Orient in a New Space

Imagining how blind people orient themselves within spaces is an interesting way to connect the practice of taking time to resettle ourselves in a new space. “Several provocative assertions pertaining to visual impairment and spatial abilities are advanced that help to better understand navigation without vision, provide greater explanatory power relevant to many of the current debates, and offer some needed guidance on the development of new spatial learning strategies and technological solutions that will ultimately have a significant positive impact on the independence and quality of life. … There is no debate that vision is an amazing conduit of spatial information, but it is also important to remember that it does not have a monopoly on space. Indeed, all of our senses encode spatial information to one degree or another” (Nicholas A. Giudice, “Navigating without Vision: Principles of Blind Spatial Cognition,” accessed May 11, 2024, https://umaine.edu/vemi/wp-content/uploads/sites/220/2018/05/Giudice-in-press-ch15-in-Montello-principles-of-blind-navigation.pdf). A blind person simply needs time and a little assistance to become oriented to a new space or a room that has been changed around. Similarly, we need to allow ourselves time and accept help when we find ourselves in unfamiliar spaces. Paul also had to reorient himself to his new reality.