Vision Stories

 

Freedom - Evelyn Martin

In August last year I attended Guide Dogs QLD using the "Trekker Breeze", which is a GPS unit. This is a wonderful tool, which gives me the ability to get around on my own. I'm able to record landmarks and routes to the places I visit often, I can also record hazards I might come accross and I never get lost - a press of a button tells me where I am at any given time and I love using the "Breeze".

It isn't perfect as it loses the signal when there are heavy clouds, and of course it doesn't work in shopping centres. I can live with that as I like to be outdoors most of the time. Having speech makes it like a friend going along with me, it tells me what street I'm on, when I'm approaching an intersection, and even tells me some of the businesses around me. Best of all it tells me where the various ATM's are. 

I'm free to go wherever I fancy with my cane and "Breeze" as both give me the information I need. I'm 72 years old and without these tools and the training from Guide Dogs QLD I know I would be reliant on people being availabe to take me places, I love my "Trekker Breeze".
                                           

Patricia Stillman

Patricia Stillman is a tireless peer support worker in the Wide Bay/Burnett region. And although Patricia has significant vision loss this does not stop her providing information and advice to those with eyesight problems, organising and representing peer support workers in the community, liaising with low vision services, including Lions Low Vision Clinics, and raising awareness of vision loss and blindness in the community.

Patricia recently appeared on ABC radio with Production Manager ABC Wide Bay Ross Peddlesden, to talk about some of the issues faced by those who have vision loss and blindness in our community. They took to the streets of Bundaberg, with Ross wearing simulated goggles (to simulate Macular Degeneration & Retinitis Pigmentosa).

Patricia has also written Sighted Guide Etiquette, which points out some of the ways you can help people who are blind or vision impaired to enjoy their social, recreation & leisure activities safely and avoiding embarrassment.  Click here to read Patricia's Sighted Guide Etiquette: Sighted%20Etiquette.pdf

My Smaller World 

Living with Ushers Syndrome and Retinitis Pigmentosa

by Jenny Page

To wander into any shopping centre may seems just a normal everyday task for many, but to me it’s a major achievement to be able to reach my destination (such as the supermarket or the shops) with dignity and less stress. The confusing state of changing environment from daylight into dimly lit buildings, and the reverse from a dimly lit environment to harsh daylight, is a shock to my system.

You may ask why?  Surely you can perform that it's easy, but it's not so, for I am suffering from Ushers Symdome - a condition which leaves me hearing impaired and also with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). RP left me with an extremely narrow field of vision, and moving about it is difficult to navigate safely. To achieve this I have to use the long cane. Yes the one with the jumbo ball on the end of it. How people stare at this, and how many children say "What is that for?"

Through my eyes I see a small world, a tunnel, but within my small world I find the challenges can be rewarding even though at times it is very daunting and tiring.To be independent is crucial for me. It is  important to maintain as normal as possible a lifestyle, without too much assistance from the sighted community.

My small world is getting even smaller, I can no longer recognise people's faces as I did before, and the reality of deteriorating vision is often obvious to me and others around me. For example, when a person greet s me as they walk by and they don’t say who they are, it leaves me thinking,  "Oh, who is that person, I only wish they said their name". You may ask why don’t you ask them, but often they simply forget I am vision impaired - to the point I can't see them as clearly as once before.

To endeavour out in the wider community is almost soul destroying. I have experienced both the downs and ups of being accepted as a person - not as someone with a major disability. To see me I look normal, but if you see me with a long cane - well ok that person is blind. Some may approach me and say, "What’s wrong with your eyes … are you blind?" They forget I am a normal thinking person just like they are, perhaps I even think more than a sighted person.

The positive aspects of finding the courage of getting out there, and meet people, and  to find an interest in this wider world can be most rewarding.To find an interest or hobby in which vision loss does not interfere and to show the seeing community what I can do.  My experiment in undertaking creative writing as well as poetry has been most positive, not only for me, but for my fellow sighted classmates. I found myself creating essays and stories every week, which  widened and enhanced my small world.

One aspect of living with vision impairment, which is often so frustrating, is to maintain a reasonable stress free environment in the home. For me, I have to put items away and not being able to see where I put them, it leaves me searching and just about pulling my hair out in pure torment - only to find the item is right before me, Once again places, which were not so dark, have now become very dark and annoying (such as wardrobes and kitchen cupboards), When I open such a door I am confronted with darkness and unable to see what is in the cupboard or wardrobe. I have to reach my hand out and feel what is in there or use a torch, which is not always in reach, These situations can be managed with proper planning and proper lighting, Even worse are shoes. I have to make sure I put the right shoes on, not different ones or different colours, which I have done twice with sheer abashment.

Now lets go back to the shops. I told you about the difficulty in accessing the shops, but what about when I am in the shop, I have to find what I need  and once again with my increasing narrow world these shopping experiences have proven both very embarrassing, but often amusing, I often call these situations my blind bloopers. Let me tell you of a few:

I once was searching for an item of clothing only to reach out and feel the clothing - not knowing a person was wearing it.

Many times I have bumped into what I throught was a person, but it turned out to be a shop dummy!

Once I ventured out to grab a takeaway for lunch, but stepped into the wrong shop which was right next door, To my horror it was a adult shop! And yes I did ask for a takeaway sandwich.

In my attempt to catch public transport, I  stepped up into the bus driver’s seat!

I walked towards the counter of a local video shop thinking I was holding my now deceased partner’s hand, only to be holding the hand of a man wearing the same colour shirt as my late partner.

 With my night blindness I found myself tangled in bushes after trying to locate my mailbox at nighttime.

These are just some of my "living with a vision impairment bloopers",  which I experienced. But with humour I have learned to cope with these often very embarrassing situations.

I am a person with vision impairment but I am proud I can manage and live in my ever-increasing smaller world.  

 

 

Ron Doyle wins the Harry Buchbach vision impaired person award - white cane user award

Ron Doyle found out that he had retinitis pigmentosa around the time that he left school. Initially he worked in the building trade with his father; however when his sight worsened, he undertook a three year Welfare Course at Sydney Technical College. Since this time he has been involved in the counselling, support and raising of public awareness of the needs of many different groups.

Ron was a founder-member of the Retinal Dystrophy Foundation and also served on the committee for a few years. He has also been CEO of the Lone Fathers Association of NSW, a Recreation Officer and Sheltered Workshop Recreation Officer for The Royal Blind Society and Residential Carer and Client Services Manager for a Residential Organisation.

After 25 rewarding years in the welfare industry (mostly with people with vision impairment) Ron has now retired and he has recently started Long Cane Training through Guide Dogs to familiarise himself with the local shops and community. He was recently awarded the Harry Buchbach vision impaired person - white cane user award.

Learning the piano audio CD

Piano teacher Chris has recently put together a CD for those wishing to learn the piano, but can not use print material. 

'LEARN TO PLAY THE KEYBOARD' without sheet music with my Audio CD  'Simply Listen and Play' Riada ®

My name is Chris Shillabeer and I live in South Australia. I have been a music teacher for almost 35 years successfully teaching Piano Keyboard Organ and Theory. Several years ago I was challenged by two blind people to teach them music for pleasure, so I developed a non traditional method without the need to read sheet music which has now been used for several years very successfully and has brought much pleasure to those using it.
Recently, I decided that there may be other people who could also enjoy learning this way so I redesigned the concept so that it is now suitable for either blind, vision impaired and sighted people.  I have dedicated it to Clive Thelning and Camille Bridges both students and very special friends who entrusted me with this challenge. The first audio CD has now been professionally recorded using keyboard and is a Tutorial of music lessons without the need to read sheet music, and as the title describes, people need to just 'Simply Listen and Play'
My vision is for this audio CD to reach people of all ages, in all areas including the remote regions where it is often difficult to access teachers. I believe music is for everyone to enjoy at various levels and more people need the opportunity to experience 'the joy of music'
Please visit my website where you will find a description about my audio CD and a sample www.simplylistenandplay.com.au 
My email address is simplylistenandplay@bigpond.com 
Click here to view audio CD image: Chris%20-%20Piano%20DVD%20Slick.pdf
Click here to view new Christmas CD image: DVD%20Slick%20CD2.pdf

Health and wellbeing?

Have you ever wanted to exercise more, but you can’t access the gym because of your low vision. 

Under the Government’s Medicare Plus scheme, you may be eligible for help from an exercise physiologist.
To arrange a visit to an exercise physiologist all you need to do is: 

1. Make an appointment for a long consultation with your GP.  Ask for a referral to an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, who can do an assessment and prescribe suitable physical activities. 
2. Visit the Exercise Physiologist. She/he is likely to have contacts with local facilities and can suggest the best long-term exercise program.

There are also a number of other items covered under Medicare Plus.
For more information download the Medicare Plus Information brochure Chronic%20and%20Complex%20Patient%20Brochure%20%20-%20Jan%2009.pdf  and fact sheet:Chronic%20and%20Complex%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Jan%2009.pdf

 

The History of the White Cane, White Cane Day and Dinner

At the International Lions convention in Canada, the white cane was adopted for vision handicapped people in 1931. The White cane has now been in use in Australia for approximately 69 years, and when Lions was formed in Australia in 1947, the white cane/vision handicap was adopted by them as a project.

In 1925 Helen Keller became involved and she challenged Lions to become ‘Knights of the Blind’. The first International white cane safety day was proclaimed by Lyndon Johnson on 15 October 1964. The first white cane safety day in Queensland was 15 October 1967, with the first dinner occurring on 15 October 1970.

In 1987 Hazel and Rosemary Sanders presented a Perpetual Shield plus $1,000 to be presented to a blind or Vision Impaired person nominated by one of the blind organisations. This Award became known as the L J Memorial Sanders White Cane User of the Year Award.  In memory of Hazel’s husband and Rosemary’s father (who was an Industrial Chemist during his life), the Award is now known as “THE HAZEL & LOUIS SANDERS MEMORIAL AWARD”. This name change took place from 2008, when a new Shield was manufactured, because the old one had no space left on it for names.

In 2003 the Sanders raised the amount to $1250.

RECIPRIANTS OF THE AWARD

 
1987 Joanne Cheah
1988 Barry Murray
1989 Peter Barnes
1990 Trevor Vayro
1991 Kelvin Steinhardt
1992 Karen Knight
1993 AnnMarie O’Connell
1994 Doris Carter
1995 Jenny Finch
1996 Mervyn Matthews
1997 Lynette Eagers
1998 Alan Hinton
1999 Harold Norris
2000 Michael Arndt
2001 Kin Kirkpatrick
2002 Arthur Chawner
2003 Jenny Scown
2004  Patricia Stillman
2005  Peter Vance.
2006 Graeme Stevens.
2007 Tonia Baker
2008 Des Pampling.
2009 Shane Gscheidle [nominated by Aid for the Blind]

Jenny Finch, who was Secretary for many years, passed away, June 2006.
Hazel Sanders Passed away on 5 October 2006.