The Blind Experience

 The short answer is no, but then I cannot speak for all blind people, just myself, it is entirely possible that there is someone out there with Daredevil-like super-senses but alas, that person is not me. However the long answer to this question is still no, but also, maybe? This is one of those questions…

I Am Blind. I have been for most of my life in fact. But, according to some, I am not blind, but something else. Perhaps blind-ish? Visually-impaired? Vision deficient?  What I have come to realize, after a lifetime of dealing with my low-vision and others perceptions of it, is that blindness, like so many disabilities,…

“You deserve to take up space, just like everyone else.” I heard this said on a podcast that I was listening to the other day. The podcast is called Be My Eyes. It is produced by the folks behind the Be My Eyes app. This app is used to connect the blind with volunteers who…

The Apple iPad. There really has not been anything like it since its introduction in 2010. When it was first announced, I was genuinely excited about it. I was excited to the extent that I went to Best Buy and waited for the store to open to get one of the very first ones sold…

contrast \ ˈkän-ˌtrast: degree of difference between the lightest and darkest parts of a picture What a simple term “contrast” is. Yet, as a highly visually impaired person, this simple thing can make a tremendous difference in my day-to-day life. Whether it be spotting a white bathroom door on a white wall in a dimly…

Driving a car. Such a simple, modern convenience. Driving is probably something most all of you do daily. You most likely drove somewhere even today, to work, school or even to get groceries or to hit a drive-through for dinner. I, on the other hand, have not driven a car in seventeen years. Do I…

Just for a minute, I would like for you to think about exercise. In particular, think about the different ways that people often exercise. I imagine that among the things that came to your mind was going to a gym, jogging, biking and possibly even rollerblading or hiking. All of those are great ways to…

With a family of six to feed, clothe and keep healthy, we visit the local supermarket, natural food grocer or Wal-Mart about four times a week on average. These kids go through gallons of milk, bagels, bananas, and Nutella at a pace that has to be seen to be believed. I often go along with…

The movie theater. An ideal place to experience the latest big-budget action spectacular with eardrum-shattering sound and visuals to make you gasp. An ideal place unless you are visually impaired that is. For people like me, a movie theater is a study in frustration. They are dimly lit, densely packed rooms with unevenly spaced stairs…