My grandfather went blind at 7, ended up starting a business that now has over 800 trucks moving supplies and commodities between the ports and mines in Southern Africa. He was 1 of 7 children, the only blind one, and ended up supporting all 7 siblings along the way.
Youāre only as helpless as you let yourself be.
I'm actually blind so I'd go with that one. lol I use a screen reader to hear the text on the screen, and write this. The one I'm using is called JAWS.
Pretty much all the screen readers pronounce words just as you'd hear them read out loud, so it is possible to have a typo like that where "you're" isn't the correct spelling. JAWS and Voiceover for iPhone do a pretty good job of pronouncing well. In most cases it finds typos more than misses them.
Good question. I have no clue. I think since I'm adjusted to blindness I'd stick with that. I don't think I'd do well with being deaf, and seeing again.
I was wondering that. My preference for being deaf was primarily because the transition would be so much easier. I'm not sure how to do my work being blind, but being deaf I can imagine. Plus I already know sign language.
Deaf for sure. I would miss music, but I can't really make art anymore if I can't see what I'm doing. Overall, I get much more pleasure out of visual stimuli. Plus it wouldn't be so bad if I couldn't hear a thousand overlapping sounds anymore.
I'm a musician so I'll choose to go blind.
Edit - these responses are interesting to me. I have a friend who is blind and the communication barriers between us are almost nothing. She texts, uses Facebook, and when we go to lunch she's just another one if the ladies in the conversation. There is no language barrier. She's also a lovely singer, guitarist, and pianist. I don't think it's that far fetched to put more value in your hearing if that's integral to your passions.
This is what I was thinkingā¦ living a life of absolute silence would be awful. No more music, no more birds singing. I would always remember what multiple loved ones look like, but to never hear their voices again saddens me.
Probably will never be an option. The optic nerve is incredibly complex. I believe the US did an entire eye transplant on a veteran as an experimental procedure. They are hoping one day he will be able to use the eye just to detect light. As of current it is completely useless despite presumably correctly connecting the optic nerve.
This is an extremely long-winded way of asking "would you rather a 99% chance of going blind or a 99% chance of going deaf?"
To which I answer: deaf, absolutely no contest whatsoever. Deafness would be an inconvenience, blindness would be horrendously life-altering.
That's an actually good hypothetical situation:
You are given a choice: Definitely go deaf, or have a random X% chance of going blind. At what value of X do you switch from choosing to roll the dice on blindness to going for definite deafness?
For me I think it's like 1% at the highest
Deaf. I have misophonia and a lot of auditory stress from my autism, so I would finally be free from my curse. I could finally read and write in peace. I canāt imagine living not being able to see anything, and having to be subjected to the sounds of traffic, the booms of bass, people talking outside, and people chewing.
Deaf. I would miss hearing my partners' and kids' voices, but I'd still be able to make eye contact. I already don't hear very well. I feel like losing my vision would destroy more of my opportunities for human connection.
Blind.. only because Iām already half way there, but my hearing is excellent. In 20 years Iāll probably be blind anyway so maintaining my hearing will be crucial
Musicians. People who were already visually impaired. People with ugly spouses.
Deaf is leading by a good margin, but a few people are taking blind.
One guy decided to gamble on the 1% chance he survives without treatment, and one guy decided a 1% chance of dying was an unacceptable risk and decided to go blind and deaf.
Deaf. Being deaf is disabling and I would lose my job but my life wouldnāt change that much. Thereās a lot more jobs available to a deaf person that a blind person. Being blind would be far worse because I wouldnāt be able to take care of myself at least at first. A blind person canāt drive and navigating any unfamiliar place would be difficult. I live in the country so I would be stuck at home unless I can afford an Uber or get the occasional free ride from the state program to help people with disabilities. A blind person is far more vulnerable than a deaf person. Pretty much every task would take significantly longer if you are blind.
Deaf. I'm going to have to go through the comments and see if a single person chose blind. I can't imagine anyone did.
As of me commenting, 1 person who was kidding and 1 musician.
I remember reading (years back, don't recall the source unfortunately) about how deafblind people, when asked, overwhelmingly chose hearing over sight. It's interesting that their choice was different than what most hearing, sighted people would choose.Ā
I choose deaf. I can do my job without hearing (and it would be easier to ignore people) and most of my free time is spent writing (no sound needed), watching movies (subtitles exist) and playing video games. So while it may suck to suddenly lose a sense that I've had my whole life itbwould suck significantly less than losing one that removes almost the entirety of my lifestyle.
Going deaf. While life will be tougher and I'll have to make serious adjustments, I will still be able to take care of myself. Not being able to take care of myself is my biggest fear, whether that is due to a disability, old age, mental health, or something else. If that time comes, I want my time on Earth done. I will not burden family, friends, or the state.
Dead. 99% chance that the staggering volume of my noise-induced tinnitus is gone, along with 99% chance that I donāt die. Win-win.
If my tinnitus doesnāt go away, just let me die.
In my current body I would pick blind. I am already going blind, and have been told to expect maybe 8ish more years of being able to see well enough to read. So all this would reslly do is speed up the process.
If I had an otherwise healthy body I would choose deaf. You can still drive if you are deaf. I write and negotiate contracts for a living, and I could still do that without hearing. I would miss music, but not as much as I am going to miss reading.
Deaf. I think people are grossly underestimating how difficult life is as a blind person. You're very reliant on others for almost everything. Handling money, cooking, going anywhere further than walking distance, shopping, etc. A guide dog isn't a guarantee. Not everyone gets approved and those who do don't always bond with a dog.
Deaf. Sign language exists, so does text to talk apps. So I can still communicate.
It would suck being Deaf, because Iād miss music, but I watch tv with subtitles on anyway, so I can still do that. The only problem is communication but again, there are ways around that.
Go deaf. I would miss music, but in the night it would be total silence, I wouldn't need to attend meetings, or even if I had to, I don't need to listen to their bullshit, I just say mine and they'll just need to text to me, so they'd think twice before saying unnecessary stuff.
Music gets old. Not being able to listen to music OR podcasts/YouTube videos would suck though. If I didnāt need to work I might choose blind just so I can get taken care of and do things like get incredibly learned off audio books and compose music on drums and piano and learn to play guitarĀ
Deaf. It will force me to actually go through with learning ASL and other signs. Also, I love reading but hate texture on my fingers so no to Braille. Furthermore, I am also trying my hand at photography and writing. I like to see what I can edit.
I'm hard of hearing but not deaf and I know the struggle hearing loss can cause in your daily life. I'm sure blind people struggle too but there seems to be less social stigma with loss of sight and more compassion and people willing to be accommodating. That being said, I could still enjoy some of the things I currently enjoy if I was deaf. I think I'd take my chances with the 1% chance I'll live through the virus.
Deaf. It's the far less debilitating option. You and your closest friends and family just have to learn sign language and you can mime or write things out for most other interactions. You can go about your day to day life pretty much as you do already as an able-bodied person.
Becoming blind would significantly impact your life. It would be a much harder adjustment and you'd have to completely alter how you go about your day to day life. It would also be a lot scarier, I think.
Deaf. No contest. Iād miss music and the sounds if my kids laughing but the world is far more adaptable without sound than it is without sight. Deaf people can still drive, for instance.
Deaf.
I would lose my job, as I'm pretty sure you can not be deaf construction site. I would just want to have one long conversation with my wife and daughter so I could try to remember their voices for as long as possible.
This is not a good one. Unless your very livelihood depends upon you being able to hear, deafness just requires a little adjustment to your life. Blindness is a massive disability thay will alter everything. You can't even get to the bathroom without trouble.
Deaf I mean, I dated someone for almost 3 years whose first language is French, whose majority of friends were all french speakers, and I couldn't pick it up whatsoever. I don't imagine I'd do well with braile.
Deaf.
You can learn to lip read and sign, I'd also much prefer to see random fireworks than hear them and there have been plenty of times in my life that making "Sorry, I failed to hear that instruction" a legitimate excuse would have been super beneficial. Computer generated subtitles are a thing and in expect devices similar to Google glass will integrate it soon.
Hell, I'll also take deaf even if it comes with a healthy dose of muteness.
This is not even close for 99% of pople. Dictation, subtitles, and text to speech solve half the problems of being deaf even without learning sign language.
The real dilemma is the one @ethercj posed. What if the deaf drug cured blindness. Would a blind person choose to adapt to a new (less impactful) disability or keep their existing disability?
deaf. iād lose my job, my car, and therefore all of my independence if i was blind, whereas i think i could adjust to being deaf. plus bone-conduction headphones could allow me to still hear music, and cochlear implants could be an option in the future.
I love music too much to go deaf. Being blind will suck, I wouldn't be able to enjoy a lot of hobbies, and it's probably an objectively worse choice for most things but I still think that's right.
Blind. I love music. I think I rely on my hearing more than most people looking at this thread. Iām terrible with recognizing faces and rely more on voices. I listen for people around me more than look. No matter if I learn ASL, Iāll still be limited in who I can communicate with in everyday life. I love reading; thereās text to speech and audiobooks. I like writing which I can just dictate. No matter which I choose, Iād still have to change careers.
I think I'd want to go blind. And I'd want my service dog to be a breed different from the typical golden retriever, so I can make jokes about "what my dog is not a golden retriever? What kind of dog is it?" Lol. Not sure if I want a miniature horse though, even though that joke would work better if the service animal wasn't an actual dog, lol.
I took an exploratory language class in middle school during one of the sections we learned brail and sign language we were then assigned to spend a week with ear plugs to simulate deafness and explore what it would be like not to hear. We also spent a class taking turns with our eyes covered and another student walking us around the building to get an idea of what it would be like to be blind. I 100% would choose deafness over being blind. When blind you rely more on other to help you vs deaf you may need help understanding someone, but otherwise you can mostly live life normally.
My aunt and cousin were both born hearing impaired so I would also have people to reach out to to help me adjust.
I remember asking my 22 year old brother this question when I was 10. We both agreed that we would rather go deaf.
But years later, I read that blind people were (on average) better able to deal with and accept their handicap compared to deaf people. Blind people make better use of their other senses, and their memory, to overcome their blindness. Deaf people tended to feel more disconnected. I would think that it would be easier to get around their deafness (even more so in the 21st century with the increased reliance on electronic visually based communications), but they tended to feel more disconnected from people.
Helen Keller was asked about it once:
The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important, than those of blindness. Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means the loss of the most vital stimulusāthe sound of the voice that brings language, sets thoughts astir and keeps us in the intellectual company of man.
Blind
My eyesight is pretty bad as it is. I can imagine being unable to see and dealing with it. I can't imagine losing the ability to hear music without being upset.
Deaf is what I choose.
Itās easier to correct if possible with implants.
I will miss music, sounds of nature, happy sounds. I will not miss horrible sounds of fighting, noise pollution and painful crying.
Being blind would be worse. No sunsets or sunrises. No visual reading.
Iāve contemplated before which of these two senses would be more detrimental in losing. Going dead would suck, but I donāt think I could live with losing my sight.
Neither, life would suck either way. Don't have an dependants or much reason to cling on so I'd just let myself go... never know I might be in the 1% and survive.
Deaf. Going blind is one of my biggest fears and will probably happen before I die (I have glaucoma) whereas being deaf is something I could see myself dealing with. I'm already bilingual and pick up languages easily so ASL wouldn't be super hard, plus I read lips a bit..
This is tough, bc I feel like I use my sight more than my hearing, but also thereās a huge blind community where I live including a close neighbor so Iād have an easy in-person support system if I go blind, whereas I donāt know any Deaf people in Texas so Iād probably need to move back to Virginia where I know a couple people who could connect me to the Deaf communityā¦ I might honestly let my wife decide which they feel more equipped to accommodate
Deaf 100%. Not even comparable to me. One of my biggest fears is losing my sight. Being deaf sucks, but these days i don't think it disables you all that much.
Blind tho? Your life is over.
This entirely depends on if Iām rich or not. If I were wealthy, Iād choose to go blind. If I still have to work for a living, Iām gonna need my eyes. Thatās a fucking bummer tho because I love music.
I once read that blindness cuts you off from objects. Being deaf cuts you off from people.
While it would deeply hurt my social life to suddenly go deaf, my independence and self-sufficiency is important enough that I would give up social opportunities to keep it. I would cry every single day about not being able to sing and play the ukulele anymore, though.
I choose go deaf. I have tried using reddit with my eyes closed, it didn't work very well š
You've just sold me on blind.
Hahahahahahahaha. Good one legit
Deaf. I would still be able to maintain my life. Without sight, I would be helpless. I would lose my job and freedom.
Yep, I could absolutely do my job without being able to hear. I get a lot of my information through emails anyway.
My grandfather went blind at 7, ended up starting a business that now has over 800 trucks moving supplies and commodities between the ports and mines in Southern Africa. He was 1 of 7 children, the only blind one, and ended up supporting all 7 siblings along the way. Youāre only as helpless as you let yourself be.
You wouldnāt be *helpless*. But youād need a lot of orientation and mobility training.
This and I can finally get rid of my tinnitus.
I'm actually blind so I'd go with that one. lol I use a screen reader to hear the text on the screen, and write this. The one I'm using is called JAWS.
Your gonna need a bigger screen
haha good one.
Can you tell that they used the wrong āyourā? Not tryna be a dick Iām just curious if youāre screen reader differentiates
Pretty much all the screen readers pronounce words just as you'd hear them read out loud, so it is possible to have a typo like that where "you're" isn't the correct spelling. JAWS and Voiceover for iPhone do a pretty good job of pronouncing well. In most cases it finds typos more than misses them.
But weirdly, the deafness drug also cures blindness. Now what?
Good question. I have no clue. I think since I'm adjusted to blindness I'd stick with that. I don't think I'd do well with being deaf, and seeing again.
I was wondering that. My preference for being deaf was primarily because the transition would be so much easier. I'm not sure how to do my work being blind, but being deaf I can imagine. Plus I already know sign language.
Hahahha
Deaf for sure. I would miss music, but I can't really make art anymore if I can't see what I'm doing. Overall, I get much more pleasure out of visual stimuli. Plus it wouldn't be so bad if I couldn't hear a thousand overlapping sounds anymore.
I'm a musician so I'll choose to go blind. Edit - these responses are interesting to me. I have a friend who is blind and the communication barriers between us are almost nothing. She texts, uses Facebook, and when we go to lunch she's just another one if the ladies in the conversation. There is no language barrier. She's also a lovely singer, guitarist, and pianist. I don't think it's that far fetched to put more value in your hearing if that's integral to your passions.
This is what I was thinkingā¦ living a life of absolute silence would be awful. No more music, no more birds singing. I would always remember what multiple loved ones look like, but to never hear their voices again saddens me.
Yea, but no more seeing your loved ones' faces, someday forgetting what they actually look like altogether. No thanks
No more hearing them say they love you. Forgetting how they sound. It's the same thing if audio resonates with you more.
Or you can become Beethoven instead
Deaf. I can still enjoy 75 % of my life without hearing.
Deafness is one of the loneliest things you can experience. Being born deaf is different than hearing your entire life and then losing it.
Deaf. I can get cochlear implants. I can't get ocular implants yet
Probably will never be an option. The optic nerve is incredibly complex. I believe the US did an entire eye transplant on a veteran as an experimental procedure. They are hoping one day he will be able to use the eye just to detect light. As of current it is completely useless despite presumably correctly connecting the optic nerve.
I have cochlear implants and it depends on what caused your deafness exactly. Cochlear implants donāt work for every deaf person
Blind that way I wouldnāt have to look at all your ugly mugs!
That too lol
This is an extremely long-winded way of asking "would you rather a 99% chance of going blind or a 99% chance of going deaf?" To which I answer: deaf, absolutely no contest whatsoever. Deafness would be an inconvenience, blindness would be horrendously life-altering.
50% chance of going blind vs 100% chance of going deaf and Iām still picking deaf. I would end myself if I lost my sight.
That's an actually good hypothetical situation: You are given a choice: Definitely go deaf, or have a random X% chance of going blind. At what value of X do you switch from choosing to roll the dice on blindness to going for definite deafness? For me I think it's like 1% at the highest
I'd roll for a 10% chance of blindness.
I'd still choose going deaf. I think I'd go mad without being able to see.
Deaf. Plenty to see. Plus human noises annoy me
Deaf. I have misophonia and a lot of auditory stress from my autism, so I would finally be free from my curse. I could finally read and write in peace. I canāt imagine living not being able to see anything, and having to be subjected to the sounds of traffic, the booms of bass, people talking outside, and people chewing.
Same here. Noise is useful and occasional beautiful, but it is also a constant source of exhaustion.
Deaf. I would miss hearing my partners' and kids' voices, but I'd still be able to make eye contact. I already don't hear very well. I feel like losing my vision would destroy more of my opportunities for human connection.
Blind.. only because Iām already half way there, but my hearing is excellent. In 20 years Iāll probably be blind anyway so maintaining my hearing will be crucial
Deaf no question. It would suck, but modern world can still communicate.
Easily go deaf. I would lose my job and couldn't drive with the other one
I'm a musician. I need my ears... then again, bethoven was deaf soooo...
Question... if I vote to go deaf, does that effectively cure my tinnitus?
Sureā¦
Deaf it is then. The rest of my life without the 24/7 ringing in my right ear... heaven.
Who in the Hell would pick blind?
Musicians. People who were already visually impaired. People with ugly spouses. Deaf is leading by a good margin, but a few people are taking blind. One guy decided to gamble on the 1% chance he survives without treatment, and one guy decided a 1% chance of dying was an unacceptable risk and decided to go blind and deaf.
I'd hate to but I'd chose to go deaf. I can't imagine a world w/o video games. While I will miss music I can handle silence better than being blind.
Very unpopular opinion, but honestly blind, music is such an important part of my life and I don't think I could go without it
Deaf. It would suck not being able to se my wifes tiddies
Yeah, I mean, how effective is hearing your wife's tiddies? Not the same ...
Depends on what you're doing to make them tiddies clap š¤·
This is the way
Deaf. Being deaf is disabling and I would lose my job but my life wouldnāt change that much. Thereās a lot more jobs available to a deaf person that a blind person. Being blind would be far worse because I wouldnāt be able to take care of myself at least at first. A blind person canāt drive and navigating any unfamiliar place would be difficult. I live in the country so I would be stuck at home unless I can afford an Uber or get the occasional free ride from the state program to help people with disabilities. A blind person is far more vulnerable than a deaf person. Pretty much every task would take significantly longer if you are blind.
Thank you for making this post. It reminded me to schedule an appointment to get my hearing aids serviced š
One is glad to be of service. š
100% deaf. I would sleep so well with no noise. And I would still be able to do everything I love (surf, read, watch TV with subtitles on)
Deaf. I'm going to have to go through the comments and see if a single person chose blind. I can't imagine anyone did. As of me commenting, 1 person who was kidding and 1 musician.
I remember reading (years back, don't recall the source unfortunately) about how deafblind people, when asked, overwhelmingly chose hearing over sight. It's interesting that their choice was different than what most hearing, sighted people would choose.Ā
I'm already more than half way there so I wouldn't be losing much. š¤£š
Deaf.
Well since my wife thinks Iām deaf alreadyā¦
I would choose deaf, maybe I could get cochlear implants.
I choose deaf. I can do my job without hearing (and it would be easier to ignore people) and most of my free time is spent writing (no sound needed), watching movies (subtitles exist) and playing video games. So while it may suck to suddenly lose a sense that I've had my whole life itbwould suck significantly less than losing one that removes almost the entirety of my lifestyle.
Going deaf. While life will be tougher and I'll have to make serious adjustments, I will still be able to take care of myself. Not being able to take care of myself is my biggest fear, whether that is due to a disability, old age, mental health, or something else. If that time comes, I want my time on Earth done. I will not burden family, friends, or the state.
Definitely go deaf. Absolutely no down side there. Sincerely, a misophonia sufferer.
Dead. 99% chance that the staggering volume of my noise-induced tinnitus is gone, along with 99% chance that I donāt die. Win-win. If my tinnitus doesnāt go away, just let me die.
Even as a musician Iād say deaf.
Deaf, very clearly deaf, I rather watch TV with subtitles which I already often do, instead of hearing
In my current body I would pick blind. I am already going blind, and have been told to expect maybe 8ish more years of being able to see well enough to read. So all this would reslly do is speed up the process. If I had an otherwise healthy body I would choose deaf. You can still drive if you are deaf. I write and negotiate contracts for a living, and I could still do that without hearing. I would miss music, but not as much as I am going to miss reading.
Deaf, easy. I can still do my job, drive a car etc. Blindness is a far, far worse problem than being deaf.
I'm going deaf, people mostly speak shit anyway I'm not missing much
Being blind means never getting to see boobies again, and worse, no longer being able to play video games. I will take deafness over blindness.
Deaf. I'm an artist and self employed - I can live without hearing, I'd starve without eyes.
Deaf. I think people are grossly underestimating how difficult life is as a blind person. You're very reliant on others for almost everything. Handling money, cooking, going anywhere further than walking distance, shopping, etc. A guide dog isn't a guarantee. Not everyone gets approved and those who do don't always bond with a dog.
Deaf. Sign language exists, so does text to talk apps. So I can still communicate. It would suck being Deaf, because Iād miss music, but I watch tv with subtitles on anyway, so I can still do that. The only problem is communication but again, there are ways around that.
Nah, I'd survive
Go deaf. I would miss music, but in the night it would be total silence, I wouldn't need to attend meetings, or even if I had to, I don't need to listen to their bullshit, I just say mine and they'll just need to text to me, so they'd think twice before saying unnecessary stuff.
Blind so I can still listen to music
Music gets old. Not being able to listen to music OR podcasts/YouTube videos would suck though. If I didnāt need to work I might choose blind just so I can get taken care of and do things like get incredibly learned off audio books and compose music on drums and piano and learn to play guitarĀ
Deaf. Hands down.
Deaf I already know sign language and would rather not lose my sight.
Deaf. It will force me to actually go through with learning ASL and other signs. Also, I love reading but hate texture on my fingers so no to Braille. Furthermore, I am also trying my hand at photography and writing. I like to see what I can edit.
I'm hard of hearing but not deaf and I know the struggle hearing loss can cause in your daily life. I'm sure blind people struggle too but there seems to be less social stigma with loss of sight and more compassion and people willing to be accommodating. That being said, I could still enjoy some of the things I currently enjoy if I was deaf. I think I'd take my chances with the 1% chance I'll live through the virus.
I would miss music, but not being able to navigate the world, read, and literally see my kids grow up is an unthinkable horror
I'm already having pretty bad hearing problems. It honestly doesn't bother me much. You can learn to read lips, you can't hear colors
Deaf
Deaf.
Blind. I need music in my life to stay sane.
Deaf, I'm sick of hearing it!
Deaf.
I'm already mostly deaf on one ear. Finish the job I guess
Deaf. It's the far less debilitating option. You and your closest friends and family just have to learn sign language and you can mime or write things out for most other interactions. You can go about your day to day life pretty much as you do already as an able-bodied person. Becoming blind would significantly impact your life. It would be a much harder adjustment and you'd have to completely alter how you go about your day to day life. It would also be a lot scarier, I think.
Go deaf of course. Both would suck but it's a very easy choice. Protect my eye sight before my hearing.
Deaf without hesitation.
Definitely deaf. No contest, you can maintain your life pretty easily after losing your hearing.
I have earphone head set that can probably work even on deaf people as the sound doesnāt go directly into your earā¦ itās a bone conduction tech.
Deaf. Easy choice.
Deaf. Why would anyone pick blind?š
Deaf. If I can still read and watch movies, but I donāt have to hear my mother? Deaf.
Deaf, for sure
Deaf. No contest. Iād miss music and the sounds if my kids laughing but the world is far more adaptable without sound than it is without sight. Deaf people can still drive, for instance.
Deaf, but honestly probably just kill me.
As much as I wanna say blind I have to say deaf. I can still pursue my music career I just have to try harder lol.
Deaf please.
As much as I love music, I love photography more. What kind of deaf are we talking? Some can be corrected partially
Go deaf. I would constantly be scared if I were blind. Being deaf would suck but it's my preferred option for sure
Deaf. I would lose my job, as I'm pretty sure you can not be deaf construction site. I would just want to have one long conversation with my wife and daughter so I could try to remember their voices for as long as possible.
This is not a good one. Unless your very livelihood depends upon you being able to hear, deafness just requires a little adjustment to your life. Blindness is a massive disability thay will alter everything. You can't even get to the bathroom without trouble.
Deaf
Deaf. I can function without hearing as long as I can see. I personally wouldnāt be able to deal well without sight.
Deaf. I can still play games deaf. Much, MUCH harder blind.
I would go deaf. Iām not a big social person so it would be pretty sweet having a reason not to hold conversations.
This oneās easy. Make me deaf, please.
I'm already going blind so in for a penny, in for a pound.
Deaf I mean, I dated someone for almost 3 years whose first language is French, whose majority of friends were all french speakers, and I couldn't pick it up whatsoever. I don't imagine I'd do well with braile.
Deaf. I donāt know how Iāll live without my music, but I canāt not see
Deaf. 1000% deaf.
Deaf. You can learn to lip read and sign, I'd also much prefer to see random fireworks than hear them and there have been plenty of times in my life that making "Sorry, I failed to hear that instruction" a legitimate excuse would have been super beneficial. Computer generated subtitles are a thing and in expect devices similar to Google glass will integrate it soon. Hell, I'll also take deaf even if it comes with a healthy dose of muteness.
Blind. I couldnāt live happily without music, my partners voice, or my sisters laugh. Iām already half blind anyway.
This is not even close for 99% of pople. Dictation, subtitles, and text to speech solve half the problems of being deaf even without learning sign language. The real dilemma is the one @ethercj posed. What if the deaf drug cured blindness. Would a blind person choose to adapt to a new (less impactful) disability or keep their existing disability?
Blind. Me mum was blind and I was for a bit as a boy recovering from eye surgery. I like listening to stuff WAAAAAY too much.
If I was deaf, I probably wouldn't be forced to join work meetings anymore. So it's kind of a win.
deaf. iād lose my job, my car, and therefore all of my independence if i was blind, whereas i think i could adjust to being deaf. plus bone-conduction headphones could allow me to still hear music, and cochlear implants could be an option in the future.
I love music too much to go deaf. Being blind will suck, I wouldn't be able to enjoy a lot of hobbies, and it's probably an objectively worse choice for most things but I still think that's right.
Deaf. I can pretty much just live my life with some minor adjustments.
I'd much rather succumb to the virus.
Nothing. I will survive the 1%
What??????? SPEAK UP.......I CANT HEAR YOU.
Iād prefer a 100% cure. So letās have both treatments simultaneously.
Blind. I love music. I think I rely on my hearing more than most people looking at this thread. Iām terrible with recognizing faces and rely more on voices. I listen for people around me more than look. No matter if I learn ASL, Iāll still be limited in who I can communicate with in everyday life. I love reading; thereās text to speech and audiobooks. I like writing which I can just dictate. No matter which I choose, Iād still have to change careers.
Deaf.
Blind
Deaf Iām already partially blind and it sucks so if I had to pick between the two, I would pick deaf
I think I'd want to go blind. And I'd want my service dog to be a breed different from the typical golden retriever, so I can make jokes about "what my dog is not a golden retriever? What kind of dog is it?" Lol. Not sure if I want a miniature horse though, even though that joke would work better if the service animal wasn't an actual dog, lol.
I took an exploratory language class in middle school during one of the sections we learned brail and sign language we were then assigned to spend a week with ear plugs to simulate deafness and explore what it would be like not to hear. We also spent a class taking turns with our eyes covered and another student walking us around the building to get an idea of what it would be like to be blind. I 100% would choose deafness over being blind. When blind you rely more on other to help you vs deaf you may need help understanding someone, but otherwise you can mostly live life normally. My aunt and cousin were both born hearing impaired so I would also have people to reach out to to help me adjust.
I remember asking my 22 year old brother this question when I was 10. We both agreed that we would rather go deaf. But years later, I read that blind people were (on average) better able to deal with and accept their handicap compared to deaf people. Blind people make better use of their other senses, and their memory, to overcome their blindness. Deaf people tended to feel more disconnected. I would think that it would be easier to get around their deafness (even more so in the 21st century with the increased reliance on electronic visually based communications), but they tended to feel more disconnected from people. Helen Keller was asked about it once: The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important, than those of blindness. Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means the loss of the most vital stimulusāthe sound of the voice that brings language, sets thoughts astir and keeps us in the intellectual company of man.
Blind. I could not live without hearing music.
Deaf, I can still hear music via vibration like Beethoven did. Also a lot more reading and can still work even when dead, can't work when blind.
Blind My eyesight is pretty bad as it is. I can imagine being unable to see and dealing with it. I can't imagine losing the ability to hear music without being upset.
Going blind anyway so this is a no brainer
Deaf is what I choose. Itās easier to correct if possible with implants. I will miss music, sounds of nature, happy sounds. I will not miss horrible sounds of fighting, noise pollution and painful crying. Being blind would be worse. No sunsets or sunrises. No visual reading.
deaf, ofc
I could live with being deaf. I'm sick of hearing the crap going on around me.
I choose to be deaf, because I can still drive and I already know some sign language anyway.
Deaf, I love to read and while TV and movies would not be as good, id live
Deaf, cuz I know sign language and I wanna be self sufficient
Deaf. I already know sign language and know a lot of people in the deaf community
*laughs in legally blind*
Does the deafness stop tinnitus?
Deaf
I'm not passing up an opportunity to die! Pfft.
Deaf. I already can bumble thru ASL.
Deaf
This is super easy. Almost every one of my favorite hobbies is possible while deaf and not really while blind.
deaf, iām an artist. my sight is my livelihood.
Deaf. I'd miss music, but I'd still have my rock
Iām already hard of hearing. I imagine being completely deaf would be much easier to grapple with than being blind AND hard of hearing.
Deaf.
Well,someone that is already deaf will choose that and someone already blind would choose that. Since I'm neither,I would rather be deaf.Ā
Blind. I canāt live without music.
deaf for sure. i'm super visual
Deaf. Would likely solve about 90% of my anxiety problems since I'm so sensitive to noise.
Go deaf. My mom is blind and I see how she struggles.
I'd go deaf. I'd take that chance because it might cure my schizophrenia. Also, I draw a lot and hike.Ā
Deaf, Im already partially blind 20/200 in left eye not as bad right and it sucks every thing is blurry but I would still choose being deaf.
Iāll choose being deaf. I couldnāt imagine not being to see. I honestly donāt know how blind folks get by.
Death.
I love drawing. But I also love music. . . . I love drawing more though. I'll go deaf.
Iāve contemplated before which of these two senses would be more detrimental in losing. Going dead would suck, but I donāt think I could live with losing my sight.
Deaf. Everything I do requires my eyes. That would really break my will to live honestly.
Deaf. It's impossible to do basically anything blind.
Deaf
I can't imagine any situation where I would ever choose to go blind over going deaf
Deaf 100%.
Iād rather be deaf by far.
Neither, life would suck either way. Don't have an dependants or much reason to cling on so I'd just let myself go... never know I might be in the 1% and survive.
Deaf. Going blind is one of my biggest fears and will probably happen before I die (I have glaucoma) whereas being deaf is something I could see myself dealing with. I'm already bilingual and pick up languages easily so ASL wouldn't be super hard, plus I read lips a bit..
I'd rather go deaf. Will make trying to find noises in vehicles impossible but I can do other things. Will give me the chance to learn ASL
I'd rather go deaf then go blind.
Deaf. Finally some peace and fucking quiet.
Deaf I suppose
This is tough, bc I feel like I use my sight more than my hearing, but also thereās a huge blind community where I live including a close neighbor so Iād have an easy in-person support system if I go blind, whereas I donāt know any Deaf people in Texas so Iād probably need to move back to Virginia where I know a couple people who could connect me to the Deaf communityā¦ I might honestly let my wife decide which they feel more equipped to accommodate
Deaf 100%. Not even comparable to me. One of my biggest fears is losing my sight. Being deaf sucks, but these days i don't think it disables you all that much. Blind tho? Your life is over.
Deaf i feel like it's an easier lifestyle than being blind
Deaf, absolutely. I have a degree in ASL, so I'm more prepared.
This entirely depends on if Iām rich or not. If I were wealthy, Iād choose to go blind. If I still have to work for a living, Iām gonna need my eyes. Thatās a fucking bummer tho because I love music.
Deaf
I would struggle to lose music man
Both. I take both.
Mute.
I once read that blindness cuts you off from objects. Being deaf cuts you off from people. While it would deeply hurt my social life to suddenly go deaf, my independence and self-sufficiency is important enough that I would give up social opportunities to keep it. I would cry every single day about not being able to sing and play the ukulele anymore, though.
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Deaf 1 billion %
Deaf. I can still support myself this way. Blind people can neither read nor conduct physical labor so thatās a no go
Deaf, I already know some asl, might as well commit to learning it lmao