Thoughts in the night - the value of vision and appreciation of blind individuals - column

PSA Journal, July, 1990 by Richard B. Feinberg

Thoughts in the Night

Fear! Sheer, stark unreasoning fear--silent panic, in the middle of a cold, dark, wintry night. There was no reson for this fear, yet there I sat shaking, bolt upright in a cold sweat.

What woke me? I'll never know, I thought. Yet, there I laid, wide awake trying to "cool it," to relax again. "Think about your hobby," I thought. "Think about all the beautiful, exotic places you've seen and photographed." Before long I was calmer, immersed in memories of places visited, vistas and scenes recorded. Flowers, birds, mountains and waterfalls all tumbled through my mind.

What a satisfying and marvelous hobby we share. Think what it means to all of us, the challenges, the fulfillment, the pleasure it gives us. Photography has taught us how to use light and to truly see. But, what if we could not see? What if we were not able to enjoy the beauty of nature, the colorful kaleidoscope our hobby has allowed us to witness and appreciate? What if we lived in a world of darkness and shadows, unable to use our eyes.

Indeed we have been blessed. Yet blindness could happen to anyone of us! I started thinking about how extremely fortunate I'd been. Life has been good to me. Now, I thought I must give something back. I must contribute in some way, time, money, or whatever. I felt I had to help others who had lost their precious vision; people who are out there groping hesitatingly in a world I had been blithely enjoying. I will give of myself in some way to the vision impaired, to the men and women who could have been me, those who cannot enjoy the hobby of light.

I decided to look into organizations for the blind in my area, like the Carroll Center and the Boston Aid to the Blind. In the process I learned some startling information about blindness. Blindness is particularly prevalent among the aging. Frequently, the elderly will have lost their sight or have become seriously visually impaired because of retina deterioration, diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts or accidents.

As the number of elderly increase the visually impaired will continue to grow in number as well. In this country we now have 30 million elderly people. By the year 2030 we are projected to have 64 million. Of these, according to conservative figures, 8 percent will become either seriously visually impaired or legally blind.

Right now, here in the Boston area, we have 834,000 elderly people. Of these, 21,000 are legally blind, another 44,000 are severely visually handicapped. A frightening picture indeed.

For a few months now I have been reading for and working with people who are unable to see. It has proven to me to be a blessing and a privilege. I have met and befriended some beautiful and charming people, many of whom are really outstanding. I get as much out of volunteering as the people I am fortunate to meet and help. I find I truly get as much satisfaction from it as I do from my photographic hobby, possibly more.

Let me assure you, these wonderful people are still able to maintain a sense of humor, laugh and function in many respects like you and me. They maintain courage and good spirits in their search for independence.

My new family is hungry for friends, understanding and love. You and I, the sighted, can help by reading, teaching a particular skill or craft, or just by contributing time. These organizations, who do so much, would be grateful for your assistance.

Need I remind you, that we, as PSA photographers, should especially appreciate the value of vision.

Richard B. Feinberg has been a PSA member for more than 10 years.