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…
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.
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…
I’m going to speak at the European Parliament!
Yes, it’s true. On Tuesday the 31st of January I’ll be speaking at the European Parliament with the other co-founders of Disabled Survivors Unite. I can’t quite believe this is happening, even though I’ve been sitting on the news for a month now. We are speaking on the panel “Domestic Violence Against People with Disabilities”…
What it’s Like to Look Blind
“I don’t want to look blind,” they say. I hear it time and time again in discussions with other people, those who have recently lost their sight and also those who have been blind since birth. “I’ll use sighted guide, if I walk with someone nobody will know.” “I won’t use a cane. I can’t…
Finding a cure: Navigating societal prejudice and the importance of choice
Facebook, that place where many of us share too much, myself included. I’m browsing through my news feed, past memes and discussions of religion. It’s then I hear it. Gene therapy. These words are not new to me, I first heard about studies that aim to treat my specific form of blindness when I was…
Happy World Braille Day!
I started to learn braille when I was only a toddler. By the age of four and a half I entered school being able to read and write uncontracted braille. I then progressed onto grade 2 (contracted braille) and the maths and science codes. Braille was the foundation of my education. It enabled me to…
Being a blind student in 2016: A far cry from accessible
Being a student is many things. Being a blind student adds an extra layer onto all of them. For me, it has been laughter and friendship, discovering new places, selfie’s and food with great people. But it’s also been a pretty stressful experience, thanks to a lack of organisation on the part of my university….