7 things that help me to stay positive about my vision impairment

My vision impairment has had a positive impact on my life in many ways, and these are the things that make having a disability so wonderful.

However, there’s no denying that there can be times when having a disability can be very frustrating, as we’re presented with many challenges or we have to overcome various hurdles. People’s wrongly preconceived ideas and assumptions can also add to this frustration.

 

I think it’s absolutely okay to admit that we all have our ‘down days’ when it comes to our disability, some days I’m more frustrated about aspects of my vision impairment than others, but for the most part everything is absolutely fine. My vision impairment is my normal and I’m okay with that.

Other than the symptoms that come with the chronic inflammation I have in my left eye, I wouldn’t say that it is my vision impairment that frustrates me though, because in all honesty, most of the time it is the society we live in – when a website or document isn’t accessible, when I encounter an obstacle that I have to navigate around when I’m out and about, or when I’m unable to do something independently. I wholeheartedly think it’s the social model of disability – the society we live in, not my disability itself.

It’s important to remember that regardless of disability or not, everyone has their down days, and there are many factors that contribute to these.

 

However, I have so many things to be grateful for when it comes to my vision impairment, it has contributed to many aspects of my life in a positive way. Despite the negative connotations surrounding disability, it is possible to love the life you have when you have a vision impairment or any other disability.

 

People have asked me how I’m so positive about my vision impairment and to be honest, I never quite know what to say, because it comes naturally to me. I don’t dwell on the negatives and always try to focus on the positives. Part of that may come from the positive, determined person I am, but I also firmly believe that there are many wonderful aspects of having a vision impairment or any other disability. I personally think the positives outweigh the negatives.

The positives may be a bit harder to find on the down days, but remember it isn’t impossible.

 

Everyone is on their own journey with their disability and at a different stage, we always need to bear that in mind.

I’m hoping that by sharing some of the things that help me stay positive about my vision impairment might help you to find the light when you’re stuck in the dark.

I hope this post provides some comfort and reassurance to those of you that may need it.

 

Surrounding myself with the right people

Let’s be real here, there are people that just don’t get it, no matter how much you educate or inform them. Not everyone is going to understand, and that’s something we all experience at some point in our lives, for one reason or another, no matter how big or small it may be.

I feel extremely lucky to have very supportive family and friends which makes such a huge difference. They look beyond it and see me for the person I am, they don’t just see my disability.

My family have never wrapped me up in Cotton wool, they have always encouraged me to do the things I want to and have never stopped me from doing anything because of my vision impairment.

It is important to surround yourself with positive, trustworthy, supportive people.

 

Jumping over the hurdles

There are many barriers we have to break down and hurdles we have to jump through in order to access the same things as everyone else, but we become accustom to this. It can leave us feeling angry and frustrated, but if you look at this from the flip side, these experiences can make us extremely determined, and we don’t give up without a fight!

They may seem hard to conquer at the time, but looking back we should be proud of ourselves.

They help to shape us into the person we are.

Whenever I look back and reflect on the barriers I’ve faced, it gives me a great sense of achievement and makes me think about the things I’ve gone through in order to get to where I am today. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve done it, and I should be proud of that.

 

The disabled community

I spoke at great length about the importance of the online disabled community in a recent post, and it really is one of the positive aspects of having a vision impairment.

The online disabled community is one of the many reasons I’m proud of having a disability, I take pride in being part of such an empowering community.

It always gives me that bit of hope and positivity whenever I need it most, especially when people just get what you’re talking about or how you’re feeling. There’s something really comforting about talking to others that can relate.

 

Realising how far I’ve come over the years

I haven’t always been the most confident person, and haven’t always embraced my disability. During my teenage years, I was very quiet and probably didn’t stick up for myself as much as I should have.

Over the years, I’ve taken huge steps in terms of independence, become so much more confident, and become a lot better at advocating for myself and others.

Looking back at how far I’ve come over the years makes me feel proud and shows that embracing your disability, becoming more confidence and gaining in dependence can make a world of difference.

 

Making the most of my vision impairment

I may not be able to see, but I can appreciate things in other ways, so I always try to make the most of this. It gives me a unique perspective on life, and that’s got to be a positive hasn’t it??

In some ways, my vision impairment has made me strive even more to succeed and achieve my goals in order to show people that my blindness doesn’t have to hold me back.

My vision impairment has given me many practical skills that I wouldn’t have otherwise such as learning Braille and how to use a range of assistive technology, as well as a long cane. But it has also given me other skills and traits such as learning to be an advocate and how to campaign effectively.

 

Blogging

My disability helped me find my love of writing, I think that is a great example of one of the many positives of having a disability.

My blog is so much more than just a hobby for me, it’s my platform for raising awareness, educating society, helping others and striving for change.

Writing for my own blog as well as other publications has helped me find some positives of my vision impairment that I may have never even discovered if I hadn’t have found my love of writing or started my blog.

 

Helping others

My vision impairment has given me a number of opportunities to help others through volunteering for local and national charities or taking part in campaigns, as well as writing my blog posts just to name a few.

If my writing helps just one person, then that makes me very happy and makes me love my disability even more.

I guess I could say that my vision impairment has made me even more passionate about helping others because I want them to realise their full potential, I want them to know that you can achieve the things you want to, I want to offer support to people that may need a bit of advice. I didn’t have any disabled role models growing up, so I guess in a way I want to be that role model to the younger generation.

 

I can also use my experiences of living with a vision impairment in a predominantly sighted world to raise awareness, create change and strive for equality.

 

There are so many positives of having a vision impairment – it has allowed me to connect with some amazing people and form friendships, share my experiences, help other people in a similar situation, raise awareness and educate others. It has also made me find ways of breaking down barriers which always gives me more determination and motivation.

 

I think it is extremely important to find the positives of having a disability, it can help with love and acceptance as well as gaining a little perspective.

 

What are the positives of your disability? Let me know in the comments.

Holly x