Posture and Blindness

Posture

The author contends that blindness affects posture in two primary ways: blindness interferes with body language; and it can negatively impact on balance.

Do you agree that there are two primary ways that blindness affects posture? Would you add other influences to the list?

Blindness affects posture in two ways:

Since the body is held and moved in culturally acceptable ways to communicate through body language, blind individuals must learn socially responsible posturing.

Secondly, posture is related to balance, and to the ability to move gracefully.

Body Language

The way we hold and posture our bodies has a profound impact on others. We may or may not get a job, a mate, or gain a friendship depending upon our postural bearing. The blind individual who cannot (or fails to) make "eye contact" is sending negative messages. The messages include "I am not interested in what you are saying; I don't care about you; I wish you would go away." In most cultures of the world it is impolite or taboo not to point the head in the direction of the person to whom one is speaking or is attending too. The blind individual who "stares off into space" rather than toward the front of the lecture hall, may be judged harshly, as lazy, uninterested, or drifty. Contrary to this, in some cultures of the world it is impolite to stare; the timing of eye contact is as important as it's presence or absence.

The posture of the head is particularly important in most of the worlds cultures. We expect to display our face for the world to read, and we expect that the faces of others will be presented to us as we interact. Addressing the top of someones head rather than a face is most disconcerting. A head down posture is also interpreted as shame, or guilt, a posture of submission. It is not the posture of confidence, leadership, responsibility, and assurance.

A head that is interested in the world (in life?) is held erect, poised, in a posture of alertness. A head sunken forward, or face down into a table or a classroom desk signals the opposite. There are culturally acceptable ways to rest the head, in the hands, on a fist, or with the chin supported; each culture has it's habits.

Blind students do not necessarily know how others in a culture position their heads. It is our responsibility to teach blind students what it feels like to hold the head straight/ forward/ back and to either side. Constant practice and reminders are necessary to combat the natural tendency to drop the head in the absence of any visual stimulation. The main reason that humans evolved an upright (tall) head-up orientation was to get the vision system in the best position to survey the world.

When standing, bodies are held steady, erect, and the legs are close together. A slumped over posture, combined with the wide based, foot splayed stance (a resting "blind gait"), sends negative, meek and withdrawn cultural signals. Blind students need to be taught what it feels like to hold the trunk straight/ forward/ back and to either side.

Cultures have different norms concerning how close other people can get before feelings of threat or uncomfortableness develop; psychological space is culturally determined. Blind students need to understand that psychological space differs in different parts of the world. More importantly, of course, they need to know the rules of space in their own cultures. Standing too far away conveys a message of disinterest. Standing too close is too personal. The impulse of the one who's space is being invaded is to push away psychologically or even physically if the close proximity gets too annoying.

When prematurity is the cause of blindness (and for other, usually birth related reasons), low body tone is often a secondary condition. Low tone reduces overall body strength making even routine tasks like walking up and down steps difficult. It also seriously affects posture; the whole body tending to sag (head down, shoulder slumped forward, blind gait). It helps to make a student cognitively aware of low tone and to practice consciously overcoming the negative postures that usually occur with the condition. Exercise is often difficult for these students, but obviously important.

Posture is also related to balance. With the center of gravity below the body, the head can be held erect. Students need to practice controlling the center of gravity. Holding the head down is a balance problem; a compensation for poor balance. The head will not come up until the balance is corrected. Teachers can use a rocking board, four by four walking beam, etc. to help students work on balance.

The organization of posture is based on vestibular, proprioceptive, and visual input to the globus palladus in the basial ganglia. Brain damage to vision centers and/or inner ear balance centers can have a serious impact on a students ability to overcome postural defects.

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