ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I reflect upon the different ways that blindness is encountered within the context of everyday life. Everyday encounters provide an interesting site of analysis as they shape, and are shaped by, individuals moving together within ordinary spaces. To unpack the complexity of everyday encounters, I reflect upon two opposing cultural stations of blindness. The first cultural station considers the extent to which our affective possibility is limited by encounters with hate. In this cultural station, I discuss the ways in which we are moved by hateful encounters, which can limit the way in which we feel safe and occupy that space in the future. In the second cultural station, I consider the affective possibilities of the higher education classroom when blindness is present. I explore the ways in which blindness transcends traditional classroom boundaries by offering different opportunities for being and interacting with one another. Being attentive to these interactions, reflecting upon how they make us feel, be, and think is important. We learn about ourselves and the world around us by reflecting upon social encounters. The cultural stations of blindness shared in this chapter therefore offer an important learning opportunity, to ask ourselves about our own experiences with, and perceptions of, blindness.
