Being Blind Doesn't Erase My Personality

Everything Is Not What It Seems

All my life, I’ve been told, “You don’t act like someone who’s blind.”

Friends, family—even complete strangers—have said this to me. It’s as if they carry around this fixed idea of what disability is “supposed” to look like, and somehow, I don’t match the image in their heads.

Maybe it’s because I can hold a conversation easily. Maybe it’s because I don’t rock back and forth, or ask to feel people’s faces like they’ve seen in movies. But the truth is, these assumptions say more about society’s limited view of disability than they do about me.

Being blind doesn’t erase my personality. I love reading, writing, and hanging out with my dogs. I have dreams, goals, and ambitions—just like anyone else. I’m not here to “overcome” blindness for your inspiration. I’m just living my life.

So I want to open this up to you:

What are some assumptions people have made about you based on how disability or chronic illness is portrayed in the media?

Let’s talk about it.

CR

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