[Blindtlk] Visually Impaired/ Living in the middle?

Sun Feb 9 00:07:44 UTC 2014

Hi,
	I attendow a training program.  I'm totally blind, so I 
don't know what it's like to have any sight.  I enjoyed it, even 
though I didn't get to learn all of the things I wanted to.  I 
was only there for 4 months.  I did like it, though.  I think you 
should definitely learn Braille, because it will help you a lot.  
It will take a lot of strain off of your eyes, and it will help 
you to label things if you need to.

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Judy Jones" <jtj1 at cableone.net
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sat, 8 Feb 2014 13:33:23 -0700
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Visually Impaired/ Living in the middle?

Hi, Mary,

I can identify with your feeling on a different level.  Having 
grown up in
an Air Force family that traveled, I felt I had 2 identities, one 
as a
military brat, the other pretending to be a civilian when in the 
states.  I
never felt badly about this, it was just that I'd lived through 
things only
an MB knew about.  The civilian kids didn't understand what a TDY 
really
was, nor did they understand what your dad did when you said he 
was with Tac
Eval, or Plans And Ops.  It was having a group of friends that 
understood
those life aspects.

Later in life as I came to identify with more blind people and 
really saw
myself as the blind person I am, that is one of the 
characteristics that is
part of me, just like my short hair.

Growing up, my blindness didn't make me feel separate, probably 
because my
folks made sure I had the access I needed and encouraged my 
interaction with
others.  The really big thing for me living in a foreign country 
was being
able to hook up with other Americans, and it was the same for the 
other
kids.  We could communicate in the same language, English, and 
came from the
same background of being American.  The blindness issue wasn't as 
big a
thing that really presented a barrier in having other friends 
while growing
up.

When we lived in Colorado Springs, I did attend the blind school 
there and
loved it, got involved in athletics, and met other kids in the 
district
schools that way.

The identity thing is real, though, and I think Ariel said it 
best.  If the
sight you have now is an imposition, if it should become harder 
to work with
the adaptive technology and skills you have now, that's the time 
to start
upping the blindness skaills.

Judy
-----Original Message-----
From: Mari Hunziker
Sent: Saturday, February 8, 2014 11:11 AM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: [Blindtlk] Visually Impaired/ Living in the middle?

Do any of you visual impaired folks out there ever feel like your 
living a
life ~ half in the sighted world and half in the blind world?

I don't mean to offend anyone with this question.  I merely want 
to know how
to understand what I am feeling.  I am visually impaired and I 
function like
a sighted person except for a few exceptions.  I can ride a bike, 
not on a
main road but I do enjoy riding with my children in our 
neighborhood and
around the lake.  I read with a CCTV and use a magnifier when I 
am shopping
to look at price tags, labels, and ingredients.  I don't use a 
cane unless I
am in an unfamiliar place or by myself.  I did not learn braille 
as a youth
but am trying to learn it now.  I want to see it instead of feel 
it (I'm
working on it).  In my situation do you think it is necessary to 
attend a
program that will improve my blindness skills? I don't even know 
what they
would be?

What would you do?

Thanks,
Mari Hunziker

*"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".
Philippians 4:13Have A Blessed Day!Mari Hunziker *
*Super Spark Your Life!!!*

*http://www.supersparked.com 
<http://www.supersparked.com>512-670-9950
home512-587-1463  cell*
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