[Nfb-science] looking for advice from scientists with declining vision

[Amy Bower]

Hi All - 

On this list, there is mostly discussion of educational opportunities for
students who are blind or VI in the STEM disciplines. And I think this is
entirely appropriate and as perhaps it should be. I myself spend some time
trying to provide mentoring through my OceanInsight program. But we seem to
spend less time on the problems of adult scientists like myself who are
losing vision. These folks face different challenges since, if they are like
me, they were trained in science with mostly normal vision, and are now
trying to make adjustments to the way they do science with less or nearly no
vision.  I'm finding it pretty difficult as a research scientist with a very
busy career to find the time to learn the technologies and skills that an
aspiring blind student will be learning now, for example, braille, MathML,
etc. And then there are the issues for which there are not yet decent
technologies for, such as reading and interpreting graphics, learning about
new techniques and ideas at professional meetings, etc.

I just returned from a small professional meeting (about 50 people) where
all this hit home to me. Most of the 4-day meeting comprised 20-minute talks
by the participants, all using PowerPoint slides. Among the presentations
were about half that I was truly interested in, to the point where I was
willing to sit and listen as hard as I could to get the point without being
able to see the slides. I think I managed to get useful information in these
cases. But the other half, for which I was less familiar, it didn't matter
how hard I tried to listen, I could not get the gist without seeing the
slides. I spent a lot of that time bored, or checking my e-mail or getting
depressed about how inaccessible this all was. In retrospect, I should have
studied the agenda more carefully in advance and removed myself for the
truly "out there" talks to do something else, or just brought my laptop and
worked on something else during those talks. I guess I kept hoping that I
would be able to learn something from the spoken words.

Anyway, this is just one long-winded example of the struggles I'm feeling.
It didn't help my mood that every meal was a buffet! I don't think I need to
say more about that!

I want to continue to do what I do, for my sake (I do still enjoy some parts
of it) and to show young people that it can be done. But I must admit that
some of the joy has ebbed away as I have to continually find new coping
methods. I recently found another scientist in my field and on my floor who
has more or less chosen early retirement but who is very smart and does
similar work to help me with graphics. She sometimes writes descriptions or
we sit and talk about what is on the screen. That helps, but it is still a
work in progress. I also have a research assistant who is great at covering
many vision intensive tasks, as well as an IT support person who helps keep
Jaws and Magic and other adaptive software up-to-date and working on my
computer platforms. My employer has been fantastic in providing a high level
of support, and for that I'm grateful. But I guess I'm still feeling the
loss of the way I was trained to do science and the way I've done it for 20+
years and wondering if the "new way", whatever that is, will be as
fulfilling, not to mention as successful so that I can continue to obtain
extramural funding (I'm in a soft money position).

I would be very pleased to hear from others in a similar situation about
what has worked and what hasn't, and how they dealt with ever-changing
vision (I have RP plus macular degeneration, with a small sliver of some
vision at the moment).

Thanks a lot. Happy to hear from anyone on or offline.

-Amy B.

 

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Dr. Amy S. Bower

Senior Scientist

Department of Physical Oceanography

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole,  MA  02543  USA

v:  508-289-2781

f:  508-457-2181

c:  508-564-3663

e:  abower at whoi.edu <mailto:abower at whoi.edu> 

www:  http://www.whoi.edu/scientist/abower

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