Closure and forgiveness: Thoughts on the human condition
Wherever we find ourselves in our lives, at whatever point in time that it may be, we are always the sum of our experiences. Since people are not perfect, that sum will be made up of lots of different things. What is important if we are to learn, to grow and to ultimately find what we are all looking for - the freedom to live in peace and happiness - is to take time to reflect now and then, in order to make sure that we are becoming the people we want to be and that our lives are on the right paths.
Does it grow corn?
I have never been a big fan of rules and think I will probably remain a bit of a rebel for the rest of my life, because even now, when faced with having a rule imposed on me, not only do I want to break it, I want to break it twice. And in the same vein, I am also not much of a conformist or big on social convention, and these things do get me into trouble now and again.
Disclosing a disability when the time is right
I have been loathe to disclose something that is not exactly a secret to those that know me, but conversely is not something that I get on the rooftops and shout about in the way I do about sight loss and human rights. When I first started writing, doing advocacy work and public speaking, I simply felt that disclosure would confuse matters and dilute my message of hope, and that was not something that I was willing to risk.
Loving someone with a disability: change begets change
When I look back on the incredible amount of change that I have been through since I picked myself up off my backside and decided that registering blind was not the end of the world, I am a little taken aback at how all of this change has transpired so seamlessly. And the changes themselves have been wide and varied - some by design, others by default, some under my control and others well out of my grasp - but the one constant in all of this has been the foundation of love, respect, understanding and encouragement provided so effortlessly by Mark and Martin.
There is a world of a difference between accessibility and inclusivity
I realise that I may be setting myself up for a bit of a tumble here, after my regular assertions about my distaste for labels and uber-political correctness, but when it comes to terminology that is running the risk of misuse or misunderstanding in a way that could be detrimental to the ideals that I am working towards, then that is a different story.
Disability from the outside in: perception and reality
Like most people in the world, how I perceive myself and how I feel about myself inside is probably somewhat different to how others perceive me and when you add disability into the mix, this can sometimes yield some rather odd results.
Altruism, open education and accessibility
In this turbulant journey that I am on, trying to make the world a better place for folk of all abilities, I meet plently of interesting people, kind people, charitable people and sometimes people that are not so nice, but on balance, it reamins a very interesting and fulfilling journey indeed.
Good times, bad times: coping with disability respectfully and responsibly
Although I regularly refer to myself as a nauseatingly positive person, and overall this is true, I am a person after all and like most people I have my share of good times and bad times.
eAccessibility, eInclusion, Digital Inclusion: making inroads
I am delighted to have been asked to join the eAccessibility Forum, a government think tank advising on eAccessibility, eInclusion and the ongoing commitment to bridge the digital divide. Wow. How excited am I? Words cannot describe.
Moorfields, retinitis pigmentosa, medical research and chairs
I am sitting in the waiting room at Moorfields Eye Hospital awaiting my annual inspection, and waiting is the operative word, as the medical retina clinic where said inspection takes place is awfully busy, but I don't mind as this is also the place that in 100 years time will probably be a ghost town, so I'm happy to give them the custom for now!
Disability and independence. Finding the strength to make the right choices
We all make choices in life, some good, some bad and some indifferent, but whatever our circumstances, by being human beings, we are constantly making decisions that affect our lives. Now, I am not suggesting that our circumstances are always a direct result of the decisions we make, as the only thing that caused my blindness is biology, but I do know that wherever you may find yourself right now, the decisions and choices you make from here on in will influence where you are going and how you will get there.
Coming to terms with a disability and the grieving process
After my dad had his leg amputated this year and during his subsequent journey from recovering in the hospital to moving to the rehabilitation centre and beginning to learn to walk again with his prosthetic leg, I was absolutely staggered by his resolve and the fact that he appeared to have bypassed the grieving process altogether and because I have gone through it myself, just found it impossible to believe.
Inclusive Design is for Everyone with Disabled Folk firmly in the mix
I feel incredibly privileged that I am in the position to get my message of peace, love and inclusivity out there and writing this blog has afforded me the opportunity to do so, not just here on the Action website and not just amongst visually impaired folk, but out in the big bad world, which is becoming increasingly evident that I may be able to actually make an even bigger difference. I am not trying to devalue the importance of being able to express, pontificate and blather on about the way I handle my disability and everything else life throws at me, because I know that my words help others, but the ability to go out into mainstream society and prick up people’s ears and challenge their opinions on what us disabled folk are like in the flesh is something very different.
Eradicating the stigma of disability: look back only to inform the future
In my infinite hippiedom, when I find life doesn’t make sense to me or when I feel the need for some spiritual realignment, I can be found on the floor either with my legs akimbo in a yoga pose or bopping away with my headphones on, listening to music made by other hippy types like me.
Bullying and social inclusion: zero tolerance is the only way
When you are the parent of a school aged child, you have access to a wealth of insights, not only about how young minds are shaped and how so many influences and factors are at play, but also how important the things that those working in education do or don’t do are in the grand scheme of things. And what they do or don't do about bullying is fundamental to how our children view how society is organised and what the rules of morality are, so getting this wrong is quite frankly out of the question. I have recently had the misfortune of standing by, feeling quite useless, whilst I have watched a dear friend’s once effervescent 9-year-old dyslexic daughter gradually lose her sparkle at the hands of a rather astute emotional bully.
Real Accessibility for Real People
When I was preparing my presentation for this week’s Future of Web Design conference, where I will be speaking about Web Accessibility for Happy Designers and I found myself moving away from talking about the intricacies of technology and gravitating towards what I am now referring to as Real Accessibility.
Hello Steve Jobs. What’s at your core?
As anyone who reads this blog will know, and for those of you who don't, I am an Apple-tastic, Mac geek, iAnything kind of girl. I love the fact that Accessibility features are inherent in their systems and are graciously given cool product names that don't make us disabled types feel like aliens, but like part of the in-crowd. They are the living, breathing example of inclusive technology, so why oh why will they not talk to any of us disabled folk who are desperate to get the word of just how great their products are out on the street?
Social inclusion is a two-way street
I have been doing a little one woman social experiment of late, as I am fascinated by the human condition and particularly what makes people behave the way they do. Having moved from the mainstream into the disabled stream, the one thing that I have found very difficult to comprehend is why so many people respond to me chipping up with my white cane with fear.
Why having a visual impairment has made me a better parent
When Martin was born, my eyesight was OK. When I think about it, I was probably partially sighted, but this was not official because at that time I did not know what those words meant. I was firmly in the mainstream and the words “impairment” and “disability” were not in my vernacular either. But as my eyesight started to diminish to the point where I was rapidly moving to the disability side of the street and registered blind, I was pretty convinced, although Mark did assert otherwise, that I was not going to be able to be the parent to Martin that I wanted to be and this scared the living daylights out of me.
Prejudice, bigotry, discrimination? It may be 2010, but love is still the answer.
I suspect that I may never really be able to succeed in expressing my gratitude to the people in my life who have enabled me to get to where I am, to maintain my hopefulness and to have the strength and resolve to know that this human rights advocacy mission that I am compelled to pursue is going to far exceed my lifetime.
If social inclusion is the agenda, can someone please explain to me how disabled folk are going to get affordable housing?
I have been pretty resolute in my assertion that politics is just not my bag, so the decision to contradict myself and venture into an area in which I am no expert and which anyone who adheres to the laws of social etiquette will tell you is a big no-no, has not come lightly, but when I get a bee in my bonnet, there is just no point in trying to fight it.
Debunking a few myths about what it means to be registered blind
I am really not trying to be flippant and I don't want to seem to be riding rough shot over an issue as important as what it means to be registered blind, but I think I have just had my fill with the barrage of ill-considered questions about my eyesight and have decided its time to do some myth debunking, but because the inspiration for doing such a thing has been driven solely by people who ask questions about it when they have clearly not consulted even a single brain cell, I am apologising in advance if any tinges of sarcasm seep through. So, here goes:
Sight Loss and Acceptance: Time heals all wounds if you let it
My eyes and I are coming up to our second anniversary. On April 1st, it will be two years since I registered blind. And since I am planning to participate fully in the joys of April Fools Day - I do live with two boys, after all - I am suddenly aware of just how far I’ve come. My sense of humour was definitely on sabbatical this time last year, so the fact that I am feeling mischievous again has given rise to a very warm and fuzzy feeling all over.
How a blind, resourceful and respectful girl creates opportunities
When I was in Toronto visiting my dad in February, it was mighty cold. After 20 years of London winters, anything sub-zero in daytime is just not on. But Torontonians kept on commenting on what a mild winter it was and thought I was ridiculous with my suitcase full of thermal underwear.
Amidst great pain comes momentous joy and a completely unexpected new beginning
When my dad had his leg amputated and was recovering in hospital, his cries of pain rocked me to my very core.
Employing a visually impaired person makes good business sense
I am lucky. There are no two ways about it. I have the good fortune of having everything any human person needs to be happy and fulfilled. I have a loving family, have had the benefit of a great education and, this is where the luck bit comes in, I have been afforded opportunities.
Inclusivity may be taking over, but it isn’t leaving Accessibility behind
I made a commitment quite a few blogs ago to hold the Accessibility torch and forge forward and I can report that I have done just that, but now need to make a slight alteration.
Carers who care for loved ones. Not a job for the fainthearted.
When I decided to grab hold of the grieving process with both hands and mourn the loss of my eyesight wholesale, I tried to get my husband, Mark, to come along for the ride. But, the truth was that, although he was going to be there to love and support me and catch me when I fell, which he did plenty, it was a journey that I had to take alone. But, and boy is this a big but, it would now appear that although he did not need to join me on my journey, he did need to have one of his very own.
Impaired? Yes. Able? Definitely. Disabled? Occasionally.
I know that I have made it unreservedly clear that I am not a fan of labels or political correctness for the sake of it. I guess that's because my interest, or at least where I think the crux of the issue lies, is not with what you call people but more about how you view them and, consequently, treat them. I am a big fan of human rights and seem to be quite happy with the label 'human being', although many people that know me might question this and try to redirect me to my home planet.
Who is caring for the Carers?
My delicate little ego may try to prevent me from facing up to the fact that Mark is my Carer, but it is true. It is what it is. He is my Carer, and a damn marvellous one at that. It is a mighty stressful and demanding job and, although there is nothing I can do about it, I do see the toll it takes on him and, if he is not careful, the role of Carer could simply consume him.
Finding a great optician has been a life changing experience for this visually challenged girl
It is just one of those things that most people don’t get. If I am blind, why the heck do I wear glasses? Well, since only 3% of those registered blind in the UK have no vision at all, the rest of us do have some useful vision. As the Retinitis Pigmentosa only affects the back of my eyes, at the front, the lens has always required correction and, using glasses or contact lenses does improve the useful vision that I’ve got.
Living with disability – when age, disability, sight loss, parents and children come together
My dad will be 83 this year and like most people his age, he has had some health issues, but until now, these have either been curable, treatable or manageable and have allowed him to lead a full and independent life with the unspoken motto 'Have golf clubs. Will travel'. But disability has arrived at his door and he is, amazingly, quite graciously accepting of it.
Losing your sight and maintaining independence is hard work, but it is worth the effort
I do understand why some people just give up the ghost when living with sight loss. It would be so easy to not bother, to sit back and let other people do things for you, to not drag your sorry backside into work and face the frustrations and challenges that life throws at you. I really do understand why such a high majority of visually impaired people are unemployed. It seems like the easier route, but it is not.
On meeting milestones in progressive sight loss
Over the past few weeks or so, I realise that I have reached some new sight loss milestones, and I use the word 'realise' on purpose, because when I have a new symptom or some aspect of my vision degenerates to the point where I can no longer do something I used to be able to do, it is like a slow dawning rather than just waking up one day and saying "Alrighty. That’s a goner", and then ticking some sort of box on your list of milestones.
Getting around VoiceOver – the love fest with Apple continues
As is our usual shopping routine, we arrived at the mall bright and early on Saturday morning and I meandered around the January sales like the good Jewish girl that I am, but somehow the geek in me always prevails and we found ourselves in the Apple store, again.
Feeling realistically pessimistic about optimism
I am a confirmed optimist. There is no two ways about it. I am nauseatingly positive about life and always see the good in everything, even when it is blatantly clear to everyone else that good left the building a long time ago.
The dance floor and I will not be meeting on New Year’s Eve
All right then. Christmas is over. You have had your fill of turkey for the year and then some and it is time to get yourself ready for the next big event of the holiday calendar, New Year’s Eve. For us visually impaired folk, venturing out on New Year's Eve can only be described as being akin to Dante's Inferno.
One visually impaired girl’s take on the whole meaning of Christmas
Here we are, in the thick of the holiday season. Three days to go until Christmas and people are running around like headless chickens trying to find that perfect gift for that special person and fretting about that not very special relative that they feel obliged to spend Christmas day with.
A measured approach to disclosing a disability
Through my journey into the world of all things visually impaired, I have met some very interesting people, but because I am a tad animated and somewhat opinionated, they don’t seem to see my fluffy marshmallow centre.
Moving from the mainstream to the disabled-stream with grace
We went to our local mall on Saturday morning. Yes, I realise it is December and that going to the mall on a Saturday morning and having any hope of not doing the cane dance with someone’s stiletto’s is slim, but my son had some very important business over at HMV.
Changing the world requires patience and persistence
I confess. I want to change the world. I know it is a tall order, but I don’t like what I see, or can’t see for that matter, and I want to do something about it. But life, I am afraid, is just not that simple and I seem to have been doing a better job of placing obstacles in my own path than I am in removing them.
Inclusivity and technology – the revolution will be televised
It is widely accepted that I am a geek and when I recently attended the Inclusiv-IT-y 2009 event at the BCS, I was in my element. I wanted to hear about all of the latest gadgets and gizmos designed to facilitate social inclusion for disabled people, and although there was nothing new for me to play with, the day provided some real insights into where we are with all of this and, hopefully, where we are going.
Disability and dignity: Paying respect to the inimitable Dr Hughes
When I was a little girl, I thought my Mom and my Stepfather, David, were it. He was a physical anthropologist and the Chair of Anthropology at the University of Toronto. She was a social anthropologist and was making a name for herself in the area of human rights. They were smart, beautiful, and glamorous and drank and danced their way around the world meeting and studying exotic and fascinating people. But when I was 15, David suffered a stroke, slipped into a coma and my Mom was told to make funeral arrangements, but David was having none of it and woke up. He was defiant like that.
There are rules of the road, well pavement actually, for disabled folk
I think I might have been a tad optimistic when I said that I would not get angry or annoyed when ignorant people kick my cane to kingdom come and expect me to apologise. I am only human after all. For the most part, I manage well. I just keep on telling myself that it is them, not me, but sometimes.....
Inspiring change, visual impairment and an ongoing emotional journey
Last night, I had the honour of speaking at the Inspiring Change event held by Action for Blind People at the magnificent St James’s Palace and hosted by the compassionate and remarkable HRH Princess Alexandra. There were three of us speaking and my slot was after John Spence, Action’s Chairman and before Stephen Remington, Action’s Chief Executive, both marvellous and emotive speakers. But I was relaxed. I had memorised my speech and run through it plenty - at home, in the office, on the tube, in the bath - and anyhow, I have done enough speaking at conferences and events in a business capacity, so thought that, in my regular fashion, I would get a measure of the audience and blag as necessary. What I had not prepared for was, well, it would appear, anything...
Can a socially included blind girl find collective responsibility in the big city?
Despite my visual impairment, I am a fully paid up, card carrying member of this somewhat broken society of ours and do not feel that I am socially excluded in the way that I have chosen to live my live. And, of course, as I have choice, despite the fact that I may have not always seen it that way, I am incredibly fortunate. The trouble is that, even though I am apparently sitting on the socially included side of the fence, I am just not feeling it.
Husbands, Wives, Partners, Carers and Independence
I know it is just a word, but 'carer' is not one that I ever use to describe my husband, but in reality it is what he is. No matter how much I fight for every morsel of independence, there are some things that I just can’t do and he does them for me. On a practical level, it’s pretty straightforward, but Mark’s recent bout with cancer has provided yet another stark realisation.
What does a girl have to do to change inaccurate perceptions of disability?
I am a rather nauseatingly positive person and would like to believe that people are generally quite reasonable. When an issue is debated or a point of view is articulated, based on real facts and not conjecture, I would expect that people would respond thoughtfully and respectfully. But no. This is not always the way it plays out, Sandi.
Interviewing Martha Lane Fox about Digital Inclusion
As part of my ongoing crusade to make the Internet accessible for all, I approached Martha Lane Fox to see if she would be interested in being interviewed for an Action for Blind People podcast. When she said yes, it did dawn on me that I have never ever interviewed anyone before, but, hey I like a challenge.
Making a big difference – Access, Accessibility and beyond
In my recent travels in cyberspace (or in writing this blog, using Twitter and doing what I do for a living, for those of you who do not get geek humour), I have met three completely incredible people who do different jobs in different organisations, but what they have in common is that they have been working tirelessly for many, many years to help make technology accessible to disabled people.
If the shoe fits – a little tale about overcoming stereotypes
Despite my diminishing vision, I still try to make an effort when it comes to how I look and what I wear, as I have no intention of subscribing to the stereotype of what a blind person looks like, but I think I may have accidentally slipped into this stereotype ever so slightly, but managed to overcome it with my dignity intact.
Treat your useful vision with respect please
When I last saw my consultant, I was having really bad double vision and he referred me to another consultant who specialises in, well, double vision of course. I do love Moorfields.
Understanding what it’s like to love someone with a disability
I have been wondering lately if a 5-year-old child has played a prank on me and stuck a sign on my back saying 'Human rubbish bin. Dump here'. Either that or it is possible that I am having the longest streak of bad luck ever. I mean, I know I am strong, but one little girl can only take so much or was this one more lesson that I just needed to learn?
How Retinitis Pigmentosa rocks the world – paying homage during World Retina Week
When I was first diagnosed with RP, there was little known about it and I was basically told that I had the disease and that I would go blind someday. And that was that. No treatment. No cure. No idea what the heck caused it. No idea when I would go blind. No support or counselling. Well, to add a dash of irony, I was completely in the dark.
Getting to grips with the emotional side of sight loss
Getting to a happy place when you are dealing with sight loss is no easy thing, and there are so many variables, so how it’s done and when you will arrive at said happy place is different for everyone. But what I do know is this; as human beings, we may not be in control of what happens to us physiologically, but for those of us who are fortunate enough to have good mental health, we are in control of how we respond to it and attitude is everything!
Disclosing a disability in social situations is tricky business
When you meet someone new in a social setting, the expectation is that there will be polite conversation and you would not envisage sharing intimate details about your personal life with them, so deciding if you want to or need to or should or shouldn’t disclose a disability is tricky enough, let alone working out how to gracefully slip it into the conversation.
VIP Indeed – when Visually Impaired and Very Important are one and the same
When we decided to go to Sharm El Sheikh for our summer holiday, we truly had no idea what was in store for us. As Martin is 10 and an only child, when we heard that the newly built Sunrise Tirana hotel had an Aqua Park with 15 slides inside the resort, that was that. But being the anally retentive sort that I am, I wanted to ensure that our room had easy access to all amenities and to find out if we could reserve 3 sun loungers immediately adjacent to the main pool for the duration of our stay, as this would make a huge difference to our holiday. As there is nothing even remotely akin to the DDA in Egypt, I thought it was worth a punt and was delighted when the hotel assured us that all was in hand.
Legislation, schmegislation - don’t tell them, teach them
Don’t get me wrong, I am more than delighted that so many countries around the world have laws in place protecting human rights and promoting the equal treatment of such a wide variety of minority groups, but despite all of this legislation and the requirements for people and organisations to comply with them, we still seem to be falling considerably short in reality.
Grab life by both hands, hold tight and enjoy the journey!
My friend, Shezan, is a pretty awesome guy. He read Economics at Cambridge, but instead of following the herd and getting a job in the City, he decided to go into teaching, and not at some leafy suburban school, but at a tough inner city school in London, and he absolutely loves it. But Shezan also has Glaucoma and he ended up spending a year off work, having a series of unsuccessful operations, which threw his world into complete disarray.
Are people I know uncomfortable about my disability?
At first, I thought I was being uber-sensitive and reading into things, which I am prone to do more frequently than I would like to admit, but it seems to be that there is a genuine trend happening here. People that I knew before I registered blind treat me differently than people that I have met since. I know it sounds ridiculous, which is why it has taken me so long to feel confident that this is the case, but I have been secretly assessing the situation and it’s just the way it is.
Paying lip service to Web Accessibility just won’t do
You would think that, in my job and with my burning desire to make sure that all disabled folk are getting the best out of technology, I would be able to get more people to understand why it is so important for the Internet to be Inclusive and that Accessibility isn’t something that you think about as an add-on after you have built your website. It is an integral part of every website. You wouldn’t build a 50-story building without a lift now, would you?
How one visually impaired girl got fit and healthy
I went to my GP a while ago and asked for an MOT. I was stressed, tired and feeling sluggish all the time. I wasn’t particularly unhealthy. I don’t smoke and I wasn’t overweight, but I didn’t do any exercise and was certainly having a few too many shandy’s of an evening. Living with a visual impairment is exhausting, with everything you do requiring some sort of decision, so it is easy for stress levels to get high and your overall state of mind and body play a big part in how you handle it all.
Gratitude comes in all shapes and sizes
At this exact point in time, I am glad that there is no cure for Retinitis Pigmentosa. I know that sounds pretty peculiar, but this dreaded disease has changed my life for the better.
Most people that I know just go about their everyday business, moving from one task to the next and running around like headless chickens trying to manage it all only to get up the next day and do it all again. It is the nature of the world we live in and in London in particular, it is a rat race and a half. I am not saying that these people do not have joy in their lives, as they do in abundance, but I do know that many of them do not have an altruistic sense of purpose that supersedes who they are and the goals and objectives that they set for themselves.
A visually impaired geek finds happiness with a small but perfectly formed Mac Mini
Although I purchased my beloved Mac Mini on the same day I got my iPhone back in June, I wanted to wait a while to have the experience of using it day in and day out, as I anticipated there was going to be an adjustment period since I did port over from a PC running the dreaded Vista after all. It is not like me to wholeheartedly diss something outright, but really, it is just not right when you have regular freezes and crashes because of conflicts between your operating system and software when they are made by the same company!
Anger should be a fleeting emotion, not a state of mind
I was sitting in the waiting room of my GP’s office and a young woman approached me asking me if I wanted her to let me know when my name came up on the LCD screen. I told her that would be great as, although I always request that they call my name when it’s my turn, I once waited for an hour and a half only to be told that my appointment had been cancelled because I hadn’t turned up.
Individual or Collective – Is disability a personal thing?
When I got an email last year from the RNIB asking people to join their Taken for a Ride campaign and lobby Parliament for visually impaired people to get the appropriate level of DLA, I felt compelled to do so. I have never been the protesting or heckling type, but as any sort of injustice just niggles away at me, I could not ignore this call to action.
Although I am delighted that the campaign was a success, I am uncertain as to how I feel about where I fit into the VI community and whether or not I am part of a collective identity.
Disclosing a disability at work
As so many visually impaired people are able to cope with minor modifications to their work environments without having to officially wear the disability badge, they live in fear of being caught out and are hanging on to whatever useful vision that they have and are waiting until the eleventh hour to tell their boss that getting that new pair of glasses they have been allegedly putting off just isn’t going to cut it.
Shopping tips for the visually impaired
As any woman will tell you, shopping is not a pastime or even a necessity, it is an art. So, for a princess like me, dwindling eyesight is not going to stop me from honing my art, but I have had to make some adjustments to my techniques.
Maintaining a positive personal identity in the face of disability
Every individual has their own identity, which is influenced by so many factors and maintaining a positive identity is something that most people struggle with. If I look at my circle of friends and family, everyone has their issues, problems, quirks, whatever you want to call them, but they all have an impact on how they view themselves. I don’t know anybody who is 100% positive 100% of the time and if I did, I would tell them to go back to their home planet.
Technology that’s keeping me entertained
There are two things that I like to do that I should be ashamed of. The first is reading celebrity biographies - you know, the trashy tell all, dubious kind - and the second is watching mindless, senseless and unrealistic TV programs. I know, I am supposed to be all serious and responsible but this little brain of mine gets overworked sometimes.
Books? TV? What? No. I can’t read books and no I can’t see much on TV, but that is where technology takes over.
Summer holiday planning in a thousand easy steps
With summer fully upon us, the prospect of upping sticks and going on a summer holiday is both exciting and a little daunting. Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel and think it is vital to have a change of scene and a break from work, but going on holiday for family Wassmer is something that needs to be executed with military precision.
Move over Disability Discrimination. I am coming and I am not going away.
A few weeks ago, two comments left on one of my posts really hit home. They both felt that in my writing this blog, I have an opportunity to raise awareness about disability. Boy do I ever feel that, and I will take it one step further - it is my responsibility and my moral obligation. I was not given such a big gob, dogged determination and so many opinions for nothing.
Curiosity leads to knowledge. Knowledge leads to understanding.
I went to an event at my son’s school recently and it became very obvious that people were curious about my eyesight. You can’t blame them really. As far as they are concerned, one day, I was plodding along without a care in the world and the next day I was carrying a white cane. We are curious creatures and when things happen that we don’t understand, we want to know why. I mean, apart from "Are we there yet?" isn’t "Why?" the most common question children ask?
The real meaning of Access and Accessibility
I was talking to a client and he told me that he would have not really understood the true meaning of Accessibility had it not been for me. He said that he understood about it as a human being and as a businessperson, but it was the way that I articulated it from my own personal perspective that really hit home. I do feel like I am on a soapbox in Speaker’s Corner a lot of the time, so was truly moved by this.
Cane Shock: the mysterious reaction to me and my white cane
When I found out that I was entitled to use a white cane, I actually felt relieved. I figured that it was pretty straightforward and that the cane was an international symbol that facilitated a parting of the red sea style action in crowded places.
Growing up with a disabled parent
For those of you who have children, you will understand what I mean when I call them the great equaliser. No matter what I am going through, I take one look at my beautiful boy and I am a goner. Even if for just that short moment, whatever stress or strain that the day has provided, I am suddenly calm and all is forgotten. It is the only time in your life when you are wholly responsible for another human being and even though being a mom to Martin is a whole lot of fun with plenty of laughter, I do take that responsibility very seriously. We give a lot of consideration to the kind of parents that we are and the environment that we have created in our home.
Are You Serious? Please engage your brain before you open your mouth
I was happily perusing Twitter when I stumbled upon a Tweet from Léonie Watson, who is blind, saying "Someone today enquired whether I was blind all the time". Incredible. No actually, she is only blind on Tuesdays, Thursdays and alternate Sundays. Do people just not think before they speak?
Disability? What Disability? The Joy of Great Customer Service
So much of how well I am able to deal with my own disability, on a practical level, is linked to how well other people are able to deal with it, particularly when going out to eat. Now I am not talking about building accessibility or lighting, which of course are factors, but I am talking about Service. OK. I realise that England is not renowned for its good customer service, so when you get it, it is a pretty exciting thing.
Confusing Stupidity with Independence
Generally, I think I am a reasonably intelligent person. So why did it take me so long to work out the difference between Stupidity and Independence? Honest. I did some very stupid things in an effort to maintain my "image".
Why the iPhone 3GS made this Visually Impaired girl happy
I was in geek heaven when I found out that Apple were bringing out an accessible iPhone with plenty of features for visually impaired users. And calling it an iPhone is a bit of a misnomer, but I guess they couldn’t really call it the iPhone-iPod-iEmail-iInternet-iCamera-iEtc now could they?
I am not going to do a full product review, as these will be flooding the internet over the next few weeks, but I will give my humble opinion on my first impressions of this dandy little piece of technology.
The most inaccessible shopping experience ever
It was a rainy Sunday afternoon in London and we had plans to meet up with friends for lunch on the South Bank, so we decided to take the opportunity to go into the West End and finally get the Abercrombie & Fitch hoodie that our 10 year old son had been hankering after. We had heard that the shop was uber-pretentious and were willing to endure it, but we were not at all prepared for what was to come.
Learning about love and compassion
My husband and I have been together for over 13 years, so have been through most of the ups and downs that couples go through, but in coming to terms with my disability, my fear of losing my independence put our relationship to the test.
Lessons in self-diagnosis and poor judgement
Today I got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I don’t have cataracts and the bad news is that I don’t have cataracts. For those of you using screen readers, no, it is not a typo.
Stress-free tube travel?
If you have ever been on a platform in a central London tube station during rush hour wondering if you will ever be able to get anywhere near the train let alone actually get on the thing, it is understandable that you might grumble. I was a grumbler once too, but no more.
The good and the brave - stand up
For anyone who has been diagnosed with an incurable condition or gotten to the stage where their existing condition has reached a milestone, it is inevitable that they will find themselves somewhere along the line in the grieving process. I am Jewish, so I told everyone that I was sitting shiva for my eyes.
Label Me Human
Labels. Everybody has them. I am a woman, a wife, a mother, a business person and probably a lot of things people don’t say to my face. But since we live in a world where we use labels to describe ourselves, I now have a whole bunch of new labels in my arsenal and I am still trying to work out how to use them.
The labels that I now have available - Visually Impaired, Disabled, Blind - are simple enough. They let other people know that I am not wandering around aimlessly because I am drunk, but they can also lead to misconception or, worse, stigmatisation. I have experienced both.
Simple gadgets that have rocked my world
I am a geek. I love technology and I love gadgets, so when I registered blind and found out that there was a whole new world out there of gadgets ‘n’ stuff specifically designed for little old me, I was delirious. I spent countless hours trawling the internet to see what I could buy.
There are a lot of really cool things for visually impaired people, but I was also quite surprised at the hefty price tags on a lot of items. If employment rates of working age people in the UK who are visually impaired is estimated as 33%, then surely the cost of some of these gadgets must be prohibitive.
Real friends are constant, whatever the circumstance. Acquaintances, not so much.
In the year or so since I registered blind, I have certainly found out a lot about myself and even more about my 'friends.
I am basically a good person, albeit a bit peculiar and pretty erratic when it comes to remembering birthdays and the like, but I always give of myself to others with a completely open heart, without any expectation of anything in return and frequently to my own detriment, So, when the you know what hit the fan when I registered blind, I thought that my big circle of loving friends would rally round and support me. I thought that I would not have to ask for help. I thought that people would just be there and offer it unreservedly. Isn’t that what friends are for?
What’s up with web accessibility?
I realise that this is a question that I, someone who purports to be a web usability and accessibility expert should be able to answer off the bat, but even I am perplexed.
I mean, we have the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) in the UK and similar legislation in many countries around the world, we have the W3C (the World Wide Web Consortium) setting out Guidelines for how to build accessible websites and plenty of both commercial and charitable organisations that make absolutely clear arguments for why websites must be accessible to all. Yet, the internet is still in quite a state, with so many inaccessible websites out there blatantly flaunting the law and ignoring the guidelines. Imagine how weird it must feel to be working in an industry you constantly feel excluded from?
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity - Albert Einstein
A lot of people seem to be amazed at how strong I am, how I seem to have survived against the odds and how graciously I deal with my disability. And, if I think about it, yeah, I am doing ok and yeah, I am positive, so I guess I see what they mean.
I started to think about it some more and tried to work out what it is that makes me a survivor and why I didn’t lose it wholesale when I registered blind.
Making the move from mainstream to assistive technologies
When it came time to migrate from using mainstream technology to using assistive technology, it was only then that I realised how diverse visual impairment really is and how hard it is to find the right technology to suit individual needs. And just to complicate matters, there is always the consideration of what a moveable feast visual impairment is, with good eye days and bad eye days and the just downright 'am I being interrogated by the police and having a torch flashed in my eyes, oh no, that’s just the sunlight, please take me home' kind of days.
Visual impairment and its day to day shenanigans
In sitting down to write my very first post for the Action for Blind People blog, I started to think about how to introduce myself and realised that this is not such an easy thing to do. So, I stood in front of the mirror in the hope of getting some inspiration, got far too close in order to actually see myself and nearly broke my nose.....
So, instead I thought I would write it in the format of a personal ad:
'46 year old London-based visually impaired, registered blind, married, working mom with Retinitis Pigmentosa seeks readers for a blog about all aspects of living and working as a visually impaired person.'
Sandi Wassmer
Businesswoman Sandi Wassmer registered blind a year ago. In her blog, she shares with us the 'shenanigans of visual impairment'.
recent posts
- Closure and forgiveness: Thoughts on the human condition
- Does it grow corn?
- One man’s attempt to get fit and keep in trim for his next sailing championships
- Disclosing a disability when the time is right
- Loving someone with a disability: change begets change
- A case of severe red-eye
- There is a world of a difference between accessibility and inclusivity
- The Italian Job, World Blind Match Racing Championships, bringing the gold back home
- Disability from the outside in: perception and reality
- Altruism, open education and accessibility
