Coping with being legally blind facing problems on a daily basis a topic I felt seldom addressed, as there are many topics that written which explain the causes of blindness. Diabetics is one of the most common causes of blindness but other illness as well as birth defects are a source of being blind. I use the term blind loosely because being blind not seeing any thing is completely different from being legally blind.
What is legal blindness?
The American Optometric Association states that “a person with 20/20 vision can clearly identify a row 9mm letters from 20 feet. A legally blind person with vision 20/200 has to be as close as 20 feet to identify objects that people with normal vision can spot from 200 feet. So a legally blind person needs a distance of two feet to spot the letters on a standard eye chart that is 20 feet away.”
Problems a legally blind person faces in everyday life
Legally blind people use a white cane or a guide dog to help them with life's tasks especially traveling. Legally blind person faces harm even with a limited amount of vision. A person who has limited vision or distorted vision often makes errors that could cause a severe accident. Trying to cross a street can become hazardous at best or even fatal. Crossing a street without the ability to tell the distance of vehicle may cause you to step into traffic. Sometimes a legally blind person is unable to discern the way a curb is structured or a break in the sidewalk, which results in falling.
The problem of cooking, cleaning, doing laundry or even personal care becomes a problem for anyone with only partial vision. The government has set up schools that teach the legally blind as well as those who are completely blind how to function in everyday life. There are thirteen guide dog schools in the United States. Training for the legally blind with a guide dog helps secure a safer life style.
A legally blind person overcomes the problems encountered by being blind with hard work and faith.
Family, friends, and others play an important role in everyday life
One of the hardest parts of being legally blind is that of the family, friends, and others accepting your limitations and abilities. That is the main reason that I am writing this article is to address the situations that legally blind people encounter. The concept that someone has partial vision for some reason is misleading to others and brings doubt. The reason being when others who know you see you do certain functions well they begin to think that you do not have a vision problem. Most people seem to think that when you say you are legally blind immediately people begin to think that means completely and very blind.
There are different degrees of blindness as well as different causes for the blindness. Then there are those who think that you are now unable to do anything for yourself. You must be very careful that you do not fall into the trap of letting your loved ones take care of you hand and foot. It is not a good thing for “YOU”or for your “FAMILY” to become hopelessly helpless. Improve your capabilities fine tune them with aids and training be the person you were before your vision lost. You can go to work take care of your home and even your children with only a minimal amount of skills.
Overcoming blindness improves life
Legally blind is of course a part of your life that stays with you always but it need not rule your life. Many legally blind persons lead a normal life. The work it takes to overcome the problems that being legally blind presents is minimal. First, you must over come your fear of failures and accidents. I believe that you walk daily by faith blind or not. I also believe that my guardian Angel walks with me daily each step I take she guides and protects me. I am not saying that I have not fallen nor had accidents because these are all learning experiences. We do not walk alone but sometimes we need to learn how to be humble. We need to bury our pride and learn how to accept the helping hands of those who love us. It is not easy being legally blind nor is it a handicap that prevents you from having a good life.
Only you can prevent yourself from living life to its fullest. You need to have faith in yourself and believe that you “can” live normally. I would tell you to call the state rehab program if you find you are loosing your vision and find out all the things available that will help you maintain your life. I did and I am glad. I returned to College and got my degree in Business at the age of forty-five. I worked in a major firm in the marketing department, as well as, taking care of my grandchildren.
My husband and I have done extensive traveling together with my guide dog. I am now very happy as a freelance writer all because I got up one day, quit feeling sorry for myself, and ask for help. I believed that I was worth something and that my family needed me. I knew that setting around feeling sorry for me was the problem not the solution to my life's existence. I do hope my article has been an encouragement to all those who are legally blind that you too will decide to become the important part of your family and community that I know you are.
Let all of us take note of our life...
...and see how we can improve on our daily problems on a daily basis no matter the disability. A disability can become a capability with hard work and sincere effort on our part. It depends on what you want out of life as to what your life becomes. Perhaps you have already achieved all that you want to be. That would be a good thing but as long as there is life should not one strive to make it better and to help our fellow being? A unique experience is to find ourselves and then help others to do the same.
Debra