In order to understand the psychology of vision loss, recognition needs to be given to a few  key factors.  First, any loss needs to be acknowledged, grieved and accepted.  There can be no forward momentum prior to this. It also must be stated that these steps don’t usually occur one after the other or within a certain timeframe.  It can take years to get to acceptance, and with progressive vision loss, the process will reoccur as each piece of vision is lost.

When a person begins to pivot toward acceptance, he can then begin seeking answers for how to live his life as effectively and independently as is possible.  No one chooses to be blind, but setting aside the loss and picking up the controls is a choice.  This is where self-advocacy comes in.  This is a skill set best taught by peers that have adjusted to their own vision loss, while maintaining a positive outlook.  They have learned how to accomplish tasks at home, school, work and in their communities, and are comfortable asking for assistance when needed. 

Self-advocacy balances the knowledge of what is needed to get a task done with the ability to ask for the accommodations that will grant the task’s completion.  For example, if a person who is blind goes to the doctor, and he is asked to fill out medical forms he cannot see, it is appropriate for him to ask someone in the office to assist him with these forms.  Most of the time, offices will comply with this request. This is what the ADA refers to as a reasonable accommodation. If an office does not comply, knowing how to work with an advocate or agency to find a solution to this are the next steps in self advocacy. 

While many people with vision loss are self-taught in their advocacy, training programs are better resources for people to utilize. Self-advocacy trainings teach people with vision loss how to manage daily tasks, ask for accommodations,  use technology and transportation and  find groups that assist with self-advocacy and support.

People with vision loss engaged in self-advocacy tend not to feel as isolated or helpless.  Self-advocacy validates the competency of the person, who is just as capable without his vision.  Self-advocacy teaches empowerment, and empowerment fosters confidence.  These are the seeds that acceptance plants and self-advocacy nurtures.

While vision loss limits the scope of one’s ability, self-advocacy teaches that interdependence forges a path to the fulfillment of one’s goals. Interdependence allows that no one is truly self-sufficient, and that it’s expected that others are necessary for care and instruction in life. People rely on teachers, doctors, mechanics and businesses to assist them in the things they don’t know how to do. Being interdependent is how everyone operates in life.  The balance between interdependence and self advocacy exists when daily tasks are completed through personal and community effort.  Prior to preparing a delicious meal, someone blind  uses  public transportation to get to the grocery store. He was taught how to shop and cook by attending daily living skill training. Self-advocacy requires that a person be willing to accept assistance while seeking to accomplish tasks independently. So, while not all of the task can be fulfilled without assistance, the person knows how to complete the task he has set out to do. He knows how to get himself to the store, how to shop, how to manage groceries and a cane or guide dog, how to put groceries away in an organized manner, and how to operate his appliances so that he can cook the meal. 

Engaging others while learning how to advocate for one’s self allows for an opportunity for both personal and community growth.  When all parties learn about access and inclusion, the barriers diminish in our communities.

Aurora of CNY, in cooperation with the NYS Commission for the Blind, is offering two pre-vocational programs for youth and adult participants who are legally blind.  The “First Line of Sight”  trainings are open to youth aged fourteen and over, and adults of all ages in Cayuga, Oswego and Onondaga Counties.  The trainings will cover daily living skills, self-advocacy, technology, transportation, and work readiness.  To learn more about them, please contact Aurora of CNY at 315-422-7263, or Susan Gray at sgray@auroraofcny.org