“S U I C I D E” There, your computer didn’t blow up. Your phone didn’t burst into flames. I guess it’s no secret that people are afraid of blindness and, by extension, blind people. But what about suicide? If you want to empty a room in ten seconds flat, start talking about suicide! … Continued
"S U I C I D E" There, your computer didn’t blow up. Your phone didn’t burst into flames. I guess it’s no secret that people are afraid of blindness and, by extension, blind people. But what about suicide? If you want to empty a room in ten seconds flat, start talking about suicide! Towards … Continued
So a song by the American artist, Ella Fitzgerald, begins. I grew up in the American south. As a child the heat never really bothered me. We spent the summers outside, usually at summer camp. When not at camp, we were outside riding our ponies or playing physically demanding games. It’s quite different now! My … Continued
What’s a picture of two people in love hugging on skis got to do with a piece about suicide? A suicide attempt is the cause of my blindness. Creating a life worth living from the apparent ashes of my life thirty something years ago took a lot of work. And I needed a lot of … Continued
Disability Rights Disability rights for people who are blind in this country started with actions that most states took decades before the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) passed. According to the National Association of Dog Guide Users, “The United States of America was the first country to pass laws protecting the right of blind individuals … Continued
Editor’s note: Here is another post related to volunteering and National Volunteer Week. However, peer advisor Sue Martin, Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, also addresses another important theme this week— Vision Rehabilitation Therapist Week. Volunteering at the Blind Rehabilitation Center My life with blindness began in my mid-twenties. I had to learn how to do almost everything … Continued
Steel Toe Boots and Helmet? This is my Valentines Day present? It turned out to be one of the best! My husband, Jim, and I live on 18 wooded acres in the foothills of the Cumberland Plateau. We partially heat with wood that we harvest from our own property. It’s a three stage process which … Continued
With the beginning of the new year, the peer advisors are enhancing the theme of independence on VisionAware. Be sure to read Audrey Demmitt’s overview for the independence section, From Personal Loss to Personal Growth, the Road to Independence. I’ve had a really tough few months. When in the midst of it all I knew … Continued
Editor’s Note: This is part of our ongoing series on Laughter is Often the Best Medicine. Contributed by Sue Martin, Peer Advisor. Partridge in a Pear Tree or Something Like That! Three days before installation of our new floors, eighteen boxes of hardwood walked in the door. They had to be in the house for … Continued
Editor’s note: This is our third post this week in our series celebrating White Cane Day and what it means. Be sure to go back and read Using a White Cane Gives Me Confidence and Safety and How I Accepted the White Cane. Tomorrow we will have one more post from a guest blogger to … Continued