Disability Dialogue with Bill

Avoiding Health Consequences Related to Accessible Digital Technology

If you have been in the accessibility digital  profession for a while, I am assuming you have heard that  we are making positive progress in digital accessibility. Despite this encouraging news there is still a lot that needs to be accomplished  to increase accessibility and create an equitable experience for all without causing unneeded stress and medical issues for the people doing this valuable work. If a person attempts to do everything  to help increase this goal by themselves, they could work 24/7 which could lead to serious health conditions .

Some people may have even said directly that these practices of pursuing digital accessibility and equity may cause serious medical conditions or even worse death by  attempting to do everything themselves.

I have been told this by one person and have heard it from several others. Unfortunately, I have even witnessed a person dying from this work/life imbalance issue (although this cannot be proven).

I  will not give up educating others and pursuing digital accessibility for all. When a person thinks about it, changing technology to increase equity and inclusion in concept is much easier than changing people’s thoughts and feelings about it. However in the real world we live with little time and being pressured to do more with less people unfortunately the first thing that sometimes gets lowered on the list of priorities is accessibility for digital technology. Accessibility professionals like me understand that this only compounds the problem because digital accessibility was not planned. This causes accessibility issues which the owner of the technology has to resolve and are much more complicated, time consuming and costly than If properly planned and accessibility was baked into the design and development process.

When procuring accessibility services from vendors a well-documented statement of work with a list of requirements is needed. Without these procurement requirements, goals  and deliverables, whoever is managing the project of rolling out these services will more than likely have difficulty delivering services that will be beneficial to the stakeholders.  The upfront work of documenting what is required  needs to be done before talking with the vendor. If one does not find out what they are going to deliver, more than likely it will not turn out the way it is expected to solve the issue one is procuring the services for.

Tips To Assist at Reducing Stress and Promote Health:

• Get high level support for an accessibility program with enough resources and skilled people in it to allow it to be successful and not overwork the team.
• Avoid working 24/7 since this could lead to long term medical conditions. However, if you are like me and love your profession you might be tempted to do so.
• Do not skip the planning stages of any project when working with vendors that pertains to digital accessibility. It will compound the problem and take longer to implement and potentially result in something that is not effective and will add unneeded stress to the project team.
• Incorporate digital accessibility as early in the process as possible in the design and development phase. Include a diverse set of people in this process including people with a broad range of disabilities and those who use a variety of assistive technologies. This early planning will help avoid unpleasant user experience which can cause more stress for all involved.
• This process should also include evaluating and resolving accessibility issues with automated tools and manual evaluation using people with a broad range of disabilities using a mix of assistive technologies. This will reduce the workload than if left to just a few to do the accessibility evaluation without leveraging tools to assist.
• If giving a presentation to stakeholders or executives about goals for projects for digital accessibility  take time to prepare even though some might tell you just talk off the cuff. Do not do this. Spend time crafting your message to maximize the positive outcome from your presentation. Although this will take more time this step will help to reduce stress since you have planned in advance. You will be able to deliver the message succinctly and be more relaxed. In addition you may never get another chance to talk to a potential sponsor therefore give it your best.
• Take breaks from work and take time to visit with family and friends which will reduce stress.
• Read books, listen to music, go on walks and do other things to help relax from a stressful situation which can lead to a better night’s sleep.
• I smile when I can imagine the benefits of my work and I can make another person smile since they are able to use and interact with accessible digital technology effectively which reduces my stress.

I am  not a medical expert therefore my  recommendations are  from my own personal experience. I do, however, recommend seeing a professional if medical assistance is needed.

Does anyone have any tips to help us regarding this topic or any success stories to share? Do you have any other additional ideas regarding the critical project management skill I discussed in this area around procurement?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments. If you do have any comments, please send an email to Bill Tipton since unfortunately the comments are closed to my blog site.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

X: http://twitter.com/wdtipton 

Learning Reiki Without Eyesight

Healing technique of Reiki may reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep, and lessen pain through light (or no) touch.

When I left O’Conner hospital in December 1999 after a seven-month hospitalization I was now   a person who is completely blind. In early 2000 during my rehabilitation, I talked with a few people researching different methods of healing, reskilling myself and reducing stress. Reiki was introduced to me as an option to help with some of my goals.

During my research I learned that the Center for Integrated Medicine which was directly across the street from O’Conner Hospital at the time offered Reiki level 1 and Reiki level 2 classes. I was not sure how I could learn Reiki as a person who is completely blind, although I was willing to try it. Therefore, I signed up for Reiki level 1 and Reiki level 2 classes and mailed in my enrollment fees.

After paying my fees and being enrolled in both Reiki classes I found a ride to and from the classes for each one of the days the classes were held.

Since I am completely blind and have mobility issues I walk with the aid of two canes. One long white cane and one support cane. After my driver brought me to the building the driver would site guide me inside since I was unfamiliar with the building. I remember no students questioning my being able to participate in the training. I was included just like everyone else.

When I started the class there was a small group of men and women who sat around listening to the Reiki Master instructor as she introduced the two courses to us. If you are not familiar with Reiki, and Reiki 1, there is one Reiki 1 symbol that you project when healing. The instructor was easily able to verbalize this symbol to me because it was relatively simple for me to imagine it in my mind’s eye. I could then project this symbol during my Reiki 1 training. For Reiki 2 the symbol is far more complicated and has different 3-dimensional levels to it. The instructor felt like she could not verbalize it well enough to me. She then thoughtfully built a 3D heavy cardboard model of the symbol for me. I could then feel all three dimensions of the symbol so I could project the Reiki 2 image during my training.

As you may or may not imagine performing Reiki on other people without eyesight is difficult. A Reiki practitioner (me) gently moves their hands just above the person’s body on which you are performing Reiki with the intention of reducing the person’s stress and promoting healing by encouraging a healthy flow of energy. Placing my hands in an appropriate location just above their body was challenging for me being completely blind. Fortunately, I did not have this challenge with level 3 which  is generally used for remote healing. Obviously some of the classes were challenging without any eyesight due to not being able to see any person or the instructor and following her directions.

Doing some of the Reiki training was a little bit difficult with my stability issues and holding my support cane with my long white cane folded up and in a holder attached to my belt. Nevertheless, I was able to complete every class lesson.

Unfortunately, a day prior to the Reiki 2 class I got a seriously painful sciatica attack. I could barely move because of the pain and definitely was difficult to get out of the car after arriving at my class. Since I had already paid registration fees for these two classes and had already completed Reiki 1, I was not going to skip my Reiki 2 class. During the class when I had the sciatica I fought through the pain and did everything I was supposed to do as instructed by my Reiki Master instructor.

I am very happy to say I was able to complete and pass both Reiki 1 and 2 classes and had an enjoyable time with everyone despite some pain from my sciatica in the second class. I was also happy to see that a few doctors, nurses, and other people who worked at O’ Conner hospital were attending these Reiki classes to put these valuable skills in their toolbox for alternative ways of healing their patients.

Learn more about Reiki at:  Reiki: How This Energy Healing Works and Its Health Benefits-Everyday Health

Have you ever heard of Reiki before? Have any of you ever taken Reiki classes and practiced it? If you are trained in Reiki, how does it work for you and the ones you are attempting to heal.

I look forward to hearing all of your valuable thoughts and comments.

If you have any comments or feedback, can you please send an email to Bill Tipton since unfortunately the comments are closed to my blog site.

Bill

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton 

Happy Holidays; Value of Companionship and Relationships

As one year comes to closure and another is about to blossom into new opportunities and experiences it provides me reason to reflect on what I have.,  Unfortunately there are less fortunate and others who may have to deal with serious medical conditions.  I also think about the people who may not have friends or family to be with to help start  the new year with companionship and gratitude.

Our global world has many unique people with a broad range of cultural differences and a variety of visible and invisible disabilities. Our unique differences  enhance the enjoyment and educational opportunities  of every interaction we have if one is observant. Because of the large variety of differences one may observe some people have different opportunities than others. To keep ones focus on goals you should not be discouraged if you are not getting the same assistance or opportunities other people may appear to have. Just try to stay positive, healthy, and do what is under your own control and do not rely  on others to accomplish ones goals and happiness.

Do not let what seems like unsurmountable challenges or set backs stop one from pursuing ones  goals. Since with perseverance and determination one can accomplish almost anything.

I am grateful for many things during the holidays some of which I have listed below.

• I am grateful for my loving wife, Kathy, who without her I would’ve died for sure in 1999. One reason out of many was due to Kathy’s dedication in keeping watch on the medical staff when I was in the hospital for seven months. She provided her medical advice and did not let the doctors take me off of life support when they suggested I had no hope to live a fulfilling life.
• I am blessed to find a volunteer to help me with things around the house I cannot do with no eyesight from a local nonprofit agency who has turned into a good friend of mine, since we have been seeing each other for over twelve years now.
• I am grateful that I have been employed at my current employer for over 25 years in a roll that leverages my many years of technical skills to help create more accessible and usable digital technology to assist people with disabilities to use  the technology more effectively.
• I am thankful that due to my accessibility and disability skills the work I do has positive impact for many employees around the world at my place of employment.
• As a person who is completely blind I am grateful I took the time required to study and become certified in accessibility, multiple disabilities and assistive technologies to better assist my customers.
• Although I get frustrated and upset when there are things that my wife and I cannot accomplish around our home and other places, I am grateful that eventually we find a way to get what we need accomplished with just the two of us by partnering and combining our abilities.
• Usually Kathy and I are way too busy to think about being alone. Although we are fortunate to have each other some people are truly alone all the time.
• I enjoy the holidays because some people reach out a little more which helps with companionship and sense of isolation.
• Some people exchange gifts during the holidays, which is perfectly fine, although I have learned that the most precious gifts are family, friends, and human companionship over material items.
• Since I unfortunately was in the hospital for seven months (3 of which I was in a coma) I spent many hours passing the time by listening to other patients in nearby beds. Some of the patients did not have the option to survive and leave the hospital like I was able to do on December 28, 1999.
• I do have some friends and family although none are close by therefore I seldom see them. Kathy fortunately has a few family members nearby that we do see on occasion. Thankfully we were able to see a few of our family members from Kathy’s side  of the family at a wedding in November 2022 and on Thanksgiving day in 2022. Having the covid pandemic occurring around April 2020 in our area added to the obstacles of seeing people in person which unfortunately kept us isolated for sometime even more so than we are usually.
• I also enjoy December since my wife Kathy and I have birthdays in December which  we usually celebrate by ourselves enjoying each other’s company as our treasured gifts to each other.

Does anybody want to share any comments about what makes the holidays special for you? Do you have examples of how people have made you feel less lonely during the holidays?  How can you assist the disabled, people who are alone  or others who need extra help? Any other thoughts about what I have written? I look forward to hearing from you and I wish you an enjoyable holiday season.

If you have any comments or feedback can you please send an email to Bill Tipton since unfortunately the comments are closed to my blog site.

Bill

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton 

Slow Down and Enjoy the Fall Season

Do you enjoy the fall season like I do? Since I am very busy most days like others I do understand if we do not slow down and prioritize our values this joyful season can pass us by like the leaves fluttering by us on a windy day. Life passes by so quickly therefore I believe we should not waste any time being preoccupied by non-critical tasks and take the time to enjoy very precious moments. Also this time of year I feel we should be spending more time with family or friends if we are fortunate enough to have them in our lives.

Below I have listed a few of the many reasons why I enjoy fall. Some of them you may be able to relate to.

• Listening to the laughter and joy of children as they walk by our home as they return to their schedule of going to and from school.
• Experiencing the pleasant sensations of the air temperature as it transitions from hot to cooler.
• When outdoors listening to the relaxing sounds of leaves fluttering by while hearing the honking geese as they fly by.
• Anticipating the upcoming holidays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s among many others in which we have the opportunity to share ourselves with others unselfishly.
• The joy of picking out pumpkins and apples with family and friends, creating lasting memories and enjoying the delightful fall weather outdoors.
• Happily experiencing my loving wife decorating our home to create holiday wonderlands.  Also being with others, if possible, to share the enjoyment decorations can create.
• Appreciating the cooler days that can aid in alertness, cooler evenings which makes sleeping easier and experiencing the days as they get shorter and nights get longer.

Do you have any fall traditions you would like to share? Perhaps you have suggestions to help us slow down and prioritize our values to enable us to enjoy fall before it passes by. How can we help others who are less fortunate than us and may not be able to get out to enjoy fall?  Does anyone have tips to encourage the joy of unselfish behavior?

We look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments to help us enjoy the fall season so it does not pass us by like leaves fluttering by on a windy day.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton

 

      

Nurture and Value Partnerships

In today’s world it seems some people may be focused on themselves acting alone or attempting to impatiently drive quick fixes through brute force to overcome complex issues.

I believe to successfully enjoy the benefits of sustainable relationships or deliver successful programs or projects one needs to work as a team and nurture partnerships. The ability to nurture partnerships could be practiced in your family, among friends, in your own business or the company you work for.

Quick accomplishments could provide a sense of satisfaction however if achieved by bullying people into submission the damages may not be worth the perceived short-term gains. Acting unethically, excluding some individuals based on their differences, attempting to make progress without adequate knowledge of the subject, or considering the impact on relationships the long-term damages caused by these negative behaviours may also prove negative. Some of the collateral damages could take a long time to overcome if they can be resolved at all. 

Skilled ethical leaders, compassionate friends or family members can move quickly to accomplish shared goals all while nurturing and valuing partnerships.  When common goals are achieved by nurturing and valuing partnerships it is far more likely to produce positive lasting results with a win – win outcome. 

• Does anyone have any examples of when nurturing and valuing partnerships did not work?
• Do you have examples of when nurturing and valuing partnerships did provide the outcome you had hoped for? 
• Any tips to educate us on how we can better leverage the benefits of nurturing and valuing partnerships? 
• How can we leverage and value the differences in people to enhance the benefits of valuing partnerships? 
• Lastly does anyone have any suggestions to persuade others who believe the brute force non-partnering option works best? 

We all look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments. 

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton

Celebrating 30th Wedding Anniversary with Gratitude

When I wrote my blog post, Anniversaries - What They Mean to You I was celebrating my 20^th wedding anniversary.  Now I am happy and grateful to be celebrating my 30^th anniversary this month on June 14, 2017.

If you have not had the opportunity to read any of my other blog posts to get to know me here is a short background describing what happened to me. I went completely blind in 1999 during a seven month hospitalization three of which I was in a coma. Now I also require two canes to walk, one support cane and one long white cane for navigation.  

As I wrote about in “Anniversaries - What They Mean to You” I will always remember my 11th wedding anniversary among all others except for my 12^th which I describe in my blog post above. I will never forget my 11th wedding anniversary because it was the last anniversary I could hold my wife and look into her bright caring eyes and see her loving expression on her beautiful face looking back at me. Thinking about the length of time that passed since that wonderful occasion brings up the thought of Kathy and me reaching another milestone. Our new milestone is over half of our married life I have not been able to see my loving wife Kathy or assist her the way I could or want to if I was not blind and did not require two canes to walk. Although I am working many hours a week in my profession, most other activities around the home are left up to Kathy to complete by herself which is very stressful and difficult.

Below are additional reasons I am celebrating and am grateful for to add to the ones I noted in Anniversaries - What They Mean to You.

• I am grateful Kathy did not accept the advice of the hospital personnel to send me off to a rehabilitation facility far away from family and friends. She instead decided to take me home to perform some rehabilitation herself which also enabled me to connect with local organizations to assist me locally instead of my being isolated in some far off location.
• I am grateful to have my dad build me a standing frame from plans he got from one of our local hospitals. This enabled my wife Kathy to work with me daily using it along with the other required therapy. This therapy eventually enabled me to walk again which I describe in Learning to Walk Again.
• I am grateful after having a total hip replacement that Kathy again took me home to help with the required rehabilitation which enabled me to recover and heal at home. I wrote about this in Accepting the Inevitable Total Hip Replacement , instead of sending me to a rehabilitation center.
• I am grateful Kathy did not take the advice of others and leave me when I was in the hospital. This enabled us to continue on our journey through life together, although now with additional obstacles and bumps in this road of life.
• I am grateful I have Kathy to maintain our home, our yard, our car and finances among all of the other things she does daily from sunrise to well past sunset, occasionally taking some time off for herself. 
• I am grateful Kathy brings light into my darkened eyes as we continue on our life’s’ journey to reach another wonderful milestone together, and dream and plan for many more in the future.

Since my 20^th wedding anniversary blog post, like some other people, we have endured financial difficulties, challenging living situations and experienced many other obstacles in our life which tests our health, marriage and friendship.  We understand we are not unique and these circumstances are all part of life that we accept and will continue to do the best we can together as partners in life.

Does anyone want to share any reasons why they feel anniversaries are special? Are you celebrating an anniversary of any type in which you would like to include all of us in your celebration? Do you have any additional thoughts to help us all not lose track of what is important in life? Lastly, any comments on how we can maintain gratitude and love through challenges?  

We all look forward to hearing from you.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton 

Let’s Have a Wonderful New Year: Graciously Accepting Guidance

I hope last year was filled with all the joy and happiness you deserved and I also hope this year will be just as wonderful in spite of challenges, barriers or obstacles you may have had. I anticipate that some of you may have set goals to help increase your chances of having an even better new year. Also, I recognize that some of you were struggling to overcome obstacles and barriers, due to no fault of your own.

When it feels like you are making slow to no progress towards your goals on your own, do what is right and consider asking for and accepting help when needed.  Believing in yourself, the goodness of others and having faith can cause assistance to come unexpectedly without even asking from unseen sources, as I talk about in my two blog posts below.

Please read Pay Attention to Signals - Path of Life and Thankful for Unexplainable Guidance which I wrote to help you understand what I meant in my previous statements.

Let’s all maintain a positive frame of mind and outlook on life as we  strive to make this year even better than last year despite the obstacles and barriers some of us are facing. As we pursue our goals it is critical not to allow negativity to sneak into our thoughts thus draining our flexibility and creativity which is critical for success. One last point to help us start this year in the best possible position to achieve our goals and reach our destiny is simply this: we cannot forget that anything worth striving for and achieving requires a lot of hard work, discipline and determination. 

Does anyone have any stories to share about how you plan to increase your personal and professional success this year? Do you have examples to share that may help others learn the value of accepting and offering assistance? Any stories of unexplainable guidance you received and how this help benefited you?

I look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: http://profile.to/wdtipton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton 

 

Mental Therapy: Requires Discipline and a Conscientious Effort

I feel therapy is very important and essential for some people. Just a few types of therapies you might be familiar with are physical, occupational, respiratory, muscular strengthening and flexibility among other types which I refer to as the visible or physical therapies. I call these types of therapies visible or physical therapies because if a person does not have a visual impairment they can visibly see the therapist performing some action or if they do not have a hearing impairment they can listen to them perform these types of therapies.

I feel that we should not overlook the importance of mental therapy. When I describe mental therapy, although mental disorders are a very important topic, my version of mental therapy does not relate directly to mental disorders. My non-medical opinion of what mental therapy includes is one’s spiritual and mental clarity. I sometimes call this my inner barometer.  Without mental peace and contentment, none of the many visible or physical therapies could accomplish as much as they could if a person’s body and mind was not in a healthy state.

For me it is far easier to do the physical therapies. This is because for me physical therapies do not require as much mental discipline and conscientious effort to maintain a steady and persistent mindful inner peace. However, I know from experience the physical therapies I noted above can be very strenuous, grueling and extremely painful at times. I know this first hand from having the experience of re-learning all over again how to sit up in bed, sit on a chair, talk, walk and feed myself among other typical life tasks.

I feel my inner senses around my physical well being have been enhanced since I lost all of my eyesight and I temporarily lost the abilities I mention above. One thought I have for the perceived extra bandwidth in my mind for additional sensory abilities is because I do not need to waste energy on actually seeing with my physical eyes. This extra sensory energy can be focused inwardly. Maybe others with other permanent or temporary disabilities have their own unique skills for sensing well being.

When I am in a good frame of mind mentally my mind is clear and the blackness I perceive to see is not so pitch black. I would describe what I see when I am experiencing inner peace and well being as like seeing a light grey color.  In the foreground of the light grey color I am imagining images of the tasks I am doing or other thoughts as I move my eyes while I am concentrating on my tasks. When I am in this state of well being I am able to be my most productive in my personal and professional life. 

Occasionally I might experience consecutive days where my perceived vision is dark therefore I know I need to take action. Over the last few weeks I have made a conscientious effort to dedicate time to occasionally take a short break to check in with my inner self and pay attention to my inner barometer (attitude) and the color of my perceived vision. If I notice my attitude is not positive or my perceived vision is dark I conscientiously focus inward and take some deep breaths, think positively and re-ground myself. I am diabetic and as a benefit of practicing my version of mental therapy it helps maintain a steady and correct blood glucose level.

If you have read some of my other blog posts, you might have noticed in my opinion I am extremely driven, relentless to overcome any obstacles and continually learning new skills to deliver positive and quality results. This attitude at times can be harmful if I forget to check in with my inner barometer and over look the importance of practicing my version of mental therapy. Since I love my profession, get pleasure from assisting others and enjoy being productive it is extremely easy for me to fully engulf my time and effort to complete my deliverables and thus neglect my mental therapy. I can easily get distracted and neglect my mental therapy while I am improving my business skills, working on the five operating systems and working on the many different types and versions of software with many user interface designs. All of these learning opportunities are compounded with teaching myself how to use over six different types of assistive technologies, solving interoperability complexities that come with such a changing environment, and many other skills that allow me to be effective and productive.

My recent practice of increasing the importance of my version of mental therapy has helped me to be more productive all while working through daily obstacles. As part of my mental therapy I have started to try to work less on the weekends if there are not any critical projects pending and thereby help me re-ground and re-energize. In addition I have recently taken up learning to play the Ukulele as part of my mental therapy which is an extreme diversion from all of the technical tasks I normally do.

I have found that practicing mental therapy recalibrates my inner barometer for sensing well being which allows me to work smarter, quicker and more efficiently all the while keeping my family life as the priority it should be.

I am sure others are far busier and have a more complicated life with more responsibilities than I do and thus might be able to benefit from my version of mental therapy to enhance their life.

Does anyone else practice mental therapy? If yes, how do you accomplish your mental therapy and what sense (internal or external) triggers you to do a recalibration check in? What benefits have you gained from it? If you sense your well-being is not positive, what techniques do you use to recalibrate your inner barometer? If you have a temporary or permanent disability, does your mental therapy aid in your ability to sense your inner well being? 

I  look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: http://profile.to/wdtipton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton 

 

 

Disabilities: Fading Memories of Previous Abilities

Has anyone who became disabled ever almost forget what it was like to experience any aspects of life before becoming disabled? For example I experienced a critical medical issue in 1999 that required me to spend seven months in the hospital where I became completely blind. After leaving the hospital I immediately plunged myself into physical rehabilitation. I embraced many blindness related skills as I rushed through my personal and professional life seldom thinking that I can’t see anything. This is the case generally unless I have artificial barriers like accessibility or usability obstacles which reinforce the fact that I am completely blind and all I see is pitch blackness.

It seems like it may be possible to forget what the environment I live in looks like since I can no longer see anything. For example the other day I was talking with a group of people and one person mentioned seeing an enormous rainbow that stretched across the entire blue sky. This rainbow I was told was clear and full of brilliant colors. As the person was describing the beautiful sight I recalled an image of a rainbow from my memory and replayed it for my mind’s eye. Needing to think for a bit to recall the image made me think, wow, I had almost forgotten what a rainbow looked like. It also made me stop and think, am I also forgetting about other visual aspects of the environment. For example what colors are such as the color purple in the rainbow? I also would not want to forget what the moon, stars, clouds, the many colors of the sky depending on the weather, mountains, trees, rivers, oceans and all the beauty of our earth’s environment look like. For me it was an uncomfortable feeling that I might lose some memories of things I can no longer see with my physical eyes preventing me from imagining such scenes when I want to replay those images in my mind’s eye. That thought made me think I had better take time out of my busy life from time to time to remember what I had once been able to see so as not to forget these wonderful images. I also believe that some people with eyesight might take for granted that these visions will always be there to enjoy forever.

Others who have different disabilities than I might experience the same kind of memories of things they previously were able to experience. Maybe a person with a mobility impairment remembers what it was like when they could walk, stand or even hold things in their own hands. People with hearing impairments might remember what it was like when they could hear clearly.  Maybe a person with a speech disability remembers what it was like when they could talk without obstacles or the use of assistive technology. Many others with invisible disabilities, or temporary challenges might remember what it used to be like. Also others who have been disabled since birth may have different thoughts, perspectives and experiences regarding this subject because they have never experienced what they may have never had.

One of my most feared thoughts is that I will forget what my wife Kathy looks like. Forgetting what my other family members, friends and co-workers look like is also uncomfortable. One positive in their favor is that all people whom I remember what they looked like are forever young in my mind’s eye since their images will never age. I also realize physical appearance does not matter like one’s inner beauty although I would still like to never forget what others look like. One amusing observation is my memory of what I look like is fading. 

Does anyone else feel they are starting to lose memories of how some aspects or sensations of life were prior to your disability or your short term challenges? Does anyone have any tips to share to assist us who are experiencing what I have described? Any more stories to share about this subject?

We all look forward to hearing your valuable comments.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: http://profile.to/wdtipton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton 

Perceived Light: Your Compass Towards Happiness & Productivity

Following up on a blog post I did called Tranquility and Acceptance through Alternate Senses I want to describe how senses can be a prelude to happiness and productivity.

Do you ever experience senses that alert you to how your physical well being is? One of my most reliable ways for me to sense how productive my day will be is how dark my perceived vision is on a clear sunny day with my eyes wide open. I say perceived, because I am completely blind and always in complete darkness due to severe optic nerve atrophy in both eyes. The darkness I experience can be compared to placing your hands over your eyes and pressing hard enough so no light can reach your eyes.

When I am stressed, overly tired or not feeling my best physically my perceived vision is on the darker side of my light scale.  My perceived vision gets darker or lighter depending on the intensity of any one of the previous attributes. A combination of getting enough sleep, increased exercising and eating well balanced nutritious meals enhances the chances that my perceived vision will be on the lighter side of the brightness scale.

When I see brightness compared to darkness in my mind’s eye I can think clearer, react quicker and work more productively. With additional perceived light I also have an increased positive outlook on life. This increased positivity touches all aspects of happiness which includes self-control, courage, generosity, unselfishness, compassion and well being.

My perceived vision never has colors, just a range from bright white/grey to dark black with all levels of grey light in-between. This range of perceived brightness corresponds directly to my productivity, sense of well being and gives me a forecast of how my day will go and acts as my compass towards happiness and productivity.

Another interesting aspect of how my perceived light affects me is how wide I open my eyes. The brighter I can see in my minds-eye, the more I keep my eyes wide open. The darker my perceived vision is corresponds to how closed my eyes are when I perform my daily tasks.

The ability to perform daily work/tasks with my eyes closed is a side benefit of being completely blind and having learned the skills to be productive without eyesight.

Do you have examples of experiencing senses that alert you as to how your physical well being is? If you do experience such senses, how do you maximize the times you see light over darkness in your particular sense that acts as your guiding compass towards happiness and productivity? If you are blind do you also experience these senses of perceived light? Does anyone have any other tips or experiences to share regarding the topic of perceived light versus dark?

Let’s all keep our eyes wide open, enjoy life, and be as productive and healthy as we can be, even if some of us don’t have the ability to see physical light like myself.

We all look forward to hearing your valuable comments.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

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