That's So 2019

Blue and white blog banner with blog doodles in the corners and a white center that reads “A Vision of Children Blog. That’s so 2019. Misconceptions surrounding blindness and vision loss that need to be left in the past.”

Part of the Mission of The Vision of Children Foundation (VOC) is to tackle misconceptions faced by the blind and visually impaired (VI) community. Some misconceptions serve as a laughable moment that ultimately becomes a teachable moment, while others speak on the public’s fundamental misunderstandings of the capabilities of those dealing with vision loss and blindness. Both cases, regardless of intention, can become problematic for those having to answer them.

To combat the misinformation that surrounds the VI community, VOC wants to open an ongoing dialog with the intent of leaving misconceptions in the past as we move forward in 2020. We reached out to those that know what it means to live with limited sight and asked what they would like the world to understand what that means. “That’s so 2019” is a collaborative project that gives sighted readers a vantage point to look into their misconceptions a little deeper and find a place of informed understanding.

Tweet made by the account BlindMovingOn (@NemethAshley) that reads “' ‘How did you know the bus drove By you if you are blind?’ Umm I can’t answer that and be serious! #why #BlindNotUnaware”

"People often question my vision impairment because, in their minds, I don’t ‘look blind’ and it’s one of the most common misconceptions I come across. A lot of people seem to subscribe to the mentality that to be blind, you need to look a certain way and it’s honestly so baffling to think about. Sighted people aren’t judged on their eyesight in terms of how they look so why should vision-impaired people be? I’ve also had a couple of people asking me ‘Are you blind or something?’ even when using my cane… It’s crazy to think about the extent of stigma or misconceptions that occupy some people’s minds. Every VI person is unique, just like sighted people, so we shouldn’t all be painted with the same brush." -Elin Williams, Author behind “My Blurred World”

 "When talking about my visual impairment, a lot of people ask if I wish I were born with better sight. Most people are surprised when I answer 'no'. My visual impairment doesn't mean I can't see, it just means I see the world differently. If my path, my journey as someone with a physical impairment can inspire someone else to be all that they can be, then I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

If people see others with impairments like mine as having "less" than people with perfect sight, then the general public will continue to treat us like these traits define us. I believe in letting people know that my visual impairment isn't a detriment to my life, and even that it's a strength that has pushed me to do what I want to do and hasn't let anything stop me. If we can alter people's misconceptions of our vision, we can create a world where people will have the vision to achieve their goals and complete their dreams, without having to have vision at all." -Payton Hanna, legally blind freerunner/ YouTuber 

“She doesn’t look blind” and other questions I get asked about being blind.

This video touches on the topic of misconceptions in a lighthearted way. We had to share it!

"Our daughter wears an eye patch and we always get tons of questions like “does she have a lazy eye” or did she just have surgery. Our story patching is complicated but we do to ensure her weaker eye is used every day so that she can have her next procedure when she’s old enough.

Another time we had a family member watch our daughter (who is 2) take a towel and wipe up some small milk water spills on the ground. “They said wow she sees that tiny spot on the ground? She can see!”-yes, we know that our daughter has vision but blindness/impairments are a scale. What she sees close up is not the same as distance. Visual impairments can involve many things.

Because her vision is also close to legal blindness, we are working on pre-cane training and exploring tactile objects for Braille. Many people ask us “if she has vision why are you teaching her these things?” People learn these skills for many reasons and do not have to be 100% without vision to use them. Braille can help rest your eyes and canes help my daughter explore unknown areas and surface changes." - Chelsea Druso, Mother of a legally blind young girl

As we find ourselves going throughout 2020, let’s strive to leave misconceptions in 2019. Maybe you have your own stories of dealing with misconceptions. We will be creating and following the hashtag #thatsso2019 which is where we will continue to share stories like those above.