One foot in each world

This is the phrase that I use to describe how I conduct my life; one foot in each world.  What does this mean?  It means that each day, I do my level best to exist in two worlds; the world of the sighted and the world of the blind.

 

They are two different worlds; the one where everything is mainstream because it is the sighted world and the one where one has to function without sight.  The first is the one where people use their vision to full advantage to live their lives.  The one where they don't have to worry about depending on sighted help to do such things as:  Navigate inaccessible websites, shop when they want without too much difficulty, they can use their cars to drive to places that are not close enough to their homes, and they can use gadgets and devices to communicate without having to worry about the need for special software to make them talk.

 

The second world is the one where sighted assistance is a necessity if one hopes to be able to keep up with technology, communicate, and be a part of society.  The one where the lack of sight makes it a must for people to seek sighted assistance to do many things and the one where people quickly get used to being told "no, you cant." 

 

For me, I need to exist in both worlds.  I belong to the second because I myself am blind and I am a part of the first because my family is sighted and I have many dear friends who are also sighted.  Yes, it is a challenge but you know what?  I would not have it any other way.  The world of the sighted is the dominant world by far.  The world of the Blind is the world that welcomes me no matter what I am or who I am.

 

If you would like to learn more about the two different worlds, then you can visit:

www.nfb.org, www.acb.org, www.rnib.org.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and share my blogs with others.