For a third week in a row, Tuesday Topics found itself completing only part of what was planned. We heard lots of fascinating stories of how people became blind and how folks felt about whether they would want to see again! So, what about next week? We will look at research as we were supposed to this week. In particular, we want to know what kind of research should we support? There are efforts to create vision that, so far, have not borne a lot of fruit. There are genetic efforts that appear to be gradually creating some real hope. There have been some amazing new drugs that have made a huge difference in some diseases that affect older people who are losing vision. We will look at some of these elements but will also ask how we should feel about research that doesn't offer much hope to many of us. Should we argue for spending more on services instead?

After spending some time on these weighty matters, we thought it would be fun to explore a question we want to get answered. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, what happens if the beholder beholds nothing? How do people who are blind measure beauty? Do we rely on what other people tell us? Do we think beauty doesn't matter? Do we make decisions about who's beautiful based on what we hear or what we smell? Are we comfortable with someone who is, in the eyes of others at least, terminally ugly or do we have prejudices about what we expect that are just as real as those held by folks who can see? I am looking forward to learning a lot! Come and teach me and Brian and Mary Ann and Rick and Larry! All of us on Tuesday Topics want to know what beauty is for blind people!

Find out more at https://acb-tuesday-topics.pinecast.co