I have been in training at the Colorado Center for the Blind for two months. Moving to another country no longer feels strange to me, I feel as though I never manage to settle in one place for very long before I pack up my things and head somewhere else. Change, whilst incredibly disruptive, provides…
Category: Disability and Identity
My identity as a disabled person is very important to me. It has undoubtedly shaped my life experiences, including how I interact with others and obtain an education.
It was other disabled people that taught me how to value my body, how to love myself and reject society’s perception of disability.
Blindness and Anxiety
I’m so glad to have seen some recent discussions of blindness and mental health, and how these two things can come hand in hand. These conversations are becoming more acceptable and it is so important that we talk openly about it. I worry constantly. And so many of these worries are fuelled, if indirectly, by…
I’m Blind: What Technology Should I use at University?
This post was adapted from a comment I wrote to a parent who was unsure what technology their blind child should be using at university. It’s a question I frequently see being asked by both parents of blind children and blind teenagers who are preparing for university. The truth is there is no singular package…
You Are Not a Burden
You are not a burden when you ask for documents in a format you can read. You are not a burden when you need them to clear the accessible changing room. You are not a burden when you assert your right to enter a business with your service dog. You are not a burden when…
Rethinking Blindness Skills
The phrase “blindness skills” is one the blind community knows well. From the moment you experience vision loss, whether because you are born blind or lose vision in later life, emphasis is placed on teaching you necessary blindness skills to navigate your environment. These include orientation and mobility training, cooking, matching your clothes and doing…
From one Campaigner to Another: a Letter to Young Disabled Activists
I have been a self-advocate since I can remember. “Please can you read to me?” “Can I have a braille copy?” The act of being disabled, of requesting adaptations that allow me to participate fully in society taught me how to advocate for myself and for others. From the moment I realised I would live…
What I Hear when you Talk about Hope
I hope for many things in my life. I hope I will graduate with a good degree, that I will find a job, that I will start a family some day. I hope for happiness and friendship and lots of laughter. We all hope for different things. I have friends who are blind like me…
Have you Ever Tried Glasses?
The conversation starts something like this: “So how long have you been blind then?” I could be in an airport waiting to board my flight, settled in the back of a taxi on the way to the train station or queueing for a cup of coffee. The setting isn’t important, my blindness is. Usually I’ll…
When a Man on the Bus Said my Eyes Look Strange
“Are you partially sighted?” The question came to me from behind and to the right, a seat somewhere behind where my friends were sitting. I awkwardly fidgeted, not really wanting to answer but knowing if I didn’t anger, or at the least persistence would follow. “No,” I muttered. I hoped he would realise I was…
Speaking at the European Parliament: a Transformative Experience
As a co-founder of Disabled Survivors Unite, I was invited to speak at the European Parliament in Brussels earlier this week. We were invited by Soraya Post, who had organised a hearing on the domestic abuse experienced by disabled people and what needs to be done about it. I felt so fortunate to be given…