Through the Opaque Glass

An open letter to those with eyesight.

 Dear people of the world,

The plethora of problems and issues that visually impaired people have to face throughout their life makes no small list.

Let us think about how the human body is indeed wondrous.

We hear a word and immediately an image of it forms in our minds. When I say pillow- one perhaps imagines a simple, fluffy white one that looks enticingly towards you for an untimely snooze. When I say cake- you perhaps imagine an indulgent cake in your favourite flavour and envision yourself eating it. When I say abelmoschus esculentus- one perhaps doesn't envision anything. Or perhaps one does- depending on how interested one is in vegetables and biology.

These objects that we see around us- are tangible to us. However, perhaps it is the intangibility of the sense of blindness that makes it difficult to grasp the level of hardships the visually impaired people go through.

Through the years , many people have tried to put a blindfold on their eyes in an attempt to understand the difficulties that these people go through. Apart from the obvious challenges- there were a few that seemed to be much more difficult to understand.

With the loss of a sense that one was so utterly dependent on- their confidence shattered. Insecurity mounted insurmountably and the most irking was the behaviour of people around.

"People were more careful. More aware of their words and actions. More attentive all of a sudden." This was what a person who had blindfolded himself for a day felt like. And it was this behaviour that reinforced the disability more strongly than his body ever had.

In order to spread awareness for the visually challenged- it becomes extremely important that an inevitable part of making the world better for them is to not treat them different. While some people appear wary and uncomfortable with blindness- others are overly earnest to help. Both of these situations are less than helpful for the blind. And one of the surefire ways to combat this sort of stigma that is still associated- is communication. To instill awareness about the situation. The causes. To encourage understanding and compassion rather than wariness and pity. It is wise to offer help before imposing.

Apart from congenital blindness- acquired blindness- caused by conditions Such as glaucoma and Keratoconus are also extremely difficult to accept.

Corneal blindness is the form of blindness that can be cured with the help of corneal implantation. However, apart from a certain movies of the horror genre- unfortunately, this elixir of vision called Cornea donation is rarely talked about.

These conditions don't need to be feared. They need to be understood. Given time and then tackled. It is only a personal experience which made this understanding easier for me.

So the next time you see a blind person, try to be kind but not overbearing. Try to be patient but not condescending. And above all- try to be understanding and receptive, for it is indeed ironic how the lack of vision can only be felt, and sometimes, even with the gift of sight- one lacks that vision which gives him kindness, patience and understanding.

Yours sincerely,

A person who's loved one lost sight.

( A concerned netizen )