If you were offered sight tomorrow, would you take it? That’s the topic we’re covering on this week’s global call-in show dealing with blindness issues, A Cuppa at the Mosens on Mushroom FM.
Mainstream and assistive technologies have meant that more opportunities are available, and more tasks can be performed without sight, than ever before.
On a parallel track, work continues on giving sight to those who have never had it, or giving it back to those who’ve lost it. In the news this week, there are numerous stories about an artificial retina project that is showing real promise.
Most sighted people assume that every blind person wishes they could see, but is that actually the case? If you’ve been blind all your life, would you willingly accept the gift of sight, and what to you think the consequences of doing so would be? Would they all be positive? How would you cope if your significant other, your children, friends and family didn’t live up to the pictures in your head? Do you think you’d have difficulty processing visual information which, at least at first, would be unfamiliar? And even if you do see problems, are the benefits worth taking those problems on?
If you’ve lost your site, what would restored sight be worth to you? What would you sacrifice in order to have it back?
If you would choose not to have sight when sight was available, might there come a time when accommodations and social security provisions are discontinued because blindness has become a lifestyle choice?
We welcome all points of view from all over the world on the show. If you use either the Firefox or Chrome web browsers, you can call in via your computer for free, in high-quality audio. Otherwise, there are phone numbers around the world.
To dial in from the US, call 860-51Mosen. That’s 860-516-6736. For other phone numbers, check out the web page for the show at http://www.MushroomFm.com/Cuppa.
A Cuppa at the Mosens can be heard live on Thursdays at 9 PM Eastern time. To find out when that is if you’re outside the US, check the Mushroom FM schedule.
And don’t just tune in, call in, since the show relies on the views and experiences of people just like you. A Cuppa at the Mosens, hosted by Bonnie and Jonathan Mosen, only on Mushroom Fm.