An Epidemic of Blindness

The last year and a half has been extremely challenging. All of us were forwarded to ask hard questions about how we were going to survive in the midst of chaos. It was perhaps most challenging for those living with visual impairments. People living with blindness had to quickly adapt to life without access to many of the resources they once depended upon. The hats of the sighted community should go off to everyone living with a disability during these challenging times.

With summer on the horizon, and the pandemic receding, you might find yourself with some more free time. If you are on the hunt for a summer book,then you may be interested in reading or listening to “Blindness” by José Saramago. The book forces readers to ask some challenging questions about human nature and existence. “Blindness” may hit too close to home given that the story centers around the first patients of a pandemic, but instead of a coronavirus the disease causes an epidemic of blindness.

Each of the novel's characters must learn how to adapt to a life without vision. They must contend with dehumanization, the loss of identity and purpose.

Please contact San Diego Center for the Blind to learn more about our programs and services.

“Stuff you should read: ‘Blindness’”