How I found the beauty of having a vision impairment

A recent conversation about how I got to where I am today and how I have conquered some of the challenges that have been thrown at me over the years in regards to my vision impairment gave me some food for thought. It made me stop and think about the rollercoaster ride it has been so far, and how I navigated the twists and turns.

One thought that seemed to dominate this reflection was how I found the silver linings. So naturally, I’ve taken to the blog to collate my thoughts and feelings.

I’ve dug deep and  put together some of the more poignant aspects that helped me find the true beauty of having a vision impairment.

Support from family and friends, the disabled community and finding the positives all played a huge factor, but I wanted to delve into more of the feelings and realisations that helped me get to where I am today in terms of loving my disability.

 

Many of my teenage years were laced with constant battles regarding my vision impairment, often obscuring its true beauty. but I found the light, which let the beautiful side shine through.

I don’t think I realised the true beauty of my disability until I was comfortable with it, and I mean really comfortable.

As time went on, I found the inner beauty of my vision impairment and here we are today.

Having a disability is not a bad thing, it’s beautiful. Being disabled fills me with so much happiness and pride.

But how did I find the beauty of having a vision impairment?

 

I embraced the journey.

My vision impairment journey has been a wild ride. There’s been many highs and lows which have each contributed to the journey in one way or another. It may not have seemed clear at the time, but every challenge or obstacle that I’ve had to overcome has helped me take the next step.

Sometimes I feel defeated by the barriers I face, and sometimes I feel elated by them. Sometimes I get frustrated, and sometimes I feel like I can take on the world. That’s all part and parcel of having a disability.

We all ride our own wave when it comes to our journey with our disability.

This post wouldn’t have been complete without acknowledging my vision impairment journey because it has been the main factor in where I am today in regards to loving my disability in every way possible.

In some ways, the journey never ends. It’s a bit like an open book, we’re always turning the pages.

 

I addressed it

Addressing every aspect of my vision impairment over the years has helped me immensely on my journey of love and acceptance.

I’d say that addressing some of the more practical aspects such as mobility and advocacy was key in finding the beautiful side of my vision impairment.

The older I got, the more comfortable I became advocating for myself, which lead me to using my platform to advocate for others as well.

I knew that I had to stick up for myself, fight those battles and show people that my blindness doesn’t make me any different to anyone else.

I also addressed my vision impairment in other ways. I found the positives of the skills I’ve gained because of my vision impairment, and found ways of enhancing my independence to build the foundations of my future.

Addressing my vision impairment head on has helped me to find so many of the positives that I wouldn’t have found otherwise.,

I became more open about my vision impairment which made addressing it a lot easier.

 

I Accepted my reality.

Some people seem to have the idea that disabled people want to be fixed, or that we are looking for a cure.

I don’t wake up every day wishing that there was a cure for my vision impairment, in fact it doesn’t enter my head at all. Yes I get frustrated, but that’s by societal barriers, not my vision impairment itself. I have ‘bad days’ in terms of my eyes, but I no longer fight those days. I find my coping mechanisms and try to focus on the things that relieve the discomfort.

What I mean by ‘accepting my reality’ is that I don’t wish things were different.

I know that blindness is forever, and I’m comfortable with that.

Being happy with my normal and taking pride in my disability helped me find the real beauty of my blindness.

 

I found myself wanting more

It’s no secret that I very much had a feeling of resentment towards the long cane when I was a teenager. But over time, I realised the benefits it could bring to my life, and that it gave me so much independence.

I found myself embracing every aspect of my disability and the things that set me apart from everyone else. Embracing these aspects sparked something inside of me, I found myself pushing those doubts away and taking charge. Oh, and what a difference it made!

 

I found myself wanting more in terms of my future as well. From a young age, I was determined to set myself up for the future as best I could. I knew that things weren’t going to be easy, but I’ve always tried to do whatever I can to prove that just because I have a disability, I can still get to where I want to be in life. Proving people wrong can give you a real sense of motivation at times…

When I went onto university, I was no longer the shy, unconfident teenager. I was now comfortable in my own skin; I was a more confident version of myself. But most importantly, I had learned to love my disability.

Wanting to make the most of my life with a vision impairment has given me so much determination and motivation to succeed, and to prove that having a vision impairment doesn’t have to be an obstacle for success.

It has made me even more determined to prove that disability still means ability.

All of these things make having a vision impairment truly beautiful.

 

I became proud of my differences.

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to be equal to everyone else, trying to fit in. As a result, my differences have been disregarded. But I realised that they don’t need to be pushed to the side, they should be given centre stage.

Everyone has their differences; we wouldn’t be who we are without them.

Some might argue that my disability makes me different, but I am proud of being disabled. As a result of that I learned to love my differences.

I came to the conclusion that my differences are some of my biggest strengths, some of my greatest assets and above all, they are something to be proud of.  I’m proud of my differences today, and that will continue.

 

I found my happiness.

Finding my happiness in my vision impairment made me see how wonderful it is. I guess you could say that it helps me find the silver lining during the challenging times.

Proving to myself that my vision impairment doesn’t hold me back was a real turning point for me.

I found that my vision impairment and my passions aligned, creating opportunities and silently pushing me to try new things. I discovered the things that made me happy, and I found the things I am passionate about.

Finding my passions and figuring out that they intertwined with my disability made me realise that my vision impairment is helping to shape my future, and I discovered how powerful that is.

Of course, my family and friends were instrumental in me finding my happiness and continue to be the cheerleaders in my life.

Finding happiness in having a vision impairment is a monumental moment, and I don’t think I’d be where I am today if I hadn’t have got to that stage.

 

Finding the beauty of my vision impairment helped me find my sparkle, so I want to shine bright to help other people find theirs.

How did you find the beauty in your disability? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.

 

Holly x