Trigger warning: this post contains mentions of drug/alcohol use, suicide and self-harm My name is Ashley. I’m 21 years old and I became blind at the age of 17 from a drug overdose. On November 1, 2016, I attempted suicide and was officially dead for 17 minutes. Ever since then, I’ve been learning how to be a blind person and cope with the reality of what I did to myself. As the years have gone on, I have started to understand and accept myself. I have begun to realize…
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Over the years, I have grown into an independent, successful young woman with dreams of helping other blind and visually impaired children grow into successful adults. This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, my family, Iowa Department for the Blind, Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired, National Federation of the Blind and other blind services that have helped me. These services helped me figure out who I was as a visually impaired person, and I’m hoping that what…
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It was in 2014, while I was pursuing my Masters at CEPT University, that I started exploring the concept of creating tactile picture books. I started visiting schools for the blind, and met with a few teachers and students there. Based on that research, I decided to design illustrated picture books for people who are blind and visually impaired. And what started as a college project soon became my motivation. I wished to bring the world of visuals to the visually impaired community and wanted to spark the love for reading that…
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Imagine having limited side vision – also known as tunnel vision – where you are not able to see what’s on your sides or what’s coming from up-and-down, such as a step off or a dangerous snake on the floor. This is where the white cane comes in handy. Canes are great because they can feel whether something is in front of you or if there is a step off on the sidewalk or stairs. Well, let me tell you about my experience with using a cane and how it’s…
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I started to notice my vision going when I was an undergraduate student at the age of 19. I didn’t really know how to deal with it and didn’t know what support was out there, so I tried to ignore it and keep moving on with my life. I was diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, a degenerative condition that I was assured there was no treatment for and it was unknown how it would affect my vision loss going forward. When I was 28, I went into a depression, becoming convinced…
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Imagine being in the dark on a stormy night. Everything is out and there’s nothing else to do but sit in the dark. All of a sudden, you pick up a book to read. However you know that you can’t see the book because it’s dark. But it’s different because this book has a special quality. You open the book and realize that there are “dotz” in it! These “dotz” are known as braille! You’re happy because you don’t have to use your eyes to read, and you won’t be…
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I’ve grown over these past three years to enjoy braille. Every time I use my braille writer or slate and stylus to write, it’s hard to stop. Braille is great for me because I have glaucoma, a progressive eye condition that could blind me, so I must learn braille for my future as well as my braille teaching career. Glaucoma doesn’t scare me because I have braille as a back up in my life toolbox. Whenever I read a braille book with my blindfold on, I can find a mysterious…
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Here is a cocktail napkin version of my story. I had excellent vision until the age of 34, never wore glasses. My world started getting darker, and moving objects suddenly disappeared from sight – not good when driving. My initial academic goal was to get a Bachelors in Information Technology (IT). Life hands you a lemon, make some lemonade. I changed my major to Psychology. The brain and the mind for me were analogous to computers and software, just a little more complex. Earned my B.A. in Psychology with a…
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Hello. My name is Daniel Jenkins. I was born 31 years ago with stage five retinopathy of prematurity. As a result of my ROP, I have been blind all of my life. I attended Roanoke City public schools for the entirety of my secondary education. I then attended Radford University where I received a bachelor of Science Degree in music in 2008. In 2012, I received a Master of Arts Degree in Music from Radford University. In this post, I wanted to offer advice to blind students who will be…
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Another school year is here and parents and teachers alike are looking for school supplies. For visually impaired students, this list can come with a few extra supplies on it. But what kind of supplies do they need? How do these supplies differ from the supplies of a sighted classroom? Whether you’re a teacher making a more inclusive classroom or a parent sending their child off to school, here are 7 supplies that can assist blind students on their road to knowledge. 1.Braille Readers As you would…
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