A personal reflection on adapting to sight loss, auditory overload, and the ongoing search for quiet in a noisy world.
Category: Disability
Musings from a Blind Man: When Safe Havens Fall Short
Hospitals are meant to be safe havens — places where we’re supported when we’re at our most vulnerable. But my recent experience showed me how easily that safety can slip away when accessibility and empathy fall short. From a warm, inclusive anniversary trip to a very different hospital ward, this week reminded me just how much the people around us shape whether we feel safe… or unseen.
Resilience: The unique way we all adapt to change
There is this common misconception that people “on the spectrum”, especially children, lack the emotional intelligence for empathy. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and I honestly believe the sooner these silly and insulting assumptions are put to bed, the better. Before I go on, can we also confine the term “on the spectrum” …
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Musings from a Blind Man: Excluded by design
Sunday mornings tend to be my morning to get up first and feed the animals. I quite like it because it gives me a couple of hours to potter around downstairs, pop some music on and generally ease myself into the day. I have had to adapt so many ways I approach everyday life that …
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Levelling the playing field: Disability and flexible working
Just recently there has been much talk about the need to reverse the decline in productivity and get our workforce back to where we should be. The core focus for some high profile captains of industry’s efforts appears to be dragging all of us workshy office workers back to our desks. With comments like innovation …
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Assistive tech, the turmoil of choosing between accessibility and privacy
I have a confession to make – I do not own a smart speaker. Not only that, but I have no intention of getting one. If I have my way, no Alexa, Google Nest or Apple HomePod will ever be brought into my home. The thought of having a device constantly listening into my conversations, …
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Delivering sardines, turkey and icicles the blind way this Christmas
Sat on the window seat of this 13th century house we rented for the weekend, I have time to watch as the world goes on around me. Chester is curled up on the bench beside me, his head rested on a soft cushion, Oswald is sprawled out on the floor under the enormous dining table …
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Musings from a Blind Man: Into the Night
Sometimes at the weekend I’ll forego the usual silent battle Mrs Backpack and I embark on to see who breaks first and will leave her to sleep, heading downstairs where I’ll feed the animals, pour myself a fresh coffee and pop on some album or other. By this time, William will usually be installed in …
Flight Free part 4: Selfies in Paris
Waking up in Nice on a bright late summer morning, we could hear the pedestrians ambling around on the streets below going about their Saturday morning routine. We had a relatively tight schedule to get to the station for our late-morning train and the most important task on the list was opening birthday presents. It’s …
Flight Free part 3: The Train of Monte Cinto
Quite often as a holiday gets close to an end and you begin getting your things ready for the trip home, there is that sense of melancholy that tomorrow you will be back home and the holiday will soon be a distant memory. Not this time, as we had our final swim in the rooftop …
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Blind Man with a Backpack 