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Ronnie Milsap , George Shearing , Alec Templeton , Doc Watson , Stevie Wonder , or the totally blind , fifteen year old , World War II French underground activist , Jacques Lussyran .
But in his 1973 speech , blindness , “ Is History Against Us ?”, National Federation of the Blind president , the late Dr . Kenneth Jernigan , offered this important perspective : Like the sighted , the blind have had their share of solid citizens , namby-pambies , strongminded individualists , squares , oddballs , eggheads , and eccentrics ." Among the blind , as among the sighted , there are people who do remarkable and apparently very noteworthy things that are positive and negative , but that does not mean the vast majority of the blind strives for either extreme or to be regarded as capable of doing such things .
Technology as an equalizer for people with disabilities
I stop short of using the word " equalizer ," but technology has dramatically and remarkably closed many gaps--travel , communication , tactile graphics , awareness of surroundings , to name but four . And the future is exciting . The reason for not going all in on the word equalizer is similar to why I always have avoided the word " overcome ," relative to disabilities . I generally feel one can compensate , work around , largely make up for , but not fully overcome a disability , unless the disability itself is eliminated . But this view is in no way negative toward technology . I routinely refer to my 1980s computerization as a Life Changer , and I am sure various technological developments are viewed similarly by people with disabilities other than blindness . But a 2014 article I read in GeekWire contained this blunt , grounding statement from Steve Gleason , a former NFL player with ALS and with whom Microsoft was working to create a series of new features to make it easier for people to control a tablet with their eyes : " Until there is a cure for ALS , technology is a cure .” Despite the phenomenal benefits from technology , past , present , and future , I doubt that technology can 100 % overcome a disability . I am convinced , however , that gaps between inability and ability will continue to narrow unimaginably . In some ways , I was overwhelmed by the freedom computerization gave me .
Advice to people who are concerned about not being able to pursue a career because of their visual impairment
No matter when one becomes visually impaired , there are many resources to consult . There are vocational rehabilitation agencies , there are individual consultants , there is an endless array of reading material in accessible formats that are very helpful with training and with providing wisdom on whether one can get a new job , continue an old job , seek accommodations with either . Sometimes legal counseling is necessary , too . A person who wonders about seeking employment should be pretty settled as to what he or she wants to do , learn as much as possible about what a job in the preferred field entails , then apply . If already in the job , make the appropriate variation on this theme , such as thinking through and requesting appropriate accommodations . I do not favor denying or trying to downplay the disability . One must own it and be prepared to articulate how a job can be done , in spite of the disability . Perhaps one may have to make adjustments in a career because of a visual disability , but visual disability is not a ground for avoiding pursuit of a career .
If blind from birth or shortly thereafter , it is important for parents to encourage their child to be a full participant in the same school and extracurricular activities as his or her classmates and friends , to not get in the way of their child . It is important for parents to support their child , despite bumps in the road , and to not assume blindness prevents