My Eyes Have A Cold Nose by Hector Chevigny In 1943, Chevigny was informed that his retina was detaching, and that he would go blind were he to attempt a return home to Los Angeles from New York, he would go blind. He stayed in New York and underwent surgery, but went blind anyhow. Chevigny then learned what it is to be treated as an invalid, a blind person. He quickly learned that, as a blind person, the world was eager to take of him and to take over every aspect of his life. He found that he received a poor reception whenever he wanted to do things for himself- that the world was not willing to give independence or responsibility of any sort to a blind person. Although he was capable of a great many things, the world was not willing to let him be capable. He found a different attitude at The Seeing Eye, where he learned to be independent, with the aid of his guide dog, Wizard. The title of this book derives from the best treatment he received after going blind: the dignified treatment at The Seeing Eye.
Chevigny goes on and on about how coddling blind people leads to their becoming invalids; I got the point much more quickly than it took him to make him. I would have liked him to move on to his rehabilitation faster. Some of Chevigny's complaints are no longer valid now; the U.S. educates blind people far better now, for more futures. But the reluctance of employers to employ the capable blind persists even now, almost 60 years later. A dated but interesting aspect of Chevigny's experience is the racial aspect. The Seeing Eye had Negro students as well, and Chevigny saw how they were treated when the students went out with their dogs. He also found himself unable to perceive race, and speculates that if the blind were in charge of the world, there would be no racism.
Happy reading.
