Low Expectations

Blind young people objectively face many barriers. But one of the greatest barriers a blind person can face in life is low expectations. When a person grows up being told they can never achieve, they will begin to believe that message once they hear it enough times.

“You cannot climb a tree” can easily turn into “I cannot climb a tree, and so I shall not try.” The message society sends blind young people is that they have no control over their destiny. All that they are and will ever be is confined within the boundaries of blindness, and too many people believe that blindness gives a person very little space to thrive. We tell young people that they can be anything if they want to, and yet the message sent to many young blind people is that they will never be anything at all. If we were all honest with ourselves, neither message is entirely true.

I work with young adults and if I do anything, it has to be to change this mentality. Not to make them live their lives in the same way I do, but so they know they have choices and that they should be given agency over the direction they go in. I can’t tell a blind person to use the same type of cane I do, or to take the bus instead of a taxi, or to enjoy cooking. We are all different people and although we share the characteristic of blindness, our hopes and dreams and interests will diverge. There isn’t a singular perfect way to be blind and to suggest their is would be to sell a lie. Blindness can mean living many lives, all rich, all vibrant in their own way.

I believe it is my responsibility, and the responsibility of all professionals in this field, to believe in the capacity of blind people to lead full and dignified lives. Blind people can, when given the appropriate tools, resources and opportunities, take control of their own futures. So often though they lack these tools and resources, whether due to the chronic underfunding of adult social care services, or because the education system cannot provide everything a young person needs on an increasingly smaller budget. Budgets aside, the message we send requires no funding at all.

If the message our young people receive is “you cannot”, we must be the voice that says, “you can. Perhaps you cannot right now, but that does not mean you will never be able to.” Like anyone else, blind people must learn new skills, work hard and persist when things are difficult. We must not mistake a skill we have not yet learned for something blindness has made impossible.

Of course, hard work alone cannot overcome every barrier. A blind young person cannot work hard enough to make an inaccessible curriculum accessible, and this is why access to the right tools, resources and opportunities is essential. But with those things in place, blind young people deserve the chance to try, to fail, to learn and to try again. Too often we fall into the trap of thinking there can only be one approach. Either an individual is the only person responsible for their success, or it is entirely down to the system. The reality is it is a bit of both. A young person who is given all the resources and opportunities may not succeed if they don’t want to try. Equally, a young person who puts in every effort may still come up against barriers they can do nothing to overcome. Mental health, your financial situation, whether you have access to secure housing, and the situation your parents find themselves in are all factors which can influence the trajectory of a young person’s life. These aren’t something that can be overcome with determination. They are structural inequalities which we absolutely have to address. But when these are addressed, we also need to show blind young people that it is ok to try, to find something hard, to be angry or upset about it, and to work out a path forwards that feels right for them.

One of the greatest gifts I was given was a community of blind friends and role models. I have watched other blind people do things I once believed were impossible, and so I have realised that while I may not be able to do something right now, it is a skill I can learn if I am willing to dedicate the time and effort. I will not be good at everything because I am a human who has flaws, and like anyone else I have areas that I am naturally stronger at than others. But if I really want to learn something, there is a good chance I can make some progress, even if I never reach a point of being really skilled. I think it is essential for younger people to see that as well. But in a way that allows them to realise they do not have to be perfect at everything. There isn’t a singular way to be blind, but blindness can be so much more than they once thought.