Disability Fact File
Visual Disabilities
Visual Disabilities is an area which covers a wide range of disabilities,
from total blindness to short-sightedness and long-sightedness. Also included
are colour-blindness, "lazy eye" syndrome, etc.
Types and causes of visual disabilities
- born blind
- medical conditions, such as glaucoma
- infections can cause blindness
- un-controlled diabetes
- colour-blindness has a strong genetic link
How are visually-disabled people handicapped by Capitalism ?
- Being unable to drive, blind and severely visually disabled people
are reliant on public transport - which has been cut back and become more
expensive in recent years, due to privatization and deregulation.
- Colour-blind people are banned from jobs in electrical and electronic
engineering, due to the colour-coding of wires and electronic components.
The technology exists to print text on components and electric wire insulation,
but is rarely used in industry because it uses more resources - and would
reduce profits.
- In the 1980s, the Tory government introduced charges on eye tests,
which were previously free on the NHS - adding another living cost to those
who use spectacles.
- The technology is there to provide a "narrative" subcarrier on TV
(using part of the "in-between frames" area of a TV picture). However,
it is not used much because the TV companies need to employ narrators -
which adds costs and cuts their profits.
- Much information is available in text-only format. Audio books do
not make a profit, so a (highly restricted) selection is available from
(under-funded) charity and voluntary groups. Without the profit motive
for publishing, audio versions of books would be available as a right,
not dependent on charity.
How have (or may) the whole community benefited
from measures which benefit visually disabled people ?
- Audio books can be used as an aid to teaching children to read.
- Narrative description on TV programmes can help sighted people to
follow their favourite TV programmes, when they are away from the TV. (Eventually,
they may be fitted to car radios - enabling people to follow their favourite
soap operas while driving !)
- Braille keyboards may help speed up touch-typing for sighted typists
or computer programmers.
Political correctness
- Never use the term "four-eyes".
- Avoid "blind as a bat" (as well as being disabled-ist, it also shows
ignorance - bats ain't blind, they "see" using Sonar!)
- There is NO link between visual disabilities and masturbation !!!
Famous people with visual disabilities
- Stevie Wonder (soul singer)
- Ray Charles (blues singer)
- Dana Elcar (actor)
In addition, many famous people wear spectacles or contact
lenses. A few wear "monocles", or lenses for one eye (eg Patrick Moore,
the astronomer)
Related disabilities
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