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Tag: personal stories

When a Guide Dog Isn’t the Right Fit : Rethinking My Needs 

Posted on June 27, 2024 - 9:46 am by Alexis Read
Black Labrador retriever laying in the grass

The guide dog lifestyle is not all sunshine and roses. I want to reflect on my decision in February 2023 and what I learned from it.    Retiring Yankee  In April 2022, I retired my second guide dog, Yankee. Yankee’s retirement date was officially April 23, and I flew out to the guide dog school on […]

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Unexpected Clarity: How Vision Loss Changed My Life

Posted on June 3, 2024 - 10:56 am by Haley Blankenship
A person with a backpack and a guide dog walks along railroad tracks surrounded by greenery

“I hate to tell you this…” The ophthalmologist handed me a box of tissues as she shared the news that I could not drive. I shook my head and chuckled as I pushed the box away before noticing my parents crying in the corner of the room.   Despite my parents’ tears, I was sure the […]

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Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: My Experience as a Blind Person

Posted on May 28, 2024 - 1:13 pm by Jennifer Ottowitz
closeup of hearing aid in ear

I’d like to say it started in my early 50’s when I could no longer hear the ding of the triangle in one of my favorite Queen songs. But if you ask my husband and family, they would say my challenges with hearing started much earlier. Frequently asking, “What?” had become a habit, as was […]

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Why I Wear Prosthetic Eyes: Life with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada

Posted on May 15, 2024 - 11:05 am by Empish J. Thomas
person looking at camera prosthetic ocular lens

Editor’s note: Empish Thomas shares her decision about using ocular lenses and her experience obtaining, wearing, and caring for them. The blog has been updated as of May 2024.  Why I Wear Prosthetic Eyes  When I interact with sighted people, it never dawns on them that I wear ocular lenses, also known as “fake” or […]

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From Carnival Owner to Blind Entrepreneur: Navigating Accessibility

Posted on May 7, 2024 - 2:09 pm by Max Ivey
refreshable braille display

I never saw this happening. I never saw myself as an accessibility expert. I never realized I had anything special to offer the disability community. It all started when the APH VisionAware Peer Advisor program invited me to share my story of going from a carnival owner to an online entrepreneur who happens to be […]

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