NationStates Jolt Archive

Question, if someone was blind from birth, would they recognise black as being black or as something, or would it just be nothing?

How would they know? How would they be able to take on the concept of "black" if they had nothing else to compare it to?

That's my thoughts on the matter. I'm not blind, however.

My boyfriend is completely blind in one of his eyes (while it wasn't from birth, it was from six months of age, so he can't remember anything prior to it). Even though he does have sight in his other eye, he says that in the blind one he doesn't see black, he just sees nothing. It's not a colour, not a sensation, just nothing.

what do you mean by black as being black?

anything that requires sight they would have no concept of.

the closest experience I can get to blindness is by closing my eyes, but they are still able to see the lids which have closed upon them. If your boyfriend sees nothing in one eye, i guess its rational to assume that blind people see nothing. Trying to concieve of that is very weird. (I think) it would be different from perceptually seeing nothing between myself and teh comupter screen. A philosopher, i think his name was goethe, said that the colour of nothing is white, although thats ridiculous since its applying something to nothing. He did his whole phd thesis on it.

what do you mean by black as being black?

anything that requires sight they would have no concept of.

they wouldnt think visually then. this is strange. would they have some innate sense of vision, or conceiving of things spacially however stunted?

I'm legally blind and I can still make out colors and vague shapes. Bright lights hurt a lot more than they used to.

I'm legally blind and I can still make out colors and vague shapes. Bright lights hurt a lot more than they used to.
How does the internet work for you, if I may ask?

I'm legally blind and I can still make out colors and vague shapes. Bright lights hurt a lot more than they used to.

Do you read with one of those braille displays?

How does the internet work for you, if I may ask?

http://www.lighthouse-sf.org/images/clip_image006.jpg

http://www.lighthouse-sf.org/images/clip_image006.jpg
Does that let you read the screen, as well?

Does that let you read the screen, as well?

Yes. The row of pegs that he's holding his finger over is a Braille display. It converts what is on the screen into Braille so that it can be read by the blind.

My boyfriend is completely blind in one of his eyes (while it wasn't from birth, it was from six months of age, so he can't remember anything prior to it). Even though he does have sight in his other eye, he says that in the blind one he doesn't see black, he just sees nothing. It's not a colour, not a sensation, just nothing.

I think I've actually had a slight experience with something like that. Not in a full eye or anything, but I had a migraine once (I didn't know that at the time) and it caused hole just right of my center of vision. It was really bizarre, because I could see everything on either side of the hole, but there'd be parts missing in between. It sure made copying notes bizarre. And it definitely wasn't a colour, there was just a place where I couldn't see anything.

Being blind from birth. Nevermind, my vision slowly deteorated to what it is now. Although I'm almost at the strongest perscription available and my vision is just going to get worse and worse.

By the time I'm 26 or so I'll be in the same boat unless I get corrective surgery.

My apologies.

Yes. The row of pegs that he's holding his finger over is a Braille display. It converts what is on the screen into Braille so that it can be read by the blind.

That just made my list of Coolest Things Ever Invented.

Being blind from birth. Nevermind, my vision slowly deteorated to what it is now. Although I'm almost at the strongest perscription available and my vision is just going to get worse and worse.

By the time I'm 26 or so I'll be in the same boat unless I get corrective surgery.

My apologies.

Is it some sort of syndrome, or something like retinitis pigmentosa?

imagine if other people could sense heat signatures the way snakes can (altough perhaps in a bit more sophisticated manner)

they would be talking about "pretty" girls and how sexy they radiate heat and what a great heat aura they have


or whatever

we would have no real idea of what they were talking about even though we would use all the words that would refer to peoples heat image.

black would mean no more to a person blind from birth than "hot" would mean to someone without a heat sensing organ.

That just made my list of Coolest Things Ever Invented.

It made my coolness list too!

Is it some sort of syndrome, or something like retinitis pigmentosa?

Not sure, but I'll ask next time I go. A while back I had a nasty eye infection that still lingers around and only made things worse.

snip
Frigging sweet

Not sure, but I'll ask next time I go. A while back I had a nasty eye infection that still lingers around and only made things worse.
I hate to be insensitive, but are you saying that you are basically going blind and never asked why? Or do you just not remember the name or something?
/somewhat incredulous astonishment

I hate to be insensitive, but are you saying that you are basically going blind and never asked why? Or do you just not remember the name or something?
/somewhat incredulous astonishment

If the name of whatever I have it was brought up when I was around 8 years old. It's usually something I try not to think about either.

How does the internet work for you, if I may ask?There are screenreaders that the blind or visually impaired can use. It translates on-screen text into a voice and also verbally informs you of what keys you have to press to access links and whatnot. Of course, it helps a lot if you can touch type. A friend of ours, who has a very successful career as a personal assistant, uses one all the time - Jaws (http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/JAWS_HQ.asp), it's called.

If the name of whatever I have it was brought up when I was around 8 years old. It's usually something I try not to think about either.
Fair enough, thanks.