Touch plays a crucial role for those with vision loss from "summary" of The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks
Touch, in all its forms, becomes heightened and intensified for those who have lost their vision. The sense of touch not only compensates for the loss of vision but also plays a crucial role in helping these individuals navigate and understand the world around them. The tactile sense becomes a primary means of gathering information, allowing them to explore their surroundings and form mental images through touch. Through touch, individuals with vision loss are able to perceive shapes, textures, and spatial relationships that would otherwise be impossible to discern without sight. They rely on their hands to feel their way through the world, using touch to build a mental map of their surroundings. This tactile exploration not only provides them with essential information about their environment but also helps them to create a sense of continuity and coherence in their experiences. The sense of touch also serves as a powerful tool for communication and connection. For those with vision loss, touch becomes a means of establishing intimacy, conveying emotions, and building relationships. Physical contact is no longer limited to visual cues but becomes a primary mode of interaction, allowing them to connect with others on a deeper, more tactile level. Moreover, the sense of touch can also evoke memories and emotions, serving as a bridge between the past and the present. By touching familiar objects or surfaces, individuals with vision loss can evoke vivid memories and sensations, allowing them to relive past experiences and emotions through the sense of touch. Touch, in this sense, becomes a pathway to the past, a way of connecting with memories and emotions that may have been lost with the loss of vision.- Touch plays a multifaceted and essential role for those with vision loss, serving as a means of exploration, communication, connection, and memory. It is through the sense of touch that these individuals are able to navigate the world, understand their surroundings, and forge meaningful relationships with others. Touch, in all its richness and complexity, becomes a vital source of information, comfort, and connection for those who have lost their vision.
