It’s a tough state of mind to be in because at times you feel like you can see well enough, but there’s always those reminders that let you know that you really are legally blind.
Glad to come across this videos an hearing your perspective about this topic. Sometime I think that I am not blind enough becase every time I want to interact with a group of blind people and I said that I still do have remaining vision, some of them do not hide some discomfort or make remarks about the difference between blind and legally blind.
I hear you, that not blind enough feeling can make one feel like they’re not worthy of using a cane or having some of those blind perks. Thing is, it’s a spectrum and every blind person’s way of seeing or not seeing will almost be unique. I say focus on what you will need since you alone know your visual limitations best, and it’s no one else’s business, sighted or blind, to tell you that you can or can’t use a cane, screenreader, nmagnification, etc.
I felt like I was in denial for quite some time when I was first diagnosed with RP. As time went on I've taught myself how to use a cane. I taught myself many things as I slowly go blind and now that I can't see anything at all I am still teaching myself everyday. Another awesome video my friend take care
Hey, I’m glad that you’re still doing what you can to learn more. Also glad that you’re sharing your own story with others as well on your own platform. Keep doing what you do man. Thank you for the feedback s well.
This was spot on!! THANK YOU!! I am still in the RP closet because I don’t want repercussions at work and I don’t feel blind enough during the day. However at night it’s a very dark scary world. I am always scared people will think I am faking so I avoid going out at night. I haven’t used my cane in public either because people don’t know I have RP plus during the day I am ok. I have 38 degrees FOV so I can still drive in the daytime. So if someone sees me with a cane at night 🤦🏻♀️ but I can’t see at night it’s bad. People will see me just clumsy in the daytime then blind at night.
That sounds like a tough situation. Especially if you are stil able to drive. It goes to show that many people only assume blind with lights out darkness when in reality most of us blind folks have some vision.
Feeling not visually impaired enough, because I have Homonymous hemianopsia, kept me from getting a cane. I tripped in August on bad pavement on my blindside. I broke a bone. This was not the first time I tripped over something on my blindside. I just got my first cane.
I'm glad you decided to get a cane. Although I'm sorry to hear that you were hurt before that. I think most of us go through that moment when we realize we need one. A lot of the time it's because we ended up hurting ourselves.
There’s so many times I personally struggle with internalized ableism myself. I also struggle feeling like I fit in in the blind community or sighted community. It honestly, makes me feel worse and makes me feel like I need to fake being sighted to fit in.
I have a friend who says that they’re too sighted to be blind, and too blind to be sighted. It can indeed be an awkward tight rope to walk at times. Hang in there though because you know what’s best for you and it matters little what others might say. They’re not walking in your shoes and experiencing the world like you are.
I did feel like this for a long time. But as my retinitis pigmentosa progressed I have become more comfortable with it. Not feeling like you fit into the sighted community all the blind community is a difficult place to be.
Always interesting to hear other’s stories because it’s one of those that have something in common but the specifics are very individualized and unique to their person telling it.
Sometimes I wonder if feeling “not blind enough” comes from how others perceive it, especially from those who aren’t blind. Your mention of crossing the street was a great example of that. I can’t tell you how many times I had people think I was either faking or exaggerating my vision loss because I might be doing things independently deemed only for those with full vision to be capable of. What they don’t realize is the adaptations we use and had to learn to overcome.
Great video for those that may not feel blind enough. I've always been blind and have met a lot of other totally blind people as well as many who have or are experiencing different levels of sight loss. I can't imagine the process one goes through until they fully accept their sight loss and get the training they need which is absolutely necessary as you have helped us to understand. Like you said, even our state ID's would say legally blind so that's proof right there that someone has had some sight loss and when they are ready will need training which will tremendously pay off in the end. Thanks for explaining ableism. I kind of knew what it meant but not fully.
It’s always interesting getting the perspective from someone who is totally blind and isn’t having to go through that constant readjustment. Thanks for those thoughts Kristy. Really goes to show how much every blind or low vision individual experiences things differently. I’ll admit that this was a video I was very nervous about putting out.
It took me a while to accept my vission loss and i’m finally on that journey of talking about my life as legally blind here on youtube and expressing myself has helped me along the way.
It can be a pretty tough step to take when getting to the acceptance phase. I mean, it took me a bit to get there, so I don’t blame anyone who has deteriorating vision to immediately accept things. Especially if the vision loss is slow and the person adapts to it pretty decently.
I’m so glad it did because I was pretty nervous putting this one out there. I’m just one blind person, and my experience definitely does not speak for all which is why I was nervous about it.
@@JuanAlcazar I have similar thoughts when it comes to my creative writing! I sometimes worry that writing about blind/visually impaired characters, from my perspective, might not represent the whole community. But it's still a valid perspective, as someone who's writing from their own experiences. Thank you so much again for making this video. ❤️
Definitely sounds like a thought us creative folks go through as well. Although one thing I do have to remind myself of is everyone has their unique story to tell. Even if it’s similar to other people’s stories, no one is ever going to be able to tell things exactly from your own perspective.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts and feelings. It’s so complicated when you are loosing your vision over time. I have Stargardts. I kept it to myself and close family members for 20 years.
It’s so tough when you lose your vision slowly because it really makes you question how blind you are and sometimes that slow progression is something so minor that we may not even notice it a lot of times.
I've still got a lot of vision left, but even so I find when I finally start using an assistive device, like a cane or text to speech app, it makes my life SO much easier. Because of how much useable vision I still have, I am definitely working through feelings of not being blind enough, but I'm reworking that thought process to acknowledge and accept that it's currently not very consistent nor predictable, and it will deteriorate over the longer term.
Totally get where you’re coming from. I prefer using screen readers even though I have some vision. Like you said, it makes life so much easier. If I can use a screen reader then I’m pretty happy. If a site or application is accessible that is, but that’s another topic for another day.
At first it sounds like an awkward question, but then if you’re in that train of thought, you kind of start thinking that it’s true for some reason. Well, I’m speaking more for myself here.
Took me a year to realise I need help. RP is a slow progressive condition I have no peripheral vision but still have decent central vision. I decided to get cane training and counselling as I realised my condition is here to stay and I need to prepare myself. Thanks
I’m glad that you’re preparing in the case that you lose more vision. It’s always good to have a foundation to build on later if you need to add on to those skills you’re training. Best of luck with your continued training.
If the tools are available, consider using them. My car has a forward camera that can calculate the approach of an object. If I come up on it too fast, the car will apply the brake. I never heard the word ableism until a few days ago when Sia's new video, "Oh body" got blasted. Out of 5,000 possible likes, 3,000 were thumbs down. They accused her of both ableism and blackfishing. Uh oh! 😲
Definitely if the tools are available then use them. Yeah as far as Sia goes. I’m not liking what she’s been doing lately with the disability community.
I feel like that as well. I have a Caine now. even though I do have some sight Its contrast with me if you have steps in front of you that are blended into the flat paving stones I can trip down them. I find people like to invade your space because they think you can't see them. I have A retired guide dog but that walked into things more than I did. he is a good companion. I totally get you about discrimination. once a man asked for directions. and then joked saying fancy asking a blind man where to go. I just laughed it off and thought I want tell you next time. what annoyed me more is anther time a truck driver asked for directions and I told him and I sore him a few yards away asking someone else. very few people are totally blind they do have some vision of different degrees. its not the things you can see you should be worried about its the things you can't I struggle to see peoples faces if they are to far away. and dark and gray silver cars when they don't have their head lights on gray cloudy days. total strangers would come up to me and ask what could I see I just said it was hard to explain. which it is. I have some pin hole glasses that help me see to watch the TV. and when I was out I had a small Telescope to see the bus numbers because when its bright sunshine I can't see the orange dots that make up the letters and numbers until its to late its a small town so if I see someone I know who is getting the same bus I'm happy. you shouldn't let things stop you from your hubby's. I knew a man who was registered blind he could a bird in the sky a couple of miles away and yet he couldn't see at the sides or above or below a bit like looking through a pillow box. I lean towards the attitude that my eyes may get better. with the different technology thats coming out all the time. I hope this as helped you
Trying to explain your vision and what you can’t and can see has to be one of those difficult to do things since it really is complicated to explain to someone not going through it. I still recall a shirt that “The Blind Life” has that says “I can see. But I can’t”. Sometimes I wish people knew that more.
I’m sorry to hear that your vision problems happened due to a stroke. Sometimes it does feel difficult to think if you are quote, blind enough, but one does have to realize that many of these tools for low vision or blind individuals is for our benefit. One shouldn’t feel that they’re not blind enough, especially since every person with vision problems sees things in their own unique way.
I was telling a coworker that I wasn't wanting to be identified as a VIP, when we finished chatting I was like hey you left you phone. She was like ahh those are napkins 😂
Yes I’m going through the same thing thanks so much for your content!!!!😎👍🏼
It’s a tough state of mind to be in because at times you feel like you can see well enough, but there’s always those reminders that let you know that you really are legally blind.
Glad to come across this videos an hearing your perspective about this topic. Sometime I think that I am not blind enough becase every time I want to interact with a group of blind people and I said that I still do have remaining vision, some of them do not hide some discomfort or make remarks about the difference between blind and legally blind.
I hear you, that not blind enough feeling can make one feel like they’re not worthy of using a cane or having some of those blind perks. Thing is, it’s a spectrum and every blind person’s way of seeing or not seeing will almost be unique. I say focus on what you will need since you alone know your visual limitations best, and it’s no one else’s business, sighted or blind, to tell you that you can or can’t use a cane, screenreader, nmagnification, etc.
I felt like I was in denial for quite some time when I was first diagnosed with RP. As time went on I've taught myself how to use a cane. I taught myself many things as I slowly go blind and now that I can't see anything at all I am still teaching myself everyday. Another awesome video my friend take care
Hey, I’m glad that you’re still doing what you can to learn more. Also glad that you’re sharing your own story with others as well on your own platform. Keep doing what you do man. Thank you for the feedback s well.
This was spot on!! THANK YOU!! I am still in the RP closet because I don’t want repercussions at work and I don’t feel blind enough during the day. However at night it’s a very dark scary world. I am always scared people will think I am faking so I avoid going out at night. I haven’t used my cane in public either because people don’t know I have RP plus during the day I am ok. I have 38 degrees FOV so I can still drive in the daytime. So if someone sees me with a cane at night 🤦🏻♀️ but I can’t see at night it’s bad. People will see me just clumsy in the daytime then blind at night.
That sounds like a tough situation. Especially if you are stil able to drive. It goes to show that many people only assume blind with lights out darkness when in reality most of us blind folks have some vision.
Feeling not visually impaired enough, because I have Homonymous hemianopsia, kept me from getting a cane. I tripped in August on bad pavement on my blindside. I broke a bone. This was not the first time I tripped over something on my blindside.
I just got my first cane.
I'm glad you decided to get a cane. Although I'm sorry to hear that you were hurt before that. I think most of us go through that moment when we realize we need one. A lot of the time it's because we ended up hurting ourselves.
@@JuanAlcazar the O&M instructor never suggested one, but that was in 1986.
There’s so many times I personally struggle with internalized ableism myself. I also struggle feeling like I fit in in the blind community or sighted community. It honestly, makes me feel worse and makes me feel like I need to fake being sighted to fit in.
I have a friend who says that they’re too sighted to be blind, and too blind to be sighted. It can indeed be an awkward tight rope to walk at times. Hang in there though because you know what’s best for you and it matters little what others might say. They’re not walking in your shoes and experiencing the world like you are.
I'm there with you! Thanks for the info.
I did feel like this for a long time. But as my retinitis pigmentosa progressed I have become more comfortable with it. Not feeling like you fit into the sighted community all the blind community is a difficult place to be.
Always interesting to hear other’s stories because it’s one of those that have something in common but the specifics are very individualized and unique to their person telling it.
Nice man! Really enjoy the laid-back conversation style of this video!
Thanks man. I really wanted this one to have that conversational feel to it. So I’m glad that came through.
I sure appreciate your words. It's so on point to where I am. Thank you.
Thank you. I’m hoping the video helps a little bit.
Sometimes I wonder if feeling “not blind enough” comes from how others perceive it, especially from those who aren’t blind. Your mention of crossing the street was a great example of that. I can’t tell you how many times I had people think I was either faking or exaggerating my vision loss because I might be doing things independently deemed only for those with full vision to be capable of. What they don’t realize is the adaptations we use and had to learn to overcome.
It’s such an awkward catch -22 isn’t it? If we struggle then we’re incapable, but if we do well then we are accused of faking blindness or low vision.
Great video for those that may not feel blind enough. I've always been blind and have met a lot of other totally blind people as well as many who have or are experiencing different levels of sight loss. I can't imagine the process one goes through until they fully accept their sight loss and get the training they need which is absolutely necessary as you have helped us to understand. Like you said, even our state ID's would say legally blind so that's proof right there that someone has had some sight loss and when they are ready will need training which will tremendously pay off in the end. Thanks for explaining ableism. I kind of knew what it meant but not fully.
It’s always interesting getting the perspective from someone who is totally blind and isn’t having to go through that constant readjustment. Thanks for those thoughts Kristy. Really goes to show how much every blind or low vision individual experiences things differently. I’ll admit that this was a video I was very nervous about putting out.
It took me a while to accept my vission loss and i’m finally on that journey of talking about my life as legally blind here on youtube and expressing myself has helped me along the way.
It can be a pretty tough step to take when getting to the acceptance phase. I mean, it took me a bit to get there, so I don’t blame anyone who has deteriorating vision to immediately accept things. Especially if the vision loss is slow and the person adapts to it pretty decently.
This video sums it up perfectly.
I’m so glad it did because I was pretty nervous putting this one out there. I’m just one blind person, and my experience definitely does not speak for all which is why I was nervous about it.
@@JuanAlcazar I have similar thoughts when it comes to my creative writing! I sometimes worry that writing about blind/visually impaired characters, from my perspective, might not represent the whole community. But it's still a valid perspective, as someone who's writing from their own experiences. Thank you so much again for making this video. ❤️
Definitely sounds like a thought us creative folks go through as well. Although one thing I do have to remind myself of is everyone has their unique story to tell. Even if it’s similar to other people’s stories, no one is ever going to be able to tell things exactly from your own perspective.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts and feelings. It’s so complicated when you are loosing your vision over time. I have Stargardts. I kept it to myself and close family members for 20 years.
It’s so tough when you lose your vision slowly because it really makes you question how blind you are and sometimes that slow progression is something so minor that we may not even notice it a lot of times.
I've still got a lot of vision left, but even so I find when I finally start using an assistive device, like a cane or text to speech app, it makes my life SO much easier. Because of how much useable vision I still have, I am definitely working through feelings of not being blind enough, but I'm reworking that thought process to acknowledge and accept that it's currently not very consistent nor predictable, and it will deteriorate over the longer term.
Totally get where you’re coming from. I prefer using screen readers even though I have some vision. Like you said, it makes life so much easier. If I can use a screen reader then I’m pretty happy. If a site or application is accessible that is, but that’s another topic for another day.
I have definitely said that to myself many times…
At first it sounds like an awkward question, but then if you’re in that train of thought, you kind of start thinking that it’s true for some reason. Well, I’m speaking more for myself here.
Took me a year to realise I need help. RP is a slow progressive condition I have no peripheral vision but still have decent central vision. I decided to get cane training and counselling as I realised my condition is here to stay and I need to prepare myself. Thanks
I have RP as well. I hope you're doing okay and good luck with cane training!
I’m glad that you’re preparing in the case that you lose more vision. It’s always good to have a foundation to build on later if you need to add on to those skills you’re training. Best of luck with your continued training.
Hi Great video x I feel like this not accepting my vision loss. I'm starting to get help now . I'm new to your videos .
It can be a slow process for a lot of us. It was slow for me to get to that point. Best of luck with your sight loss journey. Go at your own pace.
If the tools are available, consider using them. My car has a forward camera that can calculate the approach of an object. If I come up on it too fast, the car will apply the brake. I never heard the word ableism until a few days ago when Sia's new video, "Oh body" got blasted. Out of 5,000 possible likes, 3,000 were thumbs down. They accused her of both ableism and blackfishing. Uh oh! 😲
Definitely if the tools are available then use them. Yeah as far as Sia goes. I’m not liking what she’s been doing lately with the disability community.
I feel like that as well. I have a Caine now. even though I do have some sight Its contrast with me if you have steps in front of you that are blended into the flat paving stones I can trip down them. I find people like to invade your space because they think you can't see them. I have A retired guide dog but that walked into things more than I did. he is a good companion. I totally get you about discrimination. once a man asked for directions. and then joked saying fancy asking a blind man where to go. I just laughed it off and thought I want tell you next time. what annoyed me more is anther time a truck driver asked for directions and I told him and I sore him a few yards away asking someone else. very few people are totally blind they do have some vision of different degrees. its not the things you can see you should be worried about its the things you can't I struggle to see peoples faces if they are to far away. and dark and gray silver cars when they don't have their head lights on gray cloudy days. total strangers would come up to me and ask what could I see I just said it was hard to explain. which it is. I have some pin hole glasses that help me see to watch the TV. and when I was out I had a small Telescope to see the bus numbers because when its bright sunshine I can't see the orange dots that make up the letters and numbers until its to late its a small town so if I see someone I know who is getting the same bus I'm happy. you shouldn't let things stop you from your hubby's. I knew a man who was registered blind he could a bird in the sky a couple of miles away and yet he couldn't see at the sides or above or below a bit like looking through a pillow box. I lean towards the attitude that my eyes may get better. with the different technology thats coming out all the time. I hope this as helped you
Trying to explain your vision and what you can’t and can see has to be one of those difficult to do things since it really is complicated to explain to someone not going through it. I still recall a shirt that “The Blind Life” has that says “I can see. But I can’t”. Sometimes I wish people knew that more.
I know this feeling😢 vision issues due to stroke. Not easy.
I’m sorry to hear that your vision problems happened due to a stroke. Sometimes it does feel difficult to think if you are quote, blind enough, but one does have to realize that many of these tools for low vision or blind individuals is for our benefit. One shouldn’t feel that they’re not blind enough, especially since every person with vision problems sees things in their own unique way.
I was telling a coworker that I wasn't wanting to be identified as a VIP, when we finished chatting I was like hey you left you phone. She was like ahh those are napkins 😂
Yes, good old blind moments. I’ve ended up talking to inanimate objects, thinking that they are people. Good times lol.