I am Visually Impaired and I use Glasses and a White Cane and a Cellphone

In this image I am standing holding my phone and a white cane and wearing glasses. I am wearing a white shirt and a skirt with blue and white stripes. Text reads I am visually impaired and use glasses and a white cane and a cellphone

When you see someone using a white cane and wearing glasses you may have some questions. You may wonder if the person is actually blind. I want to bring awareness to the fact that blindness is on a spectrum. This means there can be someone with no light perception to someone that has some usable vision.

I am one who has some usable vision but not enough to be safe without a cane when I am out on my own. I explain more in this video.

I use glasses with a very high prescription so the lenses are very thick and they make my eyes look much bigger. The glasses magnify what I see and allow me to see things at a close distance but my one good eye is unable to focus on details. My vision also changes depending on lighting and on how much contrast there is.

I also want to add that assistive technology such as screen readers and magnification allow those who are blind or have low vision to use a cellphone independently. Screen readers turn text to speech and the user can interact with the screen the same way a sighted person would.

I have returned to YouTube to be able to reach more people with my story and to share my experiences. I will also be sharing faith related videos and lifestyle videos as I combine it with this blog.

So please take time to get to know someone and just ask questions instead of assuming things.

I hope to continue to educate others about vision impairement and help make more aware of the facts.

Reflections: Take Life one step at a Time

Image shows mountains under a sunny and slightly cloudy sky and a silhouette of a person walking along the path. Text on image reads take life one step at a time — Photo (not including the text) is by StockSnap via Pixabay

Planning is a wise thing but sometimes we can take planning too far. We want to have everything set for the next 10 or 20 years. The thing about life is that it has its curve balls. When we think too far ahead it can make us begin to worry about what can go wrong.

It is good to think ahead and have an over all plan but it is also important to be flexible.

I have learned that it is easier to trust God and take life one step at a time. It is good to have a safety net whether that is food or money but God should be the main safety net.

Matthew 6:25-33 KJV — Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

So take life one step at a time and trust God to help you along the way.

Reflections on the 2021 #AToZChallenge

This is an image of the 2021 blogging from a to Z April Challenge badge — The 2021 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge badge graphic is available here.

This month I really enjoyed taking part in the 2021 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge if you want to catch up on my posts you can read them here.

One thing that I liked the most about the challenge this year was reading the other posts. I do not usually take the time to do much reading of other blog posts but this challenge has kind of put me in the habit of reading other posts and I hope to stick to it. I have also discovered new blogs and have revisited one that I had not read in a while. I do wish that I would have put more time into reading more blog posts than I did. This is something I could have done more of and I hope to improve on it. I do not have any dislikes when it comes to this challenge. I did find myself having to really brainstorm when coming up with posts for certain letters but that made it more fun and interesting for me.

This challenge has shown me that I am able to write almost every day. I was glad for the break on Sundays but it was fun to have a deadline each day. I had a few days of working to the last minute and some days of playing catch up but I am thankful I got to complete it all in the end. It has given me that encouragement I needed to keep writing. I hope to take part in it again next year.

As I said before I wish I got to read more blogs this month but here are the blogs I got to read for this challenge.

Sue’s Trifles

Sue’s posts discussed passages from the Bible corresponding to a word for each letter of the alphabet. You can read her post for letter A here.

Iain Kelly

Get a guide to Iain’s trio of novels titled “The State Trilogy”. You can read the first post in the A-Z series here.

A Multitude of Musings

Astrid discusses aroma therapy and various essential oils and their uses. Read the first post in the A-Z series here.

Lynnette Forest

Lynnette takes the reader on interesting journeys through short stories. You will be introduced to interesting characters along the way. Read the first post in the A-Z series here.

Some extra thoughts

You can get a recap of the overall challenge and read reflections by other participants here.

(Z) Zzz’s | Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder Impacts about 70% of People who are Totally Blind (#AToZChallenge 2021)

The 2021 blogging from a to Z April Challenge letter Z graphic is on top center. Text below reads Zzz's non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder impacts about 70% of people who are totally blind — The 2021 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge letter Z graphic is available here.

My theme for the 2021 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is to give an overview of what it is like to be visually impaired and to address the misconceptions regarding those in the blind and visually impaired community.

In the final post in this series I want to bring attention to a sleeping disorder that impacts some in the blindness community. According to this source Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder impacts about 70% of people who are totally blind. This may cause disruptions to daily life and adds an extra challenge to life. Read more information here.

The more awareness that there is around this and other aspects regarding the blind and visually impaired community will help to further decrease misconceptions. I hope that all of these posts have given a small glimpse into the blind and low vision community. Thank you for reading them.

(Y) YouTubers who are Blind or have Low Vision (#AToZChallenge 2021)

The 2021 blogging from a to Z April Challenge letter y graphic is on top center. Text below reads youtubers who are blind or have low vision — The 2021 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge letter Y graphic is available here.

In this post I want to point you to real life examples of blind and visually impaired people living life and showing that blindness is not an obstacle to enjoying life. The best way to do this is through YouTube videos so you can see them in action. Here is a list of some blind and visually impaired YouTubers.