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marvel cinematic universe - Are there any drawbacks to Daredevil being blind?


I've been watching Netflix's 'Daredevil' series (and it's amazing) but in my watching of the show I essentially act as though Daredevil can see because his lack of sight hardly seems like any impediment to him. He even appears to be able to keep eye contact, not to mention his eyes look pretty 'normal'.



Also, in episode 5 it turns out that



Matt has 'radar vision' which lets him see the world as though it is 'on fire'



So other than the missing out on the obvious aesthetic pleasures of sight, does Daredevil experience any (severe) disadvantages on account of him being blind?



Answer



You mean besides enjoying photography, reading billboard advertising, using telescopes, effectively using cameras, enjoying playing Fruit Ninja on his smartphone, driving (in his secret identity) and the myriad of other things blind people have to contend with? He is no more disadvantaged than any other blind person who manages to enjoy a life without the benefits of sight. People do it every day.




  • While Daredevil's enhanced senses give him certain types of awareness not available to the sighted person including, 360 degree awareness, extremely precise touch, taste, smell and hearing, his primary sense (and for all humans who CAN see, it IS our primary sense) being gone, is still a handicap even for all of his powers.





  • Yes, he can read newsprint with his fingers and can even detect the heat of LEDs on the screen, but the easy use of most modern technology sighted people take for granted, Matt Murdock can only use at the very periphery IF a second sense can be forced into doing tasks it's ill-suited for.




  • If this is the quality of his sight, then he is still EFFECTIVELY blind... So much image quality is still lost.




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Does Daredevil experience life with the same issues normal blind people experience since he has superior senses?





  • Yes. And then his avocation adds to that problem in that he has to pretend to be blind which hinders his mobility, especially if he needs to track someone. Being a blind man can be a great cover but can also limit places he might end up without a very good explanation.




  • During investigations, he cannot process visual clues that would be easily noticed by someone who could see, so his detective work is hampered.




  • On the upside, with his other senses he is the equivalent of a walking crime lab using his hearing, sense of touch, sense of smell and sense of taste to discern information in the moment that might require hours to utilize if he were forced to use technology.





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  • Daredevil has also had the misfortune of finding himself actually blinded when his radar sense was disabled due to exposure to chemicals, extreme fatigue or environmental conditions.


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  • His other senses can be blinded by loud perfume, multiple assailants, heavy rain, or even technology designed to interrupt his senses like sonic weaponry or chaff (which affects his radar sense).


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See Also: How true to the comics are Matt Murdock's powers in the 2015 Daredevil TV show?


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