On October 13, 2018, I attended Vision Quest in Edmonton at the Royal Alexandra Hospital’s Robbin’s Pavilion. This Conference is a great event with a lot of opportunities to catch up on the latest research news, learn new things and see what technology has to offer the visually impaired and blind community. It is the second Vision Quest that I have attended, and it certainly won’t be my last. Dr. Mary Sunderland, Director of Research and Education for the Foundation…
Have you ever wondered if you’re ready for a Guide Dog? What is the process to get one? How are they trained and who trains the trainers? And what is involved once you get your dog? Well, in today’s article I’m going to try to answer all those questions and more with the help of Guide Dogs NI’s David Barnes. Dog’s have been man’s trusted companions for millennia. They’ve helped us hunt, been loyal companions and eager workers on farms,…
Disability Sport NI Northern Ireland has a lot to be proud of when it comes to creating opportunities for the disabled. I had the privilege of sitting down with two charming ladies from Disability Sport NI, Judith Brennan, Active Clubs Coordinator and Andrea Herron, Communications and Engagement Officer. They have developed models for community engagement through sport for the disabled that should be emulated worldwide. One of the biggest barriers for the disabled community is the lack of understanding of…
We’ve covered, to some extent, the fear of going blind, but fear doesn’t come to us on its own, it usually brings along its twin brothers isolation and depression. It doesn’t matter which one turns up first, each will most likely arrive at some point during your journey to blindness. As with all things we find a challenge, if we examine t carefully and break it down into its parts, it’s easier to deal with and not nearly as scary…
Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of people in the RP community discussing the fear of going blind, also known as Scotomaphobia. A phobia implies an irrational fear, but what do you call it when you are going blind? It is not irrational, it is a legitimate fear of the future and how blindness will inevitably change your life. I’m not sure when the fear first sets in. When you are first diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease, you can…
Spring has sprung, and the garden awaits. It’s that time of year again. The sun is out and it’s time to get outside and exercise our green thumbs. This year, as you plant your own garden or visit others, consider the various senses that a garden can speak to. Sight: We all know that gardens can be quite beautiful. The many shades of green in the leaves, the vast cornucopia of colours, shapes and sizes of flowers are a sight…
Can Chinese medicine offer a treatment for RP? With hundreds of video testimonials attesting to the success of his treatment, Dr. Weidong Yu of Wellspring Clinic for Holistic Medicine has been on my radar for years. I recently went to visit Dr. Yu’s Clinic to find out more. He was very gracious and encouraged me to talk to many of the patients who were in the clinic being treated that day. I’ve summarized what I learned below: RP Tunnel of…
Finding or Creating Opportunities When we talk about finding and creating opportunities for ourselves we must start by deciding what is right for us. Will we work full time or part-time? Will we go to a place of work or work from home? What are our skills, interests and experience and what kind of work can we do with both our unique background and with our disability? Creating Opportunities In order to find the right situation for yourself, you want…
Last week we talked about making the case to the employer for hiring persons with disabilities and best practices in communication. This week we’ll be discussing disclosure and accommodation. Disclosure One of the toughest questions for anyone with a disability is when and how much to disclose to an employer or potential employer. This is especially tough for those of us with disabilities that aren’t obvious. We look like anyone else walking down the street. It isn’t until we come…
Have you ever been desperate to find a job and unsure how much to disclose to a potential employer about your disability? I know I have and the following tips and ideas may help you determine the right course of action for you. With unemployment rates hovering around 70% in the disabled community, finding work as a disabled person, and yes RP’ers, we are classified disabled, can be a daunting business. The process is very similar to that of our…