Born Blind vs. Becoming Blind - What Are The Differences?

Summary

In this insightful video, Tommy, known as the Blind Film Critic, interviews Christine Ha, the first blind contestant and winner of MasterChef Season 3. The conversation delves into the unique experiences of those who lost their vision later in life compared to those born blind. Christine, who lost her sight due to an autoimmune condition, describes her remaining vision as foggy shapes and light, while Tommy, who has been blind since birth, has no visual perception. They share their dreams, where Christine still sees in full vision, contrasting with Tommy's sensory dreams devoid of sight. They discuss the advantages of blindness, such as preferential treatment in travel and a reduced tendency to judge others based on appearance. Both express a longing for activities denied by their blindness, with Christine missing driving and Tommy wishing to catch a ball effortlessly. The dialogue candidly explores their feelings about their sight loss and the hypothetical scenario of regaining vision. The video concludes with a discussion on the challenges of shopping and personal style for visually impaired individuals, emphasizing the importance of clear and descriptive online content. It's an engaging exchange that fosters understanding and appreciation for the diverse experiences within the blind community.

Takeaways

• 🍳 Christine Ha, the first blind contestant and winner of Master Chef season 3, lost her vision due to an autoimmune condition called Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO).
• 👀 Christine's remaining vision is described as seeing light and shadows, similar to looking into a fogged-up mirror, while Tommy, who has been blind since birth, has no visual perception.
• 🌈 Christine still dreams in full vision, remembering colors and images from her past sighted life, whereas Tommy dreams without any visual component, relying on his other senses.
• 🚂 Perks of being blind for Tommy include not needing to buy train tickets often and pre-boarding on planes, while Christine enjoys the convenience of skipping lines at airports and not being judgmental based on appearances.
• 🚗 Christine misses driving and watching foreign films with subtitles, activities she enjoyed during her sighted life, while Tommy wishes he could catch a ball and use a computer without speech assistance.
• 👁️ Christine keeps her eyes open to maximize sensory input, whereas Tommy finds it tiring to keep his eyes open and prefers to keep them closed.
• 💭 Both Christine and Tommy have different perspectives on whether they would rather have been born blind or lost their sight later in life, with Christine valuing her past experiences of sight and Tommy appreciating not knowing what he's missing.
• 🏥 If given the chance for a surgery to regain sight, both would consider it, with Christine doing it for her husband's sake and Tommy out of curiosity, despite potential challenges in processing new visual information.
• 🎬 Tommy, known as the Blind Film Critic, enjoys movies like 'Goodfellas', 'Clerks', 'Hugo', 'Manchester by the Sea', and 'Moonlight', which are also appreciated by Christine.
• 👚 Christine relies on her friends and cousin to help her pick out clothing, as they understand her tastes and can describe items to her, although she finds online shopping challenging due to unhelpful product descriptions.
• 📺 The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to check out the collaboration between Tommy and Christine on Christine's channel, where they try Japanese snacks.

Q & A

Who is Christine Ha and what is her claim to fame?

Christine Ha is a Master Chef season 3 winner, notable for being the first blind contestant and winner on the show. She lost her vision due to an autoimmune condition called Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO).

What is the medical term for the level of Christine's remaining vision?

Christine's remaining vision is described as 'counting fingers' at about 10-12 inches, which means she can discern the number of fingers at that distance.

How does Christine describe her current visual experience?

Christine describes her visual experience as seeing some light and shadows, with a very foggy view, similar to looking into a steamy mirror after a hot shower.

How did Tommy, who is blind from birth, describe his perception of light?

Tommy mentions that he has a little bit of light perception, but with the development of cataracts, it has become fairly dark. He does not see any shadows or colors.

What is the difference between Christine and Tommy's dreams in terms of visual content?

Christine still dreams in full vision, remembering colors and images from her past sighted life. Tommy, on the other hand, does not see anything in his dreams, as he was born blind and his subconscious does not know how to process visual information.

What are some of the advantages Christine and Tommy mention about being blind?

Christine mentions the advantage of not being judgmental based on appearance and the convenience of pre-boarding on planes and skipping lines at security checks. Tommy enjoys not having to buy train tickets often and not witnessing people age.

What is something Christine misses doing because of her blindness?

Christine misses driving, which she used to enjoy as a symbol of independence and a personal pastime.

What is one activity Tommy wishes he could do despite his blindness?

Tommy wishes he could catch a ball without assistance and use a computer without speech assistance, like sighted people do.

How do Christine and Tommy differ in their preference for keeping their eyes open or closed?

Christine prefers to keep her eyes open to maximize sensory intake, while Tommy finds it tiring and prefers to keep his eyes closed, finding it more relaxed.

How does Christine feel about having had sight before losing it?

Christine expresses that she is glad she had vision before losing it as it allows her to have memories of colors and how people looked.

Would Christine and Tommy be willing to undergo surgery to regain sight if possible?

Both Christine and Tommy would consider surgery to regain sight, with Christine doing it for the sake of her husband and Tommy out of curiosity and willingness to try.

How does Christine choose her clothing, given the challenge of being blind?

Christine relies on her female friends and cousin who have knowledge of fashion and her tastes. They help describe items to her, and she tries them on to make a selection.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction and Background

Tommy introduces a video that has been highly requested by viewers, featuring a conversation with Christine Ha, a blind Master Chef winner. Christine shares her experience of losing her vision due to an autoimmune condition called Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO), which led to the atrophy of her optic nerves. She describes her current vision as seeing light and shadows in a foggy, steamy manner. Tommy, who has been blind since birth, discusses his lack of visual perception and how he experiences dreams through his other senses.

05:01

🎥 Everyday Experiences and Dreams

The conversation explores the differences in everyday experiences between someone blind since birth and someone who lost their sight later in life. They discuss how they dream, with Christine still experiencing full vision in her dreams, while Tommy's dreams are devoid of sight. They also talk about the advantages of being blind, such as not having to buy train tickets or waiting in lines at airports, and not watching people age. The topic of driving and the impact of blindness on independence is also covered, with Christine expressing her longing for the independence driving provided.

10:04

👀 On Eyes, Preferences, and Clothing Choices

Christine and Tommy discuss whether they keep their eyes open or closed, with Christine opting to keep hers open to utilize her remaining vision, while Tommy finds it tiring to keep his open. They ponder whether they would rather have been born blind or lost their sight later, with Christine expressing gratitude for having had sight and Tommy feeling he might be less content if he had known sight. The topic of potential surgery to regain sight arises, with both expressing willingness to try it. They also share their favorite movies and discuss the challenges of choosing clothing when blind, with Christine relying on friends for assistance.

😂 Closing Remarks and Collaboration

The video concludes with Christine and Tommy thanking each other for the conversation and the audience for watching. They promote a collaborative video on Christine's channel where Tommy tries Japanese snacks. The video ends on a light-hearted note with a play on words related to blindness.

Keywords

💡Master Chef

Master Chef is a competitive cooking reality show where contestants compete in various culinary challenges to be crowned the Master Chef. In the context of the video, Christine Ha is noted as the first blind contestant and winner of Master Chef season 3, which is a significant aspect of her identity and story shared in the video.

💡Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO)

Neuromyelitis Optica, often abbreviated as NMO, is an autoimmune condition that affects the optic nerves and spinal cord. It is mentioned in the video as the medical condition that led to Christine Ha losing her vision gradually over a period of about 7 years. This keyword is central to understanding Christine's personal experience with blindness.

💡Blindness

Blindness is the condition of lacking or having lost the sense of sight. The video explores the experiences of two individuals with blindness, Christine who lost her vision later in life and Tommy who has been blind since birth. Their different perspectives on blindness form the core theme of the video.

💡Dreams and Vision

The video discusses how the experience of dreaming differs between those who were born blind and those who lost their sight later in life. Christine still dreams in full vision, remembering colors and images, while Tommy, who has been blind since birth, dreams without any visual component, relying on his other senses.

💡Perks of Being Blind

The video touches on some unexpected advantages of being blind, as shared by the individuals interviewed. For Tommy, it includes not having to buy train tickets often and pre-boarding on planes. Christine mentions skipping lines at the airport and not being judgmental based on appearances. These insights provide a unique perspective on the盲experience.

💡Independence

Independence is a central theme in the video, particularly for Christine who misses driving, an activity she previously enjoyed and that signified her independence. Tommy expresses a wish to catch a ball without assistance, indicating a desire for self-sufficiency.

💡Visual Memory

Visual memory refers to the ability to remember and recall visual information. Christine's visual memory allows her to remember what her husband looked like and colors she once saw, which she appreciates despite her current blindness. This contrasts with Tommy's experience, who has no visual memory to draw upon.

💡Screen Reader

A screen reader is a software application that enables blind or visually impaired users to read text displayed on a computer screen through synthesized speech or a braille display. The video mentions Christine's use of a screen reader when shopping online, highlighting the challenges she faces with inadequate website descriptions.

💡Fashion and Clothing

The video discusses Christine's approach to choosing clothing, which involves relying on her friends and cousin who have a sense of fashion and know her tastes. This illustrates the social support and personal relationships that can be vital for individuals with visual impairments in navigating daily life activities.

💡Surgery for Vision

The topic of surgical intervention to restore vision is explored in the video. Both Christine and Tommy express a willingness to undergo surgery to see, with Christine mentioning doing it for her husband's sake and Tommy considering the challenge of processing new visual information.

💡Film Critic

The term 'Film Critic' is used in the video to describe Tommy, who is known as the 'Blind Film Critic.' Despite his blindness, he reviews movies by focusing on the auditory aspects and the dialogue, showcasing how individuals with disabilities can engage with and appreciate art forms in unique ways.

Highlights

Tommy and Christine Ha discuss the differences between being born blind and losing vision later in life.

Christine Ha, a Master Chef winner, shares her experience of losing vision due to Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO).

Christine describes her remaining vision as seeing light and shadows, similar to looking into a fogged-up mirror.

Tommy, who has been blind since birth, has no light perception and does not see anything, including in dreams.

Christine still dreams in full vision, remembering colors and images from her sighted past.

Tommy discusses the perks of being blind, such as not having to buy train tickets and pre-boarding on planes.

Christine appreciates the advantage of not having to wait in lines at airports and being less judgmental.

Both Tommy and Christine express a desire to regain their sight if given the opportunity, for different reasons.

Christine misses driving and watching foreign films with subtitles, activities she enjoyed before losing her vision.

Tommy wishes he could catch a ball and use a computer without speech assistance.

Christine keeps her eyes open to maximize sensory intake, while Tommy prefers to keep his eyes closed to avoid fatigue.

Christine is glad she had vision before losing it, cherishing the memories of colors and people's faces.

Tommy believes not knowing what he's missing allows him to enjoy life more without the frustration of loss.

Both would consider surgery to regain sight, with Christine doing it for her husband's convenience and Tommy out of curiosity.

Tommy and Christine bond over shared favorite movies, including 'Goodfellas' and 'Manchester by the Sea'.

Christine relies on her friends for fashion advice and struggles with online shopping due to unhelpful product descriptions.

The conversation highlights the different experiences and perspectives of individuals with varying degrees of vision loss.

Transcripts

TOMMY: Here's a video you guys have wanted for a long time.

[music plays] One of the most popular requests

we get in the comments is for me to sit down and talk with somebody

who's lost their vision later in life so today I'm joined by Christine Ha.

How are you? CHRISTINE: Good. Thanks for having me, Tommy.

TOMMY: Thanks for being here. Now tell everybody a little bit about yourself and also how your sight.

CHRISTINE: Sure. My name is Christine Ha. If you recognize my name,

I won Master Chef season 3 quite a few years

ago but I am the first contestant

and winner who is blind on Master Chef

and I lost my vision from an autoimmune condition called

Neuromyelitis Optica or NMO which means

my optic nerves atrophied overtime. TOMMY: At what age was that?

CHRISTINE: I lost my vision in my

20's so I would say starting about

17 years ago or so but it was very gradual

so it was overtime like maybe 7 years. TOMMY: So today we're going to

explore the differences someone who's blind since birth myself

or somebody who's lost their sight later on in life like Christine has.

So Ben is going to ask us about everyday scenarios

and we're just going to talk about our experiences. Now after you watch this video,

don't forget to go over Christine's channel and see the collab we did over there.

You all set? CHRISTINE: Mm mmm.

Feels like a game show. TOMMY: Well, that's after the bonus round.

BEN: Can you describe what you're able to see?

CHRISTINE: I see what the doctors call

counting finger in both eyes at about 10-12 inches...

that's medically speaking. For layman's terms, I'd say

I see some light, some shadows, very foggy,

I describe it mostly as though if you were to come out

of a very hot shower and you looked into that really steamy

mirror because it's all fogged up - that's kind of what I see. That's my world.

So I see just some shape and fog.

TOMMY: Well, me... I don't really see anything. I have a little bit of light

perception, although I have cataracts now so it's gotten fairly dark.

I don't see any shadows. I don't see any color. There's nothing.

[music plays] BEN: When you dream,

do you see images like someone who is sighted or are you blind?

CHRISTINE: THat's a really good question. I still dream

in full vision and I find myself often

very sad when I wake up and it's not true.

So I still see color. I still see things that I remember

from having been able to see before so

I still imagine myself as my 20-something year old self.

So it will also be quite sad when I --- if I ever got my vision

back because I would see in the mirror how much I've aged.

BEN: Is there ever a time where you do remember...

CHRISTINE: All the dreams that I remember that I've dreamt

have been in full vision. I'm walking around independently

completely in my dreams doing things as I used to do when

I had full vision. TOMMY: When I dream, I don't see anything

because my subconscious doesn't know how to see therefore I can't see

in my dreams. Right? See, Christine remembers what it's like to see

in her brain, but for me I don't.

So I dream in my other four senses. I can smell, taste, touch, and hear

in my dreams, but I don't see anything. CHRISTINE: Your dreams are still

very vivid with those other senses I presume. TOMMY: Very much so. Yeah.

[music plays] BEN: If any,

what do you consider some perks of being blind?

CHRISTINE: Ooh, Tommy, you go first. TOMMY: Really? Want me --- alright, I'll tell you.

For me, some of the perks of being blind include things like

riding the train. There's a train line back in Connecticut where I'm

from and it goes between Connecticut and New York City.

And I never buy ticket because I get on the train and then

I'll have a seat and probably 8 times out of 10

they won't ask me for a ticket. It's incredible.

So that's a good one. I get on planes first

which is always great but the problem is I get off last.

CHRISTINE: Oh, yeah, when you're flying by yourself. Yeah.

TOMMY: Another thing that I really like is I don't really watch people age too much.

Which I like that too. CHRISTINE: Definitely pre-boarding.

Pasing up the line at TSA security check

in. I feel like my friends who travel with me or my husband

who travels with me finds it more of a perk than I do but they're like

"Whip out that cane so we can skip the line."

So I think it's definitely an advantage.

I find that I'm much less judgmental

than I used to be. I think

because I don't like being judgmental, but everyone has a little

bit of judgmentalism in them, I think, that can't be helped just

by based on how you grow up or what you're exposed to, but now

I cannot base anything people's appearances.

I really cannot judge a book by its cover and I'm glad about that.

[music plays] BEN: What's something that you wish you could do

but you can't because of you're blindness? CHRISTINE: Driving.

[no speaking]

TOMMY: A little more? Do you want to talk about that, or no?

CHRSTINE: Oh, I think it's because I always loved to drive ever since

I started driving when I had vision. It makes me feel very independent.

I grew up an only child. I lost my mom when I was young,

so being independent was very much a part of me.

I loved running errands by myself. I loved, like, doing a lot

of things by myself using my car as a vehicle.

So when I lost my vision I think that's what I missed most.

I used to drive a manual so I found it fun.

Driving was kind of, I wouldn't say a hobby, but it was definitely something I

like to pass the time with. It was kind of my alone time. Second most thing

I miss is watching foreign films with subtitles.

TOMMY: For me, I would like to catch a ball. I'd like to be able to catch a ball

and not have somebody go, "Alright, Tommy, here it comes now. Hands out.

Get ready!" I'd like to just be able to reach up and catch one.

You know what I mean? It'd be so cool. I'd like to be able to

use the computer without speech. You know what I mean? I'd like to

be able to look at the whole screen and see a bunch of stuff all at once and

just pop, pop, pop. I mean, sighted people whip through the computer

so fast, it blows my mind. I'd like to be able to do that.

[music continues] BEN: Do you keep your eyes closed,

or open, and why? CHRISTINE: For me, I keep my eyes

open because I still retain some vision

so I'm trying to use as much sensory intake as I can.

TOMMY: I keep my eyes shut most of the time. I really do.

To keep my eyes open, it's using muscles I'm not really not used to using so

it's very fatiguing. I get very tired... after keeping my

eyes open for a couple of minutes even.

It's a lot of work to keep them open for me.

So, I much more relaxed with my eyes shut.

CHRISTINE: You need little weights for your eyes lids.

[music plays] BEN: Would you rather have lost your sight,

or born blind? CHRISTINE: Oh, that's also a

tough question. I think that I only know

my paradigm. So I think I would say

I am glad that I had

vision and then lost it although I can

see someone's point of view maybe from the way, but I feel like

I can remember what my

husband John looked like when we met.

I can remember colors. So for me

I am glad that I lost my vision later in life.

TOMMY: I think if I had vision and lost it,

I don't think I would be as much fun as I am today. I think I would

be a real crank. I think I'd very angry and upset.

I feel so much better knowing what I'm not missing. Right?

If I knew what I was missing, I think I'd be very upset about it.

This way, I don't know and I can completely

do things my own way and it's all good.

To know what I was l missing I think would really drive me crazy.

[music continues] BEN: If you could have surgery that would help you see,

would you do it?

CHRISTINE: Oh...

Yes, for the sake of my husband so he doesn't have to drive

me around anymore. TOMMY: You know, yes, I would have

to try it. Although, I think

you know, I've said before. I think if I were able to get sight,

I think I would have tremendous headaches the first few weeks of it.

Because of all this brand new information to process

that I never experienced in my life before. So, you know what,

I'd love to try it and as I always say, I guess if I didn't like it

I could just keep my eyes closed and it would be back the way I like.

But I'd have to try it. BEN: Do you have

a question for each other? CHRISTINE: I'm curious to know

because you're know as the Blind Film Critic, what are

some of your favorite movies? TOMMY: Goodfellas. I love that movie.

It might not be your thing.

CHRISTINE: I like Goodfellas. TOMMY: Oh, good. Alright, good for you. I love Clerks.

The Kevin Smith thing. I mean, it's all dialogue driven.

It's wonderful. The one that will surprise you is a film called

Hugo from a few years ago. CHRISTINE: Okay.

TOMMY: It's a Martin Scorsese thing. It's a 3D one. And I hear 3D

and I panic instantly. I'm like, oh, this can't be good. And that movie

was wonderful, just from start

to finish. It was so compelling and captivating

and I just fell in love with all the characters and all the situations.

Manchester by the Sea. Moonlight is wonderful.

CHRISTINE: I really enjoyed that. TOMMY: Yep, yep. Alright,

I'm going to ask you this question. How do you pick out clothing as a woman?

Because I know it's important to look nice and everything.

So how do you do it? CHRISTINE: Good question. I rely

heavily on my girlfriends and my cousin so

the female friends in my life that know fashion and know my tastes

as well, because also what I buy ends up kind of being

a result of my friends tastes.

But they know my tastes and it kind of mixes with what they like.

But I'll tell them this is what I'm looking for and then we'll

go shopping together either online or in store

and then they'll describe me things, then I'll try it on.

So that's how I go shopping.

I wish I could do online shopping more but I found that

descriptions on a lot of websites are not very

descriptive when you're using your screen reader so... for example,

some makeup brands will call their colors

things like "LSD"

or things that I'm like, well, what does this mean? Like, is it

very colorful or what is this color?

I've spoken about it before... the importance of designing your

website well and adding descriptions. Not trying to be all

like smart with your description but sometimes we just need straight

forward descriptions of things. TOMMY: Christine, thank you so much

for me being on the channel. It's been an absolute pleasure having you here.

CHRISTINE: It's my pleasure. Thanks for having me. TOMMY: Don't forget to go over to Christine's

channel for the collab we did there. I'm a guest on "Christine Tries" and for this one

we try Japanese snacks. Oh, I'm in trouble

I think. We'll put the link in the description and on screen as well.

Alright, Christine, I'll do one of those things that sighted people do to us sometimes.

Listen, I'll hear you soon, okay? [Christine laughs]

[music continues]

Well, thank you so much for watching. I hope you enjoyed it. And of course if

you have any other questions. I would love to hear them. So leave them in the comments

below or you can hit me up on Facebook and Twitter

and ask me questions there too. Well, I suppose you might say this video

was 'open and shut', huh? [laughs]