Hi Blog world,
I really like this post because I can share my story of what it is like being visually impaired. I was born twenty-eight weeks early weighing one pound five ounces and I was only 12 inches long. Because of the fact, that I came into this world so small and sick, the doctors of the NICU gave me a five percent chance of making it. I survived!
Because of my birth, I have some problems, I am legally blind, I have mild cerebral palsy, and I have a learning disability that makes reading and spelling hard for me, this disability is called Dyslexia.
My eye condition is very rare, it’s called Congenital Nystagmus, which means that my Macular did not form all the way, and my eye’s muscle that controls my eyes cannot hold still, so therefore, my eyes continuously bounce around. When my eyes are moving I can feel it, and sometimes, when my eyes are tired it is painful.
My vision is like looking through a piece of clear wrapping paper; it’s very blurry and during the day I start to lose some of my vision that I have. I was recently diagnosed with night blindness and dry eye. Because of this fact, I have to use eye drops four times a day.
I was diagnosed with a vision problem when I was in the fifth grade. Since then, I have been in programs for people with low vision, and in these programs I have learned how to use the computer, by using a program called ZoomText, which tells me what is going on. I also learned how to use a reading program called Kurzweill 3000, which is how I access my textbooks, and other reading material.
I also learned how to cook, and manage a home; I have gained valuable job skills that will help me in my career one day.
Here is a link to a story that I wrote for the school’s newspaper last term, please check it out: Blind Achieve Independence
If anyone has any questions about any of my disabilities, please feel free to ask in the comments below.
Blog soon,
Amanda Gene
Harris' InkWell 