What it Must be Like to be Blind and Deaf
‘Seeing is believing and others deceiving’, they say; however, that does not make any sense to me because I am blind and deaf. I cannot see or hear people around me. Worse is the case when friends or family members have to touch to make me understand what they want me to do. Hence, I rely upon the sense of touch. Without love and support, days are difficult for a person with such disability. At times, I feel that I am missing out on lot of things in this world. For instance, I am deprived of witnessing the idyllic rivers and mountains, the sky jewelled with stars and moon. All I can do is read about them.
Whenever I go shopping, I am reminded of my disability. My mother is the one to always select what suits me. I only feel the texture of the fabric. Often, I use the trial room to check whether the clothes fit me or not. I feel terrible to be unable to see and adore myself in front of the mirror.
If you think that just not being able to see the wonderful things around me is a drawback of my disability, I would like to add more to it. The inability to hear isolates me from people. Unlike others, neither can I engage in social conversations, nor can I entertain myself with music. I am told that listening to music reduces stress and entertains you when bored and I tend to believe it. People can communicate to me only if they have studied the special language meant for the blind and deaf. Otherwise, it is difficult for me to figure what are the trying to say. As a result, many sympathise with me. I hate the sympathy and wish to be treated as an equal. Many fail to understand that blind and deaf ones are equally able and talented and can do phenomenal things such as poetry, paintings and many more.
Unfortunately, no one seems to realise that being physically challenged doesn’t make one a loser or less human.
The disability has its own challenges when it comes to learning. People like me require lot of care, resources and facilities in order to get educated. For instance, teachers who are trained to take care of children like me will be an advantage to our learning process. In such a circumstance, I am fortunate enough to use hearing aids and other communication equipments through the support provided by my parents and school. Different forms of communication taught at my school include tactile signing, Braille, two hand manual, text to speech and visual modifications. I feel comfortable at school because of my teachers who cater to our needs and have created a safe and friendly environment around. Moreover, I have met new people and made friends with normal kids who learn the basics of communication along with the blind and deaf students. I have gained confidence after learning the same teachings as the normal students and can now easily perform those activities.
Therefore, I wish that people take time to understand that blind and deaf are different in their disability. Some of us maybe be partially blind and deaf and may hear people talking. In such cases, others should be sensitive and not sympathetic towards the disabled ones. Albeit my physical challenges, my parents and teachers are my moral support and I am grateful towards them.