Coordinated by Maribel Steel
Editor’s note: The VisionAware Peers are ending 2020 with their perspectives on getting through this year and managing it well with vision loss. Be sure to read part one in this series.
Observing Change In a COVID Bubble by Maribel Steel
There are times in our lives when we are an observer, at other times, the player. During 2020, I found myself being an observer on the COVID-Court of life. Where I had plans to travel, to attend meetings and Toastmaster contests, all that changed as my state of Victoria, Australia went into lockdown for eight months. My partner and I stocked up the pantry in preparation with shelf-stable foods. It felt like going into a safety-bunker. From the comfort of our home, I began to observe my world from a different perspective.
At first, having so much time on my hands was a treat; no rushing to catch a train; no dashing out to appointments. Time moved more slowly as I adapted to a different routine; cooking more leisurely, reading and staying safe. If I couldnât venture outside my front door, I decided to create my own oasis in my garden. I took to keeping a diary and spent hours as the guest in our guest room. Every morning and evening, I listened to an audio book. With time on my hands, I joined a book club as I began to master the Zoom platform of communication. Soon after, I joined a writing group and to stay connected, I zoomed in to Toastmaster meetings.
Yet, I was observing something else. Even with all this connection on a screen I felt lethargic, sometimes gloomy and without a purpose, craving to see my family and friends in person. In my diary I wrote, âI am having a âstupid dayâ where nothing at all is happening, no agenda, no tasks, no desire to do anything as the weather is so still; the birds are still and all feels under a heavy blanket. I am happy to have a nothing day, it is part of being in this COVID-bubble.â
Now that Melbourne is moving forward again, I feel cautious. I learned much about my internal life. I am so grateful to have learned what I can live without (e.g., bought things), and truly appreciate having time to linger on the good things in my life.
The Year of Remote Learning and the Need for Inclusive Design by Steven Kelley
2020 was the year of Access Technology and Remote Learning as we all tried to move face-to-face training to various online platforms. One of the great challenges has been creating content and platforms that include as many learners as possible regardless of their tech abilities. Resolving these challenges continues to put us all in a much better position for delivering training moving forward regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in or the technology at our disposal. 2020 has certainly been a year when our focus returned again and again to ever more inclusive design.
Staying Safe and Productive in a “Sandwich” Year by Amy Bovaird
Being a home-based author, my routine remained much the same. My critique group regularly met online via Zoom. I didnât have to worry about transport and I could hear feedback more easily online. In the ensuing months, I produced two short eBooks, and submitted a travelogue to an anthology. In November, I again found myself alternating between chills and sweating. My doctor recommended the COVID-19 test. By then, the virus had become more commonplace, but in my case the rumors of how invasive it was didnât live up to the hype. The painless testing procedure took less than a minute. Five days later, the test came back negative.
That was my year, lots of good sandwiched between two COVID-19 scares. Quiet productivity carried me through the months. I cooked and my brother ran our errands. We did our banking at the drive-through. My family stayed connected through the Facebook Zoom.
Although 2020 looked different to me, this had nothing to do with my eyesight. Like others around me, I kept myself updated on how to stay safe. I fared well and never took my good fortune for granted.
Finding the Good in 2020 Through Flexibility by Melanie Peskoe
2020 has been hard, no doubt. But Iâd like to share some of the good things that have given me strength and happiness this year. In January I started working with the American Printing House for the Blind. This has been an amazing experience and truly one of the very best things about this year. The pandemic also gave my family a good opportunity to spend quality time together which has been priceless. Another really happy thing to happen was the addition of the newest member of our family. We adopted Gus, a sweet, gentle and loving 7-year-old Boxer, from an animal shelter.
With the necessity for so many people to transition from the office to working from home, employers now are more open than ever to creating remote jobs which increases opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired to gain meaningful employment. Thereâs no doubt that this year has been difficult, where like most others, my family was handed some pretty sour lemons. It has been a challenge to turn them into lemonade. My family experienced job loss, non-traditional instruction that has resulted in a challenging school year, the unexpected loss of loved ones, and this difficult-to-name feeling of gloominess and sadness for this life changing year weâre all living through.
In a year when so many things were cancelled, it has given us a glimpse of the shared strength we possess and the determination to create new paths when the old ones were no longer available.
On the flip side, as a result of COVID-19 we are also experiencing a sense of community and resilience like never before with a renewed effort to help humankind. Despite all of the tough times, 2020 has shown us what weâre capable of when we open our minds to new possibilities, adapt with creative solutions, and find ways to stay connected to our communities. This all being said, I am very ready to open a new door and close the old year âthat never wasâ!