#blindness

#blindness

When I take a walk in my neighborhood, my white hair, dark glasses, and white cane shout to the world that I am an older blind man. Some passers-by assume that I am lost and ask if I need help. It is true that blind people sometimes need help when using a mobility aid (a white cane or guide dog) to navigate their physical environment. However, once a person becomes proficient at traveling with a mobility aid, they typically need much less help.

When Manuela Solano delineates a cheekbone or shapes the chiseled torso of a cowboy standing tall, precisely placed nails, tape, and pipe cleaners offer guidance. The artist, who is blind, works intuitively, feeling out the areas she and her team have marked and trusting that together, the desired imagery will emerge. "I try to force myself to keep [the shapes] faster and looser, which feels great," she adds. "It makes the process more playful."

The smoke from the bombing blinded me completely, she said.

On the day of his passing, and just an hour and a half prior, Cedar appeared healthy. Then he was gone,