65° - 01.09.1967, Blaðsíða 18

We ARE Capable
Interview with JOLEE CRANE,
fiancee of Leifur Magnusson, piano technician
Q. Have you always been blind?
A. Yes. I and my twin sister were born prema-
turely and received too much oxygen, with the
result that we have never had sight.
Q. Do you find that your other senses are un-
usually well-developed as a compensation?
A. I suppose you might say that this is so.
Certainly if one is without sight he tends to de-
pend more upon his other senses, and for this
reason they are more highly developed. I am not
distracted by what I see, but instead focus atten-
tion on what I hear, smell and taste. My hearing
is considered normal, although I can hear pitches
of very high frequency. My other senses have not
been tested for acuteness, but because they are
used more than by the average sighted person’s,
I suppose you could say they are more highly
developed.
Q. How do you identify new acquaintances?
A. Mostly by voice. Naturally sex is determined
this way, and often height, if the person is stand-
ing near, preferably in front, as when shaking
hands. Sincerity or its lack can usually be de-
tected, but as with age and height, mistakes can
often be made if the individual is a good actor.
Perhaps I should interject here that most blind
people frown upon individuals who approach
them, take their hand, and ask, “Guess who I
am?”
Q. Have you ever used a seeing-eye dog?
A. No. I have friends who have dogs, but I
prefer the cane. This preference for one or an-
other means of travelling around is purely per-
sonal. Some people like the security and protec-
tion the dog provides. Most people are not aware,
however, that it is the blind person who deter-
mines whether it is safe to cross the street. The
dog is color-blind and only alerts you if a car
comes from out of nowhere. Blind people can
spend many an evening discussing the pros and
cons of dogs vs. canes.
Q. Did your sight affect your education?
A. Of course. I attended the New York Institute
for the Blind from 1947 to 1960, learning all my
academic subjects, as well as Braille and typing.
If I had not been blind I would not have attended
such a school. Now, more blind children are
encouraged to attend public schools, but at the
time I was growing up, education received in
public school was considered a waste of time for
a blind child.
Q. You have a degree in sociology?
A. Yes. I received my B.A. in Sociology-Social
Work from Adelphi University in June, 1964.
In the course I studied anthropology, the history
and practice of field work, American minority
groups, social change, marriage and family, ad
infinitum. I also studied psychology, economics,
and European and American history and so forth.
— everything, in fact, which the average sighted
person would study for a degree in this field.
Q. What made you go into that field?
A. Actually the NY State Vocational Rehabilita-
tion Service was paying for my education.
Originally I had wanted to study languages and
work as an interpreter. The state advisers felt
this unwise as it was extremely difficult for a
blind person to go into that field. They suggested
that I go either into teaching or social work, as
both fields were open to blind people. At that
time teaching did not appeal to me, so I decided
on social work, otherwise I would have been un-
able to go to college.
Q. Where did you get your field training?
A. At the Nassau County Health Department.
I worked there during my senior year for four
hours a week. My work consisted of interviewing
and processing cases under the Medical Re-
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