Senses and Sensory Experience in the World of the Blind

Abstract

This article discusses the use of the senses and sensory experience in the social life of the blind. The research methods are individual interviews and participant observations of a sample of totally blind people who work for government organizations and private organizations as well as those who are self-employed. The results show that the loss of sense of sight can motivate the blind to use other senses, including hearing, touch, smell and taste, to perceive the surroundings and people around them. Using these senses can create experiences and help promote skills to understand social life. However, these skills are not considered talents compensating for the loss of vision; rather the blind achieve them by their efforts and the practices of using these senses. Using them helps the blind to become skillful and deliberate in perception; thus, they can live their lives independently. The sensory experience of the blind is developed from social meaning together with social experience, which differs from one person to another. Furthermore, senses implement the presentation of self, and create the world of the blind which is interrelated with the world of people who have sight.