To See or Not to See

Inez De Florio, born blind, tells us the moving, fascinating, and true story of her recovery from blindness at the age of 48 and how she coped with learning to see. Eyesight seems to be completely effortless for us, but for persons blind since birth these processes of adaptation are overwhelmingly demanding. For that reason, more than half of the patients commit suicide within the first years after successful surgery.

De Florio, whose late recovery from blindness did not stop her from making a brilliant academic career as a professor in didactics, foreign languages, and intercultural communication, not only reveals astounding insights into the world of the visually impaired and their interactions with sighted people. Based on newest scientific findings, she also offers an illuminating report on how to learn to see and how to appreciate visual perception without over-emphasizing the importance of eyesight.