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3-20-02 Guide to eSight: Adjusting to Blindness
Summary: Log into eSight. Check this week's "Featured Topic" on the Main Menu. Find links to seven articles about how others have accepted their visual impairments -- a key element for competing effectively in the world of work
Author: Nan Hawthorne, Editor eSight's NetWork News
Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, whose analysis of the stages of grief is accepted the world over, has noted that loss of sight is equated with death in societies where everything revolves around the visual. That's what those of us with visual impairments are up against. In fact, not all that long ago, the notion that someone needs to adjust to blindness would be deemed absurd, if not cruel. Blindness was considered a tragedy! You would often hear the remark, "I couldn't go on living, if I went blind!" A lot of people couldn't even say the word "blind" without stammering. This belief about blindness persists in most parts of the world -- and, wherever a person has had no exposure to blind people, in the world of work. With the civil rights movements bringing social inequities to light, legislation to protect disabled people from discrimination, advances in workplace technology and in medicine, and a new spirit of self-advocacy, now those of us who are blind need not settle for the tragic image we have borne for millennia. But sighted people are not the only individuals who need to be drawn into the 21st century about our capabilities. Each of us who experiences blindness must also be open to this "retooling" process. When I've talked to people I know about their adjustment to blindness (whether as a child growing up or as an adult who loses vision), it strikes me how difficult the struggle can be. But, given that we each must give a final heave to the "living in darkness" baggage we sometimes carry and then must grow in strength against low or even destructive expectations from others, it is no wonder the struggle is so tough. The single most important quality, however, in a disabled job candidate is self-confidence, a quality that comes from a healthy adjustment to feeling personally vulnerable. If you don't believe you can hack it, why should a prospective employer? Getting through the stages of grief described by Dr. Kubler-Ross is a pathway to self-acceptance and self-confidence Here are her five steps in "retooling:" "This isn't happening to me." "What's happening to me isn't fair!" "Maybe this won't happen to me if I..." "I can't bear what's happening to me." "Well, it happened. Now to go on with my life." These stages apply to any loss, large or small, and are subject to renewal with every change. The good news: You can adjust to being visually impaired. Lots of people have. I have. The bad news: You have to go through it all on your own. But, to help you on your journey, we offer the following seven articles on eSight Careers Network. They can be your "travel guides" and maybe give you some meaningful milestones. They may even make your journey a little shorter. Adjusting to Blindness, Visual Impairment: An Interview With Robert Newman Self-confidence: Key to Success in Job Hunting It's Up to You: Take Responsibility for Your Own Career Bad Attitudes, Bad Impact: An Editorial What to Expect From a Job Candidate Who Has Emotional Intelligence About Disability The Curbs Were Mostly in My Mind Bless the Mess, and the Happiness No two people experience adjustment the same way, but we can provide each other support and advice. You will find numerous stories about and by other eSight members -- like Bern, Liz, Rodney, Rhonda, Jesse, Curt and others -- through our Index of articles and in our many forums. To find handy links to these articles and much more: Login and select "Featured Topic: Adjusting to Blindness" from the Main Menu.


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3-20-02 Guide to eSight: Adjusting to Blindness

Author: Nan Hawthorne, Editor eSight's NetWork News