by When you think of someone who is blind what do you envision? Someone wearing tinted glasses or possibly using a walking stick or service dog? Well if you do, you are not wrong, but your perspective is limited.
In my day to day life I have struggled to receive accommodations for my partial blindness. Vision, just like most unseen disabilities, varies. Not everyone per say will “look the part.” The stigma is aggravating to not only me, but others who struggle with the same issue.
People have always told me “I would never know”, and “well you know, you don’t look blind.” I have gotten so used to defending my disability due to the perspective of what people think the word “blind” means, I almost lead with it when introducing myself to someone so it does not catch them off guard. Many people struggle in their day-to-day life with partial and low vision. But just because they are not noticeably blind and/or holding some sort of aid, or even just possibly wearing glasses does not make them any less blind than someone who has a companion service dog.
The next time someone says they are “blind” or have a disability that is not noticeable, open up your mind to how humans experience struggles in all different shapes and sizes, and that they are not confined to what the world thinks one word means.
