I live in a very rural community with my husband and three children, ages 10,7 and 6. I have lived in the same community my whole life and love living here. It is a community with approximately 1800 people.
I was born with Ocular Albinism and Nystagmus, my vision has been unstable most of my life. I have been visually impaired my whole life. I have been legally blind for as long as I can remember. My vision was about 20/200 most of my childhood and into my teen years. In the last year my vision has decreased quite a bit. I am blind in my left eye and on a good day in the eye doctor’s office my vision tests about 20/900 but as we all know what your vision tests at in the doctor’s office does not mean that is your functional vision all the time. I have a lot of problems with photophobia (light sensitivity ) this creates a lot of issues especially in the winter with the glare off the snow. When I am moving, like walking , it is very hard for me to focus and I have no depth perception.
Now having said all of that, I have never let any of it stop me. Sure I miss things but as far as I am concerned I am not unless they are pointed out.
I always did what I wanted from a young age, this included bike riding, baseball , hockey, horse back riding, snow boarding, speed swimming, and many other things.
My visual impairment has made me the strong woman I am today. It has forced me to accept things and work harder to do the things I want to do.
Having a visual impairment you will always run into people who say you can’t. I have always taken that as fuel for the fire and when anyone said I couldn’t I tried even harder. Call it stubborn, I call it life. A disability should not determine what you can do in your life, you should decide what you can and want to do with your life.
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