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Borderlands of Blindness, by Beth Omansky. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2011, hardcover, 310 pages, $55.
Borderlands of Blindness is a provocative analysis of how individuals who are legally blind are portrayed by society. Author Beth Omansky contends that legally blind people do not receive the same privileges or educational accommodations as individuals who are "totally blind." She documents how the medical model, with its "ocularcentrist" view has influenced the way in which services are provided to people who are legally bund in education and rehabilitation settings. Using a case-study approach, Omansky examines the Ufe stories of four people who have low vision. She applies a social constructivist theoretical framework for her analysis, which emphasizes the influence of culture on the lifestyles of individuals. Much of the background information presented throughout the text is based on emancipatory disability research principles and phenomenological inquiry. Emancipatory disability research views disability from an empowerment perspective. This form of research evaluates the sociological and psychological barriers faced by individuals who face adversity in their lives. Principles...