It was the day before our big trip. It was a long-needed getaway that started with a speaking engagement for me. All of these trips include someone to accompany me. They’re my sighted guide as we navigate through the airports and highways and byways. They help me check in and check out. At times they’ve…
This evening at the school for the blind, I was walking the halls. Making sure all my students ended up where they were supposed to, Then, I met a student in the hall. They were new to the school. Some at the school would refer to them as “a total”. That means that they are…
As I sit here typing, I can’t see the letters on the screen. My vision has gotten worse over the past few days. I see less than what I did a month ago, All that doesn’t really seem to matter as much anymore. When I stand on the stage next week, they won’t really care…
Growing up I didn’t have many black friends. I was born in 1967 and grew up on a tomato farm in Northwest Ohio. The first time I saw a black person I was confused and scared. Once a year, we’d go school shopping in Toledo which was almost an hour away. Those trips were always…
One thing I know is that we are all disabled. If you think you’re not disabled, that’s your disability. When I was young, I used to sit in my dad’s haymow (part of the livestock barn where farmers keep hay and straw). I’d look out the opened window. and see the crops growing. It never…
But, I’ll trust what you do.” This saying was made famous by many people. I’ve been wanting to impress upon others the importance of being a good person. Setting a positive trend of niceness is important. However, I’ve struggled with how to convey that. How can we change? I feel like I’ve fallen short in…
This is a guest post from Trevor Perry. Humans are a fascinating species. We are tribal by nature, with a strong need to belong. This can be a blessing and a challenge. As unqualified as I am in cultural sociology, I have been a silent observer of human nature for all my years and…
My friend had a hard childhood. When he was in school, he used to get made fun of. They laughed at how close he held the paper to his face. They made fun of him when he didn’t wear his glasses, even though they were strictly for looks. At times, growing up, he wanted to…
Life can be hard. Math can be hard too! For me, I was fortunate to grow up with high school math being easy. I never took books home. I didn’t have to do extra work. I thought it was that way for everyone. To be honest, I never considered what anyone else knew. I didn’t…
There was a time when people with disabilities were invisible to me. They were not seen for the value they brought to the world. They didn’t matter to the outside world. Oddly enough, this is when I loved to golf. Once I started to drive, golf became an obsession. Golfing to me was an amazing…
