Many people who are blind seem to reject the fact that they are courageous, or brave. They seem to think what they do, how they do it is the norm for them. If more people who are blind saw themselves as courageous or brave, maybe they would feel good and "proud" of themselves.

I recall the first time I decided to take public transit to meet a friend to stay over-night. I was nervous, but I also wanted to start being more independent.

I wondered what would happen if I got lost. I had difficulty hearing, but I had enough, back then to travel reasonably safely.

The first time we do something, that is going to be difficult, we are being brave. We forget that we did accomplish something that took effort to do for the first time.

As a founder, and now retired entrepreneur, I know all too well that growth potential for business depends on the availability of accessible information regarding regulatory and policy changes, and also may be the difference between success and failure. In the beginning, as a person who is blind, the journey of starting and growing a business was a daunting task filled with pitfalls and many information challenges. I encountered more than my fair share of people who could not believe that a blind woman could succeed. I was troubled by the attitude of many people with respect to their consistent belief that blindness prevented me from being successful, which created needless attitudinal barriers.

This day (January 4th) marks the birthday of one Louis Braille who, in 1824, at the age of 15, devised the tactile code now known as braille, used by those who are blind to read and write in much the same way as the sighted use print and handwriting.

• Braille is critical for students who are learning to read and write and who will not otherwise gain the same appreciation for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Braille is critical for those who work: research has shown that among those who are blind, the vast majority of those who are employed are also braille users.

Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued - Socrates

I came across this quote a few years ago. I was taking a course at Western University - An Introduction to Ancient Greece and Rome. We took a cursory look at Socrates as a philosopher and one of the founders of Western philosophy.

Wisdom begins in wonder. - Socrates

Some of Socrates’ quotes resonated with me, especially those about a quest for knowledge. 


The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. - Socrates

I grew up on a farm, in a small, tight knit rural community. I enjoyed the feeling of belonging to a community, but even as a little girl I knew there was something missing. I just didn’t know what it was.

We had the old crank telephone system.

People write blogs as a way to express themselves and their knowledge or expertise. People read blogs as a source of information or because they find the writer interesting.

Blogs are extremely useful, both to the writer and the reader. The writer may have a lot of knowledge to share, and the reader may want an informal way to learn about a topic. Some people use blogs to find other people with similar problems, issues or situations

Blogging is an excellent way to keep your writing skills sharp.  It’s also a great way to interact with people by posting on forums, discussion lists, networks & other larger social media sites, such as twitter & facebook, to educate, advocate & learn.

It’s a great way to find out new and informative information

In a previous blog post, it was noted that parents often become the very first advocates for their children with visual impairments. That post provided several useful resources, but this discussion will focus on another important theme: the expanded core curriculum. What is it and why does it matter?

While not an exhaustive overview, this discussion notes some of the specialized services that may be available to a child with a visual impairment in a regular, mainstream school.

You should be aware that there is no "standard" blog approach. There are no hard and fast rules on how to blog.

The top advice for writing a blog is:

A blog is a valuable asset to our organization. It gives us the opportunity to establish ourselves, it gives us a platform to network with your peers, fellow organizations, and general public and allows allows us to generate buzz in social media.

You ask, what is social media? In short, social media can be defined as interactive platforms via which individuals and communities create and share user-generated content. 

If we can get comments on our blogs, we’ll increase our status as an organization.  The more comments we have, the more clout we appear to have, because people are interested enough in what we are and have to say as an organization, so much that people will take the time to comment  on interesting topics.

The issue of bullying is one we have all heard about in recent years. In fact, it seems as though bullying in schools is becoming an ever-increasing problem, with the media regularly telling us stories of students who were tormented so frequently by their peers that they felt that there was nowhere left to turn.

Some may argue that the sheer number of bullying-related stories is not due to the increase in bullying, but instead, a consequence of better methods we now have today to share and distribute breaking news - almost instantly - through the media and online.

Parents of children with visual impairments often become the very first advocates of their child. With very little guidance and with no road map to steer them, these parents navigate with perseverance through what can sometimes feel like a very confusing system. Questions abound: Will my child be left behind? What resources are available, and how do I know which are appropriate for my child?

Though it can seem daunting at first - fear not - a number of resources and supports to foster success exist.

I would like to start by saying that blindness is but one thread in the rich tapestry that make some of us who we are. I would also like to say that blindness, in and of itself, is often not the obstacle.