This is Love At the End of Sight
Sep 18, 2024
Writer Andrew Leland, author of the Pulitzer-finalist memoir The Country of the Blind, shares his journey of gradually losing his sight due to retinitis pigmentosa. He discusses the stigma associated with using a white cane and how these experiences shaped his writing. Andrew also highlights misconceptions about blindness and the importance of community. He reflects on the role of assistive technologies versus human connection and opens up about his relationship with his son as they navigate his vision loss together.
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Early Diagnosis Memory
- Andrew Leland discovered night blindness as a teenager and researched it online, finding bleak prognoses about eventual functional blindness.
- He didn't feel immediate fear then because the long-term loss seemed distant and abstract to a 17-year-old.
Small Central Field Of Vision
- Retinitis pigmentosa narrows Andrew Leland's usable vision to a small central 'toilet-paper-tube' view.
- The disease is progressive and unpredictable, so his usable field continues to shrink over time.
Cane: Stigma Then Utility
- Leland resisted using a cane because it changed how people perceived him and felt stigmatizing when his wife reacted.
- Once he accepted it, the cane proved invaluable as a signal and physical prosthetic that clears paths and detects obstacles.
