I am legally blind. It has taken me a while to become comfortable with this, yet, I've been this way all my life, so I've had twenty years to get used to it! In high school, I had a hard time accepting myself. Now that I'm in college, I am in a better place! I believe that it is no fun being normal. Yet, there are still things that I wish people knew about being visually impaired. Here's what you need to know.
1. It's harder to get around.
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I cannot drive, so I need to take public transportation. Luckily, there are car share services, such as Uber or The Ride.
2. We use canes to help us navigate.
It's not a toy that we carry around; we use it to help see what obstacles are in front of us. But we do look pretty savvy with it!
3. We sometimes feel isolated.
Especially for me in high school, I felt as if I had no friends and that no one "got it." That's why I'm so grateful to places like Perkins or the Carroll Center for the Blind. I took programs there and made some great friends.
4. It's okay to make visually impaired jokes! In fact, it's better that way.
5. There are different kinds of visual impairments; not just one fits all.
If I'm visually impaired, it doesn't mean I can't see anything. There is a wide range of visual impairments.
6. We're not so different.
Even though we have a disability, we have the same interests that you might have! No one is really all that different from another person.
7. Yes, we watch movies and TV shows.
Who doesn't love a good TV show or movie? That's why there's Netflix!
8. We don't need to be carefully watched. We are more capable than you think!
9. We want to be treated the same as everyone else.
But don't ignore us either.
10. We are often underestimated.
It's unfair, but we are. Just give us a chance. We'll show you that we are amazing people!
