I suspect not. 😉
But because someone asked (which is a rarity), I did a quick bit of searching online to see if I could find an example of what my vision is like. I suspect there’s lots of irony there, or something. Indeed, given the nature of my not-seeing-ness I could be way off the mark.
Anyhow, the best example I could find was this image from the VisionServ Alliance. I say take it with a bit of a grain of salt and the following caveats.
I have bilateral optic atrophy (or neuropathy if you prefer) which means it affects both eyes somewhere along the optic nerve (or maybe at multiple points… who knows!). I have a restricted field of vision nasally, laterally and above and below the horizontal. The distortion (and total “black spots”) aren’t as evenly distributed as that picture would seem to imply.
My initial vision loss started in around 1997 and deteriorated rather rapidly. The prognosis is unknown.
I think those are the central points, but questions are welcome.
UPDATE
How’s this for an analogy: a person with 6/6 vision is watching HD TV, I’m watching analogue TV without an areal on the edge of the reception zone?
Also, here’s a different image from a page about Optic Neuritis – different condition with different cause (related to MS) but a similar effect.
I don’t think either image quite captures it correctly, but each case is different. Hopefully this gives some kind of impression at least.
UPDATE #2: This is approaches the topic from a slighly different angle: from Blind Photographers Stitching Sight.
July 27, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Wow, I just read your blog, after reading your reply to Steven on Twitter. It is amazing that you and I are experiencing kind of the same thing, but me with my ears, and you with your eyes.
In a weird way it’s cool! I find people are always fascinated to know what it is like to loose a sense.
I myself have always wondered what it would be like to have lost my sight instead of my hearing – and I think sometimes hearing is worse, because you are cut off from having conversations with people around you. With bad eyesight, at least you can still communicate.
Anyway, I am so glad to have stumbled across your blog, and I think you might even know my friend Sarah Tracton, who used to work with you at the Community Broadcasting Station.
I hope we meet one day!
Kind regards,
Kate