<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div></div><div>Very fascinating article, lots of interesting insights. Dianne, thanks for sharing.<br>Be well and stay well,<br>Rob</div><div><br>On Sep 29, 2017, at 9:18 AM, Dianne Hemphill via Home-on-the-Range <<a href="mailto:home-on-the-range@nfbnet.org">home-on-the-range@nfbnet.org</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><base href="x-msg://393/">FYI - this is a thoughtful explanation of total and partial blindness. Dianne<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>From: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">nancy Lynn via NFBNJ-Seniors <<a href="mailto:nfbnj-seniors@nfbnet.org">nfbnj-seniors@nfbnet.org</a>><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;"><b>NFBNJ-Seniors] 5 Things Natalie Bebler Wishes People Understood About Being Legally Blind</b><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Date: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">September 28, 2017 1:33:54 PM CDT<br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>To: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">"mcb chat" <<a href="mailto:chat@moblind.org">chat@moblind.org</a>>, "nfbmo list" <<a href="mailto:nfbmo@nfbnet.org">nfbmo@nfbnet.org</a>>, "NFBC List" <<a href="mailto:nfbc-info@nfbnet.org">nfbc-info@nfbnet.org</a>>, "Seniors" <<a href="mailto:NFBNJ-Seniors@nfbnet.org">NFBNJ-Seniors@nfbnet.org</a>><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Cc: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">nancy Lynn <<a href="mailto:seabreeze.stl@gmail.com">seabreeze.stl@gmail.com</a>><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Reply-To: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">NFB of New Jersey Seniors Division Mailing List <<a href="mailto:nfbnj-seniors@nfbnet.org">nfbnj-seniors@nfbnet.org</a>><br></span></div><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div lang="EN-US" dir="ltr" link="#0563c1" vlink="#954f72"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><div style="font-size: small; text-decoration: none; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; display: inline; "><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><div><div style="font-size: small; text-decoration: none; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; display: inline; "><o:p>I got this from a friend and am passing it along to promote understanding between the totally and partially blind.</o:p></div><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1; "><h1 style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 24pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: black; font-weight: normal; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">5 Things I Wish People Understood About Being Legally Blind<o:p></o:p></h1><table class="MsoNormalTable" cellpadding="0" border="1" style="border-top-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-top-width: 1pt; border-top-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-style: solid; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-style: solid; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left-width: 1pt; border-left-style: solid; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><tbody><tr><td style="border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-right-width: medium; border-right-style: none; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-width: medium; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: initial; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-top: 0in; padding-left: 0in; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; padding-right: 0in; "><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; "><span class="author5"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: 24px; "><a href="https://themighty.com/author/natasha-baebler/" target="_self" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; "><span class="p-name"><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 62, 83); line-height: 22px; ">Natasha Baebler</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(45, 62, 83); line-height: 22px; "></span></a></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; "><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); ">Contributor • 9 followers<o:p></o:p></span></div></td><td style="border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-right-width: medium; border-right-style: none; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-width: medium; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: initial; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-top: 0in; padding-left: 0in; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; padding-right: 0in; "><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 22px; "><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><a href="javascript:;" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; "><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); "><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 22px; "><span class="regular5"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); "><a href="javascript:;" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; "><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); ">Following<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="text-decoration: none; font-family: 'Segoe UI Symbol', sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); ">✓</span><span class="hovering5"><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); ">Unfollow</span></span><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); "></span><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); "><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 22px; "><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); "><a href="javascript:;" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; "><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); ">Follow Me<o:p></o:p></span></a></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 22px; "><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><o:p></o:p></span> </div></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-right-width: medium; border-right-style: none; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-width: medium; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: initial; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-top: 0in; padding-left: 0in; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; padding-right: 0in; "><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; "><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><a title="See all Stories about Blindness" href="https://themighty.com/blindness/" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; ">Blindness</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; "><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); ">533 followers<o:p></o:p></span></div></td><td style="border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-right-width: medium; border-right-style: none; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-width: medium; 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text-decoration: underline; "><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); ">Following<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="text-decoration: none; font-family: 'Segoe UI Symbol', sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); ">✓</span><span class="hovering5"><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); ">Unfollow</span></span><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); "></span><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); "><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 22px; "><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); "><a href="javascript:;" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; "><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); ">Follow Topic<o:p></o:p></span></a></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: middle; line-height: 22px; "><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><o:p></o:p></span> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; line-height: 22px; "><span class="tm-heart-wrap3"><span style="font-family: arimo; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><a href="javascript:;" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; line-height: 22px; "><span class="count6"><span style="font-family: arimo; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); "><a href="javascript:;" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; "><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); ">1K</span></a></span></span><span style="font-family: arimo; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><a href="javascript:;" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; "><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="count7" style="font-family: Roboto; color: black; font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-size: 9pt; text-decoration: none; line-height: 18px; ">0</span></span></a></span><span style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; text-align: center; line-height: 22px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span style="font-family: arimo; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><hr align="center" size="0" width="100%"></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">When you encounter me going about my daily life, you probably notice two things right a way. I’m either traveling with the help of a canine or using a long white cane — and I can see.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">I don’t fit most people’s image of a blind person. I look at things.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">There are numerous terms to describe those of us who live between the worlds of the fully sighted and totally blind: low vision, visually impaired, legally blind and partially sighted.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">Some who are partially sighted identify with the blind community. Others do not. Like our amount of residual sight, most of us are somewhere in between. We live in a gray area. It’s a confusing, ever-changing place where people can see some things, but not others. While what each of us can see can vary, we all have some things we’d like you to know:</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">1.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="View more Blindness stories" href="https://themighty.com/category/general/blindness/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; "><span style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(32, 189, 152); ">Blindness</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>doesn’t always mean total darkness.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">Only about<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.visionaware.org/info/your-eye-condition/eye-health/low-vision/low-vision-terms-and-descriptions/1235" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; ">15 percent of people who have a blindness diagnosis have no light perception</a>, according to VisionAware. Most of us see something even if it’s just being able to tell the difference between light and dark. There are two types of impaired vision: acuity (how clear things are) and field of vision (how much of an environment you see at once without moving your eyes or head). Individuals can be legally blind based on either or both of these factors.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">For most of my years growing up, I was legally blind due to severely restricted fields. Technically, my field of vision is less than 2 degrees. That’s roughly the size of a pinprick. If I could find it, I could see it. That meant I could read street signs, but I’d probably fall down a curb.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">Now my acuity has also fallen into the legally blind territory. Because of my severely restricted field of vision, it’s difficult to even obtain an acuity reading. When I look at the big “E” on an eye doctor’s chart, I don’t see the whole letter at the same time. On a good day, I can put the puzzle together and see that it’s actually an “E.” On a bad day, I can see there’s something there, but I couldn’t tell you if it was a letter or lamppost. Most of the time, we settle and say my acuity is worse than 20/200 and call it a day.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; line-height: 22px; "><span style="font-family: arimo; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><image001.jpg></span><span style="font-family: arimo; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">Natasha in a park outdoors near water<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">2. There is no easy answer to the question, “So what can you see?”</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">Some people who are legally blind have experienced full sight. Then others, like me, have no concept of what it’s like to have “normal” vision. The answer to the question, “What can you see?” is a complicated one. Some people see colors or shadows. Others may see parts of things and spend their life figuratively putting together the pieces of a puzzle. Some people may be able to see a tiny speck of paper on the floor but will run into a chair that wasn’t pushed in.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">For many people with reduced acuity, their sight may be dependent on both internal and external factors. The lighting in a room, the weather outside and how tired they are can all affect how well someone can see. I often joke that whether I can see something depends on the alignment of the sun, moon and stars and whether Mercury is in retrograde. Never knowing if I will be able to see something today that I could see yesterday is confusing for me and those around me. I’d rather you err on the side of me not seeing something. That way we can both be pleasantly surprised if I can.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">3. We learn to use our residual sight.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">I happen to be rather partial to the fact that I can see some things. I like to look at things. When I was learning to use a long white cane as a mobility aid, one of the things my instructor taught me was to let the cane do the work and let my sight compliment what I was feeling with my cane. She taught me to use my cane to locate objects and my vision to see them. Now that I primarily travel with a guide dog, I let my dog keep me moving in a straight line while I use my eyes to find the landmark I need to tell my dog where to go. The same thing applies indoors. I let my dog take me around people and displays to help me find the general location of items I purchase frequently. Then I use my residual sight to find the exact item I need. It’s a win-win.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; line-height: 22px; "><span style="font-family: arimo; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><image002.jpg></span><span style="font-family: arimo; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">Natasha’s guide dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">4. We benefit from accurate verbal directions and descriptions.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">Yes, I can see something, but I don’t see more than I can actually see. Phrases like “over there” mean nothing to me other than it’s “not where I’m standing right now.” I may need your help even, or perhaps especially, when I’m traveling with the help of my guide dog. I might even get lost in a familiar area.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">If I ask for directions or help locating something, please use words to describe where things are in relation to where I am and how I am oriented. Phrases like “behind you and to your right” tell me much more than “back there.” Likewise, telling me the store I’m looking for is still another block down, across the street and just past the train tracks provides me with excellent landmarks to help find my way. Just use clear adjectives and directional phrases, and I’ll be on my way.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">5. We’re not faking.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">Please don’t accuse someone who is partially sighted of faking their blindness. We aren’t a social experiment. The last thing we want is extra special attention. We are men and women, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons who have a condition where we live in the gray area of the world. We work hard with what we have. We get frustrated. We rejoice. We compensate and compromise. A medical professional has run tests. Maybe glasses or contacts help. Maybe they don’t. Maybe we use a long white cane just in unfamiliar areas and travel without a mobility aide in areas we know well. I regularly travel to my mailbox without the aid of dog or cane. I know the route well.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">So when someone asks me, “Are you really blind?” I take a deep breath before I reply. I spend my life figuratively putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to get some visual semblance of my world. Have you ever tried to put together a jigsaw puzzle without having a picture of what you were putting together? That’s what every day is like for me, except I don’t even know if I have all the pieces.</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); ">The next time you encounter someone who is partially sighted and curiosity is getting the better of you, remember that blindness is a spectrum and an individual experience. If you ask about a person’s visual impairment, and I encourage you to, be open to an out-of-the-box answer because the person you asked is stepping outside of their box for your benefit.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> </p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>NFBNJ-Seniors mailing list<br><a href="mailto:NFBNJ-Seniors@nfbnet.org" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; ">NFBNJ-Seniors@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbnj-seniors_nfbnet.org" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; ">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbnj-seniors_nfbnet.org</a><br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBNJ-Seniors:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbnj-seniors_nfbnet.org/diannehemphill%40cox.net" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline; ">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbnj-seniors_nfbnet.org/diannehemphill%40cox.net</a></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>Home-on-the-Range mailing list</span><br><span><a href="mailto:Home-on-the-Range@nfbnet.org">Home-on-the-Range@nfbnet.org</a></span><br><span><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/home-on-the-range_nfbnet.org">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/home-on-the-range_nfbnet.org</a></span><br><span>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Home-on-the-Range:</span><br><span><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/home-on-the-range_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40sbcglobal.net">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/home-on-the-range_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40sbcglobal.net</a></span></div></blockquote></body></html>