''sense and sensibility'': Social-spatial experiences of the visually-impaired in Singapore

Journal/Book: Sing J Trop Geogr. 2000; 21: 108 Cowley Rd, Oxford Ox4 1Jf, Oxon, England. Blackwell Publ Ltd. 166-182.

Abstract: Vision plays an important role in our daily life, and geography is to a large extent, a visual discipline. The persistence of the visual ideology is problematic as it encourages geographical scholarship to neglect the role of non-visual senses while at the same time, marginalises the experiences of non-sighted people. By adopting an interpretative approach and drawing concepts from ''sensuous geographies'', this paper explores the role of non-visual senses in the spatial experiences of the visually-impaired in Singapore. Through humanistic inquiry, the paper also examines some of the problems that the visually-impaired in Singapore encounter in public spaces and social interaction. To this end, the author aims to illumine the intricate relationship between our non-visual senses and social sensibility when thinking about sightlessness.

Note: Article Pow CP, Natl Univ Singapore, Dept Geog, Singapore 0511, SINGAPORE

Keyword(s): GEOGRAPHY; DISABILITY; MUSIC; SPACES; PEOPLE

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