Tag: Severely Sight Impaired
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Back to class: 12 months on
This week Chester and I celebrate another huge milestone – one year since we started on class. No matter how much they prepared me, I honestly didn’t realise how much goes into training with a new guide dog. Once the initial matching process is complete and you get that life-changing phone call, there are a…
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Musings from a Blind Man: A late-night taxi ride home
I’m sat dozing in the back of a taxi, heading home after a late work event. Chester is laid on the floor next to me in the back of the comfortable MPV, exhausted after such a busy day. As we head on into the night my eyes flicker open and I attempt to gather my…
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Introducing Chester, my Sunburst Saviour
It’s been months since I put pen to paper so sitting here in a dreary Saturday morning, it seemed a fine time to make a fresh brew and open my notebook. So, what’s been going on since I last wrote anything? I’m not going to lie, it’s been a manic second half of the year…
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Navigating Sight Loss – 2 years on
It honestly feels that things have always been this way and, even though I have only just passed my second anniversary of being registered Sight Impaired, so much has happened that I often forget what life was like before. I promise you this piece won’t be about what a voyage of discovery I’ve been on…
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Van life: Can this blind petrol head really be happy in the slow lane?
If someone had told me 6 months ago that I would be sat outside my 20+ year-old camper van at 8 o’clock on a rainy Sunday morning in early Spring looking out at the Brecon Beacons. I’d have laughed in their face. But, here I am, pen in hand, legs wrapped in a blanket and…
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An open email to the candidates for West Berkshire local elections: April 2023
With the local elections around the corner, I wanted to find out a little bit about the stances of the potential counsellors for my local Tilehurst ward of West Berkshire Council. This email has been sent to the candidates of all the parties standing for election which are: Conservative Liberal Democrat Labour Green I’ve copied…
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Agatha Christie to Aretha Franklin: From talking books to LPs and the benefits of accessible design for all
Last time out we looked at the concept of disability not being a medical term, but a social construct in the article Disabled in an Abled World. This time, I’d like to delve into this further, exploring what can be done to make a more accessible space for everyone and how the benefits of inclusive…
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Disabled in an abled world
Disability comes as a result of many circumstances. For some it’s from a freak occurrence such as an accident or an acute medical condition, others are affected by it from birth and still others it happens over time like a dormant beast, slowly waking. For those of you who’ve read my other posts, you’ll know…
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Twelve hours to Glasgow – One blind person’s account on travelling during a heat wave
What a week, after starting it with the hottest temperatures on record, I had the unenviable task of heading north for work. Whilst my colleagues all flew, I opted to catch the train because, although slower, having the choice between travelling by train or air with a visual impairment, I always opt to stay as…
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