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Challenges of Living with Blindness: Breaking Barriers

candelapublicity

Updated: Jan 23


A blind person walking on the sidewalk with a mobility cane

Photo by Eren Li

 

Imagine a life without sight? Try placing yourself in the position of those with blindness or with visual impairment. Having to deal with such is an immense challenge that is truly unimaginable. In this article, we will delve into the challenges of living with blindness and ultimately cling to the aim of empowering and breaking barriers.


Facing life can tower you especially when life is lost in sight. However, it's admirable how despite the struggles of being blind, many people who have blindness still thrive and prosper. A great example is Anthony R. Candela.

 

Imperfectly Aspiring and Striving In the Face of Ups and Downs

Just like every human being, people who are blind or have visual impairment are also "all-around regular guys." Given their unexpected course in life, having to deal with blindness, does not imply they are any different than the rest. At the end of the day, we all go through diverse individual experiences and struggle with our unique imperfections and flaws. At the end of the day, we all have a collective goal, and that is to strive to get through life, imperfectly.


Anthony Candela is described as an "all-around regular guy" despite the challenges of living with blindness. He is a testament to impeccable resilience and showcases how we can go beyond our limitations regardless of our flaws and weaknesses. Candela's story and triumphs have proved that no one can stop you from attaining your dreams and goals in life.  


Particularly, in his memoir, Stand Up or Sit Out:

Memories and Musings of a Blind Wrestler, Runner and All-around Regular Guy, you will be able to grasp how he has traversed a lifetime of challenges, including the challenges of living with blindness. But despite it all, he attained many successes.


Another great masterwork he has authored is Vision Dreams, A Parable, which also aims to empower and enlighten. Ultimately, through Anthony Candela's narratives, readers will come away with a brimming appreciation of the ways people navigate through life and deal with challenges. 

 

A blind person walking with a mobility cane.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

 

Challenges of Living with Blindness: Venturing to Empower


The Stigma In Society

The societal stigma that clasps upon people with blindness often encapsulates the mistaken belief that the inability of the visually impaired when it comes to performing tasks is induced due to their impairment. In reality, the mishap stems from the world's inaccessibility. Although the challenges of living with blindness are inevitably something that does impact, it does not totally impede.  

 

The stigma surrounding blindness regarding the thought that unhappiness is the only course for blind people in their lives is entirely false. Despite their impairment, they are still likely to experience pleasant and happy moments, and even achieve above and beyond.


Navigating Around Places

This is a major challenge for people with blindness. Navigating around places especially when you are unable to see can also be risky. While they can pretty much get around their homes even without assistance, navigating new and unfamiliar places is a whole new level. However, there are assistive devices for people who are blind that may help such as electronic mobility aids. Thus, the blind person's ability to learn and understand his environment and reason his way through obstacles will be much easier.


Besides the problem with navigation is also the inability or lackness to appreciate the beauty of some sceneries and views. 


The Lack of Accessibility

Another big challenge for people with blindness is the problem of accessing information about the world or what has been going on.


Along with this is the limited number of inclusive/accessible activities for the visually impaired, particularly when it comes to leisure such as reading a book, visiting a museum, or surfing the net, and many others.


Little opportunities are outstretched for people with blindness as well since one of the stigmas is that they are just a liability. That said, finding and keeping a job can be a massive issue for them since many industries and companies don't cling to the idea that blind people can be productive employees. Unfortunately, individuals living with blindness are often handicapped from achieving full independence, not by themselves, but by the greater society.


The Final Takeaway: Breaking Barriers

The challenges of living with blindness may be tough to deal with, but nothing will ever stop a determined and resilient individual from reaching his or her dreams.

 

Anthony Candela's Vision Dreams, A Parable and Stand Up or Sit Out are compelling and insightful books that will steer you to experience a whole lot of emotions, tickling you to laugh and nudging you to shed tears. His masterworks serve as an enlightening deep dive that cultivates our understanding of what it means to be genuinely human.


Make sure you read and grab your copy of Stand Up or Sit Out, along with his other book Vision Dreams, A Parable today.


While you're at it, you can also check out another helpful article about the right approach to interacting with a blind person.

 

 

 

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