ABSTRACT
It was as if a man cut his arms off in order that he might walk better. In 1621, Robert Burton relayed the story of the Greek Philosopher Democritus who was said to have blinded himself in order to contemplate the universe and gain insight into the unseen world. These depictions of blind seers are found throughout history. Whether it is King Oedipus in Socrates’ Oedipus at Colonus or the biblical figure of Paul, narratives of disability as a superpower permeate our culture (1). However, as we see through stories like Hellen Keller’s narration of her arrival at a school for the blind in Boston in 1888, the adjustment to a disability is hard and is a matter of practicing alternative ways of living (2). There are no supernatural abilities of perception that come with losing your sight, nor are there similar abilities for losing any senses. This perception seems to be especially prevalent when it comes to the “superblind”, and while good for representation, modern super powered characters like Marvel’s Daredevil and The Last Airbender’s Toph help to perpetuate this (3). This focus on blindness is likely due to ocularcentrism, the perception that sight is the most important of the senses. Because sight is seen as so important, “blindness, when literal, translates into not just a different but a lesser way of perceiving the world (4).” As such, anyone who can navigate the world normally despite having a “lesser” way of perceiving it must have some other supernatural or superior ability. The soundscape is meant to help to shift that perspective. Using a combination of voice memos and Audacity, I have removed all of the senses except for sound from three different walking paths the average Rice student might take. By allowing a sighted person to listen to the sounds that signify different parts of the city, they will be able to experience how difficult orienting yourself by that alone is, and that with practice there are differences that can be recognized.
Footnotes
1. M. Leona Godin, There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness (New York, NY: Pantheon, 2021), 28-29.
2. Helen Keller, Jim Knipfel, and Marlee Matlin, The Story of My Life (New York, NY: Signet Classics, 2010), 21-24.
3. Godin, There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness, 24.
4. Godin, There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness, xi.
PROJECT
Please find a quiet place to listen to “Taking a Walk”, and follow the instructions given. Headphones are recommended.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Godin, M. Leona. There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness. New York, NY: Pantheon, 2021.
Keller, Helen, Jim Knipfel, and Marlee Matlin. The Story of My Life. New York, NY: Signet Classics, 2010.