Can blindness really be a gift? American writer Andrew Leland has written a book about what it is like to go blind, and how he learnt to live without seeing.
The shocking truth about losing your eyesight
Unseeing Neo: In The Matrix Revolution the hero continues fighting despite being blinded. Glossary
Disease - An illness or sickness.
Denver - The capital city of the US state of Colorado.
Encourages - If you encourage someone, you give them hope or confidence, for example by letting them know that what they are doing is good.