The One You Feed What Can Be Found When Losing Sight with Andrew Leland
Feb 6, 2024
Andrew Leland, author of "The Country of the Blind," shares his poignant journey of losing his vision due to retinitis pigmentosa. He discusses the emotional landscape of adapting to disability with humor and courage, exploring themes like identity transformation and the importance of empathy. Andrew reframes challenges as opportunities for growth and encourages curiosity about life’s puzzles. He emphasizes the balance between independence and interdependence, advocating for open communication and understanding between the disabled and non-disabled.
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The Spectrum of Blindness
- Blindness exists on a spectrum, making it challenging to fit neatly into "blind" or "sighted" categories.
- Andrew explores this ambiguity and the changing nature of identity as vision loss progresses.
Blindness and Identity
- Blindness, like other life transitions, raises questions about identity.
- Andrew references the Ship of Theseus paradox, highlighting how identity can remain coherent despite significant change.
Blindness as Identity
- People relate to their blindness in diverse ways, with some viewing it as central to their identity and others as incidental.
- Andrew discusses Adrian Ash's view that blindness becomes central when it's a source of discrimination.
