Well, it's an interesting idea. Maybe you could get some others here to contribute their stories and experiences. If you think what I wrote to the list would help, feel free to use it. If you do, I think you should either get my friend Keith's permission, or delete his name from what I wrote. Maybe you could give the book an interesting title, like "Blindness, The Challenge, and The Experience". >At one point I wanted to collaborate with Sina on a book about being blind >in the age of technology, where stories like your's and Sinas would make >excellent examples throughout the book. Then I got busy at work, and now >I'm more busy than ever. I still like the idea, though. > >Bill > > >On Mon, Apr 8, 2013 at 7:17 AM, <acollins at icsmail.net> wrote: > >> Hi Bill and all. I think we need to keep in mind that as far as >> blindness is concerned, each of us have different experiences when it >> comes to learning to deal with our blindness. Some of us get lucky, and >> find ourselves in contact with people who can teach us that blindness is >> not the end of the world. Others have a more difficult time, and have >> no one who can help shield them against the terrible attitudes that most >> of the world has concerning blindness. My friend Keith Watson was a >> draftsman engineer, before he slowly began to lose his sight. Like >> Bill, he fortunately ran in to some of us on the Speakup list, who could >> give him advice about what kind of help was available, and not allow him >> to sit around feeling sorry for himself. He went back to school, and >> his company moved him over in to their ip department. He has since gone >> to work for a company monitoring the quality of accessible documents >> they produce for the Social Seccurity Administration. >> >> On the other hand, there are guys like me, who have been blind all my >> life. I went to the local state school for the blind here in Iowa. >> Then because I was just out of high school, and didn't really know what >> I wanted to do with myself, I attended a one year course at our state >> comission for the blind, where I learned a lot of coping skills and >> attitudes that I didn't pick up when I was in school. The upshot of it >> all is that I went to tech school, got a job as a machinest, got laid >> off, went to computer school, and got a job in tech support for one of >> our state universities. I worked as a machinest for ten years, and then >> worked as a tech support consultant for the university for 25 years. >> >> I think it behoves all of us to spread the word that being blind is not >> the end of the world. Is it sometimes difficult? Yes, but so is life >> in general. The glass is either half empty, or half full. Each of us >> gets to decide individually. >> >> Many others here could tell similar stories. >> >> Gene Collins >> >> >I just posted the following to the Stargardts group on Facebook in >> response >> >to a post from a kid who was asked to write about what it's like to go >> >blind, for a publication in Canada. She posted her opening, and asked >> what >> >we thought of it. I found it wanting. She said she could not see the >> >professor's face. This is what I said: >> > >> >For the first two years, I lived in denial. Losing central vision meant >> >losing my job, my house, and the ability to raise my kids. It paralyzed me >> >with fear, and threatened everything I cared about. Yet I was lucky. >> Losing >> >sight meant losing my ability to program, which is the skill that has >> >defined my value to the world. I found a blind mentor who showed me that >> it >> >is possible for the blind to be outstanding programmers. I began to >> >contribute to software for the blind. I worked so hard at improving such >> >software, that I sat too long at my computer and gave myself blood clots, >> >which moved to my lungs and came close to killing me. Still, I was lucky. >> >What is it like to slowly go blind? The world crashes down around you and >> >you fight dragons every day to stay alive. That's if you're lucky, like >> me. >> >For the rest, possibly the majority, I fear it may be far worse. I was >> >lucky in that I had the chance to build something I cared about >> desperately >> >before losing central vision. It gave me the will to overcome the >> >obstacles. What is it like for kids losing vision while going to college? >> >That's what really breaks my heart. They don't yet know what is worth >> >fighting for. Not seeing the professor is no big deal. How many of you >> >people out there with Stargartds have learned speed listening? Do you know >> >the potential you have, and the value of the life you will lose if you >> >don't fight for it? I'm lucky, because I got to build that life before >> >losing vision. I grieve for all the kids who will never get the chance to >> >know why they should fight so hard. >> > >> >I don't think any of the kids out there with Stargardt's will suddenly >> >change their lives because of my post, but you guys, and especially Sina, >> >have changed my life. Thanks for showing me that my central vision >> >impairment need not cripple me, and for the chance to help write the >> >software I need. I am using Speech Hub, Mary TTS, and NVDA just to write >> >this email. Working together, we can build great tools like Speech Hub, >> >and great organizations like the Accessible Computing Foundation. We can >> >make a difference one vision impaired guy at a time, or at least try like >> >Hell. >> >Bill >> >_______________________________________________ >> >Speakup mailing list >> >Speakup at linux-speakup.org >> >http://linux-speakup.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/speakup >> _______________________________________________ >> Speakup mailing list >> Speakup at linux-speakup.org >> http://linux-speakup.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/speakup >> >_______________________________________________ >Speakup mailing list >Speakup at linux-speakup.org >http://linux-speakup.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/speakup
