Blind and partially sighted people are a very large social group in Poland. According to the Central Statistical Office (GUS), there are approximately 1,8 million of them in our country, of which approximately 100 000 are completely blind. The Polish language is rich in proverbs. They relate to various areas of life or social groups. In this article I would like to mention adages concerning blind people or, more precisely, sight.
Talking like a blind man about colours
The word blind comes from the Greek typhlos. Names such as tiflography or tiflopedagogy derive from it.
When dealing with blind people, we tend to avoid the word blind because it has a pejorative connotation, even though we sometimes say it among ourselves.
The proverb obviously means talking to someone who has no idea what they are talking about.
Why about colours? People who are blind from birth do not understand the essence of colour. They have no visual memory and cannot imagine colours. For them, colour is only a name, which is an abstract concept. The situation is different for blind people. These are people who, as a result of an accident or illness, lost their sight after the age of six. They remember the colours, they know above all what they looked like. You can talk and talk about colours with a blind person without fear. They are not affected by this proverb.
It's as good as a blind hen's seed
This proverb means that someone is lucky. Blind people have it too, if they manage to end up in a new place. Navigating unfamiliar routes is the most difficult thing blind people face on a daily basis. First of all, we learn the roads by heart. For example: past the 6th tree on the right and after crossing the street the bus stop will be on the left. Also, we use navigation. However, I personally, when Mr Krzysztof Holowczyc says head north, I feel like destroying my phone. I have no idea where north is. If my phone wasn't new, I'm afraid it would end badly for it.
Love is blind
Relationships of people with disabilities are an interesting issue. Is there a difference between them and the relationships of non-disabled people?
I think not really. It is certainly a bit more difficult for blind people to function on a day-to-day basis. One thing that I think is a little bit different. When we get to know someone, we don't pay attention to physical appearance in the first place. It is only when we get to know someone better that we can touch them and thus know more about their appearance. What we are left with is character. Not that we are that noble, we just don't have an option. Besides, it seems to me that blind people are more empathetic. However, it is certainly the case that in the case of a blind couple, these people understand each other more than a couple consisting of a blind person and a non-disabled person. I want to emphasise, of course, that these statements based on my personal experiences, because everyone is different and not everyone has to think the way I do.
What the eyes cannot see, the heart cannot regret
When guiding visitors on the sensory path "Into the darkness" , I very often hear the question of whether it is easier to be blind from birth or blind. As many people as many opinions but I would like to give my own point of view here. I’m a severely visually impaired person from birth. For me, this is better than if I were to almost lose my sight as a result of an accident or illness. First of all, I don't know what I have lost. I have no idea how non-disabled people see, how one sees using both eyes. I can see at 5-10% with one eye, I can't see anything with the other. Of course, I dream of seeing properly.
Secondly, I missed the stage of losing my sight. It is an unimaginably difficult time for a person when they suddenly lose one sense. The world lies in ruins and one has to learn to live again. But on the other hand, I have concerns about it. I simply don't know what it would be like.
I've been able to adapt to my disability since birth and it's a part of me, a feature beyond my control that has influenced my choices, relationships, outlooks on the world and people. If I had been previously sighted, I would certainly be a different person.
If you liked proverbs about blind people, I invite you to come to WOMAI for the sensory path “Into the darkness” and to watch the Center's social media.
Author: Sylwia Ziarnik
English (UK) 
Polski 