Linda,
I have been thinking about your research project and would like to suggest
two possible sources of information you may wish to pursue.  One is the
National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston 02115-4302 located
probably not very far from you. Their staff includes people who can see and
others who are blind.  Their phone no. is (617) 266-6160 and website is
www.braille.com.  I believe they would be interested in your project and
someone there may know about relevant studies.  A second suggestion is to
contact the museum at Helen Keller's birthplace in Tuscumbia, Alabama.  I
don't know if there have been any excavations at the site, but it is
probably one of the most significant historic sites commemorating the life
of a blind person in the U.S.  They have a website and show some of the
artifacts that belonged to Helen Keller
(www.helenkellerbirthplace.org/Artifacts/artifacts.html)   Good luck.

Allen

> [Original Message]
> From: Linda Ziegenbein <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 3/31/2006 10:34:00 AM
> Subject: Re: help needed- clarification
>
> Hi, Jeff (and others)
>
> The focus of my dissertation is a blind man who lived
> in a utopian community here in western Massachusetts
> during the mid-19th century. I wanted to know if
> anyone else has done any archaeological work where
> they considered the materiality of blindness (or
> didn't, but investigated a site where a blind person
> lived or worked). 
>
> I hope this clarify things.
>
> Linda 
>
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