A Different Way of Seeing. Helping You Make Sense of the Overwhelm
Browsing Tag
I recently had the opportunity to test-drive a C-Pen Reader. For those who have never heard of the C-Pen, it’s a portable device designed to assist persons with reading and language-related learning barriers to access print material in an audio format. It looks a little like a highlighter pen and the basic idea is that …
Recently I was invited to present to the Old Mutual Digital Garage on the subject of how assistive technology enables me to live a productive life as a blind person in a mostly sighted virtual world. Those of you who have read my book, A Different Way of Seeing, and know about my (somewhat ambivalent) …
As anyone who’s read my book A Different Way of Seeing: A Blind Woman’s Journey of Living an “Ordinary” Life in an Extraordinary Way will know, I often have a somewhat difficult time with bathrooms when travelling. Mostly it is due to the unpredictable layout and design of each bathroom and its facilities as I …
As you may recall, the reason I was in Ghana in the first place was to speak at the 5th annual AFRINEAD conference on disability. Sitting in the conference centre at the KWAMA Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana, listening to a Star-studded group of dignitaries address the challenges inherent in developing …
It seemed like a great idea at the time. No, really, it did. There I was, standing on the kerb at the intersection with my wet sock getting ever colder and more unpleasant… the wet sock that I was currently wearing as a glove. And here’s how I got to that point: The early morning …
I’m often surprised at how unaware customer service agents are when assisting people with disabilities. They often make assumptions about what I can and cannot do – like assuming that, because I can’t see, that I can’t sign my own name… or create an invoice for work that I’ve done for them, or type in …
Speaking can be quite a lonely career – seldom do you see the impact what you say has on the audience’s you speak to. So when you receive a testimonial from a happy client, it’s a very special experience. Here’s a testimonial I received from the principal from a school where my guide dog, Fiji …
Something else about humans that gives me paws for thought is when people ask my mom if giving me treats to reward me for good behavior when we’re working isn’t a form of bribery… like it’s something bad! I seriously don’t understand why people will walk up to a pedestrian crossing and not get a …
A friend contacted me in response to a Facebook post I published about one of my recent speeches – one about how I use a computer and other assistive technology to help me live a full, fun and productive life despite my blindness. Essentially my friend asked if I would be willing to consider speaking …
If anyone were to ask me who my most intimidating audience is, I’d have no hesitation in telling them – children between the ages of 4 and 6 years old! Now I know this may seem like an easy group to speak to, but just think about it for a moment: you need to grab …