A Reflection

So, the semester is winding down and the requirement to blog will be no more. That’s not to say I won’t be blogging for recreational purposes.

When I started the semester and was tasked with choosing a topic I am passionate about, I floundered for a day or so. I am a generally passionate person, but I wanted to stretch myself and learn about the life of someone else. We tend to live an insular existence and our passions usually resound in what effects us directly.

I began this “journey” as an attempt to see how social media breaks communication barriers for those with visual impairments. I quickly pivoted to subject matter that I could relate to. How does dating work for the blind? Does online dating change the experience? What is the relationship between a seeing eye dog and it’s owner? How is that different from the relationships I have with my dogs? How is self esteem constructed differently within a sighted person versus a blind person? As you can see, my passions seeped into my research topic.

It was truly a valuable learning experience. My insular world often limits me from thinking about what I value and the challenges I have from a different perspective. Despite our diversity as individuals, we as humans share so much- whether it’s the love we have for our family, the joy we find in our pets, or the voice inside of our head that tells us that we aren’t good enough at something, our experiences are relatable and common.

This project changed the lens in which I view those with any kind of disability. While I used to be really enamored with the courage that it took for my Grandpa to so confidently travel and take on everyday challenges, I am now seeing that those challenges did not define him. I was so in awe of what made him different from me that I looked past what made us the same.

I’m grateful for this assignment- for this blog that really opened my eyes (no pun intended) to the inclusive experience of being human and the importance of looking outside of oneself. I am more so grateful for those of you who became my Twitter followers, gave me the insight into your experiences, and helped me connect the dots that made this lesson so very worthwhile.

Thank you!

Fearless

We are nearing the end of the semester. Looking back, I can see growth within myself. I have been challenged in new ways- new ways of thinking and being. Our class has shared experiences as a group that tested our comfort levels with each other, from expressing ourselves artistically, to sharing our passions, to tackling "downward dog"- whilst dripping wet with perspiration on our make-shift yoga mats.

In each of these experiences, we have faced personal insecurities. We may not have created the next Mona Lisa, or mastered centering ourselves completely, but we took each experience in with curiosity as opposed to fear. It takes guts to try; and given the chance each and everyone of us could have probably found some excuse to avoid participating, and perhaps disappointing ourselves. But, we didn't.

When I think about some of the most fearless people I know, I think of those with disabilities who face the world with courage and optimism. Optimism and one's attitude make a huge difference in what limits them. It's takes courage to think positively- and give your all when you have doubts about the outcome.

I came across this video on YouTube about Ben Underwood, a blind teen in Sacramento who has not only overcome his disability, but who has found independence and an identity that is not defined by what he can't do, but by what he can do.

Who is the most fearless person you know? What makes them brave? How does attitude affect overcoming fear?

Seeing Oneself?

Forgive me for a minute while I get a bit personal. This time of year has never been a friend to my self confidence. For a girl who loves summer, my self-image always seems to suffer through a long few months of public bathing suit wearing, inadequate tans, and the dreaded thought of my wet hair, in it's naturally curly state. I cannot count the hours spent in front of the mirror critiquing myself between the months of May and September. It's monotonous and exhausting- and just plain sad.

Last weekend was no different. A friend of Steve's extended an invitation for us to go boating with him and a group of friends. The thought of a day on the water with a Corona and a raft sounded delightful, BUT before getting on the boat, I had to rally all the self confidence I could muster. This weekend while at the pool, dodging the splashes of small children jumping in around me to preserve my straightened hair, I began to think about the self esteem and body image of the blind.

How does it differ? If you have been blind your whole life, how does the lack of media images of the ideal body affect you? For those who lost their sight later in life, how does the loss of vision contribute to or diminish your self confidence?

I would have to imagine that never having to see a Victoria Secret catalog, or a Sports Illustrated Swim suit edition wouldn't be a bad thing, or would it?

(picture of Heidi Klum in a bathing suit in a hammock)

I'm really not sure. I am having a hard time wiping out the fixated images of Heidi Klum and other beach-perfect models and celebrities whose figures are portrayed as perfect. If the media does not a contribute to one's self image, then what factors are most influential?

A Guiding Friend

For anyone who knows me, you know that my love for dogs runs deeper than my love for humans. Sorry, two legged friends! That said I could not imagine not having a blog entry dedicated to the amazing companionship between guide dogs and their owners.

I had always wishes that my Grandpa had a guide dog, if for nothing else I would have loved to have had another dog in my life growing up. He did have a guide dog in his younger years, but after Major (his guide dog) died tragically, I don’t think he could take getting another to replace him. Grandpa relied mainly on his cane to navigate as well as his insanely good sense of direction. If the man had been somewhere before, he knew where he was going- it was the unexpected obstacles that sometimes got in the way.

Anyway, back to the dogs. Guide dogs are phenomenal animals! They are bred and educated and specially selected for their humans, according to their temperament and the human’s needs. While a cane serves as a object detector for the blind, a dog assists their handler in avoiding obstacles all together. Guide dogs provide an independence beyond the cane.

(photo above of man walking throught a crowded mall with a guide dog)

Check out this link which tells the story of Jenny, and how her experience with a guide dog changed her life. Once limited by the thought of crowded places and chaos in public, Jenny is now open to explore any terrain with her dog, Fleming. http://www.livingblind.com/guide-dogs-for-the-blind.html

The bond that develops between each dog and their owner is remarkable. They are more than a dog, more than a leader, they are a lifeline. When I am out and I see a dog assisting anyone who has any type of disability, I am always amazed at the focus of the dog and the obvious trust between the owner and the dog. Most dogs you see in public are too frisky and easily distracted by every passing car to imagine them with any type of real responsibility.

Just as the dog is groomed from 8 weeks old to respond accordingly in any setting, the handlers are also trained on how to control the dog. It is commmonly thought that guide dogs are leading their masters, however, the master is really doing the leading through their commands. Nonetheless, the partnership between the human and the guide dog allows for mobility barriers to be broken.

Here is an amazing video that provides an in-depth view into the relationship between the blind and their seeing eye dogs. The experience of adopting a guide dog is empowering and beautiful.

Stories of Hope

My Grandpa was not blind his entire life. His vision slowly depleted from a young age making him completely blind by the time he was sixteen. I often debate in my head if it would be worse to never have the sense of sight, or to have it and have it taken away. I don't know that I have the answer, but thinking about this opened my mind to the population of young soldiers who tragically lose their vision in combat.

It's not uncommon. When googling "blind soldier" I came across articles, stories, videos and a plethora of online resources about soldiers who have been blinded by roadside bombs and similar attacks. Many of these stories are remarkable, like that Scotty Smiley

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/05/sunday/main6837189.shtml

A man who while serving in Iraq was blinded, but has since acquired his Masters degree from Duke, become a father and continued to work with a positive attitude despite the adversity and challenges that come with the disability that he lives with.

My search also lead me to the story of another soldier whose injuries took his eyesight. Lance Corporal Craig Lundberg lost his sight while serving in Afghanistan in 2007. He has since become the first person to experience a new technology that gives visual cues via the tongue. It's amazing- and provides hope that technology and innovation can continue to remove barriers for the blind, especially to those who valiantly serve our country. http://gizmodo.com/5496898/a-blind-soldiers-sight-restored-through-his-tongue.

If you were to lose your vision suddenly, how would your goals change? From where would you draw your strength and hope? Do technological advancements make a difference in how you view your capabilities and your future?

Seeing from the Heart

For those of you who may not know, I spent the majority of my twenties as a single girl. I look back on those years with no regrets, but with wonderful memories of learning about myself...and some rather hysterical memories of bad dates. I could probably be a contributor to the Slassy Life Blog with tales of the guys I encountered---like the time I dated a guy for about 3 weeks and I couldn't figure out if his name was Phil or Bill. After a handful of dates in which I tried relentlessly to sneak a peek at his driver’s license, credit cards, or anything that could secure the answer, I decided that he wasn’t my type and that at least two of the dates I went on were purely in attempt to solve the mystery. His name I eventually learned was Phil. Anyhow, traversing the waters of singledom comes with numerous pitfalls and hurdles.

At one point, I allowed my girlfriends to talk me into joining EHarmony- probably just for the entertaining stories they knew they could get out of me. I got a few more classic memories, including a guy who serenaded me with Gloria Estefan song and a bevy of other unbelievable moments.

I wonder how different it is to be single and visually impaired?

(image of two people embraced in front of a heart)

In thinking about this, I came across this dating website for those with disabilities http://www.enabledating.com/?gclid=CMuG2LSTkqkCFaxk7Aodh15WpA. I did not get beyond the first page where it requires you to join, but from what I can tell the site claims to be a resource for meeting a wide variety of interesting people who happen to have disabilities. It’s not catered just for the blind and those with visual impairments. After searching for dating sites designed specifically for the visually impaired, I was disappointed that there weren’t more of them out there. Online dating must be an empowering option for the single population of the sight impaired, but without sites that cater offer the right options and tools I can imagine it would be difficult.

If you are or have been a single adult, how would the experience be different with a disability? Would you be inclined to date others who have the impairment? How would the establishment of trust be challenged? Would being sight impaired allow you to see people’s inner beauty rather than judging people on their looks?

Accessible Education

In my last post, I asked that you consider the general experience of being sight impaired and trying to use the computer that sits in front of you. I imagine, if you took a minute to even ponder it, you realized it couldn't be done without technology to help the technology.

Fortunately, for those whose vision is impaired there are tools out there to make surfing the web, using twitter, and writing a blog possible. Screen readers are a commonly used device that reads the text on the screen aloud, or sends the info to a braille display. There are some special web browsers specifically designed for the sight impaired, but it's not the norm.

Here is a brief video from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind that showcases a handful of the available technology http://youtu.be/lLaUx7BJ4r0. It's really quite amazing how connected one can be with the right tools!

However, there are still a lot of organizations and companies whose home pages are not designed accessibly. One area in particular that needs to be improved are online schools and educational systems. Getting a degree online is convenient and quite popular in modern times. And for those with any type of physical handicap, online programs can really be useful.

As you can imagine a serious visual impairment means that you cannot drive- and transportation may not always be readily available, but, if you can access your classes in your own home you aren't limited.

And, it's not just online schools who are marginalizing those with visual impairments. Colleges and Universities as a whole are not taking the efforts to design their websites to be accessible. Here is an article that gives more insight into the situation http://lvatug.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/lets-give-the-blind-better-access-to-online-learning/

As students ourselves, what can we do to ensure that the education we are receiving is available for others who may have a physical disability? Think about the application process you took in getting into your current program. What would the difficulties have been had you been visually impaired? The American Disability Association (ADA) works tirelessly to ensure that public places and buildings are designed to be accessible for all, but what can be done to make sure that opportunities like receiving higher education is easily accessible for those with impaired sight?

Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision.
Stevie Wonder