-
How I see it … assistance and normalising disability for an inclusive society
Currently, I am in the UK for a family funeral/memorial while Guide Dog Sienna has a holiday in NZ. One thing that has stood out to me is the amount of mainstream assistance that is available for people with disabilities to participate in community life in comparison with NZ. I will describe some examples and…
-
How I see it … A broken system
As a deafblind woman who is articulate and has worked in the healthcare sector, interaction with government agencies is still necessary and can be extremely challenging. In my experience, our system is flawed. One of the fundamental issues lies in the negative and deficit perception of disability often fostered within our society and institutionally in…
-
How I see it …. gaining access is sometimes invisible
I am an articulate, well-educated person who practices self and systems advocacy regularly. These days I rarely encounter problems I cannot find a workaround to mitigate. However, the below example illustrates the extra effort that a disability can bring to something as simple as purchasing a textbook and the often hidden time and effort those…
-
How I see it … or don’t
This week I was reminded just how changeable my vision is in a day. I will tell a story to illustrate. One of the catchphrases in the blind community is that blindness is a spectrum, which is accurate. What is usually even more unexpected is the changeability in that spectrum on any one day. I…