Over the past few weeks I’ve been privileged to present to a pretty wide diversity of audiences – from pre-primary school learners to retirement groups. I’ve come to realize that even though my audiences have been very diverse, I have come out of each experience with greater knowledge and understanding than I previously had.
Some of that understanding relates to how other people see the concept and the abilities of those who live with a disability. And at times that knowledge is startling, and even a little frightening – you’d be amazed at some of the myths and stereotypes about blindness I’ve had the chance to demystify.
But at times the insights I’ve gained have been about myself, my life and my own assumptions and self-imposed limitations. Regularly I find myself reflecting on some of the questions at quite a deep level.
It’s yet one more reason why I like to include a no-holds-barred question and answer session when I speak to an audience. Not only do I get to address some of the questions that people are often scared to ask someone with a disability, but I also get to ask myself some pretty challenging and profound questions about my own purpose.
And That is a true gift – so I want to say thank you to my audiences for these gems of self-discovery!
