More than one million people in the United States are fully blind or legally blind, suffering from impairments such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal and macular degeneration, and eye loss. Visual impairment is not simply a practical handicap, however; individuals with vision loss can also suffer from psychological and emotional problems such as anxiety and depression.
Dr. Cheri Langdell, a professor of English, and Dr. Tim Langdell, a clinical psychologist and digital media expert, take us through personal, psychological, sociological, and cultural perspectives on blindness, and—perhaps surprisingly—show us some of the benefits nearly blind and blind people have found after vision loss. These benefits include what some describe as heightening of the other senses, deepening spiritual sight, and stronger insights into the human condition.
Through literature, media, and cinema across the ages, the authors focus attention on how the masses worldwide who are sighted view, and treat, the blind and legally blind. Coping with Vision Loss: Understanding the Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Effects also includes non-fiction written about and by the blind that gives great insight into their condition. The text explains what the visually impaired and blind can do to stay strong and live their lives to the fullest, as well as what family members and friends can do to help when needed, or to back off when one wants to be as independent as possible. Technological advances to assist the blind and legally blind are reviewed, as are websites for a host of organizations created to assist people with vision loss.
