Category: Uncategorized

We all have different ways of coping with and accepting the challenging aspects of our lives, and coping with the changes that come with receiving a new diagnosis, like vision loss.

For me, when I first recognized that I was legally blind, I was very angry. I wanted to avoid talking about it, thinking about it, or even acknowledging that my vision was worse than my peers. At the time,

There are some days when I am absolutely confronted with the reality of limitations with my vision loss. Moments where I go, “Yep, I am definitely visually impaired!”

I had never even considered sending in my ballot by mail. To me, the joy of voting comes from the unifying process – millions of Americans, all over the country, standing in lines and making our voices heard, all on one day. But my experience with the AutoMARK machine on this Election Day, made me reconsider this.

Public transportation has had a huge impact on my ability to live an independent life, as I am sure it has the same effect on hundreds of others in our community who are living with visual impairments. But for all its imperfections and frustrations, I’m thankful for it.

Like anyone else with a visual impairment, I have learned to adjust to the sight-oriented world around me. I have accommodations at my place of work, I am sure to keep my apartment well-lit, and I use my white cane when travelling in public. These adaptive skills and resources, though they don’t entirely erase my disability, help to minimize my struggles, and maximize my independence and inclusion.