Advocacy

In our first blog post, we talked about independence. Last week, we gave an example of someone who lives out that independence. To review, independence means using the appropriate tools, techniques, resources, and your abilities to complete a task in the safest and most effective way possible. This week, we are going to talk about advocacy.

Part of being independent is knowing how to advocate for yourself and being courageous enough to do so when you need to. Advocacy is not being aggressive to get your way. It is standing up for yourself or another person because it is right or appropriate to do so.

Consider this incident told by Anita.

I can remember that as a young child, I was terrified to walk up and ask someone for assistance, even if it was only ordering food. There was a little snack shack near my school, and my orientation and mobility instructor told me that if I walk to it independently, he would buy my lunch. I was thrilled with that idea, but at the same time, I was terrified to walk into a restaurant and request a cheeseburger from some stranger.

Teaching students how to be effective advocates is essential for their future success. For a youngster, advocacy might be asking for desired toy or making a request to get a drink of water. For an older child, advocacy might be participating in her IEP meeting and asking questions and providing input on her education. For a blind adult, advocacy might be joining a blindness organization or group that provides services to the blind. Using one's talents, abilities, and connections to make it possible to live productively and independently in society is how we as persons with blindness and visual impairments live independent, productive lives. It is also how sighted people do the same. But, no matter the age, when a blind person advocates, he empowers himself and others by taking the opportunity to educate.

Effective education relies on a blind person taking on the role of a sighted person. The blind person must try to put themselves in a sighted person’s shoes.

Most people with vision do not have training in blindness skills and strategies, and they are not confident with doing tasks without vision. Usually, they do not know anyone else who is blind or visually impaired and have difficulty relating to a life without sight. Compounding that, society has taught them, blind people are helpless. When they fail to understand how a blind person could perform a task, it is because they have been conditioned to believe this. The word "can't" is a very strong word. “Can’t” prevents a person from even trying. Consequently, it shapes our expectations, and quite often, that means those expectations are lower than they should be. If blind people have low expectations for themselves, then sighted people will have the same low expectations. If blind people believe in themselves and have a positive attitude about blindness, then others will begin to respond with a positive attitude. The more people with vision see people who are blind doing ordinary tasks, the more they will begin to believe that we are capable.

S. J. tells this story about the time she walked her young children across town to a doctor’s appointment.

As I took my seat in the waiting room, a nurse asked me how had I got there. I told her I walked, and she was completely amazed that I had done so with an infant to carry and a toddler holding my hand. Realizing it was an opportunity to educate, I told her I was just doing what I had to do, as there was no one to give us a ride. I explained how I used my cane and how my toddler held onto me. My last words to her were, “The Lord has helped me, and that is what makes it possible.” I can only hope I not only educated her that I was not helpless nor incapable but inspired her, too.

It is important to teach students how to respond in different situations so they know there is a time to teach and a time when one must just go on and model blindness skills without explaining them. This starts at home, but continues at school as the child learns to request assistance and practice skills independently. It also occurs when students learn to socialize with and react to behaviors of other children and adults in their worlds. Learning to refuse assistance is also important. Positive, blind role models can play a significant part in a blind child's reaction to vision loss. Discussions that explore how blind people react in certain situations is also key for a blind child. Independence and advocacy both play key roles in a person's quality of life, whether or not they are blind or sighted.

Come be with us next week when we will talk about homeschooling as a person who is blind.