questions

We usually plan a art/poetry session with a series of questions as a starting point for conversation- like any conversation this is a fluid process and is adapted as we go along. The following are examples of questions from a session with a group of people with visual impairments. The order they are written does not always reflect the order in which they are asked...

how would you like to describe yourselves (and their disability)?
is there anything you dont like being called- find offensive?
how long have you had the visual impairment?
how are you treated by people with full sight?
can you give examples of sensitive and insensitive behavior towards you?
does sharing your experiences (and hearing the experiences of others) help? and how?
what tips can you share on adjusting to live with a visual impairment (to those with failing eyesight)
are there any advantages to having a visual impairment?
what are the problems associated with it- physical, social, emotional?
would you change the condition of your eyesight?
with regard to visual impairment- what things do you miss the most?
what things make it easier to cope? what things make it harder?
what would make life easier/more satisfying for you- as wild ideas as you like!
what would you have liked to have known prior to the loss of your sight- about the condition?
what do they see? eg colours, shapes- can they describe them and the experience of seeing them- eg does it feel like sight or is it more etherial, more dream like?
how does having a visual impairment feel?