Blindness Visible

Charles Bonnet Syndrome

What Shapes the Content of Charles Bonnet Hallucinations?

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on July 7, 2026

Recent theoretical and empirical work on predictive processing and brain plasticity may help explain both the onset of and ending of Charles Bonnet hallucinations.

Recent theoretical and empirical work on predictive processing and brain plasticity may help explain both the onset of and ending of Charles Bonnet hallucinations.

Heuristics

Seeing Is Not Always Knowing: The Limits of Visual Authority

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on March 1, 2026

Mental shortcuts used to interpret helping situations can cause well-meaning sighted people to assume they know more about the capabilities of blind people than they actually do.

Mental shortcuts used to interpret helping situations can cause well-meaning sighted people to assume they know more about the capabilities of blind people than they actually do.

Psychology

How to (and How Not to) Help People Who Are Blind

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on January 12, 2026

Sighted people may not realize when their help is inappropriate. One common type of inappropriate help is motivated by paternalistic assumptions about blindness.

Sighted people may not realize when their help is inappropriate. One common type of inappropriate help is motivated by paternalistic assumptions about blindness.

Identity

Positive Disability Identity and Choosing Blindness

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on September 12, 2025

Blind people with a positive disability identity focus on living a meaningful and productive life. They are not seeking a cure.

Blind people with a positive disability identity focus on living a meaningful and productive life. They are not seeking a cure.

Neuroscience

Sight Acquisition After Treatment for Congenital Blindness

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on July 6, 2025

Gaining Sight After Years of Blindness Takes Time. Visual areas of the brain need to learn to organize and interpret sensory information.

Gaining Sight After Years of Blindness Takes Time. Visual areas of the brain need to learn to organize and interpret sensory information.

Neuroplasticity

Sight Recovery After a Lifetime of Blindness

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on May 16, 2025

Adapting to sightedness after a lifetime of blindness can be as difficult as the opposite. These cases teach us much about the complexity of visual perception.

Adapting to sightedness after a lifetime of blindness can be as difficult as the opposite. These cases teach us much about the complexity of visual perception.

Trauma

Forced Intimacy: How Prying Questions Can Cause Harm

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on April 3, 2025

Disabled people are often subjected to intrusive questions from co-workers, casual acquaintances, and even strangers, and sometimes these questions can trigger painful memories.

Disabled people are often subjected to intrusive questions from co-workers, casual acquaintances, and even strangers, and sometimes these questions can trigger painful memories.

Bias

What It's Like to Be a Blind Adult

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on March 2, 2025

"Sight loss affects me most by transforming how others view me."

"Sight loss affects me most by transforming how others view me."

Body Language

The Expression of the Emotions in the Blind and the Sighted

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on January 8, 2025

Facial movements provide information about emotions. But the link between the two is complicated. Studying the facial movements of blind people can help increase our knowledge.

Facial movements provide information about emotions. But the link between the two is complicated. Studying the facial movements of blind people can help increase our knowledge.

Health

Enabling Definitions of Disability

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on November 21, 2024

Disability is best viewed as the outcome of interactions among several factors. Modifying any of these factors can be enabling.

Disability is best viewed as the outcome of interactions among several factors. Modifying any of these factors can be enabling.

Charles Bonnet Syndrome

Charles Bonnet Syndrome

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on October 29, 2024

Sight loss triggers increased activity in visual areas of the brain. This increased activity produces in some people “phantom images” of animals, people, and inanimate objects.

Sight loss triggers increased activity in visual areas of the brain. This increased activity produces in some people “phantom images” of animals, people, and inanimate objects.

Body Language

Blindness, Low Vision, and Nonverbal Communication

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on September 30, 2024

Impaired sight reduces the ability to perceive nonverbal cues in face-to-face interactions, thereby making some forms of communication more difficult. This could help bridge the divide.

Impaired sight reduces the ability to perceive nonverbal cues in face-to-face interactions, thereby making some forms of communication more difficult. This could help bridge the divide.

Bias

Confronting Stereotypes About Blindness: "Who Takes Care of You?"

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on September 6, 2024

Negative cultural stereotypes about blind and older adults cause people to question their ability to live independently.

Negative cultural stereotypes about blind and older adults cause people to question their ability to live independently.

International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

How Can You Be Blind if You Still Can See?

Jeffry Ricker Ph.D. on August 16, 2024

Blindness is not limited to those without sight. Deciding who is blind and who is not depends on who is asking and why they want to know.

Blindness is not limited to those without sight. Deciding who is blind and who is not depends on who is asking and why they want to know.