Introduction You are taking a very positive step in understanding how losing your vision may change how you will continue to do the things you do everyday. This can be simple activities like cooking, dressing and driving. I am happy to tell you that, regardless of how much vision you have lost, you can continue to do most, if not all of these tasks. We learn from birth to rely on our vision to help us do many things, and when we lose some of it, we can’t imagine how we’ll ever adjust. With so many great services and tools available to you, you can do just about anything. In fact, in many situations, using certain tools, it has been proven that, we can do things faster or more efficient than a fully sighted person! As you begin to understand your vision loss, some of the questions you may be asking are: - How will my life change?
- Will I be able to continue to do all the things I love to do?
- What kind of assistance will I need? Will I need someone around to help me all the time?
- If I can’t drive, how will I get around?
- How will I be able to shop for my food, clothes and other necessities?
- Will my vision get worse? If so, how much will I lose?
- How will I walk around my house, outside and in the public without falling, tripping or injuring myself?
- What services are available to help me with my adjustments to vision loss?
- What will my friends think? Will they treat me differently?
- I can’t read my mail, books and magazines anymore. Is there someone who can help me?
- I can’t see the markings and numbers on my kitchen appliances. I love to cook, but need help reading these. How is this possible?
- How many people deal with the visual limitations I have? Do many of them live near me? If so, how can I contact them?
- I had to quit my job. Will I be able to work again? What services are available to help me go back to work and pay my bills?
- I lost some of my medical benefits. Are there programs available to help me pay for my health care?
- I don’t want my vision loss to slow me down, what do I need to do next to help myself?
These are some of the most common questions people, who have recently lost some vision, ask themselves. Vision For Success will help answer these, among many other, questions. The good news is that there are good answers for all of them. The most important thing to remember is to keep asking questions and surround yourself with friends, professionals, services and organizations ready to help you. Trust me, there are many ready to help. In the first section, you will learn about: |
