Disabilities don’t just happen because of vision or mobility impairments. Disabilities come from the interaction between our impairments / differences with social barriers. This is the social model of disability.

Do you think disability come from the person who uses a cane or from the person on their cellphone?

From Accessibility News International – //bit.ly/2GNsI55

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE BLIND IN A WORLD OF PEOPLE DISTRACTED BY CELLPHONES

18/02/2019

I was born with optic atrophy, so I have a very narrow field of vision. I basically just see out of one corner of my left eye.

I use a white cane, and when you’re born with this condition, it’s just natural that you learn to walk with a cane and travel quite confidently.

But I’m relying on people to see me. And it doesn’t always happen that way.

We think of distracted drivers, but we don’t think of distracted pedestrians – and they can be just as dangerous.

Fellow pedestrians who are staring down at their devices, engrossed in a phone call, text or e-mail message have made walking a challenge for me. There have been numerous times people have walked into my path.

…

I mean, I don’t want to trip anybody, but inevitably, somebody does walk in the path of my cane. You’ll get some interesting reactions.

I love when people say, “I didn’t see you.” Well. You do have to have a good sense of humour.

Shelley Ann Morris lives in Ottawa.

As told to Wency Leung