BlondeHistorian

Private Places, Public Spaces

July 16, 2019July 15, 2019 BlondeHistorian3 Comments

A warning sign. A person pushes a wheelchair user, stick figures in a red circle with a line through. To the left of the image is a large red box with white lettering reading Do Not Push.

As a visually impaired woman using a white cane I experience unwanted touching in public every single day. I have been dragged across roads, pulled out of train carriages and pushed around shops, without being asked if I wanted assistance first. These experiences can be distressing and disorientating, occasionally they cause me physical harm. Whenever… Continue reading Private Places, Public Spaces

Don’t kids say the darndest things?

July 3, 2019June 9, 2019 BlondeHistorian2 Comments

A small baby grabs Amy's folded white cane and lifts it as he looks at it. Amy is holding the baby up as he sits on a picnic table. Amy is smiling and wearing sunglasses.

I live in a suburban family neighbourhood so I regularly encounter small children on my walk to work. My white cane totally fascinates them and I almost every day I over hear a loud “WHAT’S THAT MUMMY?” Parents seem to have two responses to this question, they either answer it or they shush the child,… Continue reading Don’t kids say the darndest things?

On a Bicycle Made For Two

June 12, 2019June 11, 2019 BlondeHistorianLeave a comment

Amy Sits at the back of the tandem. She wears a pink high vis vest, helmet and sunglasses. She is parked in front of a tree.

When navigating the world is a constant battle of bumping into things, the freedom of a bicycle is incredible. Although I was born visually impaired I did learn how to ride a bike as a child. My mum thought it was a rite of passage that I should experience. I was pretty late to the… Continue reading On a Bicycle Made For Two

Academic Ableism

May 1, 2019May 1, 2019 BlondeHistorianLeave a comment

A graduation ceremony. Photographed from a distance, Amy, photographed from behind, has walked up steps and across a stage. In the background on auditorium style seating, a group of academics in robes. Amy's blonde hair is visible, she wears a black academic gown with green hood.

In an article titled, Extremist and Disability Chic, academics Kauffman & Badar state: “we do not want disability to be seen as merely another form of good or acceptable diversity”. They argue that disability is inherently ‘bad’, a curse rather than a gift, something to be prevented, cured, segregated and institutionalised. According to Kauffman &… Continue reading Academic Ableism

View from the Other Half

March 17, 2019 BlondeHistorian1 Comment

A cartoon image. A cartoon Amy sits at a table, typing on a laptop. A dog sleeps at her feet. Cartoon Other Half in a jumper holding a steaming cup gives Amy the thumbs up. In the background a window showing a night sky. The label underneath reads, writing thesis.

Amy asked me to do a blog several months ago. I liked the idea but didn’t know where to start. I’m also not a natural writer. I’m an engineer so am much happier with numbers and diagrams than words. Yesterday Amy told me about Dr Phil saying “100 out of 100 relationships that involve caregiving… Continue reading View from the Other Half

Pup-date: Another step in my Guide Dog Journey

March 11, 2019March 6, 2019 BlondeHistorian1 Comment

Trainee guide dog Zena looks up at the camera. She is a black labrador cross wearing a trainee harness.

As many of you know, I am waiting for a guide dog. I’ve been on the waiting list for about 14 months. If you want to read about my experience applying for a guide dog check out the blog I wrote last year. Recently I had a check in with the London team and I… Continue reading Pup-date: Another step in my Guide Dog Journey

How does disability define me?

March 3, 2019July 10, 2019 BlondeHistorian2 Comments

Amy is being filmed. She stands at a pedestrian crossing, her cane in her left hand reaching out onto the tactile paving. In front of her a road, to her right, the pedestrian button box, crouching beside her a camera woman in a green tshirt points the camera up at Amy. Amy wears a pink tshirt, sunglasses, and has tropical pattered trousers.

For nearly 27 years I used to say that I wasn’t “defined by my disability”. The reality was that I had internalised pervasive, toxic and negative representations of disability. By refusing to be defined by my disability, I denied myself an identity, a community and the support I needed. My disability used to be something… Continue reading How does disability define me?