Janet Rieck is a vision consultant from Albion, Nebraska
Youngsters with vision impairment are simply youngsters whose perspective is a little different. To a child blind from birth, color has no meaning. Knowing that salt is heavier than pepper may be far more critical.
In a world friendlier to persons with good vision, my students work harder and longer than any other child on a school project to get results comparable with their classmates’. Even ordinary tasks of daily living take longer when performed without vision. My students develop persistence.
It takes courage to compete with others who have advantages unavailable to oneself; to attempt what no one seems to believe one can do. In a group that strives for conformity, to be the only one that cannot see well is lonely and calls for daily, sometimes hourly, demonstrations of courage.
Perspective, persistence, courage . . . . Are these not qualities we can all benefit from practicing? Among my students are the strongest and best people I know, perhaps because they began honing their character earlier than most, out of necessity.
From UCC DM Newsletter Archive
