{"id":4235,"date":"2020-08-21T17:30:04","date_gmt":"2020-08-21T15:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disabilityconnect.co.za\/?p=4235"},"modified":"2020-08-21T17:30:04","modified_gmt":"2020-08-21T15:30:04","slug":"are-you-blind-navigating-a-socially-distanced-world-with-a-visual-impairment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/2020\/08\/21\/are-you-blind-navigating-a-socially-distanced-world-with-a-visual-impairment\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cAre You Blind?\u201d navigating a socially distanced World with a visual impairment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cOnly one of you can enter the store,\u201d said the\u00a0grocery store employee<\/a>. I clenched my husband\u2019s hand, heart racing and quickly muttered, \u201cHe\u2019s my guide.\u201d We were standing at the front of a two-block line waiting to enter the store. The employee raised his eyebrow and jokingly said, \u201cWell you can\u2019t hold hands,\u201d to which my husband sternly replied, \u201cWe\u2019re not joking, I\u2019m her sighted guide.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It already felt like 100 degrees out and I was sweating profusely, unsure if it was heat related or the rush of anxiety. I let go of my husband\u2019s hand and tightly linked my arm with his. \u201cCan we enter?\u201d I quietly asked the employee, who reluctantly nodded yes and let us in. I was thankful this ordeal was over, but it\u2019s far from the only one I\u2019ve had in recent months<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new socially distant world<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

For me, walking into objects and people is part of everyday life. I have Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP<\/a>), a degenerative eye condition<\/a> and an invisible disability<\/a>. I only have central vision. To give you an idea of what I see, rub your eyes and then quickly look through a straw. No one could have prepared me for a world where social-distancing and masks<\/a> are mandatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine trying to\u00a0social-distance<\/a>\u00a0in narrow aisles with no peripheral vision and obstructed central vision. Without the guidance or verbal cues of my husband reading the directional signs or warning me that I\u2019m about to bump into someone, I\u2019m in for a dangerous experience. I typically get called many things while shopping alone. (I can\u2019t see you beside me waiting to pass in the aisle, so mumbling \u201cmoron\u201d will only make both of our days worse.)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at daily life in new ways<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

This pandemic has forced us all to look at daily life in ways we could never have imagined. We see posts on social media urging us to #BeKind. I believe many of us are trying to be compassionate right now, but as a person with a disability during COVID-19<\/a>, I’ve had more than my share of bad experiences too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My condition has no identifier, so unless I disclose it, you would never know I\u2019m legally blind. I\u2019ve been labelled as \u201clow vision,\u201d \u201cpartially sighted,\u201d \u201ccentral vision,” and any other term you can think of. I do not carry an identifying cane, but I do sometimes require the assistance of a sighted guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under normal circumstances, manoeuvring through life with low vision is challenging to say the least. Now add in social distancing of six feet; one-way aisles and taped floor markings to indicate where we should be standing; having to touch produce to discern freshness; and accidentally standing too close to people because I don\u2019t see them. Cue the nasty looks and unsolicited comments. I constantly hear, \u201cPay attention!\u201d \u201cDo I need to go over the guidelines of social-distancing?\u201d Last but not least: \u201cAre you blind?\u201d Actually, yes, I am. That response leads to a screeching halt in our exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n