Blind Spot: Exploring and Educating on Blindness

404 Inklings #7

by Maud Rowell

Two million people in the UK live with sight loss, and many more worldwide. Yet the general population knows very little about the day-to-day life of the blind, who must move through a world not designed with them in mind, from city planning and technology, to pop culture and education. What’s more, blind people often fall off the pages of our history books, despite being some of the most prolific figures in their fields.

In Blind Spot, Maud Rowell challenges readers to think differently about what they may take for granted, carrying them on a whirlwind tour through time and space - from Japanese tube stations to the 18th century museum - to showcase what the world looks like for someone who does not see. She offers practical insights based on her own experiences, as well as spotlighting incredible blind pioneers - explorers, artists, scientists, and more - through history and the current day, unearthed through her own research and interviews.

In educating us about the realities of sight loss, Maud shows us how to be aware of our own blind spots, offering the knowledge needed to become better, more tolerant members of diverse communities. Society needs to support everyone - it's time we caught up.

Genres: Nonfiction, Disability

112 pages, Paperback

First published November 9, 2021

Reviews

[Hestia Istiviani · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Semua orang akan menjadi difabel dan disabel pada waktunya"

Satu kalimat dari instruktur kelas A11y Bootcamp (organized by Suarise) yang diikuti oleh Syemmi beberapa bulan lalu nempel banget di kepalaku. Di usia yang masih 30an awal, aku masih pede bisa melakukan semuanya sendiri. Bisa cepat beradaptasi dengan perkembangan teknologi terkini. Nggak tau lagi gimana 5 atau 10 ke depan. Apakah aku masih mampu?

Gara-gara bootcamp yang diikuti oleh Syemmi itu, aku jadi makin tertarik buat baca-baca tentang kesetaraan yang nggak sebatas isu gender. Ada juga isu akses yang melingkupi teman-teman difabel, misalnya teman netra dan low vision.

Ketemulah aku dengan buku saku tulisan Maud Rowell satu ini. Ia menceritakan pengalamannya menjadi seseorang dengan kebutaan. Rowell pernah memiliki kemampuan melihat namun karena penyakit ganas, ia harus kehilangan kemampuan tersebut sekitar usia 19 tahun. Rowell pun mulai merasakan adanya perbedaan drastis pada kemampuannya untuk hidup secara mandiri.

Salah satu yang dicontohkan ialah bagaimana ia merasa terpinggirkan ketika bepergian sendiri. Meski dengan tongkat bantu, akan ada orang yang melihatnya dengan rasa kasihan namun ada juga yang tidak menganggap dia ada di situ.

Rowell sadar bahwa akses masyarakat pada banyak hal masih tidak setara. Meski beberapa desain (misalnya rambu untuk pelican crossing) memang menyediakan tombol atau audio untuk memudahkan teman difabel, nyatanya hal itu didesain ala kadarnya. Bukan dengan observasi yang melibatkan teman difabel itu sendiri.

Dari risetnya di 5 kota besar dunia, Rowell mengatakan bahwa London adalah kota yang buruk untuk teman difabel. Dalam hati aku berkata, bagaimana kalau Rowell berkunjung ke Jakarta? Apa tidak semakin murka? 👀

Blind Spot ini cuma 100 halaman tapi seluruh isinya bagus sekali untuk mereka yang mungkin belum terpapar apa itu arti kesetaraan akses (publik terutama) untuk teman difabel.

Sebuah bacaan yang awalnya dibaca supaya bisa menjadi tandem ngobrol Syemmi, ternyata begitu ngena di hatiku.

[Yan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished this one real quickly. Interesting insights from a blind person about blindness.
Now I’m actually curious to find out more about how blind people spend their days, what technology us available for blind people and what blind people have achieved.

In general, this was easy to read, but at the same time there were parts that felt like they drifted away a bit too much.

[Jo Marjoribanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I encourage you to be curious and critical of the world around you." A wonderfully illuminating piece of writing that is as eloquent as it is informative. We can all benefit from reading more books like this. I'm so enjoying the 404 Ink 'Inklings' series!

[Verity Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came away from this book with a better understanding of the ways in which my sighted world was narrow, limited and exclusionary - and how much more we are all capable of if we imagine better and place the lived experiences of the blind at the centre, rather than periphery, of all things: culture, infrastructure, the internet. Highly recommend!

[Isaac Badger · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
‘It is always worthwhile to be kind’

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every book that is not released in an accesible format, Evey museum which excludes the blind from engaging with their own history and heritage through artefacts, every city which can only be explored safely and independently if you can see, increases the gap between those who have sight and those who don't.

[Adam Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘We need to recognise the ways in which misrepresentation is damaging to real life communities. F Scott Fitzgerald wrote that part of the beauty of literature was that “You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” For decades pop culture has been telling blind people the exact opposite…’

Blind Spot takes us through the ways in which society so frequently fails blind people through a number of saddening case studies, from the erasure of the incredible achievements of blind explorers, through to the inconsistent and retrofitted spinning cones under traffic light buttons. Despite this disheartening backdrop, however, Blind Spot focuses on these societal failings through the lens of the innovators pushing back and achieving incredible things, making for a wonderful, hopeful, optimistic read.

For me, the most impactful idea was Maud’s concept of ‘stepping out of the comfort zone of sight.’ Whether sighted or not, thinking about how we interact with the world with each of our senses has, and will continue to unlock amazing things for art, culture, science and infrastructure, whether it’s new ways to analyse data, or small shifts to make commuting a little bit nicer. Blind Spot shows us that we can make the world a happier and more interesting place for everyone by factoring in accessibility from the start, rather than as an afterthought.

Blind Spot also serves as a wonderful potted history of the incredible achievements of blind people, some unfairly obscure, others household names. The book itself should now stand as one of those achievements.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing, it did absolutely everything it said it was setting out to do and I got even more out of this than I even expected.
There were so many things to think about when reading this and so much information to absorb, I have so many further resources from it to continue to learn more.
Even though I learned so much it did not read like a textbook it was informative but in a very easy to read way.
The mixture of the book being from the author's own experience, others experience and achievements, and scientific information and studies worked really well and the way all of them were linked together so seamlessly made it such an enjoyable read.
I would highly highly recommend this to absolutely everyone.

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This was a concise, well-written and researched exploration of how the blind are overlooked and undervalued in society both presently and in the past and what can be done to help counteract it. It's a super quick read that functions as a great introduction into this subject. I also liked that she included a bunch of resources as a jumping-off point for further education in the afterword section of this book. Overall, a very worthwhile read that I would recommend for basically everyone.

[Not Sarah Connor Writes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Inklings series and I loved Blind Spot! Rowell offers a wealth of information on blind people that history has tried to forget and disregard, and how we can better make our world accessible.

Read the full review on my blog!

[Toby Sutton-Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an interesting read - the only reason why this isn't five stars is because it's short and could be so much larger! But I can see why this is the case, it's a decent starting point for people to continue to research the topics raised (and due to the format of the Inklings). I really hope we see more from Maud Rowell as these essays were super.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very revealing insight into the way society limits and others those with blindness in all its forms. Most interesting were the discussions on the differences between London and Tokyo for transit and how art can be inclusive without making blind participants feel othered. Hopefully it’ll make sighted people more aware of their world too.

[Elliot Fenwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I struggled at times to understand the viewpoint of the author, I suppose that is somewhat the point. The book has introduced me to a daily experience for many, which I have not properly previously considered

[Stephanie Mlot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required reading.

[liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very important book!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

52 Book Club Mini-Challenge- Prompt: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

[Rae]

Blindness. Accessibility. Historical figures. Adaptability. Disability.

[Morgan Greensmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rowell has such a compelling writing voice, I barely felt like I was reading nonfiction with this book. At once informative on what it's like to move through the world as a blind person, and a manifesto advocating for change in how abled and sighted people treat disability and design the world to allow for disabled autonomy. Would definitely recommend this book as a starting point in learning, with a significantly wide bibliography to expand your reading beyond!

[Amy Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short book that everyone should read. The author gives us perspective on what it's like to be blind, and partially blind and what society can easily do to make everyday activities inclusive rather than exclusive for them. She also gives common misconceptions, such as that completely blind people see total darkness. I really hope this is the beginning of a series as I felt I learned so much from this book.

[Михайлик · Rating 5 out of 5]

Доволі прямолінійно, коротко і важливо. Книжка яку мають прочитати абсолютна більшість людей. Дає факти, індивідуальну перспективу людини з частковим зором, and call for action.