Are blind peoples’ other senses enhanced?

It is said that a blind person’s other senses are enhanced to make up for their lack of sight. This seems quite believable, especially given the human brain’s malleability (one part of the brain may take over a role previously performed by a part that was damaged in a car accident). Scientific studies have, however, shown otherwise.

Published papers dealing with hearing (1998, 2001), smell (2000) and touch (1994) showed minimal or no differences between sighted and non-sighted participants.

There is evidence that some blind individuals can improve their cognitive abilities and use their other senses in a more effective manner. But, these are skills developed with practice over time and not inherently the result of the brain compensating for a loss of input. For example, paying more attention to smells versus being able to identify a wider range of smells – or being able to detect more smells.