Navigating the world differently
Social media has a great ability to connect us. Without it, I would have never found all the wonderful people in the blindness community on Twitter that's had such a positive impact on my life and would have never met such great folks as Amy. Heck, you probably found this post on some social media… Continue reading Alt Text on Social Media
On Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the Royal National Institute of the Blind See Differently Awards. I was chosen as a Campaigner of the Year national finalist for my #JustAskDontGrab campaign. It was a huge honour to be nominated and shortlisted! I was totally overwhelmed when I heard the news as it felt… Continue reading See Differently Awards
October 15th is White Cane Awareness Day. I've put together this short video to raise awareness of how I navigate with my white cane and to encourage people to be more aware of their surroundings. If you want to learn more about my white cane why not check out my other posts! Learn all about… Continue reading White Cane Awareness Day
As a visually impaired white cane user, there is nothing worse than walking straight into an unexpected hazard. Unfortunately in London there are now thousands of them. Dockless bike schemes exploded all over the capital, and the UK generally, in the last couple of years. These app based initiatives allow anyone to log in, pick… Continue reading Dockless Bikes – a navigational nightmare!
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
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?
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?
The place I get stared at the most when I’m using my white cane is the cinema. A few months ago I was queuing up with Other Half to buy some popcorn and an older lady did a dramatic double take. According to OH, she then proceeded to turn around and repeatedly look me up… Continue reading Painting a Picture with Words
I don’t really consider myself very fashionable. I’ve never had a massive interest in clothes. I wear makeup somewhat begrudgingly and constantly feel like I’m probably getting it wrong. My wardrobe contains more PJs than nice dresses. A recent transition to a new job has meant I’ve had to dress a bit more professionally in… Continue reading Bold, Blind & Beautiful?
With the rise in hate crime so evident, street harassment is on the minds of many of us. However, for disabled people, street harassment is a matter of every-day living. It is a very rare day that I am able to leave the house with my wheelchair and not be subjected to some form of… Continue reading “Just Ask, Don’t Grab”: the role of Active Bystander Intervention
