visually impaired people) learn to poop on command. This is so that the owner can clean it up
The US military once used colorblind people to identify camouflaged colors that would have been hard for people with regular vision to identify.
Some blind people have learned to navigate using echolocation by clicking their tongues.
The WHO estimates that that are about 280 million visually impaired people in the world. Roughly 40 million of them are blind.
President Theodore Roosevelt went blind in one eye from a boxing injury while he was still serving as president.
In the United Kingdom, blind people get a 50% discount on TV licenses (for non Europeans - in Europe you often have to pay an extra fee in order to own a television that funds public broadcasting).
Originally, braille was a technique used by Napoleon's spies so that they could read messages in the dark.
According to the WHO, 80% of visual impairment cases worldwide are treatable, but 90% of people with impaired vision live in low-income countries with limited medical care access.
The reason that the popular Redwall series of books for children is known for its descriptive imagery is that the author, Brian Jacques, originally wrote the books for blind children.
Monkeys have actually had their colorblindness cured when doctors injected cones into their eyes. One day, this could potentially be done in humans as well.
During one of the first nuclear weapon tests in New Mexico (trinity) a blind woman named Georgia Green saw a bright flash...from 50 miles away.
Those who are blind overcome difficult obstacles every single day. Check out who else have overcome incredible obstacles due to their handicap in these 25 Amazing Photographic Depictions Of The Human Spirit.