My girlfriend and I both have visual impairments, although hers is much more significant (she's legally blind). Until recently, she refused to use a white cane or do orientation and mobility training. It took a lot of convincing to get her to learn how to use a screenreader. I used to recommend simple accessibility techniques to her (using bump dots on her microwave and stove, or asking her landlord for an accessible thermostat) and she'd say no because she was worried that she would be perceived as blind.
As a consequence she wasn't very independent and her lack of independence was causing conflict in our relationship.
Eventually there were enough incidents at work that her bosses made it really clear that they wanted her to use a white cane. Between that and me pushing her, she's finally accepted that it's time to start learning the skills and techniques that blind and visually impaired people use to be independent.
I think she's discovering now that there are so many techniques that people have discovered for adapting to vision loss - you just have to be willing to learn them.
Her parents are very nice people, but they never pushed her to be independent. I think there was a combination of denial and a perception that being blind is somehow shameful.
My girlfriend and I both have visual impairments, although hers is much more significant (she's legally blind). Until recently, she refused to use a white cane or do orientation and mobility training. It took a lot of convincing to get her to learn how to use a screenreader. I used to recommend simple accessibility techniques to her (using bump dots on her microwave and stove, or asking her landlord for an accessible thermostat) and she'd say no because she was worried that she would be perceived as blind.
As a consequence she wasn't very independent and her lack of independence was causing conflict in our relationship.
Eventually there were enough incidents at work that her bosses made it really clear that they wanted her to use a white cane. Between that and me pushing her, she's finally accepted that it's time to start learning the skills and techniques that blind and visually impaired people use to be independent.
I think she's discovering now that there are so many techniques that people have discovered for adapting to vision loss - you just have to be willing to learn them.
Her parents are very nice people, but they never pushed her to be independent. I think there was a combination of denial and a perception that being blind is somehow shameful.