Final Thoughts
Edmund Wilson reminds us that "[n]o two persons ever read the same
book." Prior knowledge and experience has a considerable impact on the message
each reader receives. Given the fact that visual impairment is a low-incidence
disability, readers are unlikely to have the experience necessary to identify
blindness myths and misconceptions presented in children's literature. Likewise,
the personal experiences of each of the evaluators influenced our individual
ratings. We are a group of five, middle-aged, female educators. One of us is also an
author and tactile illustrator of children's books. Three of us are teachers of
students with visual impairments, and two of us are also certified orientation and
mobility specialists. One of the other educators specialize in inclusion and
transition while the other teaches art to individuals with visual impairments. Two
of us teach prospective teachers at the collegiate level, and one is a doctoral
student. Three of us are Caucasian, one is Asian, and one is Hispanic/Latina. Two
of us also have visual impairments—one is functionally blind while the other has
usable vision. Thus, our ratings are likely to be quite different than the average
person with sight.
According to Wanda K. Le Gain, "We read books to find out who we are,
what other people (real or imaginary), do and think and feel… [Books are] an
essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become."
