Medical Professionals
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Medical professionals are trained to heal, yet at times forget to listen. For patients who are blind or have low vision, this can mean a hospital stay filled with misunderstandings and unmet needs, in addition to their medical treatment. Medical care should focus on treating a patient’s condition with respect, professionalism, and understanding. Unfortunately, this ideal often falls short for blind and low vision individuals. Many encounter unnecessary skepticism, outdated assumptions, and unfair treatment from healthcare providers.
During a recent hospital stay following a heart failure diagnosis, Mistie experienced firsthand how deep-rooted misunderstandings can affect the quality of care. This is her story—and a call for change.
Mistie’s Story
On my first day in the hospital, the heart failure specialist entered my room and introduced himself. His very first question was, “Who lives with you? Do you have a caregiver?”
I explained that I did not have a caregiver—and, more importantly, did not need one. Instead of accepting my answer, he continued to press: “Well, do you have a neighbor or a caregiver nearby?” Again, I told him no.
His response? “I find that hard to believe.”
At that moment, I felt frustrated and diminished. Why was my independence being questioned solely because I am blind?
He continued the intrusive line of questioning by asking how far away my friends and family lived. I declined to answer—not just because I didn’t know the exact distances, but because it was irrelevant and invasive. Patients who are sighted are rarely questioned about their support systems in this manner. So why was I?
Questioning My Capabilities
The scrutiny didn’t end there. The doctor explained that I would need regular checkups and asked, “How will you get there?”
I answered that I would use medical transportation, as many people who don’t drive do. His response: “That’s not good enough. What if you need to come very soon?”
This is the reality for anyone without a driver’s license, regardless of vision. Accessible transportation options exist for precisely these situations. Yet he treated my choices as if they were inadequate, based solely on the assumption that blindness equals dependency.
Assumptions Turned into Insults
Each time this doctor visited my room, he made another inappropriate comment. The most upsetting interaction happened while a friend was visiting. The doctor turned to her and asked, “Are you her help?” Then he added, “She needs home health, doesn’t she? Don’t you have home health because you’re blind?”
His words were exhausting and offensive. He seemed unable—or unwilling—to see me as a competent adult managing her own life. Instead, he clung to the wrong idea that blindness automatically means needing constant assistance.
A Broader Pattern of Misunderstanding
By the time he left my room, I was emotionally drained. His words reflected more than just a lack of knowledge—they reflected a problem many blind and low vision people encounter in healthcare settings.
Unfortunately, this isn’t a rare experience. I’ve encountered similar attitudes before from providers whose backgrounds influence their views on disability. While perspectives on blindness and independence may differ globally, anyone practicing medicine in the U.S. should understand that blind individuals can lead full, self-directed lives.
Blindness is not helplessness. Healthcare providers must educate themselves accordingly.
What Blind Patients Want Providers to Know
Respect Starts with Listening.
To deliver truly patient-centered care, when dealing with individuals who are blind or low vision, medical professionals should:
- Ask before assuming anything about a patient’s independence.
- Understand that blindness does NOT equal helplessness.
- Avoid intrusive, irrelevant questioning about personal lives.
- Learn about accessible transportation and services.
- Speak to the patient, not about them to others in the room.
- Take cultural competency training that includes disability awareness.
- Avoid assumptions about a patient’s ability to live independently.
- Ask before assuming someone has or needs personal assistance.
- Focus on medical needs, not disability status.
Taking Action and Speaking Out
I filed a formal complaint against this doctor. I believe in holding medical professionals accountable when they treat patients with condescension and disregard. No patient—blind or sighted—should be subjected to this kind of judgment or disrespect.
The standard of care should always include dignity, empathy, and cultural competence. Until more people speak out about these experiences, nothing will change. But when we do, we challenge the misconceptions and push for the equitable treatment every patient deserves.
See the Whole Patient
Blindness is just one part of who I am, not a diagnosis that needs fixing. My heart failure required medical care, but my life didn’t need your pity, your assumptions, or your disbelief.
Providers have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to see the whole patient, not just the parts they don’t understand. We can, and must, do better. Disability is a form of diversity, not a diagnosis. Blind and low vision patients deserve more than care—they deserve dignity.
Learn More: Resources for Providers and Patients