Old, old question, but I’m curious: what would most people prefer? To be deaf or blind? I know I’d rather be deaf, for a million reasons, some being: leaves changing colour, sunrise/sunset, seeing what mischief my little dog is into, reading a regular-sized book in the bathtub (hard to do with those huge Braille books. But what do other people think? Deaf or blind? Pretend you had to choose.
In theory, I’d rather be deaf. I read a lot, and I would hate being limited to braille. While I would miss being able to have spoken conversations with people, most of my friends already know at least some sign language. I don’t listen to music so I wouldn’t miss that very much. Then again, I don’t actually know what blindness and deafness are like.
Deaf.
I couldn’t handle blindness. I’m very visually oriented.
I’d rather be deaf.
Since I’m already able to speak, there’s one hurdle already overcome.
I have friends who have been in the Deaf community for years. I’m already also able to read lips fairly well, and sign very well.
No offense to any one who is deaf or blind, but I would just as soon prefer to be neither.
I love music and I love being able to see the beauty of God’s creation.
If you must take one of the senses from me take taste, or smell, or even touch, but let me see and hear.
I’ve posed this question to people, and they thought I was crazy. (“That’ll never happen!”)
I’d rather be blind. Yes, I make my living reading, and I love to read for pleasure, and I greatly enjoy art, but I would miss music and people’s voices terribly if I were deaf. Plus I’ve read that deaf people tend to feel more cut off because it’s harder for them to interact in conversations, etc. I LOVE music, and I love to sing, and giving that up would just about kill me. And I’m already extremely nearsighted – not that that’s anything like being blind, but imagine being deaf AND nearsighted!
There is technology to help blind people deal with printed matter (Braille, readers for your computer, audiobooks), but none yet that I know of to help deaf people enjoy music (beyond feeling the beat through their bones, which wouldn’t be enough for me). So it’s blindness for me.
Being deaf already, I guess I don’t have much of a choice here.
Most reseach I have read would agree with Scarlett67 says.
Hey handy I hope I didn’t offend, I was just curious what the general opinion was–I’m rereading Oedipus Rex for the gazillionth time. Stupid question alert but can deaf people still drive? I don’t see why not since so many people roll around with stereos so loud they can’t hear anything outside the car anyway, but headphones are illegal…so…well, who said the law has to make sense?
I would miss music, but this world is not very blind-friendly, even with a guide dog, it seems a very vulnerable thing. But then I think of “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver. ANyway, I’m wandering into MPSIMS territory here.
One more thing: I used to study at this coffee shop and some nights, besides the people behind the counter, I think I was the only one there who didn’t speak sign language. It was really strange in that all the conversations going on in sign language were a lot more distracting than the general cafe hubbub…I would imagine that it was the frustrated eavesdropper in me, or the lack of white noise, or all the movement within my peripheral vision…who knows?
Possibly envy, it seems an intricate skill.
Given the choice, I would rather be deaf. I read 1-2 books a week and I just don’t think I could keep up with Braille.
The main thing, though, would be the obviousness of blindness. Walking the street in the city, it is easy to see who is blind. You don’t know who is deaf unless you see them communicating in sign language. I would not like everyone I pass knowing my disability and/or vulnerability. To be seen by everyone but not able to see them? Ugh, no. Gives me the willies just thinking about it.
You should read First Lady of the Seeing Eye by Morris Frank. It tells the story or Mr. Frank and his guide dog Buddy, who was the first guide dog in the United States. Together, from 1928 to 1938 (when Buddy died), they campaigned to open up public buildings and transportation to guide dogs for the blind. There are some amazing stories in there of guide dogs and their abilities.
I would love to have a guide dog if I were blind, but I think my life is too sedentary for the requirements. You can find more info at The Seeing Eye.
And yes, deaf people can drive.
Am I really the only person who would prefer blindness? The only one who loves music too much to give it up?
“Am I really the only person who would prefer blindness?”
No, from those who know they agree with you HKeller, who know about both of them, wrote in her biography, I believe, that she would rather not see because that way she wouldn’t have to see the pity on people’s faces & because its far less isolating.
I am already nearsighted with minor hearing loss, is that enough?
I’ve thought about this before and, even though I would miss music quite a bit, I’d rather be deaf. I find it very difficult to assimilate through audio only, I need visual reinforcement (e.g. when I’m given oral directions, I have to write or type them out and read them), whereas I don’t have the reverse problem. I’d be pretty much out for the count if I were blind.
When I was nursing one of my bosses told me of a course he had done where, to increase the participants empathy, they were alternately blindfolded and wore earplugs. He said that he was surprised to find that the world was much scarier when he was deaf rather than blind. He used to recommend that everyone try it out but I must admit I never did.
I’d rather be blind. I love music. I’m sure I could learn pieces by hearing them, but I would hate not being able to hear myself or my orchestra play them. I could not live without music.
I would rather be deaf. I enjoy jistening to music too much to be deaf. I also love to read, but if I was deaf, I could listen to an audio book or have someone read to me.
[sub]Psst…Mudshark…do you mean you’d rather be blind?[/sub]
<aside> Losing your sense of smell (and with it a proportion of your sense of taste) really sucks. I’m certain it is not nearly as catastrophic a loss as sight or hearing – humans are primarily visually oriented, though sound sense is also major – but it sucks quite a bit anyway.
No more flowers, perfume, fresh roasted coffee… my wife’s hair smells like some chemical brew, and all beer tastes like flat Bud.
I guess the medical profession doesn’t consider the loss terribly important – or at least the specialist I saw didn’t – the “Oh, by the way, as a result of your head injury you’ll have lost your sense of smell” was rather thrown in as an afterthought. 
We now return you to your regularly scheduled “loss of sense” thread. 
</aside>
Oops…Now I feel really dumb.
Amen! Smell is a major part of the sense of taste… there is a certain time of life when some women lose their sense of smell, and I dread that time lest I be one of them. Many people are very scent-memory triggered, I think, and although there are some smells I wouldn’t miss (I have a dog and hang out at dogparks–ooh poo!) there are a lot I would. Like having a permanent stuffy nose, I guess. Random aside–the smell of steamed milk sends me right back to memories of babyhood.
I hope it’s one of those things which will gradually return to you.
I guess I’m another in the minority. I’d much rather be able to hear than see. I would even choose smell over sight. The other 4 senses can make up for sight, but they can’t make up for smell or hearing.