Today is one filled with mixed emotions, concerns and thoughts. Today, 18th January 2015 is the last working day for my guide dog Vicky. We have been working together as a qualified team since 18th November 2009, and it has been an amazing 5
03
Sep 2016
So….. Today, this happened !!
It’s almost 11.00 o’clock, 12 hours after this crazy day started. The climbing arena was nothing like I had ever seen before and no matter how much I had researched and looked at photo after photo I was not prepared for the quarry that I
02
Sep 2016
Maybe I Should have said something before…..
Well, this is something new……. I am sat in the passenger seat of my friends car doing 70+ MPH on the M6 Motorway travelling on my way to Edinburgh; while typing this blog. My iPad is tethered to my phone for 4G and my voiceover
19
May 2017
I have a question for you
it is time for me to ask for you to help me. If I were to write a book, giving in sight into my life and how I have got myself in and out of many a situation. Would you read it? I am talking
15
Feb 2013
Missing the Obvious
I often feel silly and clumsy as I am totally and utterly able to miss the obvious. My condition is such that my field of vision is reduced and then what is left in the reduced bit is incredibly short-sighted. if I’m not focused on anything I can see a lot-or rather my brain tells me that that is the case. But as movement into the mix and I actually see very little.
This is me, there is no hiding the fact, but it does mean that when looking at a bigger view I can miss the obvious because I’m focussing on the wrong part of it.
I can often miss someone or something right in front of me, often a friend or family member waving. I can also be blinded by too much information and not see anything even though technically I can see it all. This is where my brain and memory comes in..
But then that’s for another blog!
28
Jan 2013
Perspective
Whether you have a visual impairment or not, we perceive things very differently.
When you look at the image included with this blog-what do you see? Don’t overthink it or spend more than 2 minutes looking at it before commenting below.
14
Dec 2012
Horsing around
Crazy how this works. As a child and adult I had a real fear of horses. These giants could kick, bite and trample you if they felt like it. The idea of ever sitting on one was definately out of the question.
I followed the rule that if I rode bike and the brakes failed, no-matter how painful I could always put my feet down, you just can’t do that with a horse. Surprisingly though and even shocking to me, I began to question my previous opinion.
Think how silly it sounded, plus now was it dug a big deal? I could Jo longer see the floor at that distance. I finally felt that I could trust a horse, maybe this had come from the level of trust that I had learnt to instil in Vicky my GD. Who knows!
One thing though, after that first time back many many months ago, where all I did was sit in the saddle while and instructor lead the horse ‘Tyson’ on a 20 minute walk, I was hooked.
Sitting up there on a horse I was Jo different, I was just another rider, no alterations, adaptions. Just me and the same kit as everyone else! I can now confidently ride at a trot, both rising or sitting. I can even tell the right & wrong footing of the horse by its feel when riding now. A technique that I picked up purely by feel as I can’t actually see the horses shoulder to tell which foot is forward.
I chose to ride at HRTC -The Hampshire Riding & Therapy Centre in FairOak, as they cater for students with ‘life altering conditions’ and also because the are a charity, not a commercial stables. I like the way they put it as a ‘life altering condition, as they were primarily started to educate young I diabetic children on looking after themselves with regular ssmaproteins and plenty of water just like the horses. At the stables everyone is equal, we are only judged on our riding ability and nothing else.
15
Oct 2012
I am a person!
I admit it, yes I have a disability…. But that is not all of me !!
As both a VIP (visually Impaired person) and GD (guide dog) owner the following scenario often happens:-
strangers stop you in the street and ask you if you know their friend/brother/daughter cousin. When you say no. You are often met with “oh, but their just like you.”
VIPs and GD owners don’t have a telepathic wave, just as wheelchair users or civil engineers or athletes don’t know everyone with the same condition or job as them.
I am me, an average height, bouncy (currently blonde) individual who also just happens to have a visual impairment.
I just try to follow this misconception when I was first registered. I thought that as a VIP I would have the same interests as other VIPs, so I threw myself into ‘Blind clubs’ and charity work and I have to say that what I discovered shocked me a little. The groups had helpful information, but on occasions things were not so pretty. At times there were some very negative discussions, about how other disabilities weren’t as devastating as sight loss, yet got more recognition lot more help.
I think that this is a very short sighted (pun intended) view. But by definition a disability Is a condition that puts person at a disadvantage physically, mentally, cognitively or sensory to others.
I’m not saying that because you have a disability you should be more understanding of others, but to fight one disability off against another is just like going back to the days of segregation where you only ‘mixed’ with your own kind.
a person is just that, they are defined by their personality, not by their disability. It is just a small the my of them, like the colour of their eyes, which hand they write with and fundamentally just like these other traits is part of a genetic makeup. And outside their control.
